Fix my gross cuticles please

April 8, 2019 12:54 PM

I know, I know, I shouldn't pick at my cuticles. But now that I have . . . what do I do?

I pick my cuticles a lot and am working on stopping. But I'm having a real problem with my left thumb. No matter what I do, when the skin starts growing back it looks gross and is scratchy. This leads me to rub it, and worry at it, and eventually pick at it.

Photo evidence.

How do I stop this from happening? Is there some kind of product I can put on that thumb to make the skin smooth again?

posted by chainsofreedom to Health & Fitness (18 answers total)

Best answer: I have a separate chapstick that I only use as a localized cuticle lotion.
posted by ChuraChura at 1:00 PM on April 8, 2019 [5 favorites]

Are you moisturising your hands? Find a hand cream or lotion you like and use it. In addition, invest in a cuticle trimmer and use it to carefully remove anything that invites you to play with it.
posted by koahiatamadl at 1:02 PM on April 8, 2019 [3 favorites]

You need to set yourself up so that every time you're tempted to rub it, you have some cuticle cream at hand so that you can rub it with cuticle cream instead. And maybe also some other little object you can rub instead if the urge strikes, like a smooth pebble in your pocket. You won't need this stuff forever but it will help break the habit. This is how I stopped chewing my nails.
posted by showbiz_liz at 1:05 PM on April 8, 2019 [4 favorites]

Can you cover it with a bandaid while it heals up a bit?
posted by chesty_a_arthur at 1:07 PM on April 8, 2019 [2 favorites]

Bandage it for a couple of days (dab some petroleum jelly on before you apply the bandage, repeat when the bandage needs replacing). Once it's better enough to take off the bandage, moisturize religiously, especially before bed. I have not had much luck with sleeping in gloves or socks or anything like that, but that can be worth a try to keep the lotion from coming off while you sleep.

If you're picking with your fingernails, trim your fingernails so that you can't. If it's remotely reasonable to wear gloves, wear gloves.

I tried New-Skin liquid bandage for this a while back and found that it created more pickable surface as it dried, and there was a limit to how much it was reasonable to keep applying. Plus it wasn't easy to remove. It sort of did the trick of covering the rough scabby bits, but not well enough I'd use it for this. I have read that liquid latex can work well for providing a smooth surface while your fingers heal up, but haven't tried it.

I have found the ABCs of skin picking to be a useful way to think about the problem.
posted by asperity at 1:23 PM on April 8, 2019 [4 favorites]

I have used trimmers but I have also used fine grain sandpaper to get everything totally smooth. It has helped because then there is nothing to catch a fingernail on.
posted by kerf at 1:24 PM on April 8, 2019 [4 favorites]

Best answer: Are you sure it's just an issue that was caused by picking? Because it looks a lot like an area of (what I thought was) callused, thickened skin I had on my right ring finger near the nail for a long time. I thought that if I somehow... ground the callus down to bare skin, that it would heal smooth, or at least smoother-- but I was wrong! It turned out that I had a smallish cluster of warts that was also underneath the fingernail that had a layer of rough callus-y skin over the top, and once I got the warts treated my finger healed fairly smooth. (I still pick at my cuticles so I still have self-inflicted damage, but I don't have a thick growth of rough skin snagging on stuff.) In case this is relevant for you, I will also note that because the warts were partially under the nail, usual topical treatments didn't work-- my doctor eventually used (I think?) some kind of yeast injection that cleared it up.

So it you haven't checked in with a dermatologist to make sure that it's not something that might need professional medical treatment, I'd probably start there.
posted by Kpele at 1:26 PM on April 8, 2019 [8 favorites]

You might consider investing in a once-monthly manicure. They will trim your cuticles and pamper your nails and hands a bit, and I find that I don't pick or over trim on my own if I know I have a manicure coming.

Also, hand lotion before bed.
posted by Medieval Maven at 1:28 PM on April 8, 2019

I swear by Cutemol.

And like showbiz_liz said, 1) the sooner I intervene picking with moisturizing, the less likely I am to continue picking and 2) having something else to do with my hands (I have a few Lego pieces at my desk to play with, for example) satisfies most of the urge to pick in the first place.
posted by mustardayonnaise at 1:31 PM on April 8, 2019 [2 favorites]

I’m trying to kick this habit too. So far I’ve found lotion, cuticle trimmers, cuticle oil/moisturizer, and a spinner ring got my nails into decent enough shape in a few weeks that getting a manicure this past weekend didn’t feel like a waste of money. It’s definitely still a slog, though, good luck.
posted by jameaterblues at 1:42 PM on April 8, 2019 [1 favorite]

I have very dry cuticles so I apply a drop or two of jojoba oil at night before bed and massage it in. I also keep a bottle on my desk and use it a couple time throughout the day.

For a super easy application, get a refillable brush pen and fill it with the oil so you can brush it on whenever you feel like it. I keep this in my purse and it doesn't leak at all. If it's too runny, add some vitamin E oil to thicken it up a bit.
posted by ananci at 1:44 PM on April 8, 2019 [3 favorites]

For topical treatment, you want something for your skin that is both an emollient and occlusive. So, something that makes the area slippery and protected from the environment. I like Bag Balm for this. Part of what is satisfying about skin picking is that you can "catch" the skin, and having it be slippery and soft obstructs that. I used to have a very tiny natural bristle brush for application. Now I use the tip of my pinkie finger to apply the goo to each cuticle on the opposite hand. I miss being able to meticulously dab into each crevice and consume time and attention with the process. Now I just smear it on, which is still effective. Beware of using plastic containers and applicators with oil or petroleum based products, as the oil may destroy many kinds of plastics.

Additional tips:

• Apply some kind of lotion after every handwashing/hand sanitizing event.
• Keep the lotion and creams close at hand - near your workstation, bedside, and in any bag that you carry.
• Pat your hands dry instead of rubbing them on the toweling.
• Consider vitamin supplements. I started taking prenatal vitamins this winter and that has helped more than anything, I think.

posted by bilabial at 2:01 PM on April 8, 2019 [1 favorite]

Best answer: Ex cuticle pusher here.
One idea is to only mess with them at a specific time that you dedicate to nail care. Get the tools and learn about it and be careful and do it once a week and it can lead to a healthy habit as opposed to one that you obsess over and is unhealthy for you skin and nails.
posted by SaltySalticid at 2:25 PM on April 8, 2019 [1 favorite]

I use a fine emery board to smooth calluses on my hands while leaving most of the skin on for protection, and I bet it would work a treat on your thumb.
posted by momus_window at 4:32 PM on April 8, 2019

Best answer: That actually looks like a wart (here are some photos of similar ones- search term is "periungual"). If so, it's no big deal to get it burned off- will take maybe 2 visits of 10 minutes each and it doesn't feel great, but it's not terribly painful. I had one in the same spot when I was a teenager- it was there for a long time but when I finally went to the clinic, was miraculously gone in a couple weeks.
posted by pseudostrabismus at 5:36 PM on April 8, 2019 [1 favorite]

Best answer: I popped in to say wart too because that is what my finger looked like as well. And I always had cuticle issues. The doctor treated it and it has been gone for 30 years.
posted by maxg94 at 7:14 PM on April 8, 2019 [1 favorite]

When my cuticles were at their absolute nicest, it was because I was putting Burt's Bees Lemon Butter Cuticle Creme on them at night before bed. I need to get back to doing that again!
posted by helloimjennsco at 7:44 AM on April 10, 2019

Response by poster: I started chapsticking my cuticle and it has helped a lot, but now that I really look at it and compare it with those Google images, I am not sure it isn't a wart. I will be checking with my doctor. Thanks AskMe; I never would have thought to ask a doctor about this without you guys!
posted by chainsofreedom at 2:44 PM on April 10, 2019 [2 favorites]