Experimenting Point
Apr 8th, 2008 by Nola
When I stress, it shows in my fingers. I don’t bite my nails; I don’t smoke and have yellow nails as a result; I don’t crack my knuckles. No, my vice is that I pick my cuticles. Until they bleed. Then I pick some more. In a good week, my fingertips will be in “healing mode” and not hurt so bad. More typical, however, is that my fingertips are in varying degrees of injury–some are newly raw, some are on the mend, and some are completely healed. Very rare is the case that at least some tips are not ripped. Rare, too, is the case for all ten to be damaged. Currently, I am in that rare case where all ten are in bad shape. And crawfish season is upon us! Oh, the misery of fingertip pain from the salt and seasonings getting in those ripped cuticles!!
The tip of my pointer on my right hand is in the best shape of the ten–it is close to being fully healed. And somehow I’ve got it in my head that if I can see just one to full healing and then KEEP IT THERE then maybe I can branch out to all the others. So, as of this past Sunday, I am NOT allowing myself to rip, touch, or so much as ogle that right pointer’s fingertip. It’s been three days. And the temptation has been so great. See, when they are healed, they have these thin layers of skin that are just BEGGING to be ripped. Or manicured. And I am always in too bad of shape to get a manicure. See my vicious cycle?
Do you think I can do it? Stay away from just one fingertip? Do you think if I do I can follow through with others? With all ten? I am cautiously optimistic.
I’ll keep you posted in the coming weeks!
Good luck on this… I know how hard it is to stop an annoying habit. I used to bite my nails… took someone calling me out on how bad it looked to finally stop. One of the hardest things I’ve ever done. You can do it!
I will buy you a beer if you can make it to 10 full healed fingers!!
Some people think I get manicures (just about every week) becuase I’m vain or what have you. In reality, when my nails are painted I am much less likely to pick, bite, tear or peel. I do however keep them super short (my nail lady is always tsk-ing me) but its not practical to have long nails….
That said, have you tried Nu-skin? Its a topical bandaid sealant that you brush on to little boo-boos to keep water, salt, etc out. It might also help keep you from picking (as it seals everything right up) and it might save you from pain while you eat crawfish as you let your other 9 fingers heal up.
Hey, I have reserved my 2 pinkies for biting. I think it can be done.
I bite my cuticles and pull my ear lobe.
I think you can do it!!
If you can stop let me know what you did and I’m on it! I pulled a bit of skin on the side of my finger and apparently that wasn’t a good thing b/c now it’s like really irritated. I wear a band-aid most days now:)
Ha Ha, as I got out of the shower this morning I was trying to figure out how I was going to reverse the directionof losing cuticles as well. I decided if I hydrate, and my skin is less dry, maybe my cuticles won’t be so irritatlingly needing to be removed.
I feel for you on the crawfish thing. For me, it’s only lemons in my tea, but crawfish season must be painful.
I used to always bite my cuticles when I was stressed and my daughter will paint her nails with 3 coats and pick it off when shes stressed…I wonder if it is something about the hands???
Love your blog. I am so glad I came across it. I have new blog called I Overcooked My Family, I would love to hear from you. I’ll be back soon so read more!
I do the same thing!! There’s just something about when the skin grows in that seems . . . untidy. Right? And it needs to be picked off. That and I always seem to pull hangnails off incorrectly and then it’s really painful.
I found your blog in a roundabout way and I’m enjoying it immensely. I moved from Slidell to Austin, TX almost a year ago and I’m still homesick. But going home for a visit in a couple of weeks. First stop? Brunch at Court of Two Sisters. I NEED some jambalaya. Second, a po-boy. Third, a daquiri handed to me through a damn window. Fourth (and overlying my entire weekend), more seafood than I ever thought I could consume just so I can get my fill.