Picking/peeling nails - what to do?

seeker

Sun, Jul 31 2016, 11:31 pm

I have seen advice for biting nails but this is a whole different thing. It started gradually and by now it's been weeks since I had to clip any of 3 1/2 yo dd's nails, both fingers and toes. It seems to be some combination of sensory and mindless, I don't think there's any anxiety involved. I've talked to her about not doing it especially since she started getting booboos from it but it didn't help. She was perfectly willing but it was already such a habit.

What can we do? Her digits are looking tattered and I'm worried about infections!

amother

Aubergine

Mon, Aug 01 2016, 2:22 am

Put bandaids on the ends of each finger? (look for fingertip bandaids)

Help her find another sensory activity to do while you do the bandaid treatment.

seeker

Mon, Aug 01 2016, 8:39 am

Bandaids always fall off. She's a very active child and also would pick at the bandaid anyway.

It doesn't help that I don't even know when she does it. I rarely catch her in the act, just see the evidence. When I do catch her and remind her she stops for the time being.

amother

Wheat

Mon, Aug 01 2016, 10:37 am

You can try giving her fidgets, like a koosh ball. Teach her to do lanyard. Buy her silly putty.

Basically, keep her hands busy with other things.

You can also try massaging her hands and fingers similar to the way you get massaged when you get a manicure.

seeker

Mon, Aug 01 2016, 4:19 pm

She's 3 years old, usually busy, in camp most of the day and playing hard most of the evening. .. that's why it's a mystery when she does it. Today I caught her using the teeth as well. Until now I only saw picking with fingers and obviously her toenails are only picking. ..I hope. Maybe if we do some sparkly special nail polish she'll be motivated to keep it on. I'm just worried that if it doesn't work then she'll be eating really toxic junk.

amother

Wheat

Mon, Aug 01 2016, 4:47 pm

Try giving her things to keep her hands busy. That is key here.
Also her mouth. You can research Palmer reflex integration for more information.

amother

Floralwhite

Mon, Aug 01 2016, 5:59 pm

My 4 year old is doing be exact same thing the past few weeks! Biting cuticles and finger nails.
I think it's a combination of seeking and anxiety related.
I plan to buy her a few squishy toys to play with. I noticed she does it a lot in the car. So that's why it's a seeking thing when she is bored.

amother

Honeydew

Wed, Apr 03 2019, 12:19 am

I am only bumping this because I feel like it’s relevant
I have been noticing this lately with my older dd.
She has been picking finger nails/toe nails and assorted cuticles/skin surrounding. She is not doing so much biting but more just picking of it.

This is *SO* not the main point, but it’s socially acceptable to have manicures/ pedicures (in the spring/ summer) in my community, and she has been getting uncomfortable about the prospect of getting them done because she “feels like there’s not enough nail” to have it worth it to be done and she’ll “ pick it anyways so it’s not worth it anyways”. - I am not bringing this up because I expect her to have her nails done. It is more so that she is voicing discomfort and that sometimes her friends go out socially do to so, and she is skipping out on that.

Any tips or ideas to help me assist her in stopping this?

amother

Silver

Wed, Apr 03 2019, 12:29 am

If someone is motivated to have her nails look nice, they might try what I saw and was able to emulate. I met s/o with a really pretty manicure except her thumb nails were bitten. She said she was able to restrict her biting and still have her hands look mostly nice.

I find sometimes I can even let the thumbs grow, once in a while when under great stress, I start on another finger or two... you can tell my stress level for the last few days by looking at my hands (kind of like an A1C).

However, I do pick at my cuticles. I hope to address the whole issue in therapy one day soon...