callous skin around the fingernails

[bad1080]

i have rather callous skin around my fingernails (on the sides) but it only bothers me after cutting my nails (but then it really bothers me). this leads to me biting said skin and i have been doing it for so long now my teeth took severe damage and yet i can't stop... thus i am now looking for solutions to this problem. i also have hangnails but i have good scissors for those but i guess the problem is related which is why i am mentioning it.

if you have the same problem what do you do? scissors (if so what kind)? one of those electric manicure sets (if so which one, what are important features to look for and what attachment do you use?)? something else? i don't want to use something chemically as i am likely to get side-effects from it.

 

[Wishful]

Do you get pus-filled bubbles in those areas? I do, occasionally. My guess is that the thick skin doesn't get enough blood flow, resulting in dead cells.

Have you tried abrasion? Sharp abrasive paper might work. The common aluminum oxide or garnet paper probably doesn't have the sharpest grains. Silicon carbide feels sharper. You'd have to experiment with softening the skin first (soaking) vs dry.

 

[bad1080]

Do you get pus-filled bubbles in those areas? I do, occasionally. My guess is that the thick skin doesn't get enough blood flow, resulting in dead cells.

i've had those before but not recently and not commonly (not as bubbles or blisters but as reddish inflamed areas), i think it's from an ingrown hangnail. i try not to cut them too short now, just so they stop bothering me.

just the thought of using sandpaper or similar gives me sweaty palms, like licking a wooden ice cream stick... ><
are there files for the skin? edit: yes there are plenty of files but i read about gel nails and nails and feet but not a whole lot about skin...

 

[I am sick]

i have rather callous skin around my fingernails (on the sides) but it only bothers me after cutting my nails (but then it really bothers me). this leads to me biting said skin and i have been doing it for so long now my teeth took severe damage and yet i can't stop... thus i am now looking for solutions to this problem. i also have hangnails but i have good scissors for those but i guess the problem is related which is why i am mentioning it.

if you have the same problem what do you do? scissors (if so what kind)? one of those electric manicure sets (if so which one, what are important features to look for and what attachment do you use?)? something else? i don't want to use something chemically as i am likely to get side-effects from it.

I use 250 grit sandpaper then smooth it out with those abrasive fingernail files that has a different abrasive on both sides, it has a wooden stick in the middle and some have a plastic center. I borrow one from my Wife.
Maybe start off with one of those first.

 

[Wishful]

just the thought of using sandpaper or similar gives me sweaty palms

Even ultra-fine grit will abrade skin. I was sharpening a plane blade on an 8000 grit waterstone and allowed my fingertips to touch the stone. It didn't take long before my fingertips were bleeding, even though the stone felt really smooth. No need to use coarse sandpaper. Fine grit just takes a bit longer.

My guess is that a lot of the "abrasive skin files" are those cheap "looks like a real tool but doesn't actually do the job well" products. I'd suggest going to a hardware store and feeling some abrasive paper. Maybe 400 grit silicon carbide? 800 grit?

 

[bad1080]

so i bought a couple of cheap files, it says "for nails" on them (fine and very fine) but they seem to work well for the callous skin too

 

[Wishful]

Just don't get too enthusiastic about abrading skin. There are blood vessels somewhere down there.

 

[Rufous McKinney]

so i bought a couple of cheap files,

Just don't get too enthusiastic about abrading skin.

be careful, there. Filing it sounds risky. Women use pumice stones, on callouses on feet. But you want to protect the skin layers beneath or they will peel, too.

I used to have trouble with pools and the bottom of my feet. I noted that skin peels in layers, so once a layer starts peeling, the whole thing sort of goes, its irritating and hurts, frankly,. I had to get pool shoes to protect my feet in the pool from the skin peeling.

 

[bad1080]

thank you for looking out for me! since i haven't done anything to my fingers in forever except biting them there is plenty of skin built up but nevertheless i am being careful. i don't need it perfect i just need it to stop bothering me.

 

[Wishful]

Yes, if you can bite off significant chunks of thick skin, a little abrading is probably not going to cause problems. I see this as one of those "try it and see how it goes" experiments. You might encounter an "I won't abrade that much again" experience, but it's of the "sensitive spot for a few days" rather than bleeding to death.

Abrading just seems safer than chopping off chunks with clippers or other sharp blades. Files and abrasives are tiny sharp blades.