I HAVE to keep my nails short.....

Yes, I do. I find that if I keep my nails polished that I am less likely to pick.

It's funny but in my case I can remember my mother doing the exact same thing. Maybe the habit is hereditary.

I don't, but my DH does, even though he has short nails. For some reason, it just gives me the creeps to watch someone do that!

I keep my nails short. My cuticles are always dry, so I pick at them as they get ragged sometime. I think short or long, dry cuticles are the fault. To rip my nails off instead of trimming, arrrrgh!

No, but I was a nail biter until I was 39. It was really hard for me to stop for good, but I stopped 5 years ago and now strangers compliment me on my nails.

If your picking makes you mad, you should stop. I know how hard it is, but I also know there are a lot of things in the world that are beyond your control and picking your cuticles probably isn't one of them. If you do it without realizing it, it doesn't sound like a compulsion that's beyond your control. You can do it.

No, I don't have that habit but I prefer short nails. I cannot stand anything getting under my nails -- it seems so unsanitary to me.

On 9/2/2014 cinebee said:

Why do I do this? I keep my nails short but anytime they start to get a little long I start picking at my cuticles! I do it without even realizing it. Makes me so mad. Does anybody else have this appalling habit?

I'm a reformed picker and biter (when I was young). Now, as part of my skincare rituals I also put oil on my cuticles. I do it at the end then lie or sit down and do my meditation mantras while rubbing the oil into each nail bed. I'm not a woo-woo Zen person, but find this helps quiet my mind. I've used olive oil in the past, but then all I could think about was Italian/Mediterranean food. Now I use either almond, coconut, lavender or jasmine.

If you do it while you sleep I'll tell you to do what I tell my dental patients' parents of nail biters and thumb suckers. Where a long t-shirt to bed with the ends of the arms sewn up. Works.

I'm a ripper too. I usually keep my nails short but when I want to grow them out I find a couple of coats of polish makes it harder to rip the nail off. I keep a nail file on hand and run the tip under the nail, sort of gives the sensation of ripping. Once the nail grows beyond the finger proper I don't have that urge to tear them off anymore.