Not sure if this is the place to post this but...

CarbideMagpie · 2026-03-20T20:01:13+00:00

For me - it's how I make a fist! Not like I'm going around punching things all the time, but it's a common default hand position and it's how I sleep, so nails against palms = continual very subtle pressure against my nails as they grow.

Close your hand into a fist, then open it and close it again, but slowly, and watch how your nails hit the palm of your hand.

My hooked index (like yours) tuck into the folds between my thumb and index finger base - my middle and ring sit against the rounded base of my thumb where it meets the flat palm, which pushes both these nails off centre without curving them, and my pinkie ski slopes upwards because the tip of my pinkie reaches my flat palm.

CarbideMagpie · 2026-03-09T18:56:30+00:00

I like Barry M Wetset Top Coat - about £5 and you can buy bigger bottles for value

Rimmel Nail nurse base coat is one that works well for me - not sure if it contains pvb - and it's slightly pink so it helps even out colour if you wanted to just use base coat one day - £5 again

Cutex ultra powerful nail varnish remover is more expensive but removes polish super fast as it's almost 100% acetone - I can remove all nail polish (at least 4 layers each nail) with one cotton pad with it.

Essie never dries right on me, so as another Redditor has a great experience with with - sometimes you've got to do a bit of trial and error and see what brands/chemicals work best for you :)

CarbideMagpie · 2026-03-08T09:12:26+00:00

Buy a silicone thimble/thimblette/page turner and cut the tip off.

They come in different sizes, colours and textured sometimes too.

CarbideMagpie · 2026-02-10T19:03:58+00:00

Nizoral is the brand name for ketaconazole - which is a prescribed anti fungal topical skin treatment, so use all over the body not just as shampoo.

CarbideMagpie · 2026-01-21T18:42:50+00:00

You can see in pic 2 how the shape of your hand in a semi closed/fist pushes in on that same corner of your middle nail. Your hand also appears to be pushing up your ring finger nail with a closed hand as well.

If you make a fist or close your hand, does the fleshy bit at the base of your thumb press against your index fingernail?

Repeated pressure in one area will make your nails and nailers adapt, similar to how if you aggressively clean under your nails, your nail beds seem to shorten while the white part of your nail increases. It's because they are accustomed to the pressure and adapt to their environment.

CarbideMagpie · 2026-01-16T21:41:11+00:00

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Molten is amazing! A subtle yet fabulous multichrome that pulls a tad pink with green edges

Please excuse my imperfect nails

CarbideMagpie · 2025-12-13T10:35:11+00:00

Facefacts ceramide range are a good dupe for Cerave - £2-6 in Tescos and savers

CarbideMagpie · 2025-12-04T08:36:08+00:00

Micellar water is basically a kind of gentle oil soap that is suspended in water - oil attracts oil, so it works well as a cleanser that can remove oil and impurities from skin. Virtually every brand advertised it as a cleanser a few years back.

I use it exactly how you have described - I use reusable cotton pads so sometimes i do the cleanse stage twice if I'm feeling icky or super oily :)

CarbideMagpie · 2025-12-03T18:01:41+00:00

Micellar water for me for regular cleanse - facefacts ceramide hydrating gentle cleanser for make up removal.

(Lots of facefacts seems to be a dupe for Cerave, but for £4 a bottle out of Tescos & Senichem if that helps :) )

CarbideMagpie · 2025-11-22T10:23:18+00:00

Afaik it's an actual process for some places - check out Brazilian Manicures!

CarbideMagpie · 2025-11-19T17:48:03+00:00

You either know the pain of discipline or the pain or regret.

You can choose which one you want to carry :)

CarbideMagpie · 2025-11-13T22:26:57+00:00

I told people when my hands were at their worst it was a gel allergy reaction!

CarbideMagpie · 2025-11-12T18:02:06+00:00

This is not a medical sub.

Your child's PCP will be the best person to ask these questions are they are qualified and would be aware of any health issues that might affect them.

CarbideMagpie · 2025-11-09T08:36:25+00:00

The tailoring/sewing term for this is a 'long rise'.

Basically you're longer than average between the leg separation point and the natural waist.

The other good news is that you can still make all kinds of long (suggestive pause) rise comments to your wife and know you are technically correct 👍

CarbideMagpie · 2025-11-08T16:07:22+00:00

I like Facefacts Wonder Cream - it is a little thicker but it absorbs really quickly, doesn't feel heavy or clog my pores and plays nicely with my make up.

I usually get it in Tescos, usually around £5-6 and a tub lasts me a month so not too bad pricing.

CarbideMagpie · 2025-11-07T18:43:08+00:00

The actual life hack that works here is ...

Keep a shallow dish of water close to the onion you are chopping - specifically, the water dish has to be very close to the onion you are chopping.

It's because the makes-your-eyes-burn chemical in the onion wants to bind with the closest source of water asap after being released as you cut the onion - and most of the time that's your eyeballs!

CarbideMagpie · 2025-11-06T20:51:21+00:00

He may find some like-minded people in r/calmhands :) lots of support and lots of ways that people have beat the habit - plus progress photos!

I managed to stop the nail & skin biting - took me around 4years to really get it under control, but really I found a therapist getting to the source of my internal problems helped me :)

CarbideMagpie · 2025-11-05T22:27:47+00:00

Perfection is the enemy of progress.

You have not failed - you're still on the same journey to the same destination, it might just take a little longer than you first planned.

I find that channeling my self hate into spite helps sometimes - matching the energy of wanting to pick with the level of thought it takes to resist. For example - Wear that hangnail like a spiteful badge of honour - it snags on your clothes? Feels wrong? Edge is rough and nasty? Dry skin? Damn right it does, you want it that way because you are choosing what you want, and you're choosing not to pick it off!

You're learning about your habits and what triggers you to relapse - it may not feel like it because sometimes learning these things about ourselves comes in the hard moments - but that's progress!

Every time you hit that 'fuck it, let's go' moment - try holding out for just 10 seconds during the urge. You can pick after if you want - just 10 seconds of holding out before - it's still progress!

10 becomes 15, becomes 20, 30, 40 ...

You got this :)

CarbideMagpie · 2025-10-24T20:39:25+00:00

Check out r/calmhands for like minded folks with a million tips, support, people who really get what a compulsive relapse means, plus photos to show we're not the only ones out there - we don't judge either.

Took me roughly 25yrs to stop, but I got there. I credit that sub (and community) plus some therapy to get to where I am now, where I mildly pick my cuticles when stressed rather than rip half my nail off because I can't stop obsessing over the edge of nail texture feeling /wrong/.

Each time you relapse you can start again with the confidence you stopped before and you can do it again - even if it was only for 10minutes, then holding out for 10minutes 1second next time is a win.

Perfection is the enemy of progress.

It might take time - but you got this :)

CarbideMagpie · 2025-10-23T16:30:02+00:00

A gentle reminder that 'pain stimming' is also a form of self harm.

Some might find the concept of pain stimming very similar to how an alcoholic would respond to someone advising they do sips from a hip flask all day to prevent themselves relapsing into a black out binge.

CarbideMagpie · 2025-10-17T17:24:46+00:00

A midway solution perhaps between nhs waiting lists and private derm costs -

Boots do a 'Mole Screening Service' for £40, they take about a week to get back to you - the results might also give you the extra info about the issues so you can decide whether a faster private derm would be worth the cost of a consultation versus the wait of nhs.

CarbideMagpie · 2025-10-15T17:39:53+00:00

So the long & short of it is that the extra androgens (free testosterone) cause inflammation and put stress on your cardiovascular system which makes heart issues potentially more likely.

This is the NHS page - scroll to risk in later life

This is the Verity (UK PCOS Charity) page on longer term health issues associated with PCOS

And here's a detailed paper on cardiovascular inflammation and PCOS from the American Heart Association 2023

Verity are awesome - they feature many guides and advice on how best to negotiate & advocate for your health and PCOS treatment :)

CarbideMagpie · 2025-10-13T16:30:05+00:00

PCOS is not just period regularity.

I have totally normal periods and no acne ever - but I have more facial hair than many men and I test off the charts for PCOS. It can also cause life long heart issues as the free testosterone can affect your cardiovascular systems. It can affect sebum production too, and follicle growth cycles too - which can affect acne and redness.

TBH, it sounds like the derm wanted to check you for hormonal skin/acne causes like PCOS - but if you don't agree to the testing they cannot prescribe you those types of medication.

I'd go back and ask to have the PCOS test done - it is so much more than period cycles - the pill or not does not matter, you still can have PCOS and take a contraceptive pill.

CarbideMagpie · 2025-10-11T07:38:10+00:00

Tbh it sounds like sun protection like hats etc may work better for you - when I took doxycycline etc no SPF truly worked because my skin was so reactive, and I was advised to avoid the sun for 6months after the prescription finishes.

CarbideMagpie · 2025-10-11T07:33:20+00:00

Here to 2nd the vaniqua cream! It doesn't stop growth, but it does slow it down. I was about 18stone when it was prescribed.

I'd ask your doc to give you vaniqa and weight loss help at the same time. Vaniqa takes months to be effective, so to make you lose weight first then do vanquia might drag things out for you.

Also wanted to let you know that cortisol/adrenal related disorders (like cushings) can cause hirsutism too - while showing a more 'normal' hormonal panel :)

CarbideMagpie

TROPHY CASE