r/calmhands

17K archived posts · Aug 2011 – Sep 2026

Can you take a deep breath and forgive yourself?

r/calmhands

r/calmhands is a community based around kicking the habit of kicking compulsive habits such as nail biting and nail picking. The goal of the sub is for you to be able to share resources, photos, and accountability with a lovely community that wants to do the same. Together we got this!

Created Aug 27, 2011

56KMembers (last snapshot)

17KArchived posts

Hi and welcome to r/calmhands a place where people go if they want to learn to be calmer in order to stop skin picking, nail biting, hair pulling or other nervous habits they have by examining what gets them started in the first place, trying to stop and forgiving yourself when you give in.

All healing contributions are welcome! Anger expressed at other users, off topic jokes that don't directly relate to healing, posts that are negative that don't directly relate to getting better will not be tolerated.

Here are some guidelines for this subreddit:

1)Please Block and Report trolls. It will not be tolerated.

2)Please write the words "trigger warning" or "picture trigger warning" if you are going to write graphic and descriptive details about your habit or post a graphic picture. (Possible flairs coming soon).

3)Please post your story about how you developed the habit you have and if there are any times you remember stopping yourself. You are brave for posting.

You are a human being and you are beautiful since you are alive. Everyone has weak points and makes mistakes but you can overcome them! Even with red spots, bald spots and bitten nails you are beautiful and you can do amazing things with your body!

Please post your experience with telling others about your habit, as some habits like nail biting are more “mainstream” than others like skin picking. A lot of these habits hold power because they are done in secret. Remember the people who care about you should listen if you find a good time to tell them and ask them to listen and not comment. Hopefully they will give you a hug too.

Related Communities

[Compulsive Skin Picking] (http://www.reddit.com/r/compulsiveskinpicking) - A forum focused on a form of OCD called Compulsive Skin Picking.
[Trichsters] (http://www.reddit.com/r/trichsters) - A forum focused on trichotillomania, or compulsive hair-pulling.
[Trichotillomania] (http://www.reddit.com/r/trichotillomania/) - A forum focused on trichotillomania, or compulsive hair-pulling.
[OCD] (http://www.reddit.com/r/ocd) - A forum for people with any type of OCD.
[Anxiety] (http://www.reddit.com/r/anxiety) - A forum for anxious people

FAQ*

Why did you guys start this community?

r/Calmhands is a community to be able to connect with other people who have the same issues you may have. We believe that it’s easier to stop a bad habit when you’re got a group to help support you along the way. Through support each other our goal is to help stop bad habits whether it’s nail biting, skin picking, hair pulling, etc.

What are body repetitive behaviors?

Well, there are a lot. Trichotillomania and dermatillomania to name a few. Those include things like cheek biting, skin picking, nail biting, etc. These are related to OCD but are not OCD and so typically require a different type of treatment.

Well if it isn’t OCD but related, what treatment will help?

Well there are a ton of different treatments. Things like cognitive behavioral therapy, dialectical therapy, hypnosis, NAC amino acid, etc. Here in the r/calmhands community we focus on being your cheerleaders and the best support group we can be.

I feel I need more help, where can I get that?

Well we have some for you. Check out our addition resosources section below, it’s an ever growing list that anyone and everyone is welcome to message the mods to help expand. In the list below each resource will be described in a bit more detail.

Additional Resources

The TLC Foundation for Body Focused Repetitive Behaviors (www.BFRB.org) is the major US organization that funds research for a cure, hosts training sessions for treatment professionals, and provides support for the community. They also host an annual conference and have a listing of hair salons and therapists on their website. It was started in the 90s by a hair puller, Christina Pearson.
Heart & Soul Academy (https://hasacademy.org/) - Christina Pearson now runs Heart & Soul. She has focused more on integrative health strategies and how they can help us all heal. They hold an annual retreat.
www.CanadianBFRB.org is a Canadian-based org primarily focused on building awareness and supporting the community. Their blog has many useful tips. This is volunteer run. Please reach out if you want to help them!
www.PickingMe.org is a foundation started by a compulsive skin picker for compulsive skin pickers. Their goal is to build awareness through outreach to treatment professionals. They also provide support to support groups.

Other communities

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