Help me stop biting my nails

Virginia90

I've bitten my nails ever since I can remember, and I'm tired of it. They are incredibly short, and I'm constantly finding myself with my fingers in my mouth without even realizing it. How do I become more aware (it seems to be a bored/nervous/stress related habit), and how do I stop? I also find myself picking at my cuticles and the skin around my nails. My fingers look horrible. :frown: Help.

sagetracey

I feel your pain!!!

I was a compulsive nail biter throughout my childhood. My Mum painted horrible tasting stuff on them, slapped my fingers out of my mouth, made me wear gloves....everything she could think of.

I managed to give up and grow my nails for my wedding because I wanted a particular photo of my husband and my hands wearing our wedding bands, resting on our marriage certificate (guess which was the only photograph that didn't work out on the day!)

Cue forward 17 years and one day i noticed my fingers in my mouth and I just went, "OMG, that is so gross and disgusting!" I have NEVER bitten my nails since.

I don't know what it was that gave me that reaction but it was so strong that I immediately stopped.

I wish I could find the mindset switch for weight loss cos every day requires concentration, commitment and hard work!

Good luck.

donnantx

I also have the same problem but this works for me...go to the nail salon and get a Shellac (or Gelish) manicure. It is a manicure with your choice of polish that will last two weeks (no chipping..which drives me crazy). I do not bite my nails because they look so darn good! (I type a lot and do lots of dishes too and the polish still lasts). They use a new kind of polish and UV lights and it is a little more expensive but so worth it! (I pay 40.00 here in the middle of Wyoming, but in New Orleans it was only 25) Good Luck

RuthRuby

Lol i was actually sitting here biting my nails and saw this and it made me stop for a bit :P

the only thing that usually motivates me to not bite them is nail polish, when I have nice nail polish I appreciate my nails more and want them to be longer.

There is also those nasty tasting polishes that make it gross to bite them.

Johnnyswife

I just thought about all the places my hands had been and what they had done during the day. Yeah I washed my hands, but how do you get soap and water under the finger nails? If that doesn't gross you out, than I think there is some sort of stuff you can put on your hands that makes them taste gross and stops you from chewing your nails. I can't remember what it is though. If all else fails, get a large stinky rubber band and rub them on your fingers. that will stop you cold too. :laugh:

AngelikaLumiere

I can always tell when my diet is deficient in calcium, when I start biting my nails. Try taking calcium suppliments and see what happens.

Virginia90

It's not a calcium thing - when I noticed my teeth starting to suddenly get way sensitive and cavities for the first time (thanks pregnancy/breastfeeding), I started taking calcium supplements and started getting a lot in my diet as well. I usually go way over my calcium goal for the day.

I'll try the nail polish thing though...I just filed all of them down as far as I could because I found I was running my teeth under my nail and it was so tempting to bite them off...

Oh, and thinking about how gross it is doesn't help...I wash my hands so much it's probably considered a compulsive behavior....like several times an hour. It's weird but I get grossed out just by my own spit sometimes, so the biting definitely grosses me out, but I just end up washing my hands even more and still biting. :frown: I'll be buying nail polish tomorrow (I don't own any sort of makeup. lol) I was also considering acrylic nails or something, but I'm afraid how they would interfere with typing or that I'd accidentally scratch my toddler.