Who has successfully stopped biting their nails?

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245

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  • takehimaway
    takehimaway Posts: 499 Member
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    I've bit them my whole life, not gonna stop anytime soon; I also smoke and eat a million sunflower seeds a day.
  • darkmouzy
    darkmouzy Posts: 227 Member
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    I had a really bad habit, and still do it from time to time but only if i happen to chip a nail and it snags.

    I noticed i tended to do it when i was stressed out, anxious, nervous, and since i've begun working out I find that I don't do it as often and have full confidence that i will stop.

    (plus in my line of work you are not allowed to have nails haha so they are always super short nothing to chew!)
  • PANZERIA
    PANZERIA Posts: 471 Member
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    Bump - I just got gel nails put on yesterday. I've been biting my nails since I was 5 years old and have damaged them quite severely. I'm also a 'picker,' meaning I literally dig into the skin on my fingers as well. It's all nervousness and stress, but I'm hoping these gel nails work. I'm having a tough time keeping my fingers away from my face, though. =( On the plus side, I haven't bitten yet and it's been 24 hours!!!! =D
  • leannems
    leannems Posts: 516 Member
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    I stopped biting them when I started taking care of them. Manicures, painting them - making my cuticles look nice.

    I was always afraid to shake someone's hand and have them look down and think gross - taking care of them and not wanting that is what did it for me.
  • celesteflenory
    celesteflenory Posts: 22 Member
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    It IS a mental thing. I started getting my nails done and the acrylic helped to protect my nail, but when I started to feel the economic pinch, it was no longer in my budget. I started buffing, shaping, and polishing my nails on my own. When the nails grew out, I took a picture of my hands, how nice they looked. It worked for a while, then stress hit me, and I had a relapse. My nails looked horrible. Especially because I had bitten several of them down to the quick and the skin around them.
    I took a picture of those hands to. I am back on my shape, buff, polish routine. And when I find my hands in my mouth, I stick a piece of sugar free chewing gum and chew it instead. I also look at that pic of my hands next to the one with nails. There is a huge difference, and I have to tell myself that people see both sets of hands. I also keep a nail file on me; I find that when stress levels are high, or if my nail splits and catches, I am more likely to bite the nail .
  • Evelyn_Gorfram
    Evelyn_Gorfram Posts: 706 Member
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    One thing about my nails is they used to chip and flake a lot. That made them get caught in fabrics, and would lead to my nibbling at the little imperfection; which can easily lead to tearing off a too-big chunk of nail. When I started supplementing with Vitamin D, the nails became thicker and stronger for the first time in my life.
    ^this^

    I started carrying a pair of nail clippers (my weapon of choice) and using them instead of my teeth to trim snags and hangnails. Can't say that I *never* bite anymore, but at the moment I have no bloody patches and 9 nails long enough to show white at end (right index fingernail had to be trimmed to the quick after my last round of housework).
  • xHelloQuincyx
    xHelloQuincyx Posts: 884 Member
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    omgggg *bump*

    my nails and skin around them are raw. the only thing that makes me stop is thinking about how many germs i am putting in my mouth, but i ususally absent mindedly do it anyways :/

    i am also quiting smoking so that dosnt help...

    my nails are always painted, and that dosnt help either... :c
  • Meaganandcheese
    Meaganandcheese Posts: 525 Member
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    I had to get acryllic nails to break the habit. Now getting regular manicures and just keeping them in good shape in general really helps.
  • BrendaLee
    BrendaLee Posts: 4,463 Member
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    Try putting an elastic band on your wrist and pinging it every time you catch yourself biting your nails -- negative reinforcement. It worked for my daughter. She eventually went back to biting them, so I think we'll have to break out the rubber band again.
  • kak2m4
    kak2m4 Posts: 167 Member
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    I am a recovered nail biter. it takes a LOT of willpower, but every time you go to start biting your nails, stop yourself and do something else, or just simply stop yourself because you're trying to break the habit. Eventually you will not think about or want to do it. It takes time though.
  • cynthiaj777
    cynthiaj777 Posts: 787 Member
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    Honestly, thinking about how absolutely disgusting your hands look to women might make you stop. I am SOOO turned off by any man whose hands are all mangled. And I can only imagine how gross it is for men if they see mangled women hands.

    Maybe I just stopped because I'd prefer to have nice nails subconsciously....because now that I think of it, I do immediately notice chewed up fingers on men...and the disgust in my head is probably really noticeable on my face. haha
  • turbophoenix
    turbophoenix Posts: 152
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    I was a nail biter for 23 years and recently quit. I've actually quit once before but only for a few weeks - this go round, I'm doing really well and haven't bit my nails at all since Halloween.

    All I did was start putting clear polish on my nails - somehow that did the trick.
  • GasMasterFlash
    GasMasterFlash Posts: 2,206 Member
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    I stopped washing my hands after going to the bathroom. Might sound a bit extreme, but it helps stave off the craving to put my fingers in my mouth.
  • spynoodle
    spynoodle Posts: 404
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    http://www.modernman.com/6-methods-you-can-use-to-stop-biting-your-nails/
  • Tashry
    Tashry Posts: 151 Member
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    I kept a nail file with me 24/7 so if I got the slightest snag in a nail I could fix it nicely rather than start playing with it and biting it.

    I also found keeping them pretty with polish helped because I didn't want to wreck them. But that won't work for everyone :)
  • as1789
    as1789 Posts: 46
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    I started working with **** water and other waste waters. That's the only thing that's ever worked for me.
  • katy84o
    katy84o Posts: 744 Member
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    I use to bite my nails wicked badly as a kid. Once I became a vegetarian I stopped. I have no idea why it happened. Good luck!

    exact same thing for me!
  • TanyaCurtis
    TanyaCurtis Posts: 630
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    Lol, I was horrible too, I still do from time to time, but not like I used to, and nothing helped, that gross tasting nail polish, getting yelled at LOL, I was in the same boat! I just had to make a conscience decision, and decided enough is enough! I tend to still if I'm bored or super hungry lol, but I'm obviously doing a better job at it because my nails actually grow out now! I kinda just nibble them more now, instead of eating them haha! Hope u can figure something out, cause yeah that sucks, and looks ugly lol
  • annameier8706
    annameier8706 Posts: 572 Member
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    I have a bit of an oral fixation, so nail biting was pretty bad when I was younger. I got my lip pierced on each side (snake bite) when I was about 19 and the oral focus became messing wihpth my lip rings NOT biting my nials. I still do it on occasion, when I have a hang nail etc, but that's it.
  • penrbrown
    penrbrown Posts: 2,685 Member
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    I did stop two years ago... I'm not sure what set me off again but I'm trying to stop again now.

    I look at is this way... if I can lose this weight I can sure as heck stop biting my nails!

    The last time I quit I just made the decision not to do it, and whenever I wanted to do it I'd distract myself. But you have to make the conscious and continuing effort to stop.

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