Nail Biting Quitting Help

ValerieMartini2Olives
ValerieMartini2Olives Posts: 3,024 Member
I have been a nail biter my whole life. 2 years ago it really dawned on me how disgusting of a habit it truly is, so I got the stuff to put on my nails to make them taste gross. I have been using it for 2 years now. I still can't stop. I'll go 2-3 weeks without biting, but then I'll tear them completely off to the point of bleeding and severe pain.

Right now they are in the stage of growth. I filed them and polished them and they looked all pretty - that is until this morning when I tore my thumb up. Now I feel guilty as hell like usual. I immediately came home and coated them with the nasty stuff.

It's been 2 years. How do I stop?

Replies

  • thetrishwarp
    thetrishwarp Posts: 838 Member
    I caved and got acrylics done. Can't chew those!
  • lukeout007
    lukeout007 Posts: 1,237 Member
    Same boat. Don't know what to do. It really sucks.
  • Maude_Lewbowski
    Maude_Lewbowski Posts: 395 Member
    you can log you hang nail biting, it's under excersises.
  • carriparton
    carriparton Posts: 62 Member
    Same boat, i got acryllics done, but once they come off, I am biting my nails again.
  • Jennifer23
    Jennifer23 Posts: 15 Member
    Ever sit on your hands? LOL

    I know it sounds funny -- but I would recommend sitting on your hands when you're more likely to start chewing on your nails. Watching TV, hanging out with friends/family -- whatever it is. Just tuck 'em away. ;-)
  • ValerieMartini2Olives
    ValerieMartini2Olives Posts: 3,024 Member
    I caved and got acrylics done. Can't chew those!

    That is a good suggestion which I have done in the past. However, fake nails severely get in the way of what I do for a living. It would never ever work for me. Plus, I can't afford to go to the nail salon once a week.
  • Dayna154
    Dayna154 Posts: 910 Member
    I quit using acrylics, quit years ago. You have to figure out triggers and then beat those too as you wear the nails.
    Mind over mouth..
  • nlwilliamson
    nlwilliamson Posts: 225 Member
    I think its easier for women to stop, because you can get acrylic nails (this is what I did) And eventually you stop because you can't chew them. I still chew them every now and then but I don't let myself feel bad, If I chew them, I file them or polish them and move forward. Kinda the same thing for weight loss, if you fall off the wagon just get back on :)
  • jonski1968
    jonski1968 Posts: 4,490 Member
    Chop off your fingers...Thats the only way i`d stop biting my nails..
  • 75Juniper
    75Juniper Posts: 376
    I'm no expert, but you could do this because you are nervous or anxious. What are you feeling when you do it?

    My suggestion for stopping would be to keep your hands busy or go for a walk and try to be mindful of your behavior. If you are present, you can stop yourself before it's too late.
  • ShannonGo
    ShannonGo Posts: 60
    At the drug store, they sell match-book style nail files from Mrs Manicure or something like that. If you tear your nail, you have to HAVE TO, MUST file it. NO CHEWING. Carry these little files in your purse, fix the roughness IMMEDIATELY.

    Both my husband and I are furious nail biters and the foul tasting stuff and nail polish/manicures have done NOTHING to stop it. Because if its not the nail, its the cuticle... the best thing you can do is absolutely never chew, pick or otherwise maim your nails. You have to get so committed to filing, clipping, etc. that you won't let them go into your mouth. I am not lying when I say we have nail files in every.single.room of our house - bathrooms, bedrooms, office, kitchen, living room, etc. For the most part, we've both broken our habit.
  • KeepGoingRhonda
    KeepGoingRhonda Posts: 527 Member
    My Mom says to stop biting one finger nail at a time and work your way to all of them. Good luck
  • MrsBully4
    MrsBully4 Posts: 304 Member
    I started carrying a nail clipper and file around in my pocket to fix any tears/roughness immediately before I was tempted to chew it off. I also started carrying Orbitz to chew instead. Worked like a charm.
  • Magenta15
    Magenta15 Posts: 850 Member
    the healthiest if you can find someone is bioscuplt gel, they don't damage your nails or anything, and I can go about 4 weeks before they start to look icky and need a fill... otherwise I would still recommend getting falsies... doesn't mean they have to be long, that's why I like the biosculp I don't add tips I just get it on my natural nail, protects them makes them grow like crazy but I can keep them filed short :)

    I believe there is a new way of getting manicures now also that is some sort of similar gel polish... so you get your nails painted in effect but cured under the uv light like gel nails, and it lasts like 3 weeks or something, you can even buy all the stuff to do it yourself if you want to pay for the uv lamp.

    or have you ever tried the nasty tasting polish they sell for that?

    :) good luck
  • misscristie
    misscristie Posts: 643 Member
    I have to agree with acrylics. I have the same problem. Long nails get in the way for me too, so I have them cut down to right at my fingertip. Go in every 2 weeks for a fill in.
  • ShannonGo
    ShannonGo Posts: 60
    Ever sit on your hands? LOL

    I know it sounds funny -- but I would recommend sitting on your hands when you're more likely to start chewing on your nails. Watching TV, hanging out with friends/family -- whatever it is. Just tuck 'em away. ;-)

    I sit on my hands a lot too. When I'm driving or on the couch or at work like right now. I do have nail files at work in my desk too. I need to put a mini one in the car. My husband has one in his car.
  • krnlcsf
    krnlcsf Posts: 310
    You have to figure out triggers and then beat those.
    Mind over mouth..

    what she said... i know i bite my nails when i drive... doesn't matter, short distance or long distance. also stress causes me to bite my nails... i used to grow my nails for a whole semester at school only to bite them off during exam time.

    but i think its a similar thing as changing your diet/exercise habits... when you're ready to make the change and commit to a new habit then you'll do it. that's all i can say has worked for me... i just decided one day i don't want to anymore. not to say i don't still slip up (just like i do with my eating habits).
  • angelew
    angelew Posts: 133 Member
    I can totally relate. In my case, I notice that I pick at my nails and cuticles MORE when I am actively trying to lose weight. When I was eating unchecked, I was better able to leave my nails alone. Try using Nailtiques - it is a nail protein. They have three different formulas that will take you to healthy, strong nails. It looks like a clear polish- and to me, that is always a deterrent to picking/biting when your nails look shiny & polished. Try a manicure every couple of weeks- this really does help! Good luck to you!
  • budru21
    budru21 Posts: 127
    you can log you hang nail biting, it's under excersises.

    Sorry to laugh at a serious subject, but that is hilarious. :-)
  • emnk5308
    emnk5308 Posts: 736
    NAIL POLISH. =) Or take some nail polish remover to them.....
  • xarge
    xarge Posts: 484 Member
    Typical insecurity issues by bad family portrait when I was really little, parents always fighting etc. so I had that habit all through my childhood and teenage years. Finally, I quit by making myself obsessed about how ugly my hands looked when I bit my nails. That and I started carrying a nail file since I discovered that I bit my nails more often when I noticed even a tiny chip.
  • iron_jj
    iron_jj Posts: 446 Member
    I used to, not anymore! I quit smoking cold turkey and the same day I decided to stop biting nails and just did it. I guess all it took was some willpower.. :wink: I tried a lot before, like the nasty stuff to put on nails, fake nails, didn't help.
  • _Timmeh_
    _Timmeh_ Posts: 2,096 Member
    *holding a candle* I.....was a nail biter.
    The time to quit for me when I was at work biting my nails and a piece of my tooth came off. Small piece but enough where I had to get it fixed.
  • Beastette
    Beastette Posts: 1,497 Member
    Gum? No?
  • jennifer52484
    jennifer52484 Posts: 888 Member
    I got through cycles of nail biting. Stress makes me bite my nails. I find if i get a set of acrylics put on my nails, it gets me out of the habit. If the nails last 1 month, my real nails have time to grow and I just have to always remember to keep them polished and filed. I've been a nail biter for as long as I can remember. This is the only thing that has ever worked for me. The longer I can keep my fake nails on, the better chance I have at breaking the habit. Good luck. It isn't an easy task.
  • Crochetluvr
    Crochetluvr Posts: 3,327 Member
    My Mom says to stop biting one finger nail at a time and work your way to all of them. Good luck

    Thats a little like what my MOM did. She only bit her thumbnail till all the rest grew out and then she was able to stop biting that one. She bit her nails for 60 years.
  • kwest_4_fitness
    kwest_4_fitness Posts: 820 Member
    Anxiety or OCD are two possible reasons for the severity of your nail biting. I know with me, my nails split all the time, so in order to preserve symmetry (that’s my compulsion), I used to bite at them, peeling off the layers. But, as all nail biters know, there is no way to get nails symmetrical and smooth by biting them. I finally redirected my need for order from my nails to other areas of my life and very seldom am tempted to bite. I always carry clippers and an emery board in case of breakage or snagging. Check with your doc and see if it might be more mental than physical and find out some of the ways to redirect or modify the behavior.
  • leannems
    leannems Posts: 516 Member
    I used to bite my nails constantly and now have nice nails; my suggestions won't help folks who don't want to or can't wear polish or those on a super tight budget, but it worked for me.

    I started taking an interest in my nails; I wanted them to look good. I thought about all the hands I shake and how gross it had to be for people who shook my hands when I had red, irritated cuticles (from biting the nails for so long) and jaggedy nails. Once I thought about that, and how I didn't want to be gross, I decided to upkeep my nails myself; I went out and spent money on products, and I wouldn't want that to go to waste. It's sort of more expensive than no spending, but definitely less than the salon.

    Once I started researching my nails, I really got into it and now try to keep my nails and toenails neatly manicured at all times. Make sure you do a minimum of 3 steps - treatment, polish, and top coat. If you're really into it, you can also add buffing and oils. Those three steps make the nail thick and harder to bite (plus, the polish is so pretty, who would want to bite that?) My three steps are a hydrator (some people might not need this, but instead will need a strengthener), polish, and then top coat. I also moisturize my hands a lot during the day; the lotion makes my hands/nails even prettier, and tastes funky - another way to stop the biting.

    I also really got in to all the new nail polish colors they release for seasons and movies. It's something fun, and again, painting with all that pretty stuff makes me a lot less likely to bite (because honestly, I paid $$ for that polish, and set aside a hour to do my nails and toes - I'm only ripping myself off by ripping the nail). I will say, I get A LOT of comments on my nails; it's nice to hear those vs. thinking of how gross it must have been to shake my hand when my nail bed was all inflamed from the biting.

    Hope this helps!
  • shelbynicole32
    shelbynicole32 Posts: 179 Member
    I used to always bite my nails... The first time I stopped is when I got intestinal worms (gross I know).. Then I started back a few months in thinking it would never happen again... and it didnt, because a few years after I graduated high school and college, I finally realized how nasty it was and MADE myself stop. Its all in your mind.. I tried the yucky tasting stuff, chewing on ice and other things instead of my nails and still nothing.. Finally after I graduated college I decided that my nails needed to look nice in the workplace and that having my fingers in my mouth could not be healthy. I made it a mind over matter thing and I have long pretty (still brittle) nails that I love to scratch with!

    ETA: I officially stopped biting my nails in July 2011 when I went and had fake nails put on for my sister in laws wedding. It was expensive but I kept them up until my nails got long enough to where I could start taking care of them myself.
  • lukeout007
    lukeout007 Posts: 1,237 Member
    My Mom says to stop biting one finger nail at a time and work your way to all of them. Good luck

    I have done this...in fact just about a month ago I had 2 full hands of nails. I hadn't bitten a single nail in weeks...and then for some reason I bit one...and then 9 more.