Big, Bad Habits: Fingernail Biting (and What’s Helping Me Stop)
47 Comments Published by Joel January 1st, 2007 in Grooming. Share This
Inadvertently, one of my self-improvement resolutions this year is to stop biting my fingernails. I actually tried to stop gnawing on them about a week before the New Year, simply because I had become curious if I would actually be able to allow the nail beds to reassert themselves if I left them alone for a few months.
It’s driving me nuts, of course, but like quitting smoking, every time I resist I get ever-so-slightly more able to deal with the craving and compulsions. Here’s what’s worked for me so far. (If you don’t bite your nails, you’ll find some of this gross; sorry!)
• Leave the cuticles alone – Because the daily dunk in the septic slop of a human mouth causes the skin around the nails to become chapped and infected, many nail biters have become used to peeling and cracking skin around the nails. It’s easy to fiddle and worry these little flaps of skin in lieu of not biting your nails, which is both preventing them from properly healing and encouraging you to get your fingers back into your mouth.
I cut back any hanging, scratching bits of skin with a clipper, then began lotioning and oiling my fingertips as often as I remembered to do so. It’s taken about a week, but the skin around the nails to mostly free of flaps and protrusions. It was important to use a tool to remove the painful pieces at first, not only because a tool does a cleaner job, but because I have to completely break myself of picking at my fingers with other fingers or my teeth.
This doesn’t mean that I’m cutting off the thick edges at the outside tips of the nails, however scratchy they may become. It seems like my fingers are trying to grow the skin back around the edges of my nail, which is pretty amazing—not only does my body know how to grow nails, it knows how to repair them when they’ve been damaged in this particular way. Neat!
• Don’t look at them – If I let myself, I will sit and stare at my fingernails, scoping out likely candidates for biting. I’ve probably done this same scan tens of thousands of times in my life, if my dozens-of-times-a-day pattern of the last week is any indication. Seemingly innocuous, I’ve still tried to break myself of this part of the habit. It’s a step removed from the actual nail biting, but still part of the process that I’m trying to reprogram.
• Don’t clean them – I’m not entirely sure about this one, but it seems to make sense. The whites of my nails start much farther down the fingertip than those of non-nail-biting folk, so there’s a lot more space for stuff to get up under there as they grow out. In the past, I’ve obsessively cleaned that out, which I am betting did two negative things: allowed me to focus again on my nails instead of putting them out of my mind entirely; I also suspect that my nail bed won’t actually reattach if I keep scraping it out.
It’s not like I’ve been replacing oil filters or anything, though, so they’re not too gross. They also seem to get pretty clean after I wash my hair, so I’m going to go with it while it seems to work. If anyone knows about the actual process of re-growing/reattaching the nail bed, I’d love to hear it.
• Just don’t bite them – By focusing on the all the things I usually did before I chewed on my nails instead of just trying to resist the itching urge to bite them, I’ve been able to attack the supporting habits instead of the primary one. That’s not to say it’s not difficult—especially while sitting here writing about it!—but it’s worth a shot. i’d like to have hands that I wasn’t ashamed of as they cracked and bled.
The less I think about it, the better, trying to just ignore the strange sensations that are almost entirely in my head. It feels like my fingertips are tripping.
Image via Di Stefano Productions—Corpses for Sale! (Not my actual fingers, I’m saying.)
the only time i ever quit was when a gf would slap my hand and fuss at me every time she saw me do it, it got so aggravating that i actually stopped just for her to shut up.
I have been a nailbiter my whole life. The only time I have ever had success stopping was by putting some of the bitter tasting crap on them.
Of course, it also made inedible anything that I might think of eating with my hands.
And once I had broken the habit and stopped using the crap, I started biting them again in about a week.
So now I just live with it. As bad habits go, it’s pretty innocuous.
I had bitten my nails from being a young child until my early twenties when I suddenly stopped a couple of years ago. I was sat, just about to chomp down on a straggly bit and something inside me just went “ewww”. I haven’t bitten them since. I still mess with the cuticles, but no more so now than I did when I was a nail-biter. I’ve never been able to figure out how happened or why, but I’m not complaining.
Soon after I stopped biting them I decided that I’d avoid clipping my fingernails entirely and so used a girl’s nail-file instead for several months. I think perhaps the massive time and fiddlyness investment of filing them also helped psyche me out of relapsing into biting – I didn’t want to spoil my hard work.
I’ve since graduated onto clipping and I honestly don’t think I’ll start biting again. After reading this post I’m also going to try and stop messing with the cuticles. Wish me luck.
I’ve never been a nailbiter, minus the few times that I’ve had a ripped nail and taken it off with my teeth. Most of the time I am very good about letting them grow longer than is practical and then nipping them off with the appropriate trimmer, which I always have within arm’s reach both here at my home desk and at work. But I do empathize, and I have an excellent suggestion:
For ten bucks or less, every two weeks, take yourself to the local Korean nail salon and get a buff and clear polish. Lunkhead macho men out there might think that men who go to nail salons must have to sit down to pee*, but there is nothing ungentlemanly whatsoever in having a pretty Asian woman pay devout attention to your hands for twenty minutes. It feels terribly self-indulgent, a real treat on the cheap. It’s also time that a man can spend with his SO – why not make it part of a date night?
Well-kept nails are an important thing to maintain for any man looking to move up in the world – while we generally don’t pay much attention to them in our social or business dealings, we invariably passively observe them. Along with a man’s shoes, teeth, and coiff, the state of his hands is among the first things our primate brain takes note of upon meeting others; it most definitely colors the way we respond to them. Inversely, our own state reflects just as much upon the way we feel about ourselves.
If you take the time to polish your shoes, comb your hair, and brush your teeth, why not take the time to groom your nails?
Advanced course – Men’s Pedicures: the baliwickof preening sissies, or blissful decadence for the upscale gent?
* = Another topic entirely, one I’ll visit in depth in due course. However, it’s worth noting that the expression itself stems from a comment my father made to me back in my high school days when I was sporting, er, experimental hair; Pops noted that, back in his Navy days, the boys used to say that fellows who use hair spray had to “sit to pee”. As a long time pee-sitter, I found this amusing but offensive. To this day, whenever micturating at home I invariably do so while seated. This pleases my wife to no end.
I don’t bite my nails anymore, but I certainly fidget with the skin around them a lot. I’ve made a lot of progress in scaling back the sheer amount of it that I do, but what occasional biting I do is still enough to bother me.
I’d love to hear about your progress over the next days and weeks. Keep us updated.
I have successfully retired from nail biting a few times in my adult life. Alas, like a neglected athlete past his prime, I got back in the game. The first time, I was in college and just told myself to stop and I did so for several months. The second time, my wife bought me some of the bitter tasting finger nail polish for little kids. I was so scared to taste it that I never did and only had to put it on for a day or two. A few months later, I fell off the wagon. This time around, I used the bitter tasting finger nail polish with similar results. So far, so good. A few tips, keep them very well trimmed and use a nail polisher to avoid any jagged edges which you inevitably will pick at if you don’t. My downfall is usually having them grow too long and then picking at them with my other nails, which leads to the dreaded jagged edges. Then the viscous cycle starts anew…
If I keep it up, the next time my wife goes in for a manicure, I think I might join her.
i’m going to quit with you.
its been 3 days
I bit my nails for most of my lifeand was able to basically quit cold turkey one summer when I was about 20. I started by trying to use bad tatsing nail polish but it did not actually taste that bad. What it did allow me to do was focus on not biting my nails. Maybe something about them being shiny allowed me to stop myself as I would bring them to my mouth. After a week or two of being good I decided to get a manicure so I could see what they should look like.
My advice is to have an accesible supply of nail-cutting hardware: clippers, files, and those cuticle snippers to cut away any skin that you could get your teeth on. If you lose things then get two sets so that you can get to one before you get the urge to bite.
When I don’t bite, the skin under my nails itch like none other, part of the healing process I suppose. I don’t even realize when I do it. I drive a lot for work and by the time I’ve reached my destiniation there is no white left on my nails. If I see white, I’m on it. I also do it while watching movies or tv. Sounds like a good resolution, but I hate saying I’ll do it just to fail. I’ll have to think about this one.
I’ve been biting my nails for as long as I can remember – and I’m in my early 30s. I’ve never even tried to quit. Best I could ever do was take on one fingernail as a project just to see how long I could leave it alone. Invariably, school or work would get stressful and like clockwork, I’d tear it back down again. I’ve also noticed that I really get after my nails when I’m driving long distances – holidays, vacations, etc.
I obviously don’t have any suggestions for ways to help curb the appetite to bite, but I have thought about drastic steps like wearing gloves everywhere. Or maybe putting bandaids over the end of every finger. Anyone heard if hypnosis works? Seems like the easy way out.
Anyway, I’d like to think I have enough control over myself to quit. Maybe I’ll use this as an excuse to really give it a shot.
I ran across this today by pure coincidence: http://www.wikihow.com/Stop-Biting-Your-Nails
My favorite part of wikihow articles are the warnings. Case in point:
Warnings
Don’t be silly and replace nail-biting with a worse habit like smoking. While stubby digits are unsightly and painful, other habits can be worse.
Long nails can be uncomfortable, both for yourself (in socks and shoes) and for your partner during intimate moments. Keep your nails nice and short, unless you want to promote a special look.
I don’t know i guess i’ve read everything that you guys have said and like nothing works i live in a small town (not going to metion where) but i still can’t break the habit.. I really want to like bad but with all the snow i just can’t because i don’t like driving 30 miles to go look for creams and other things like that so if anyone has any other suggestions i would love to hear them bc thats my goal this year…because my nails are actally starting to hurt because of all of the biting well i really need opinions on this THANKS!
–Shelby
Im nota biter, I’m a ripper. I use my other nails, mostly my thumbs to rip off only my “ring” finger nails on both hands. I can’t stand to have any other nail on my hands to be cut too short. They are all normal. I started this wierd thing when I was kid and I just stopped when I was a teen. I’m now 43 years old and I’ve been doing it again for the last 6 years. STRESS!!! It’s been a very rough time in my life and I’ve suffered severe depression.
Anyway – I hit one point when I had ripped my left hands nail down to nothing but the white part left. Then I ripped that off… by the root! Since then it has kind of grown back, much thicker and uglier, and I still keep ripping chunks off. I won’t let it grow back. It’s a mess and I’m embarrased about it. I don’t wear my wedding ring anymore because I don’t want anyone focusing on that finger.
It hurts like hell…Why do I do it?
I wish someone could answer that.
Good luck.
I’M AFRAID TO CUT OR EVEN FILE MY FINGERNAILS, HELP.
I JUST STARTED GROWING THEM AGAIN, AFTER THREE LONG YEARS OF BAD NAIL BITING , THERE STARTING TO GET LONG NOW. THE PROBLEM IS I JUST NOW I WON’T BE ABLE TO CUT THEM ,( I JUST CAN’T ) I KNOW GUYS SHOULDN’T HAVE LONG FINGERNAILS, BUT I JUST CAN’T GO BACK TO BITING THEM THIS TIME ( THIS HAS GOT TO STOP, HELP
SHOULD I CUT THEM OR JUST LET THEM GROW LONG . I KNOW PEOPLE WILL START TALKING ,WHAT SHOULD I DO
I DON’T WANT TO GO BACK TO BITING
any ideas out there
I don’t bite…I PICK! CONSTANTLY! without cessation!!!! Always checking, feeling, fiddling, looking for the slightest irregularity or rough edge. I’m going crazy. I have been able to let them grow slightly TWICE in my life (I’m 53), but then I tear and rip them off again. What in hell do I do?
Do you think this sort of nailbiting is like cutting? You know, the people that cut themselves to feel release/better? My husband is a severe nailbiter and I have to wonder what causes the urge to bite until his hands are literally bloody. I’ve never been a skin/nail biter so it’s very frustrating to me. It has become a huge issue with us and totally revolts me. I will literally find blood spatters all over the house and on our sheets–and it’s from his finger biting. I also worry that he will pick up some sort of disease. Can’t you get hepatitis from blood to urine/bodily fluid contact? Public restrooms seem like a danger zone for any biter if that’s the case!
I also agree with whoever that said if anyone wants to be successful, they need to stop the nailbiting. People judge by appearances and hands are one of the first things people notice about you. Bitten, chewed fingers make people look like they can’t handle stress.
MY WIFE WON , I started biting them again , just to let everybody know. sad in florida
Rob, start over! I bit mine off twice since I wrote this but I’m still trying to grow them out!
I’m 33 yr’s old & have been biting my nails right down to the cuticle since i was 3 yr’s old…I know gross!!!!!!! I’ve tried many times to qiut…it is just gross for a woman to have nails that look like mine do. I’m very ashamed of them..I hide my hands whenever I am out in public..or around people. So about a week ago I decided I will give it 1 more shot..I am not doing to bad..just biting 1 or 2 of them lol…it is such a hard habit to break. You don’t realize you are doing it..not to mention it is absolutely disgusting!!!!!! I am trying sooooooo hard to stop..my hubby keeps begging me to qiut..but after 12 yr’s together and a million failed attempts he has givin up on me. So this time i’m trying as hard as I can….not only to surprise him,but to make him proud!!! Please wish me luck & if you have any suggestions I accept. Thank you.
What is it with this affliction? I’m not a nail biter per-se, but I am a huge cuticle gnawer and finger fidgeter. It seems my fingers are always moving, always doing some fucking thing, and I’m the last to know about it. I catch myself all the time, AAAHHHHH!! I’m doing it AGAIN. Picking, scraping, gnawing. Once perfectly smooth fingers, (for it happens every once in a while when I stop for half a second), now bloody and ragged; it’s as though I am my very own parasite, a finger skin vampire. Should I ever catch site of myself in a mirror after an extended period of time (like there’s a mirror where a wall should be), I will glance up and notice this constant movement happening in my hand arena. My hands also sweat like there is no tomorrow. Virtual rivers, I tell you, always like a gently glimmering pond.
I think mindfulness is at least a beginning. To become aware of the activity, say hello, no matter how many times a day. From there on, perhaps we can decide to continue, knowing that we know about it and cannot even hide from ourselves now, or we can make a conscious effort to curtail the activity.
Maybe visualizing your hands with all skin and protective nail coating in tact. Post pictures of nice looking hands around. Imagine caressing a loved one without a dried up ragged cuticle leaving a scrape on their skin.
Get manicures on a regular basis.
Wear handcuffs.
The question about nail bed, is that they do reattach because at one time, i shut my finger in a drawer at a hotel and my nail almost fell off. (Its not like they wouldnt now) My nailbed reattached within 3 weeks of my nail healing from the nasty bruise under the nail. When I cleaned under my nails, sometimes the nailbed would unattach, which hurts, but within a week, it “re-beds” itself. I’ve been biting my nails since I grew teeth. I’ve been trying to quit since I ws seven because I think that my nails look nasty. My friends think its gross and some of them agree its a bad habit because their younger brothers or sisters bite their nails. Sometimes they decide to put plastic wrap over their siblings fingers so they don’t bite them. Its… kind of ammusing though. What I did to try and stop biting them (which worked for a few weeks, like 3 and a half weeks) was do stuff that DID NOT include looking at my nails, I would get on my comp. and look up stuff on google, myspace, and gaiaonline. When you find something that keeps you away from looking at your nails a lot, it helps get rid of the urge. I just started to bite my nails again, so when I get my allowence I’m going to buy that nasty tasting nail polish like things so my other friends dont think that my nails are nasty. Thanks for having all of this info on your site!
From: A Girl with a BAD Habit :)(:
I used to bite and pick my nails down to the cuticle! It was really gross…I now wear acrylic nails, and as long as the acrylic is on my nails, I’m fine. I am a chronic nail biter though…and even after 12 years of acrylics, if one breaks, I bite the nail to the nubs! The only way to “re-attach” your nail beds to the nail…as near as I can tell…is to deliberately cut the nail beds, i used to file them with a nail file, and as they healed, they reattached. I’m sorry if all of this is grody…but its for real! For anyone who can’t stop…fake nails are the best answer. People say to me “but the acrylic kills your nails!” Yep, it does. But without it, my hands look disgusting! Thank god for fake nails…
Good Luck quitting! (I never really could and I am 36 years old…been doing this since age 3!)
I chew[ed] the hell out of my nails. Im currently trying to stop but its hard becasue when i get bored in class, all i want to do is naw at them. I have zero willpower, but im a cheapskate and i have a bet with my mate that i cant grow them.
There starting to grow but you wouldnt notice it. Its hard. I hate it =[
I too have been a lifelong nail/cuticle cannibal. I am so ashamed of my hands! I am going to college to be an elementary school teacher and it is very embarrassing to point to something on a child’s work and have them jump back, cringe and say, “ooh, what’s wrong with your finger?!” I have tried it all, gloves, lotions, bitter nail stuff, my bf constantly harrassing me, cutting, filing, etc. The only thing I haven’t tried is hypnosis. The one thing that I have done that has worked the best, is to chew gum instead. But I did that until I got TMJ and had to cut back. I agree with one of the previous posters who said it was like an addiction. It must be, it is compulsive, I am not even aware when I do it, and I bite and pick until my fingers bleed and hurt. I don’t know why. I know so many of you have asked for help but alas, it seems there is no real answer. Maybe it’s something innate that we are just born to do. Best of luck to you and me…maybe someday we will find a solution.
Hi,
I’m 21, and I’ve always been a nail biter, but in the last couple of years I’ve progressed from biting the skin down the sides of my nails to biting the skin at the fingertip and right down the sides to the knuckle. I bite the skin on the fingertip side quite far down and really deep, and my hands are so painful that I have to wear plasters all the time – I look like a right weirdo, but even things like holding a pen or putting my hand in hottish water hurts otherwise. I’ve always bitten the knuckle of my thumb too – I literally cannot remember how it looks healed up as it has always been bitten and is just a hard patch now. I do still bite my nails, but not as much. I always bite my lip (though not as frequently or ferociously!), which I hear is related.
At the moment my fingers are the worst they’ve ever been: they take days to heal, are always bleeding, and some of the marks are really deep. I look at them now and I can hardly believe I’ve done this to myself: it’s appalling. I am really overloaded with work and various commitments at the moment, and am feeling very stressed out by all of this, so I guess this is not really helping my finger biting situation, but having this physical pain makes things feel so much worse, like I’m not in control at all (I hardly notice I’m doing it, and when I do I feel unable to stop – it is definitely an addiction).
I guess i really need some help, if anyone has some tips. The gross tasting things really don’t work for me, and I don’t wanna be known as “plastergirl” or “glovegirl” (though it may have to come to it).
Glad to find a website with people who have this in common with me!
Ree :)
I don’t bite my nails, but the skin at the edges of my nails are kind of sore right now. I have noticed a definite pattern connected to how I spend my time. When I’m sitting at the computer wasting time, looking at toys I’d like to buy, being unproductive, I tend to chew on my skin more often. Sometimes I think it’s connected to feelings of guilt and maybe even shame. As if I am punishing myself by devouring myself. I hate this bad habit and I wish I could stop. I guess I need to make better choices on how I spend my time.
Gudday fellow nailbiters,
I was once told that my habit may well be due to unresolved issues with my mother.
My mother still drives me mad and I still bite voraciously.
I stopped for a while, to let them grow, and found it difficult to play guitar and used to scratch myself badly.
I find it the most frustrating and hardest habit to break.
Great tips – finger skin picker/ nail bitter for YEARS- I’ve quit; used all the same tips above.
If your having trouble quiting – pick one finger – one per each hand you are still allowed to pick.. bite :)
After a few weeks my other nails looked SO lovely I wouldn’t bite the two I was allowed ;)
I also have serious issues with my mother driving me to the point that I want to jump off a building. I dont notice myself biting more though, with her present, but I do eat uncontrollably around her, so , I think nail biting is the same kind of coping mechanism for stress. I’m going to contact a nail salon(one that uses autoclaves to sterilize equipment between clients), and ask whether they can apply fiberglass tips tothe tiny little portion of my nail bed. I once inquired at a Korean salon 8 years ago and they said that I had to first grow my nails for at least 3 weeks in order to have anything for the tips to stick to, but that was just one opinion, I realize now, 8 years later. I just gave up when she told me that, and didnt question whether someone else might be able to help me. I know this is the only way to stop. The nail tips , once applied, can be shortened to any lenght, so men can also have them applied. Once your real nail grows, and then you can just soak off the acrylic or fiberglass ones. I did read that acrylic absorbs water and makes you more at risk for infection though.
Wow! I thought I was alone in this! I used to bite my nails when I was a kid, stopped when I was 14, and now at the age of 29, I realize that I am sitting for hours on end just picking away at my cuticles. I HATE that about myself. I also bite my lips come to think of it; and mother issues….yeah, I’ve got PLENTY of those! Both of my parents beat me when I was a kid; I wonder if the constant anxiousness I used to feel has anything to do with these disgusting habits I can’t seem to break . I also used to wind my hair around my fingers and pull it out, and poke my skin and tear at it with pins. …. But back to my nails specifically, I thought I was in control of my habit as long as I was using a nail clipper to do my dirty work, and not biting at it (it doesn’t count as “biting” if I’m not ….biting my nails)…….as a result, I too am often sore and bloody. I often don’t even realize what I am doing until it is “too late” and I have already struck blood. I need help!
been bitin’ for 43 years. stopped for a while several years, but came back to this cannibalism. i too am ashamed this bad habit. maybe there is something to the chilhood thing…don’t know. I think that i’ll try the “one finger at a time” approach,
that worked for me before. wish me luck
I tried all of the creams, polishes, yucky tasting stuff, and nothing worked. There is a new device on the market that “prevents” the bite. I used it for two months, was impossible to bite my fingernails, and now my nails look good. Check out “nailbitestopper.com
Hi everybody,
I’ve bitten my nails for a long long time since I was six. It was getting more and more frequent until I bit them until they bleed. Whenever I saw the white or any cuticles, I will just bite them off and further bit the skin around the nail (after the nail is ‘finished’). Here I am today, still biting them. My nails look reallyy terrible now. I don’t even dare to show my hand when I went for interview, or having meeting with others, even paying bills by passing the notes.
I’ll just subconciously bit them while I am doing my work (with one hand). Even when I am driving ! I just not controlling myself well when I am alone. Even in the office, I did it, assuming that nobody saw me biting. However, I am 100% sure that everybody was noticing me with this dirty lousy disgusting habit (worse than smoking).
Pal, please try your best to get it done. I am fighting for my life target now and work hard to get business for myself. I am preparing myself financially and entionally to step onto another stage of my life now.
Manicure is a good suggestion! I am thinking of going to try it sometimes. Yeah, not only it is for ladies!
(I tried putting on lotin – stop for one month)
(Putting on finger nail base coat – stop for one week)
Looks like Im not alone. I have the same problem. Im into my early 30s and still face the issues of nail biting/peeling. Women hate it, and I learned of that quick when I was in college, on a date, and the girl said “holy crap, you bite your nails, thats nasty”. The date was over quick, needless to say. Never heard from her again.
Since then, I refuse to go on dates anymore because of that (a subconcious issue I guess). What I am going to do, I have no idea. Ill even be in bed, watching TV, start peeling my nails, NOTICING that I am doing it, but keep doing it. Its the weirdest damn thing I have ever heard of.
Great story, Joel!
Your story has inspired me to try again at no longer biting my nails. I have faith this time may actually work. Take care of the supporting habits rather than the primary one, makes perfect sense!
Thank you!
Mrs Joey
Hi i’m Brett i started bitting my nails abought a week ago i have to stop. I try curling my hair but i just got a buzz cut (hate it!) so now i can”t do that i dont know what to do i tap my foot i twilr my shirt but nothing helps ! anybody have any sugestions thanks bye!
p.s. I am only 11 help!!!
Hey
iv been bitting my nails ever since i was 8 years old. i am now goin on 16. Iv tried that bitter tasting stuff, and money bribes from mum and also just trying not to do it. Im always using my hands for things as i play a number of musical instuments. i want to grow them long so they look nice when i do my bagpipe solos haha. I just dont know how too! i think i do it at school…. not too sure though. I dont really pay attention when i bite them.
Anyone got any more ideas??? Mum keeps on haggering onto me about stopping because “its an ugly thing to do and your so beautiful” she also seems to think iv got some problem in my life and im mutilating myself by doing so. Im perfectly happy as far as i no.
so let me no wot ya think :)
I’ve been a biter for over 20 years. My sister says my fingers look alien. They are sore and they bleed from the picking,peeling & biting. This habit it so gross. It’s been so bad that I clench my fists to hide them. i picked the skin so bad in a fancy resturant and had to stop the bleeding on the cloth tablecloth ( hiding my hands under the table) SICK really, I have times when I can’t pull up my zipper or do buttons. Putting my hands in my kids bathwater stings sometimes. it’s so aweful!! I laugh at people who say don’t you know how many germs are under your nails? Nails what Nails? there is nothing for germs to get under HAH Clearly these people don’t bite their nails!
My good friend is getting married I’m in her wedding she is paying for all the girls to have mani/pedi’s the day before the wedding. I was in PANIC when I found this out. I was sure I would be humilated and have to back out. BUT instead my very best friend bought me a gift cert. to a pricey spa to have my nails done. It’s been 16 days since I’ve bitten, tomorrow I’m going to get my first manicure ever!! And next week I know I’ll have no reason be be embarrassed getting my nails done w/ the girls at my friends wedding. I’m so proud of myself ;)
For me it was a combo of not wanting to waste my friends money it was a $$$ gift card. And also not wanting to let done my bride friend or miss out on an experience. Everyone can come up with a motivation of their own. I didn’t even stop bitting for my own wedding!! My husband is going to be so happy finally see the diamond he picked out for me on a lovely finger instead of a bloody one.
This habit is harder to break then smoking & I kicked that habit like 7 years ago. Smoking is easy just don’t buy them. Fingernails don’t go anywhere, so you have to use more self disapline.
Well that was my rant… I wish you all the best and hope you can gain the control you want and stop the insanity called nail bitting.
I have stopped bitting for around 8 weeks now and my nails look healthy. They are still quite weak though so I am treating them with a strengthener.
I just decided I was going to stop and did. I have some suggestions for others though:
1. try to grow one nail at a time – start by letting just your little finger nails grow first and work your way to your thumbs.
2. rub moisturising lotion onto your hands – the scent or taste will remind you not to bite.
In response to Rob – file your nails down instead of cutting them!
30 now. Been a nail biter for as long as I can remember. Tried the bitter nail polish, but I just got used to the taste and started biting through the polish.
Hypnotherapy actually worked for me for a while. Nails were starting to look good. But had to stop seeing the therapist after a month because it was too expensive and then I started biting again because I got stressed. If you can afford this treatment I definately reccommend it though I did not try it for too long.
Just came across this website today: http://www.psychresearch.com/nails.html. Tried what was recommended and it freaked me out! So far I have not bitten my nails today. It scared me so much that I went out on my lunch break and bought some more bitter stuff. I also put a rubberband around my wrist and have been pulling it then letting it go to sting myself every time I get the urge. Day 1 is looking good.
I will keep you all updated. Go to the website and let me know what you think after hearing the audio at the bottom of the page. Scary.
I always seem what wrong with biting my nails ?Because my mom awayla say stop bitiim=ng my nails
If you are a compulsive nail-biter, the best remedy is to forget about it. When I used to dwell on it, I ultimately bit my nails more severely.
As a youngster I was continually nagged by the mother (who helped reinforce the habit), while my father insisted I would outgrow it. I thought there was something seriously wrong with me. When I saw a shrink at age 30, I learned that I am in a statistical subgroup of individuals worldwide who are chronic nail-biters and I should not feel ashamed; that I can lead a happy and productive life whether or not I eat my nails.
I heeded that advice. I am a well-paid professional who is married and happy, yet I bite my nails without compunction, even in public. I know there are many people who find the habit offensive, but that does not concern me. My advice to any nail-biter is that it is better to stop, but never feel shame or guilt if you cannot. My other advice to professional nail-biters is to frequently wash the hands for hygienic reasons.
Stopping nail biting is easier than you think. It is a habit not a disease. Come to this site for information and cures http://www.information-pro.com/parenting/Nail-Biting-Basics_29964/
Nail-biting can be a symptom of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD)
I stopped biting my nails 8 weeks ago having done so for 33 years.
I’ve been nagged and nagged by family and friends to stop since I can remember and despite wanting to stop for years it actually became part of who I am.
Like Dave above, I had no plans to stop it just happened. My daughter asked me why I was saying “stop it” to myself – i’d not even noticed! I made a point then to tell myself out loud to ’stop it’ everytime I went for a nibble.
I’ve tried to stop in the past more times than I can remember, but this time I decided to only tell my husband and to take each day at a time. I also knew that the fear of failure was what had actually made me fail to stop biting in the past! So I forgot the ‘I’m going to stop biting my nails’ mentality and went down the ‘I wonder how long I can keep this up’ path instead.
I too have very small nail beds which look a bit odd but, what the heck, I now have nails that I’m having to cut, file and shape regularly – WOW!
My top tips;
* Verbalise what you’re thinking – you’ll sound a right plonker but it does work!
* Only tell those closest, if anyone. That way you can surprise everyone else in a few weeks time!
*Try not to set a time limit – take it one day at a time and if you do nibble, start again tomorrow.
*Take time to praise yourself and recognise how well you’re doing.
Lastly, thanks Anonymous for those encouraging words above – not. Nail-biting is also a form of self-harm but some of us are trying to focus on the positives here
My New Years resolution is to stop biting my nails. Its really hard. I have an idea but i cant try it, put those one hand glove things that cooks use on your hand and then when you want to bite your nails you cant. Most people I know either have biten their nails before or are biting them now. Some people use that nail polish stuff but that doesnt work for me. Its really hard to stop and if anyone has an idea for me please post it because I need help quiting! Thank You!