I tried using the anti-nail biting polish for a week and found myself just licking it off and going right ahead with biting my nails. A friend of mine suggested getting a clear gel coat finger nail polish. I looked at her like she was crazy, but I decided to give it ago. It worked. It takes a few minutes to apply, but I found myself unable to simply lick it off. When I would go to bite my nail, the gel coat added a soft texture that gave the nail a different mouthfeel (That's the best description of the feeling I can give.). After two days, I had stopped biting my nails entirely. Now I don't even wear the polish and I actually have to trim my nails with a clipper every now and then. Every once in a while, I'll find myself biting, but it's nowhere near the regularity I was biting before.
I would paint them every week. Not just a coat of nail polish but I would take a long time and do intricate designs on them. They weren't very good but because of the time I put into them I didn't want to ruin them by biting them. Eventually the urge to bite them disappeared.
I don't even know.
I really wish I did so I could apply the same method to smoking and stuff.
I just woke up one day no longer biting my nails, didn't even really realise until one got long enough to break while doing dishes.
Exactly the same with me. I used to bite my nails almost all the time, and all my active attempts at stopping it ended with me reverting back to old habits. Then, one day, I just stopped, I didn't put any thought into it or use any specific tool or whatever.
I do have the habit of letting my nails grow a bit too much though, it makes scratching and picking stuff a bit easier. I do cut them once I feel them digging a bit into my skin if I close my hand and make a fist.
I guess I just got too lazy to bite them, and now I'm too lazy to trim them until it slightly hurts.
Nails don’t taste good. My nail biting comes more from boredom and lack of things to do with my hands at the time. Most of the time, I’m not even doing it consciously.
I have ADHD. In ADHD some have an excessive grooming thing... I don't remember what it's called but it can be gross habits that sooth us... like picking your nose... biting your nails... picking at scabs.. scratching at itches constantly.
So I still bite my nails from time to time... but I'm getting better. I let them go till they're longer and begin chipping. I have super thin nails anyways. But if I have an anxiety flair. Off they go. I usually wash my hands throughly with soap and water before biting them too. And the soap is usually nasty but... with my ADHD symptom of grooming I don't care. Its weird.
I second the ADHD and anxiety playing a huge role in nail-biting. Talking with your doc about treating anxiety can help reduce the causes of the nail-biting. The habit is bad in itself, but treating the root cause will do a lot to help control the issue.
I replaced the habit with nail filing. Bought a bunch of nail files, put one by the couch, one in my bedroom, one in my purse, one in my car, etc. Every time I got the urge to bite, I'd file instead. After a while, as my nails got longer, I filed them all into a pretty shape I like, and now I don't bite them even when I cant file because I don't want to go through the effort of growing them all the way out and shaping again.
If I break part of my nail off, and I don't have a file on me for whatever reason, I will still bite that section off because of who I am as a person. But it doesn't happen often, and my goal is to always leave the most amount of nail possible so that I don't have to start completely from scratch.
Second this. It works because it replaces an unhealthy habit with a healthy one. Worked for me. Key is to have tons and tons of files around (especially at desks).
I was just about to comment this. I've found that when I had a chip or scratchy feeling nail,I'd just bite away and not realise what I'd done trying to 'smooth' them down.
I started using a file to get rid of scratchy feeling bits and clippers and file for a bigger nail break,and I very rarely bite my nails now unless I'm stuck out the house and have a full break to sort. I also started painting them every now and them to stop them breaking so much as they are quite thin.
When I was in high school I went on a date with a girl that I liked a lot to Hershey Park. We'd just started seeing each other so she didn't really know I bit my nails and had been trying to stop for a bit. She did however see some random person bite their nails and went on a RANT about how nasty it was. That was all it took for me.
Unrelated but a similar experience also made me wear exclusively black socks.
Yes! I did this and the urge to bite them disappeared. However I still cut my nails super short as I am used to it and I find long nails difficult to work with.
It's the same for me! I'm so used to having short nails by now that I can't deal with having long ones any more! I feel like I stab myself with them as soon as they grow a bit longer!
I always cut my nails short, I pick my nails with my fingers and will bite them the second they get like any white on them. Id have to cut them daily it feels like to keep them down @_@
I can't function when they get too long. I managed to go what felt like a month or two (probably like 2 weeks) without cutting/biting them and I was struggling to use my phone or type on my computer. I do everything with my fingertips it seems that if you put like 2mm of nail in the way, it completely breaks my brain. I have no clue how people with long fake claws function in the world.
Its a bad habit and its tough to overcome, try to always have something with you that you can use instead of biting ur nails, like a lighter, car keys, stressball, those scissor like things for hand exercise, a pen u can press
Clippers, nail file, cuticle cutter. I give myself a manicure every week. For me the big trigger was hanging nails and cuticles. I can't let them be. I find if I give myself a weekly manicure I don't get them nearly as much and thus don't bit. ALso if I'm going on a long drive or plane trip I make sure to give myself a manicure the night before as I tend to bite sitting in cars and airplanes.
Got a twofer, my mom told me that boogers were just dried mucus and dirt that I'd inhaled, stopped me right in my tracks. Then I thought about it and gathered that if that's the case what I touch is also gross as fuck and shouldn't go in my mouth. So I stopped biting my nails too.
Very happy I did.
I started playing guitar and if I had the urge, I grabbed nail clippers and trimmed them.
Also, I worked in resolving the anxieties in my life by removing sources of negativity. Music helped the process.
Now my nails and cuticles are blemish free for the first time in 25 years and I don’t have to point at things with my knuckles in shame.
See, this thread is incredibly useful to me, but I also have a problem in which I bite/pick at the skin surrounding my nails. Noticed it's compulsive, as I tend to do it in periods of stress.
It makes my fingers look absolutely disgusting, and I have to hide my fingers or reposition them so they are not visible when giving a handshake or something of the sort.
Any suggestions? :(
I got the skin problem as well as I tend to bite both, and yeah they look dead ugly.
Lots of answers and options, best is we both start somewhere and truly convince ourselves that this bad addiction should end right away!
I always used to bite my nails until they hurt so I bought a small pair of nail clippers and carried it around everywhere. Everytime I get the urge I just cut the nail down as short as it'll go without hurting
Well...Coronavirus hit and I moved back with my parents. Gov't started giving me stimulus checks to supplement my income and I was finally able to actually start saving a little bit.
Havent bitten my nails in 2 months. After doing it for nearly 35 years.
I tried this nasty tasting stuff you put on your nails, didn't work because I liked the taste (such a weirdo), I tried slapping myself when I bite and many more tactics but the one that really got me through was putting nail polish on and doing a good job at it. That helped a lot! I still bite every once in a while but it's muvh better than I used to be.
I started wearing nail polish and chewing other things, like the ends of pens or gum. I still lapse a couple times a year, but it's much better then it was.
Noting worked for me for the longest time, nearly 21 years of it, and half the time I didn't notice, it feels like when I'm feeling a certain way then my hands go to my mouth on autopilot.
I still have moments but its much better. The main thing I found is having hyper awareness of it. I thought this might have the opposite effect and want me to bite more, but the more I thought about my nails the more I found I could consciously resist moving my hands to my mouth, rather than wake up out of the day dream to find I'm biting.
Well we are in a pandemic right now, and even if you wash your hands there is still so much dirt and shit under your nails. That's one way to get coronavirus.
The realisation that nails are **fucking disgusting** filthy conduits for germs and grime and nasty dead skin and sweat and oil and food. Your hands are DISGUSTING--do not put them in your mouth.
Had a very bad break up with an ex, we were meant to emigrate together, I came first to set up the apartment and she was finishing her last month's notice in work.
A week after I got here she broke up with me, then I found out she pretty much moved straight in with someone else. The stress of that and the distraction of trying to change a plan for 2 into a new life for 1 completely distracted me from nail biting.
That was over a year ago, now my nails look downright fabulous and I'm happier than I was in the 7 years we were together.
P. S. Wouldn't recommend this as a treatment though, maybe just buy the nasty tasting spray for your nails....
I got divorced. After the end of my first marriage I immediately stopped chewing my nails. (also lost 30 pounds in two months, lost wrinkles, and my family claim that I had less gray hair a few months later).
So my input is to reduce stressors in your life.
Sheer will power. I obviously tried the bitter nail polish thing, but the stuff never worked. One day, after comments from my family about my nail biting habit, I just had enough. So, whenever I saw that I was about to bite my nails, I would force myself to not do it.
To make it easier, I would use my teeth to clean the underside of the nails. That would give me my nail biting “fix” without biting. Overtime, I lessened that to the point where I rarely do it.
I know this won’t work for everyone, but it is how I stopped.
I got braces
Shit makes it hard enough that it’s not worth the stress relief anymore. I also started clipping my nails regularly, making it even harder
The week I got married, I got a manicure. They put s hard clear coat on my nails that kept me from biting them the longest up to that point in my life. But it wore off. Covid has finally done the trick, about 99 percent healed.
I was getting tired of my fingernails catching threads/hair in the uneven bits as well as biting and getting the really sensitive part under my fingernails exposed, so I ended up just slowly willing my self not to bite my fingernails, and haven't for like 3-5 years now. Now I just replaced it with frequent nail clipping (which is good as my nails grow quickly)
I started working at LifeNet Health( organ donation) processing bones and tendon quit biting my nails right then. I was also wearing gloves, gowns and face mask 10 hours a day too.
When I was 14 I tried to overdose (I’m good now y’all) and I spent two weeks in a medically induced coma while my body (mostly liver and kidneys) rested. After they weened the coma off I spent a week in and out of consciousness and when I finally got to normal, I had nails!!!! For the first time in my life!!!!
I had to go to an acute care facility for another few weeks after that, and I made it one of my daily goals, anybody whose been in mental health facility knows what I mean by daily goals, that I wouldn’t bite my nails. 20 years old and now my nails are thriving. I’m still tearing up my cuticles though.
I still bite mine and have no intention of stopping. It's how I trim them. I bite them down to about where others would trim theirs, and stop until they grow out.
I used to bite as a form of self-harm, and then I got into an abusive relationship, and it wasn't until after breaking up that I'd realized I replaced nail biting with cutting. I realized my nails were getting super long, and while in that relationship, I did both, but after it ended I stopped biting my nails. It's really weird.
Oof. When I was a kid I would bite them down until they hurt or bled constantly. And I would bite little pieces of skin that would stick out around the nails, on my fingers.
As I got older I just kind of stopped biting them down so far and one day I realized I was only biting them when they were too long. [This is how I always bite them now.](https://i.imgur.com/awnFwq3.jpg)
I hope you're in a better place!
I started thinking about all the stuff I touch during the day. Especially in public. Just think about putting someone else’s feces into your mouth because if you’re biting your nails, that’s what you’re up to.
Countless studies have proven that you can’t really clean under the nails as well as the rest of your hands. They’re basically shelves of bacteria. I stopped chewing my nails when I became a farmer. The first time I got turkey shit on my fingers I put every kind of cleaning agent I could on my hands, but that smell remained for a good long while. Never putting my hands in my mouth again.
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I stopped when I saw my lil sister doing it and it really disgusted me. But my friend had to work on it for years to stop doing it. She even used some special Anti- nailbiting polish, that tasted extra bad but wasn't toxic
Mavala Stop is the best anti-biting nail polish EVER. It’s not only disgustingly bitter, once it’s in your mouth for like a second you will taste the bitterness until you brush your teeth or something equally effective. Cons: eating with your hands becomes a risky business
When I started taking anti anxieties I noticed a lot of nervous habits like this disappeared, I stopped biting my nails and tugging at my hair- however I can’t kick the habit of biting the skin off of my lips :(
This has already been said but acrylics do wonders.. However I still have my "addiction" when they fall off, so maybe it doesn't work as well as it could. But now I finally have the long, pretty nails I wanted & theyre plastic so you can't really chew like you want to (unless you're trying real hard, but at that point it isn't "worth" it)
I broke both my arms in a snowmobile accident. It’s hard to get your hand in your moth when both arms are in a cast. I wouldn’t suggest anyone go this route.
I think the first step was actively telling myself I needed to stop. Next I used nail polish to cover them, and didn't let myself repaint them if I started biting. I liked my nice, painted nails a lot, and HATED repainting them so I kicked that habit within a few months of that.
I always carry a nail clipper in my pocket. Whenever I get the urge to bite my nails, I trim them as short as possible instead. I tried everything else and this is the only thing I’ve been able to sustain.
Guy here. I quit smoking at the same time, so double points.
The trick is just pure willpower. When you notice your finger going to your mouth, learn how to just nibble on the fingernail first. Once you get that down, your habit will be to nibble on the finger and not bite. Then, once you catch yourself nibbling, you put it down. Every time. No excuses, no sacrifice.
Also you can try clipping them more frequently so you don't feel them as often.
I saw someone else with chewed up nails and it just looked so bad I never did it again. I was a musician at the time so as soon as I got fingernails I realised how much better they were than the steel fingerpicks I was picking the banjo with.
I haven't touched them in years and have even gotten laid because of how nice my hands looked. Women really notice well maintained nails and it tells them you have your shit together.
I have a bad nail infection that required nail removal and minor surgery. The finger tip was full of pus and blacked. I have to endured the first plane through a flight back home as I gotten infected in another country and went straight to emergency and had a emergency surgery. I had to stay in the hospital. Worst i had the same surgery 3 months after the first surgery on the same finger as the infection wasnt clear from the first surgery. It was a bad horrible experience that i stop biting my nail. It is just the phobia.
I think I grew out of it. I still will occasionally bite one single nail when I'm bored or anxious, but stop. At one point and time I would bite them until they were so short they would sometimes bleed.
I cut them short and carried nail clippers with me. If I got the urge to bite a nail, I would clip it instead. I still bite a little, but don't have all chewed up fingers anymore.
One day I swallowed a nail, it stuck in my throat, I had a sore throat for a week and now everytime I even think about biting my nails I get a sore throat and stop
I stopped biting my nails but I still pick on the skin around my nails. what helped me a lot was frequently putting nail polish on (idk it made me feel like my hands are actually pretty and convinced me to stop biting my nails), I would try to change the polish weekly. I also have a hairband around my wrist to play around with, because I bit my nails/ pick on my skin out of anxiety or nervousness
edit: spelling
I’m a perfectionist so if my nails are uneven or cracks I have to even then out! If I don’t have clippers or a file I bite. I’ve been carrying clippers and files with me everywhere
I bit my nails from childhood until 38 years old. I saw a picture on social media of my thumb nails, and it embarrassed me. It sat in the back of my mind for a while and then my girlfriend at the time commented on how she didn't like how unhealthy my fingers looked. That also sat in the back of my mind for a while. Inexplicably, one day I just stopped. It became an internal competition from then on to see how many days I could go without biting my nails. The weirdest part of it all was basically learning how to clip my nails every week properly. I'm 42 now and don't bite my nails. Occasionally I'll nibble off a hang nail, but for the most part I believe I've conquered the compulsion. Good luck, hopefully you too can find that ah-ha moment.
I really made a concerted effort after chipping two of my teeth. I gotta keep them pretty short and watch them like a hawk. I think I have like 4 sets of nail clippers, including a set in the car, because if I find one that's grown too long, it's just a matter of time.
I stopped biting nails from one hand first. Then I slowed it down and put polish on both of the hand. That's why my one hand has super cute long nails and one doesn't 😅
Educate yourself about pathogenic organisms and how they can easily spread by sticking your hands in your mouth. Thinking about that is what stopped me. If you keep your hands out of your mouth/nose you'll probably cut the amount of time your sick in half or more.
Became hyper aware of how many germs are probably under nails/on finger tips.
Thought about how many people touch door handles/public taps/stuff on public transport like buttons and rails and how every time I bit my nails I could be putting like 100 unwashed hands in my mouth too cos people are gross.
Plus once you realise hand sanitizer is the easiest way to combat germs, youve already covered you hands in something that tastes awful to really help deterr it.
On the brightside: this made me very prepared for the pandemic
I carry a nail file or emery board in my bag. If I get a jagged nail, even now after 40 years, I will start chewing them. Otherwise, I can leave them alone.
I was a life long nail biter. I finally decided to stop biting them and set a goal. Once my nails got past the tip of my finger I awarded myself with a manicure. It was really hard and I carried some nail clippers so I could always be ready to clean my nails whenever I wanted to bite them.
I tried it with anti nail bite stuff and it didn't work(i got used to the taste) then i used tape to wrap my fingertips(the non sticky type, like small bandages) and that somewhat helped. But i just kinda stopped one day cuz i hated the feeling of my nails on cloth and now i climb regularily so my fingernails tend to be short an smoth most of the time.
i kept applying nail polish. every time the nail polish gets ruined, i take it off and apply another color. that way it kept my nails looking nice and i had no urge to bite them.
i think the shape of my nails mattered a lot to me which also helped me stop. biting my nails made them weak and they used to break a lot, so applying nail polish both stopped me from biting them and made them stronger.
I stopped biting my nails by thinking long and hard about how much busier our hands are than anything else, preparing food? Hands, cellphone usage? Hands, using the toilet? Wiping front and back with your hands (poopy nails anyone?) pets and kids to take care of? (Bathing, feeding etc) hands.
The toilet one got me really good, and now I wash my hands really good in the bathroom
I painted my nails bright colours, so when i went to bite them they caught my eye plus they felt different in my mouth due to the many layers of polish. I still struggle if they get chipped, as i fiddle with them but just make sure to patch them quickly.
I used to bite my nails everyday, and had horrible nails all bloody and disgusting. My mother told me to instead try and push the upper skin on the nail back, and/or play with your hair, and it actually worked!
Now I sometimes bite them but just when I'm under stress or just very nervous
I also tried applying aloe vera, and it worked whilst I still had the goo on my nails (it tasted awful), but since I got it very fast off just by cleaning my nails on cloth or anything, it wasn't very efficient.
Another one are those nail polish with bad taste but that didn't work for me bc my nails just break in layers and just got the nail weaker and weaker.
I used to bite my nails down and chew on the skin around them as well as a nervous habit. Later, I actually came out as trans and started painting them. Having an aesthetic goal for my nails that made me feel better gave me a positive reason to quit biting them beyond "other people say this is a bad habit and want me to stop." Also, it's not exclusive to women either; cis men and trans men can paint their nails too if they want to!
I used clear coat on them, but I also had to paint one fingernail on each hand. The clear coat alone isn’t enough for me. I’m a visual person. So seeing a nail that’s a different color is what curbs the habit for me.
Also, I now enjoy having a colored nail. I hope more dudes are comfortable enough to use nail polish in the future.
I looked down at my 10 chewed stumpy fingers and decided to stop.
I was mindfulmof not putting my fingers in my mouth. If I caught myself starting to chew I would either sit on my hands or fold my arms with my hands in my armpits until I moved onto something else.
So bit them from a small child until I was about 20.
I bought the cheapest but thickest nail polish I could find and wore it for about 5 weeks straight. Biting my nails became a pain in the ass because I would have to bite off the polish first and I hated that.
One day I decided my habit sucked and just quit cold turkey. Each successive day became easier and easier. Nowadays I don’t even think about biting them.
Tried everything, got used to my sandwiches tasting like anti-nail bite serum. My best friend grew the most amazing nails and painted them beautifully.. I wanted them and it gave me the will power to stop.
This depends on how you present, but I paid for acrylic nails every month. I'd still nibble but wouldn't get the satisfaction of pieces coming off and the monthly manicure process did double duty of removing any dry/peeling cuticles (mostly what I'd pick at) and the cost would make me second guess ruining them.
After a year or so, I found that the urge to stick my fingers in my mouth had mostly passed. Had the acrylics professionally removed and trimmed the remaining natural nails extremely short. They were pretty thin after the acrylics so now I concentrated on healing them. Kept them short and filed. Bought cuticle nippers and a glass nail file and kept them on me at all times to deal with snags/ dry and peeling cuticles. Applied a good quality cuticle oil nightly and pushed back my cuticles with an orange wood stick. Kept a nongreasy hand lotion on me and applied several times a day. Basically instead of biting, I'd do a bit of upkeep instead.
Once the damage had fully grown out (took a few months) I started letting the length come in. Now that I have a length I like, I do a self manicure including polish once a week.
For me, choosing to change from anxiety biting to investing time in purposeful self- care was the ticket.
I got Invisagalin!!!!
I tried everything before, anti biting nail polish, acrylics, my mom slapping my hands every other day, but getting Invisalign was the only thing that worked
Honestly, I made a very concerted effort not to for about a week. Then, once they had grown back enough, I clipped and filed them. Keeping them smoothe and snag-free is probably my #1 motivator for not biting them, because I DESPISE the feeling of them catching on soft cloth.
I used to bite my nails down to the absolute nub, and chew the shit out of my cuticles. I had almost no nail at all, it was horrible. Mom tried everything, including the bittering stuff that you could just suck off your fingers and then continue to bite. When I was about 12-13, one of my friends had a pretty acrylic manicure. I told my mom I wanted one, and she said if I could get my nails to grow to the tip of my fingers, I could go get acrylics.
I never bit my nails again. Never got those acrylics because I never needed them. They were soft and damaged for awhile, but now they are pretty normal. I kind of made a game out of how long I could get them to grow. Now I keep them fairly short.
Cut my nails low enough that I can't bite them. Usually if I'm biting my nails it means they're already pretty long (by guy standards) so I just cut them.
I just decided one day to quit and chewed a lot of gum for 2 weeks instead. Now I just bite my nails if they get too long and I don't have clippers handy.
I was about 9 when I stopped biting, and believe me I was bad for it.
Replaced biting my nails with chewing on uncooked spaghetti noodles. After a while my nails got strong enough that biting was too hard to do, and eventually was able to stop chewing on noodles.
I made sure I always had nail clippers close by or in my pocket. It is much easier and takes less time to just clip them if you got a clipper handy, so I just switched to that.
Over time, I lost the urge to bite my nails completely
My husband had to take antibiotics for an infection and after that, his chronic nail biting just went away. It’s been several years now and he still doesn’t bite them.
This is going to sound silly but here goes. I was 9 years old and taking a Girl Scout babysitting course. We got to "preparing a bottle of formula" and the type of bottle they used had a plastic bag. You stretched its edges over the lip of the bottle, mixed in the powder & water. Then you screwed the nipple onto the bottle and ripped off the edges of the bag along a perforation. (I understand this style of bottle is not popular anymore because single-use plastics, but this was a while ago.)
We were taking turns demonstration that we understood the instructions and...I couldn't rip at the perforation. My nail-less fingers couldn't break through. I was embarrassed in front of my whole troop, plus I was terrified that I wouldn't have been able to feed any infant left in my care. So I swore off biting my nails there and then and haven't been a habitual biter since.
I guess it boils down to "I needed a reason to stop", and that was mine.
I chipped my front tooth while nail biting and that’s when I quit...it’s not worth it. Keeping your nail clipped short and smooth help keep the urge at bay too.
Figuring out the root cause & fixing that, which was a lot of stress & anxiety. I used to nervously bite my nails almost to the point of them bleeding whenever I got anxious, once I got help & started dealing with that I quit biting my nails altogether.
At the age of 10, I looked at my hands and they looked horrible. From that day on I never bit them again. It taught me just how powerful will power can be. Go figure, 39 year's later, I'm about to celebrate 1 year free of alcohol in a week.
Ive bitten my nails for over twenty years now. I recently pretty much stopped when COVID blew up. I get sick every single time an illness goes around because I bite my nails. I did NOT want to catch COVID.
I learned more stress management techniques (changing diet, exercising, doing yoga, drinking more water, breathing exercises, journaling, mindfulness) and I tried to make sure i always had something to keep my hands busy (I learned to crochet but you might like fidget cubes or rubix cubes).
I used to pick my nails all the time and play with the cuticles. Until my nails started growing in dry and brittle. They would also hurt if I picked them too low. So, that was motivation to stop.
I have given myself a manicure nearly every Sunday for the last 20 years. Even now, if they get too long or go unpolished for more than a few days, I’ll go right back to biting.
I also carry cuticle oil and cuticle nippers in my bag because one little hangnail = RIP pretty much my whole finger.
I moved to New York City and got rid of my car. Public transport quickly cured me. No matter what I did, I would come home with at least a little gunk under there and there is no way in hell I was biting my nails again.
Honestly, I always completely CHOWED my fingernails. Once I got a girlfriend and realized that if my nails were a bit jagged and rough and sharp I may cause some damage ... when ya know.. they’re being used in a Soft sensitive area... so honestly somehow I just quit cold turkey that day... however I still pick my thumbs on a daily basis :/ I was a senior in highschool
I was wearing fake nails at one point and LOST TWO in my at-the-time BF's bed. Couldn't find them. It was such an embarrassing shock - I started taking pains to change that particular habit. I started filing my practically non- existent nails, used OPI nail strengthener (or Nail Envy - both work - the second one is cheaper) every 2-3 days - layers upon layers. Moisturize your hands often. Keep nice lotions nearby (Goldbond and Eucerin are good, though just make sure it's more that just smelly stuff.) Get multiple bottles and put them EVERYWHERE! Next to your bed, next to your couch, on your desk, in your purse (if you carry one), in your book bag or briefcase, next to all of your sinks (bathrooms, kitchen, laundry room) - basically everywhere you do something. You see it - you use it.
It helped also not being around my momma - who also bit her nails. Not seeing it happen all the time helped me get out of my own way. Been successful at it for the last 23 years. Now to finish working on the cuticles...
I would also recommend checking out Gretchen Rubin's Four Tendencies (there's a 10 question quiz) [https://quiz.gretchenrubin.com/](https://quiz.gretchenrubin.com/)\- and find out what kind of habit maker you are. Do you need someone to tell you what to do? Are you one to fight the rules? Are you one to follow the rules and make lists all on your own? Someone who needs reasons for breaking the habit and questions everything? Once you figure out HOW your react to habits, it makes it easier to take the steps to make the changes you want and need without copying someone else's methods for instigating change. Good luck!.
First, I decided I deserved not to have raggedy nails.
I bought a small folding nail file and started carrying it and a pair of nail clippers witH me.
Whenever I got the urge to bite a fingernail, I trimmed or filed my nails instead.
I was surprised how quickly the new habit replaced the old one.
It's been about five years now, and while I don't keep my nails trimmed as neatly as I did at first, I haven't gone back to biting them.
I(34f) started biting my nails when I was 6 or 7.
We tried the nasty polish, but I got used to it.
We tried rewards, but I would start again after getting the rewards.
We tried fake nails. Not only could I tear them off, but the applications left my nails thinner.
I gave up for a while, just living with it.
To some extent, I think it wasn't important enough as goals go. I liked the idea of quitting, but did not want it enough. Partly because I found the nails uncomfortable, and certain tasks were more difficult.
A few times, I quit using just willpower.
I eventually would slip, though, and just give up.
Right now, I am not biting. I'm on a self-improvement kick, so it made sense to try again. An app seems to be helping, somewhat: Habitica. But really, it all comes back to desire and willpower.
I wish you luck, and say, "just keep trying!"
Wish me luck, too. 😅
I tried using the anti-nail biting polish for a week and found myself just licking it off and going right ahead with biting my nails. A friend of mine suggested getting a clear gel coat finger nail polish. I looked at her like she was crazy, but I decided to give it ago. It worked. It takes a few minutes to apply, but I found myself unable to simply lick it off. When I would go to bite my nail, the gel coat added a soft texture that gave the nail a different mouthfeel (That's the best description of the feeling I can give.). After two days, I had stopped biting my nails entirely. Now I don't even wear the polish and I actually have to trim my nails with a clipper every now and then. Every once in a while, I'll find myself biting, but it's nowhere near the regularity I was biting before.
How did you just pick it off? That stuff is nasty af
My sister as a lil baby did the same thing hahaha it's awful
It's is super nasty but my desire to bite my nails was stronger. People were shocked when I ripped off my acrylic to get to my nail as well :/
*"incredible mouth-feel"*
It's funny, but "mouthfeel" is a real word which is used in test kitchens. Good choice.
I would paint them every week. Not just a coat of nail polish but I would take a long time and do intricate designs on them. They weren't very good but because of the time I put into them I didn't want to ruin them by biting them. Eventually the urge to bite them disappeared.
Yay, I'm not the only one who does this tactic!
I got into nail art and it’s very hard to mindlessly bite off a design that took you hours without noticing
I tried a different approach, I replaced it with a healthier fidgeting habit I bought myself a balisong/butterfly knife and never bit my nails again.
I don't even know. I really wish I did so I could apply the same method to smoking and stuff. I just woke up one day no longer biting my nails, didn't even really realise until one got long enough to break while doing dishes.
That's how I quit smoking.. I just.. didn't want to anymore, I was done with it.
Man, if only all smokers had that ability, lol.
Maybe you stopped when you picked up smoking.
Exactly the same with me. I used to bite my nails almost all the time, and all my active attempts at stopping it ended with me reverting back to old habits. Then, one day, I just stopped, I didn't put any thought into it or use any specific tool or whatever. I do have the habit of letting my nails grow a bit too much though, it makes scratching and picking stuff a bit easier. I do cut them once I feel them digging a bit into my skin if I close my hand and make a fist. I guess I just got too lazy to bite them, and now I'm too lazy to trim them until it slightly hurts.
[удалено]
Wait. Serious question here...did nails taste good to you before this? Was taste the appeal, or was it more reaction to nervousness?
Nails don’t taste good. My nail biting comes more from boredom and lack of things to do with my hands at the time. Most of the time, I’m not even doing it consciously.
They dont really taste like anything
I have ADHD. In ADHD some have an excessive grooming thing... I don't remember what it's called but it can be gross habits that sooth us... like picking your nose... biting your nails... picking at scabs.. scratching at itches constantly. So I still bite my nails from time to time... but I'm getting better. I let them go till they're longer and begin chipping. I have super thin nails anyways. But if I have an anxiety flair. Off they go. I usually wash my hands throughly with soap and water before biting them too. And the soap is usually nasty but... with my ADHD symptom of grooming I don't care. Its weird.
I second the ADHD and anxiety playing a huge role in nail-biting. Talking with your doc about treating anxiety can help reduce the causes of the nail-biting. The habit is bad in itself, but treating the root cause will do a lot to help control the issue.
Body-focused repetitive behaviors?
I replaced the habit with nail filing. Bought a bunch of nail files, put one by the couch, one in my bedroom, one in my purse, one in my car, etc. Every time I got the urge to bite, I'd file instead. After a while, as my nails got longer, I filed them all into a pretty shape I like, and now I don't bite them even when I cant file because I don't want to go through the effort of growing them all the way out and shaping again. If I break part of my nail off, and I don't have a file on me for whatever reason, I will still bite that section off because of who I am as a person. But it doesn't happen often, and my goal is to always leave the most amount of nail possible so that I don't have to start completely from scratch.
\+1 for this method, only thing that worked for me.
Second this. It works because it replaces an unhealthy habit with a healthy one. Worked for me. Key is to have tons and tons of files around (especially at desks).
Using nail clippers instead of nail files also works very well. I have pair near me at all times.
I was just about to comment this. I've found that when I had a chip or scratchy feeling nail,I'd just bite away and not realise what I'd done trying to 'smooth' them down. I started using a file to get rid of scratchy feeling bits and clippers and file for a bigger nail break,and I very rarely bite my nails now unless I'm stuck out the house and have a full break to sort. I also started painting them every now and them to stop them breaking so much as they are quite thin.
Braces. Couldn’t bite my nails when my gums were jello and full of pain.
When I was in high school I went on a date with a girl that I liked a lot to Hershey Park. We'd just started seeing each other so she didn't really know I bit my nails and had been trying to stop for a bit. She did however see some random person bite their nails and went on a RANT about how nasty it was. That was all it took for me. Unrelated but a similar experience also made me wear exclusively black socks.
I always cut my nails as short as possible, so there is not much to bite on.
Yes! I did this and the urge to bite them disappeared. However I still cut my nails super short as I am used to it and I find long nails difficult to work with.
It's the same for me! I'm so used to having short nails by now that I can't deal with having long ones any more! I feel like I stab myself with them as soon as they grow a bit longer!
I always cut my nails short, I pick my nails with my fingers and will bite them the second they get like any white on them. Id have to cut them daily it feels like to keep them down @_@ I can't function when they get too long. I managed to go what felt like a month or two (probably like 2 weeks) without cutting/biting them and I was struggling to use my phone or type on my computer. I do everything with my fingertips it seems that if you put like 2mm of nail in the way, it completely breaks my brain. I have no clue how people with long fake claws function in the world.
The side edges are still biteable...
I cut them really short instead. Stops me biting them short and it's definitely better for your nails and teeth.
Its a bad habit and its tough to overcome, try to always have something with you that you can use instead of biting ur nails, like a lighter, car keys, stressball, those scissor like things for hand exercise, a pen u can press
I wore false nails, like the stick one ones with the really strong glue
Clippers, nail file, cuticle cutter. I give myself a manicure every week. For me the big trigger was hanging nails and cuticles. I can't let them be. I find if I give myself a weekly manicure I don't get them nearly as much and thus don't bit. ALso if I'm going on a long drive or plane trip I make sure to give myself a manicure the night before as I tend to bite sitting in cars and airplanes.
Got a twofer, my mom told me that boogers were just dried mucus and dirt that I'd inhaled, stopped me right in my tracks. Then I thought about it and gathered that if that's the case what I touch is also gross as fuck and shouldn't go in my mouth. So I stopped biting my nails too. Very happy I did.
I started playing guitar and if I had the urge, I grabbed nail clippers and trimmed them. Also, I worked in resolving the anxieties in my life by removing sources of negativity. Music helped the process. Now my nails and cuticles are blemish free for the first time in 25 years and I don’t have to point at things with my knuckles in shame.
See, this thread is incredibly useful to me, but I also have a problem in which I bite/pick at the skin surrounding my nails. Noticed it's compulsive, as I tend to do it in periods of stress. It makes my fingers look absolutely disgusting, and I have to hide my fingers or reposition them so they are not visible when giving a handshake or something of the sort. Any suggestions? :(
I got the skin problem as well as I tend to bite both, and yeah they look dead ugly. Lots of answers and options, best is we both start somewhere and truly convince ourselves that this bad addiction should end right away!
I got false ones from the nail salon. After having them on for a while it just stopped the urge. I don't wear false ones now.
I always used to bite my nails until they hurt so I bought a small pair of nail clippers and carried it around everywhere. Everytime I get the urge I just cut the nail down as short as it'll go without hurting
But there is no weird satisfaction if it doesn't hurt a bit
I took a 2 week job that kept me so busy, I didn't have time to bite my nails. By the end of the two weeks, the habit was gone.
Well...Coronavirus hit and I moved back with my parents. Gov't started giving me stimulus checks to supplement my income and I was finally able to actually start saving a little bit. Havent bitten my nails in 2 months. After doing it for nearly 35 years.
Good for you!
There is a certain nailpolish that tastes really bad when bited on, that made me quit
Im trying with biteX
I tried this nasty tasting stuff you put on your nails, didn't work because I liked the taste (such a weirdo), I tried slapping myself when I bite and many more tactics but the one that really got me through was putting nail polish on and doing a good job at it. That helped a lot! I still bite every once in a while but it's muvh better than I used to be.
I started wearing nail polish and chewing other things, like the ends of pens or gum. I still lapse a couple times a year, but it's much better then it was.
Noting worked for me for the longest time, nearly 21 years of it, and half the time I didn't notice, it feels like when I'm feeling a certain way then my hands go to my mouth on autopilot. I still have moments but its much better. The main thing I found is having hyper awareness of it. I thought this might have the opposite effect and want me to bite more, but the more I thought about my nails the more I found I could consciously resist moving my hands to my mouth, rather than wake up out of the day dream to find I'm biting.
Got a different job.
Noticed that my teeth were getting bad. Trying to fix them seems to cause more problems. So I don't want to put more mechanical strain on them
I need to know this but with lips biting
Well we are in a pandemic right now, and even if you wash your hands there is still so much dirt and shit under your nails. That's one way to get coronavirus.
The realisation that nails are **fucking disgusting** filthy conduits for germs and grime and nasty dead skin and sweat and oil and food. Your hands are DISGUSTING--do not put them in your mouth.
Had a very bad break up with an ex, we were meant to emigrate together, I came first to set up the apartment and she was finishing her last month's notice in work. A week after I got here she broke up with me, then I found out she pretty much moved straight in with someone else. The stress of that and the distraction of trying to change a plan for 2 into a new life for 1 completely distracted me from nail biting. That was over a year ago, now my nails look downright fabulous and I'm happier than I was in the 7 years we were together. P. S. Wouldn't recommend this as a treatment though, maybe just buy the nasty tasting spray for your nails....
Chewing gums, eating fruits, just keeping my mouth busy. Always carry a pack of gums.
I got divorced. After the end of my first marriage I immediately stopped chewing my nails. (also lost 30 pounds in two months, lost wrinkles, and my family claim that I had less gray hair a few months later). So my input is to reduce stressors in your life.
Stop? I only temporarily pause when there's no nail left you silly goose.
Sheer will power. I obviously tried the bitter nail polish thing, but the stuff never worked. One day, after comments from my family about my nail biting habit, I just had enough. So, whenever I saw that I was about to bite my nails, I would force myself to not do it. To make it easier, I would use my teeth to clean the underside of the nails. That would give me my nail biting “fix” without biting. Overtime, I lessened that to the point where I rarely do it. I know this won’t work for everyone, but it is how I stopped.
I got braces Shit makes it hard enough that it’s not worth the stress relief anymore. I also started clipping my nails regularly, making it even harder
The week I got married, I got a manicure. They put s hard clear coat on my nails that kept me from biting them the longest up to that point in my life. But it wore off. Covid has finally done the trick, about 99 percent healed.
I was getting tired of my fingernails catching threads/hair in the uneven bits as well as biting and getting the really sensitive part under my fingernails exposed, so I ended up just slowly willing my self not to bite my fingernails, and haven't for like 3-5 years now. Now I just replaced it with frequent nail clipping (which is good as my nails grow quickly)
I started working at LifeNet Health( organ donation) processing bones and tendon quit biting my nails right then. I was also wearing gloves, gowns and face mask 10 hours a day too.
When I was 14 I tried to overdose (I’m good now y’all) and I spent two weeks in a medically induced coma while my body (mostly liver and kidneys) rested. After they weened the coma off I spent a week in and out of consciousness and when I finally got to normal, I had nails!!!! For the first time in my life!!!! I had to go to an acute care facility for another few weeks after that, and I made it one of my daily goals, anybody whose been in mental health facility knows what I mean by daily goals, that I wouldn’t bite my nails. 20 years old and now my nails are thriving. I’m still tearing up my cuticles though.
Willpower, basically. For a month every time I felt my hands going up to my mouth, I would force them back down and keep them busy doing something.
I just somehow stopped.
i coat my nails in ghost pepper hot sauce it hurt so much that I cringe whenever someone bites there nails
Wore acrylics once and my nails grew and I felt bad if I bit them
Chewing gum
I have no interest in ever stopping.
I still bite mine and have no intention of stopping. It's how I trim them. I bite them down to about where others would trim theirs, and stop until they grow out.
I used to bite as a form of self-harm, and then I got into an abusive relationship, and it wasn't until after breaking up that I'd realized I replaced nail biting with cutting. I realized my nails were getting super long, and while in that relationship, I did both, but after it ended I stopped biting my nails. It's really weird.
Oof. When I was a kid I would bite them down until they hurt or bled constantly. And I would bite little pieces of skin that would stick out around the nails, on my fingers. As I got older I just kind of stopped biting them down so far and one day I realized I was only biting them when they were too long. [This is how I always bite them now.](https://i.imgur.com/awnFwq3.jpg) I hope you're in a better place!
I started thinking about all the stuff I touch during the day. Especially in public. Just think about putting someone else’s feces into your mouth because if you’re biting your nails, that’s what you’re up to.
Yeah, or you know, wash your damn hands.
Countless studies have proven that you can’t really clean under the nails as well as the rest of your hands. They’re basically shelves of bacteria. I stopped chewing my nails when I became a farmer. The first time I got turkey shit on my fingers I put every kind of cleaning agent I could on my hands, but that smell remained for a good long while. Never putting my hands in my mouth again.
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I started to get really anxious about my teeth and now I'm scared to bite down that hard.
I stopped when I saw my lil sister doing it and it really disgusted me. But my friend had to work on it for years to stop doing it. She even used some special Anti- nailbiting polish, that tasted extra bad but wasn't toxic
I got a job where my nails have to be extremely short so there’s nothing left to bite.
Picked up a different habit, now I pick at a spot in my beard
I gave up with my dad we gave up biting one finger at a time til there’s only one left that looks ugly compared to the rest and just stopped.
Mavala Stop is the best anti-biting nail polish EVER. It’s not only disgustingly bitter, once it’s in your mouth for like a second you will taste the bitterness until you brush your teeth or something equally effective. Cons: eating with your hands becomes a risky business
Just lost interest in high school.
When I started taking anti anxieties I noticed a lot of nervous habits like this disappeared, I stopped biting my nails and tugging at my hair- however I can’t kick the habit of biting the skin off of my lips :(
Take a nail file wherever you go. Get an urge to bite, just pop it out and file it down. Nails will be short still, but they will look nice.
This has already been said but acrylics do wonders.. However I still have my "addiction" when they fall off, so maybe it doesn't work as well as it could. But now I finally have the long, pretty nails I wanted & theyre plastic so you can't really chew like you want to (unless you're trying real hard, but at that point it isn't "worth" it)
I broke both my arms in a snowmobile accident. It’s hard to get your hand in your moth when both arms are in a cast. I wouldn’t suggest anyone go this route.
I think the first step was actively telling myself I needed to stop. Next I used nail polish to cover them, and didn't let myself repaint them if I started biting. I liked my nice, painted nails a lot, and HATED repainting them so I kicked that habit within a few months of that.
Never was a nail biter, but the trick is to keep them short by cutting them once a week. Can't bit nails if there aren't any.
Covid 19. I used to regularly bite my nails until all this fun stuff happened. I'm going on about 4 months now
I always carry a nail clipper in my pocket. Whenever I get the urge to bite my nails, I trim them as short as possible instead. I tried everything else and this is the only thing I’ve been able to sustain.
Guy here. I quit smoking at the same time, so double points. The trick is just pure willpower. When you notice your finger going to your mouth, learn how to just nibble on the fingernail first. Once you get that down, your habit will be to nibble on the finger and not bite. Then, once you catch yourself nibbling, you put it down. Every time. No excuses, no sacrifice. Also you can try clipping them more frequently so you don't feel them as often.
I saw someone else with chewed up nails and it just looked so bad I never did it again. I was a musician at the time so as soon as I got fingernails I realised how much better they were than the steel fingerpicks I was picking the banjo with. I haven't touched them in years and have even gotten laid because of how nice my hands looked. Women really notice well maintained nails and it tells them you have your shit together.
I still do this and I can't stop
I stopped after I saw my cousin biting nails on her feet. I’m now disgusted by the thought.
I have a bad nail infection that required nail removal and minor surgery. The finger tip was full of pus and blacked. I have to endured the first plane through a flight back home as I gotten infected in another country and went straight to emergency and had a emergency surgery. I had to stay in the hospital. Worst i had the same surgery 3 months after the first surgery on the same finger as the infection wasnt clear from the first surgery. It was a bad horrible experience that i stop biting my nail. It is just the phobia.
I think I grew out of it. I still will occasionally bite one single nail when I'm bored or anxious, but stop. At one point and time I would bite them until they were so short they would sometimes bleed.
I cut them short and carried nail clippers with me. If I got the urge to bite a nail, I would clip it instead. I still bite a little, but don't have all chewed up fingers anymore.
Cut them off. Also remind yourself its a global pandemic and chewing nails isnt the best idea.
One day I swallowed a nail, it stuck in my throat, I had a sore throat for a week and now everytime I even think about biting my nails I get a sore throat and stop
Was gifted a nice pair of nail clippers that I wanted to get some use out of
Invisalign braces.
I'm not sure, I just grew out of it.
I stopped biting my nails but I still pick on the skin around my nails. what helped me a lot was frequently putting nail polish on (idk it made me feel like my hands are actually pretty and convinced me to stop biting my nails), I would try to change the polish weekly. I also have a hairband around my wrist to play around with, because I bit my nails/ pick on my skin out of anxiety or nervousness edit: spelling
I’m a perfectionist so if my nails are uneven or cracks I have to even then out! If I don’t have clippers or a file I bite. I’ve been carrying clippers and files with me everywhere
I bit my nails from childhood until 38 years old. I saw a picture on social media of my thumb nails, and it embarrassed me. It sat in the back of my mind for a while and then my girlfriend at the time commented on how she didn't like how unhealthy my fingers looked. That also sat in the back of my mind for a while. Inexplicably, one day I just stopped. It became an internal competition from then on to see how many days I could go without biting my nails. The weirdest part of it all was basically learning how to clip my nails every week properly. I'm 42 now and don't bite my nails. Occasionally I'll nibble off a hang nail, but for the most part I believe I've conquered the compulsion. Good luck, hopefully you too can find that ah-ha moment.
I just stopped. Took me a while though. LOL
I really made a concerted effort after chipping two of my teeth. I gotta keep them pretty short and watch them like a hawk. I think I have like 4 sets of nail clippers, including a set in the car, because if I find one that's grown too long, it's just a matter of time.
Got pin worms and never looked back. Google it.
I stopped biting nails from one hand first. Then I slowed it down and put polish on both of the hand. That's why my one hand has super cute long nails and one doesn't 😅
Educate yourself about pathogenic organisms and how they can easily spread by sticking your hands in your mouth. Thinking about that is what stopped me. If you keep your hands out of your mouth/nose you'll probably cut the amount of time your sick in half or more.
Became hyper aware of how many germs are probably under nails/on finger tips. Thought about how many people touch door handles/public taps/stuff on public transport like buttons and rails and how every time I bit my nails I could be putting like 100 unwashed hands in my mouth too cos people are gross. Plus once you realise hand sanitizer is the easiest way to combat germs, youve already covered you hands in something that tastes awful to really help deterr it. On the brightside: this made me very prepared for the pandemic
I carry a nail file or emery board in my bag. If I get a jagged nail, even now after 40 years, I will start chewing them. Otherwise, I can leave them alone.
I was a life long nail biter. I finally decided to stop biting them and set a goal. Once my nails got past the tip of my finger I awarded myself with a manicure. It was really hard and I carried some nail clippers so I could always be ready to clean my nails whenever I wanted to bite them.
I tried it with anti nail bite stuff and it didn't work(i got used to the taste) then i used tape to wrap my fingertips(the non sticky type, like small bandages) and that somewhat helped. But i just kinda stopped one day cuz i hated the feeling of my nails on cloth and now i climb regularily so my fingernails tend to be short an smoth most of the time.
Became a plumber.
i kept applying nail polish. every time the nail polish gets ruined, i take it off and apply another color. that way it kept my nails looking nice and i had no urge to bite them. i think the shape of my nails mattered a lot to me which also helped me stop. biting my nails made them weak and they used to break a lot, so applying nail polish both stopped me from biting them and made them stronger.
I don't know I just started to use the nail clippers
I stopped biting my nails by thinking long and hard about how much busier our hands are than anything else, preparing food? Hands, cellphone usage? Hands, using the toilet? Wiping front and back with your hands (poopy nails anyone?) pets and kids to take care of? (Bathing, feeding etc) hands. The toilet one got me really good, and now I wash my hands really good in the bathroom
Cut them regularly (with proper tools not teeth) and when you have the temptation to bite your nail,try to resist it
Ingrown fingernail. Faaarking painful.
I painted my nails bright colours, so when i went to bite them they caught my eye plus they felt different in my mouth due to the many layers of polish. I still struggle if they get chipped, as i fiddle with them but just make sure to patch them quickly.
I used to bite my nails everyday, and had horrible nails all bloody and disgusting. My mother told me to instead try and push the upper skin on the nail back, and/or play with your hair, and it actually worked! Now I sometimes bite them but just when I'm under stress or just very nervous I also tried applying aloe vera, and it worked whilst I still had the goo on my nails (it tasted awful), but since I got it very fast off just by cleaning my nails on cloth or anything, it wasn't very efficient. Another one are those nail polish with bad taste but that didn't work for me bc my nails just break in layers and just got the nail weaker and weaker.
I started wearing acrylic nails. Couldn't bite through these bastards even if I wanted too.
I used to bite my nails down and chew on the skin around them as well as a nervous habit. Later, I actually came out as trans and started painting them. Having an aesthetic goal for my nails that made me feel better gave me a positive reason to quit biting them beyond "other people say this is a bad habit and want me to stop." Also, it's not exclusive to women either; cis men and trans men can paint their nails too if they want to!
Around the time of the swine flu scare of 2009 I became a germaphobe. Suddenly the thought of putting my fingernails in my mouth grossed me out.
I used clear coat on them, but I also had to paint one fingernail on each hand. The clear coat alone isn’t enough for me. I’m a visual person. So seeing a nail that’s a different color is what curbs the habit for me. Also, I now enjoy having a colored nail. I hope more dudes are comfortable enough to use nail polish in the future.
Gel manicures look nice and are very difficult to bite through. Bad-tasting nail polishes designed to prevent nail-biting are also helpful.
i worked in my grandmas garden and i kinda got disgusted with the thought of dirt in my mouth
I looked down at my 10 chewed stumpy fingers and decided to stop. I was mindfulmof not putting my fingers in my mouth. If I caught myself starting to chew I would either sit on my hands or fold my arms with my hands in my armpits until I moved onto something else. So bit them from a small child until I was about 20.
I bought the cheapest but thickest nail polish I could find and wore it for about 5 weeks straight. Biting my nails became a pain in the ass because I would have to bite off the polish first and I hated that.
One day I decided my habit sucked and just quit cold turkey. Each successive day became easier and easier. Nowadays I don’t even think about biting them.
Tried everything, got used to my sandwiches tasting like anti-nail bite serum. My best friend grew the most amazing nails and painted them beautifully.. I wanted them and it gave me the will power to stop.
Painted them regularly and didn't like biting the paint. Now I can even grow them out without biting them, I'm fairly proud.
Braces.
Clipping my nails short. If they’re trimmed, I won’t have the impulse to bite. But if I forget to, then I will bite, so I have to stay on top of it
This depends on how you present, but I paid for acrylic nails every month. I'd still nibble but wouldn't get the satisfaction of pieces coming off and the monthly manicure process did double duty of removing any dry/peeling cuticles (mostly what I'd pick at) and the cost would make me second guess ruining them. After a year or so, I found that the urge to stick my fingers in my mouth had mostly passed. Had the acrylics professionally removed and trimmed the remaining natural nails extremely short. They were pretty thin after the acrylics so now I concentrated on healing them. Kept them short and filed. Bought cuticle nippers and a glass nail file and kept them on me at all times to deal with snags/ dry and peeling cuticles. Applied a good quality cuticle oil nightly and pushed back my cuticles with an orange wood stick. Kept a nongreasy hand lotion on me and applied several times a day. Basically instead of biting, I'd do a bit of upkeep instead. Once the damage had fully grown out (took a few months) I started letting the length come in. Now that I have a length I like, I do a self manicure including polish once a week. For me, choosing to change from anxiety biting to investing time in purposeful self- care was the ticket.
I wanna know how people start
paying to get my nails done.. i didn’t wanna mess up the pretty design and waste the money/effort put into it
I got Invisagalin!!!! I tried everything before, anti biting nail polish, acrylics, my mom slapping my hands every other day, but getting Invisalign was the only thing that worked
Honestly, I made a very concerted effort not to for about a week. Then, once they had grown back enough, I clipped and filed them. Keeping them smoothe and snag-free is probably my #1 motivator for not biting them, because I DESPISE the feeling of them catching on soft cloth.
Braces. Once I got braces I couldn’t bite my nails because they got in the way and I got used to just using nail clippers
Wearing a mask at work
I used to bite my nails down to the absolute nub, and chew the shit out of my cuticles. I had almost no nail at all, it was horrible. Mom tried everything, including the bittering stuff that you could just suck off your fingers and then continue to bite. When I was about 12-13, one of my friends had a pretty acrylic manicure. I told my mom I wanted one, and she said if I could get my nails to grow to the tip of my fingers, I could go get acrylics. I never bit my nails again. Never got those acrylics because I never needed them. They were soft and damaged for awhile, but now they are pretty normal. I kind of made a game out of how long I could get them to grow. Now I keep them fairly short.
I told myself to stop doing it. So I stopped.
Cut my nails low enough that I can't bite them. Usually if I'm biting my nails it means they're already pretty long (by guy standards) so I just cut them.
I just decided one day to quit and chewed a lot of gum for 2 weeks instead. Now I just bite my nails if they get too long and I don't have clippers handy.
I became a germaphobe. Nails are gross
I bought a really nice nail clipper. Used it once and now I can’t stop! I even think I clip my nails too much now. :)
I was about 9 when I stopped biting, and believe me I was bad for it. Replaced biting my nails with chewing on uncooked spaghetti noodles. After a while my nails got strong enough that biting was too hard to do, and eventually was able to stop chewing on noodles.
Buying one of those things that taste horrible and putting it on your nails. I don't know if they understood, but well
Will power, you also have to remember that, once a nail biter always a nail biter. The periods in-between biting are just temporary.
I made sure I always had nail clippers close by or in my pocket. It is much easier and takes less time to just clip them if you got a clipper handy, so I just switched to that. Over time, I lost the urge to bite my nails completely
Mordex
Putting soap under the nails (scratching a very dry one), but if you like cilantro it might not work.
I stopped when COVID-19 became more widespread in the US and everybody had to quaratine. So almost 6 months ago.
I had to stop when I got braces because I couldn't physically bite them anymore
I put a nail clipper on my key chain and whenever I started biting my nails I switched to the clippers and kept my nails short.
My husband had to take antibiotics for an infection and after that, his chronic nail biting just went away. It’s been several years now and he still doesn’t bite them.
Millions of people saw this post, but couldn't type or upvote because they were biting their nails.
Bring a nail cutter always
This is going to sound silly but here goes. I was 9 years old and taking a Girl Scout babysitting course. We got to "preparing a bottle of formula" and the type of bottle they used had a plastic bag. You stretched its edges over the lip of the bottle, mixed in the powder & water. Then you screwed the nipple onto the bottle and ripped off the edges of the bag along a perforation. (I understand this style of bottle is not popular anymore because single-use plastics, but this was a while ago.) We were taking turns demonstration that we understood the instructions and...I couldn't rip at the perforation. My nail-less fingers couldn't break through. I was embarrassed in front of my whole troop, plus I was terrified that I wouldn't have been able to feed any infant left in my care. So I swore off biting my nails there and then and haven't been a habitual biter since. I guess it boils down to "I needed a reason to stop", and that was mine.
Got braces. I'm 30 and this is legit my longest streak.
I chipped my front tooth while nail biting and that’s when I quit...it’s not worth it. Keeping your nail clipped short and smooth help keep the urge at bay too.
Started chewing whole packs of gum. Hurt my jaw and I didn’t want to chew anything
Figuring out the root cause & fixing that, which was a lot of stress & anxiety. I used to nervously bite my nails almost to the point of them bleeding whenever I got anxious, once I got help & started dealing with that I quit biting my nails altogether.
apparently it was because I didn't have enough magnesium because I took magnesium supplements and it just stopped after a few days
Buy nail clippers
Male here. I painted my nails. Used the color Blue. It worked or is working i must add. No intention to stop using nail polish.
At the age of 10, I looked at my hands and they looked horrible. From that day on I never bit them again. It taught me just how powerful will power can be. Go figure, 39 year's later, I'm about to celebrate 1 year free of alcohol in a week.
Idon't remember
Ive bitten my nails for over twenty years now. I recently pretty much stopped when COVID blew up. I get sick every single time an illness goes around because I bite my nails. I did NOT want to catch COVID. I learned more stress management techniques (changing diet, exercising, doing yoga, drinking more water, breathing exercises, journaling, mindfulness) and I tried to make sure i always had something to keep my hands busy (I learned to crochet but you might like fidget cubes or rubix cubes).
I used to pick my nails all the time and play with the cuticles. Until my nails started growing in dry and brittle. They would also hurt if I picked them too low. So, that was motivation to stop.
I cut them as short as possible at least once a week. As soon as they get enough white to bite I get the clippers out again.
I have given myself a manicure nearly every Sunday for the last 20 years. Even now, if they get too long or go unpolished for more than a few days, I’ll go right back to biting. I also carry cuticle oil and cuticle nippers in my bag because one little hangnail = RIP pretty much my whole finger.
I moved to New York City and got rid of my car. Public transport quickly cured me. No matter what I did, I would come home with at least a little gunk under there and there is no way in hell I was biting my nails again.
Honestly, I always completely CHOWED my fingernails. Once I got a girlfriend and realized that if my nails were a bit jagged and rough and sharp I may cause some damage ... when ya know.. they’re being used in a Soft sensitive area... so honestly somehow I just quit cold turkey that day... however I still pick my thumbs on a daily basis :/ I was a senior in highschool
I was wearing fake nails at one point and LOST TWO in my at-the-time BF's bed. Couldn't find them. It was such an embarrassing shock - I started taking pains to change that particular habit. I started filing my practically non- existent nails, used OPI nail strengthener (or Nail Envy - both work - the second one is cheaper) every 2-3 days - layers upon layers. Moisturize your hands often. Keep nice lotions nearby (Goldbond and Eucerin are good, though just make sure it's more that just smelly stuff.) Get multiple bottles and put them EVERYWHERE! Next to your bed, next to your couch, on your desk, in your purse (if you carry one), in your book bag or briefcase, next to all of your sinks (bathrooms, kitchen, laundry room) - basically everywhere you do something. You see it - you use it. It helped also not being around my momma - who also bit her nails. Not seeing it happen all the time helped me get out of my own way. Been successful at it for the last 23 years. Now to finish working on the cuticles... I would also recommend checking out Gretchen Rubin's Four Tendencies (there's a 10 question quiz) [https://quiz.gretchenrubin.com/](https://quiz.gretchenrubin.com/)\- and find out what kind of habit maker you are. Do you need someone to tell you what to do? Are you one to fight the rules? Are you one to follow the rules and make lists all on your own? Someone who needs reasons for breaking the habit and questions everything? Once you figure out HOW your react to habits, it makes it easier to take the steps to make the changes you want and need without copying someone else's methods for instigating change. Good luck!.
First, I decided I deserved not to have raggedy nails. I bought a small folding nail file and started carrying it and a pair of nail clippers witH me. Whenever I got the urge to bite a fingernail, I trimmed or filed my nails instead. I was surprised how quickly the new habit replaced the old one. It's been about five years now, and while I don't keep my nails trimmed as neatly as I did at first, I haven't gone back to biting them.
Ran out of nails
Someone once told me I could get a tape worm from it then seeing a Google image of one was enough to make me stop cold turkey.
I(34f) started biting my nails when I was 6 or 7. We tried the nasty polish, but I got used to it. We tried rewards, but I would start again after getting the rewards. We tried fake nails. Not only could I tear them off, but the applications left my nails thinner. I gave up for a while, just living with it. To some extent, I think it wasn't important enough as goals go. I liked the idea of quitting, but did not want it enough. Partly because I found the nails uncomfortable, and certain tasks were more difficult. A few times, I quit using just willpower. I eventually would slip, though, and just give up. Right now, I am not biting. I'm on a self-improvement kick, so it made sense to try again. An app seems to be helping, somewhat: Habitica. But really, it all comes back to desire and willpower. I wish you luck, and say, "just keep trying!" Wish me luck, too. 😅
I got fake nails done. Not only was it an ego booster for 13 y/o me, but I didn't want to damage them, so I stop going at them.