To think bitten nails on an adult looks grubby

[greensleeves1]

I am a nail biter - always have been. I have to make such an effort every day not to bite them and keep them looking reasonable!

I very rarely see adults with bitten nails - makes me so jealous when I see someone with lovely nails and hands. My hands are dry due to constant hand washing in my workplace (and home)

I so desperately want to stop! It looks so grubby when they are bitten I sit in my hands during meetings at work ????

[StillStayingClassySanDiego]

I bite my nails then grow them. They split easiy despite my best efforts then I pick at them and end up nibbling at them.

I have lots of lovely Essie polishes, I'll grow them again soon but they look terrible atm.

I know what you mean OP.

[greensleeves1]

I've bought some foul tasting polish stuff to put on them - desperation stage! I'm completely unaware I'm doing it - so frustrating!

[Name7]

Try having shellac put on them. Stops the peeling and temptation to bite. Don't peel of the polish though. It's cured me of my 38 year biting habit, there are loads of pretty colours. Some very subtle if you need for work.

[Greyhorses]

I had disgusting bitten nails but decided to do something about it and got bio sculpture gel put on. It's really hard to bite (ive tried!) and the nail grows lovely underneath.

Only problem is now I can't take it off or I just bite them again

[Name7]

Meant to say, shellac them when they are short, in 2 weeks you'll have lovely nails! It may look a bit silly for a couple of days but no worse than bitten nails. I bought a set to do at home eventually, much cheaper. I'd save on the uv machine but still use the cnd proper polish, much better quality.

[greensleeves1]

Doesn't it weaken nails underneath? To be honest, if I don't bite the nails then I bite the cuticles and dudes and pick them. It's such a bad habit I cannot stop the feeling of wanting to bit them! They are reasonable just now as I'm making such an effort but as soon a ps I start they are all bitten down and the sides bleeding again :/

[travailtotravel]

Same here but reading the shallec approach. Mine are very bitten, though -not just nibbled ends :-(

[mrssmith79]

Agree - mine are Gellish-d in a nice neutral colour. They always look smart even though there are days at work when I need to wash them umpteen times. It also stops me picking at them and the polish strengths them.

[ThroughThickAndThin01]

I've never managed to stop biting my nails. I just can't see it happening. I've cut out other bad habits, but just can't crack that one.

[Name7]

Shellac doesn't weaken your nails. If you go to a salon, they'll cut down your cuticles leave you nothing to pick. You'll be so excited by your new nails you'll want to keep them pretty!

[Name7]

The pale colour on very short bitten nails won't look worse than bitten nails, and honestly in 2 weeks they'll look lovely!

[carabos]

DH bites his nails, always has done, so does his brother. It's revolting. Apparently it's the most unsanitary thing you can do . He knows it's horrid but he doesn't even realise he's doing it until I yell at him. We've tried everything to get him to stop but nothing works.

[GoringBit]

I bit my nails for years and hated how they looked. It was really hard to break the habit, but it's worth sticking at it.

A couple of suggestions... try to stay aware of what you're doing with your hands, and if one strays toward your mouth, move it away, do something - anything - with it. Also, carry a nail file or emery board with you; if you have a rough edge, smooth it, don't nibble it.

Good luck!

[carabos]

BTW, nail biting is related to trichotillomania (hair-pulling) and is a form of OCD.

[greensleeves1]

Ha yeah if I get a raggy edge then I feel obsessed with it until it's smooth! It a vicious cycle as I make it worse until there is nothing left! grrr

[Murfles]

I had my nails done with shellac for 6 months. I thought stupidly it wouldn't damage my carefully grown long nails. How wrong was I? They were brittle and broke easily until my natural nails grew again. OP if you're considering gel and shellac to grow them only do it until your nails are at a length you like. After the experience I had (I've never bitten my nails) I wouldn't advise it for longer than you need it. Shellac is ok for special occasions IMO.

[5madthings]

I bit my nails till a few weeks ago, I had false nails put on for my wedding and then shellac treatment, they are now almost long enough to paint, I have white bits at the end! I have to make a real effort not to bite them but they look so much nicer as they are growing. I also used to bite,pick eyc the skin around them, bit have been.filing snags and moisturising hands and fingers etc to discourage biting.

[2rebecca]

I rarely notice other people's nails. We play instruments so keep nails short. I tend to bracket women with long painted nails into the "too much time and not enough work to do" bracket.
Agree with lots of hand cream and the antinail biting stuff.

[WhenMarnieWasThere]

Greensleeves, I have the same habit.

I nibble my nails. If they are too short then I nibble my skin/cuticles. If I'm not biting, then I worry away at my nails with other nails so the vile anti nail biting stuff doesn't work.

I'm not as bad as my colleague that had bitten her nails way down the nail bed. I felt sorry for her as it did look a mess and (more importantly) probably hurt.

Mine are permanently short, but I try not to be too bad and I think they are relatively neat and smooth. I try to modify my habit by running my finger nails under other nails like cleaning them instead of flicking away at the nail. Or smoothing my finger along the edge of the nail.

It's a nervous habit though, so one stressful situation or even a scary movie and I've done it without realising it again!

On top of that - I HATE the feeling of long nails. Hate the feel of them catching on anything and I play the piano for work and hate the feel of the nail catching on/between the keys.

[girliefriend]

YANBU I hate the way my nails look have been a long life nail biter and have never been able to stop for more than a few weeks.

Interesting that its linked to hair pulling as have been known to occasionally do this as well

I do find that putting the stop it nail bite stuff on does reduce how much I bite them.

[girliefriend]

Weirdly I stopped biting my nails completely when i was pregnant that was the longest they have ever been!!

[greensleeves1]

Same here! I didn't felek the same urge to bite them and they were really long and strong and lovely looking. I was looking at pictures last night and that's what has prompted me feeling so down about it again! I wonder why that is?

[Figmentofmyimagination]

I've done this for 50 years. And when I was in a v stressful job a few years ago, like Gordon brown I began chewing the skin too (bluch) - so much so that the tips of my fingers became painfully hypersensitive to heat and cold because I has chewed away so many layers of skin - awkward when cooking (!). That pulled me up short. Now I still chew nails - although occasionally go through short term phases with disgusting "stop n grow" (still going since the 1960s!) - but I never chew the skin, and gradually the skin thickness seems to have recovered.

[RooftopCat]

My nails never manage to grow very long. I'm more of a nibbler than a biter so the nails never stay strong and break easily.
I think nail biting is the sign of an very anxious child - then it becomes a habit. I'm pleased that my DD has lovely nails so it's small sign she is a happy little girl.

[spillyobeans]

Ive always bitten my nails and hate the way it looks! It does look grubby