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Original poster

Nail biting help

73 replies

Nailbitinghelp · 14/03/2023 09:15

Posted in general health, but moving here for more traffic!

Hi all.

Has anyone managed to successfully stopped biting their nails, and stuck at it?

I am mid 40s and have bitten my nails, and the skin around them, since I was a young child. I am constantly getting infections, or causing my skin to bleed where I bite it away.

I have tried the paint on stuff, which didnt work, as it tainted food when I ate with my hands (sandwiches for example) but I am fed up with my nails looking shit!

I have managed to lose weight and keep it off, and stop smoking but I cant stop chewing my bloody fingers. Its often absent mindedly, so I don't even realise I do it half the time.

I do it when I am bored, hungry, nervous, agitated, driving, watching TV and I just want to stop!

I am not even sure if my nails would grow back beyond the fingertips, given how fucked the skin is, would they even recover?

OP posts:
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Tryingtogetitright · 14/03/2023 09:34

No helpful hints I'm afraid as I'm the same as you - bite my nails til they're so sore. Not even aware I'm doing it. Have occasionally managed to grow them - for my wedding for example - but then one little rough bit and my teeth get in gear and I chew the lot. It hurts to use my fingers a lot of the time. Following for advice from people that have broken the habit. I've managed two days without biting after watching a YouTube video on stopping biting and they still look like this...

Nail biting help
Original poster
Nailbitinghelp · 14/03/2023 10:00

@Tryingtogetitright thanks for the reply!

If that's 2 days of not biting, they look really good, I hope you can keep going. Mine are much shorter than yours.

OP posts:
CharlotteDoyle · 14/03/2023 10:13

I'm a lifelong nail biter and the only thing that stops me is a gel manicure

Interested in this thread?

Then you might like threads about this subject:

Beauty
Kfjsjdbd · 14/03/2023 10:20

I am like you, having bitten my nails since I was a kid. Last year I started taking Citalopram for anxiety, and one of the upsides is that I’ve stopped biting my nails. It must have been linked to being anxious for me.

NotMyDayJob · 14/03/2023 10:23

Yes and no. I started gettin gel nails done and I go every two to three weeks religiously. Then once a year I take a break for about a month and use opi nail envy to strengthen them. Unfortunately during this time I do pick at the skin a bit but I've been doing this for over ten years now and more often than not my nails look decent, dare I say even nice. I'm currently on a break at the moment and this how they are now (if the photo works!)

The key thing is to find someone who will do the nails but will also do the cuticles at the same time. I'm changing salons because my last nail lady just never does the cuticles and they get very hard skin from years of picking.

Nail biting help
Original poster
Nailbitinghelp · 14/03/2023 10:28

Thanks all.

Thats interesting regarding gel nails. Can you get them put on short, stumpy, bitten nails? I assumed it wouldn't be possible?

OP posts:
Original poster
Nailbitinghelp · 14/03/2023 10:29

Tryingtogetitright · 14/03/2023 09:34

No helpful hints I'm afraid as I'm the same as you - bite my nails til they're so sore. Not even aware I'm doing it. Have occasionally managed to grow them - for my wedding for example - but then one little rough bit and my teeth get in gear and I chew the lot. It hurts to use my fingers a lot of the time. Following for advice from people that have broken the habit. I've managed two days without biting after watching a YouTube video on stopping biting and they still look like this...

Have you got the link to the video please?

OP posts:
WellTidy · 14/03/2023 10:29

Yes. I’m 47 and have bitten mine since I was at primary school - the nails and the skin around the nails. Mine have been shocking at times, I’ve had infections and all sorts.

What made a difference for me a year or so ago was having gel nails/acrylics. It made me stop picking because my hands actually looked nice for one and I couldn’t bite the nail itself due to the gel. I’ve stopped having them done now and just put strengthening clear polish on them. My nails look nice and I really can’t believe it. I don’t dare say I’ve cracked it as who knows if I will go back (I yo-yo with my weight so I might well yo-yo with this I suppose)! I also use hand cream all the time.

WellTidy · 14/03/2023 10:31

These are my nails

Nail biting help
BoomBoingBunion · 14/03/2023 10:32

I find the only thing that helps me is if I keep them really, really well moisturised, or use Vaseline on them. Then I don't get the really rough, dry bits of skins that I think I'll just 'tidy up'. But mine are awful at the moment, last week I had picked away the skin on my thumbs way below my knuckle joint. I'm really ashamed of it. And I can't write properly in meetings at work as I am trying to hide my fingers all the time!

Eyesopenwideawake · 14/03/2023 10:34

Hypnosis is excellent at stopping bad habits.

Original poster
Nailbitinghelp · 14/03/2023 10:46

Eyesopenwideawake · 14/03/2023 10:34

Hypnosis is excellent at stopping bad habits.

I have tried hypnosis for smoking and found it did not help with me. I just went cold turkey one day when I was mentally ready. I can't seem to do this my nail biting tho, as its often being done subconsciously.

OP posts:
Original poster
Nailbitinghelp · 14/03/2023 10:47

WellTidy · 14/03/2023 10:31

These are my nails

They look amazing, well done!

OP posts:
Original poster
Nailbitinghelp · 14/03/2023 10:48

BoomBoingBunion · 14/03/2023 10:32

I find the only thing that helps me is if I keep them really, really well moisturised, or use Vaseline on them. Then I don't get the really rough, dry bits of skins that I think I'll just 'tidy up'. But mine are awful at the moment, last week I had picked away the skin on my thumbs way below my knuckle joint. I'm really ashamed of it. And I can't write properly in meetings at work as I am trying to hide my fingers all the time!

I use moisturiser quite a bit but it doesnt seem to stop the nail biting. I know what you mean about hiding your fingers, I am always doing it.

OP posts:
Eyesopenwideawake · 14/03/2023 10:49

its often being done subconsciously

Which is exactly why hypnosis works! At some point in your childhood you used nail-biting to self soothe because you didn't have any control over other parts of your life. There's a part of your subconscious mind that's carried on that habit and a good hypnotist will simply talk to that part and ask it to stop, because it's no longer necessary and it's not making you happy.

JorisBonson · 14/03/2023 10:52

@Nailbitinghelp I was a biter for 30 years, to the point I've had several infections.

I had 3 months of acrylic nails with SNS to let my nails grow and stop the biting, and have had gels on my normal nails ever since. I feel so much better and it's a nice treat for myself twice a month.

jackstini · 14/03/2023 10:58

Yes you can gel polish nails no matter how long they are. Do a good few coats!

Are there any foods you hate? Friend gave up after putting chilli on hers as she hates it!

Catspyjamas17 · 14/03/2023 11:05

No, and I'm 47 but I keep trying. I have managed to stop for a while and had nice nails but I always seem to start again. I just mostly try and chill out about it - there are far worse coping mechanisms. Gel/acrylic nails work temporarily but ultimately weaken the nail bed so am back to square one after they come off.

I'm trying to become mindful of when I do it, and why I do it, what feelings does it produce? and do something else instead. I'm usually doing it because I'm nervous or concentrating on something else, and I've noticed I do it more when my nails/hands are dry, so one thing is to have a good hand and nail cream handy and gently file/massage my hands and nails when I feel like biting them. Have also had some success with squeezing a stress ball. It is difficult as it feels genuinely comforting to bite/pick around my nails and I have been doing this for 40+ years.

Catspyjamas17 · 14/03/2023 11:21

Eyesopenwideawake · 14/03/2023 10:49

its often being done subconsciously

Which is exactly why hypnosis works! At some point in your childhood you used nail-biting to self soothe because you didn't have any control over other parts of your life. There's a part of your subconscious mind that's carried on that habit and a good hypnotist will simply talk to that part and ask it to stop, because it's no longer necessary and it's not making you happy.

Hypnosis never worked for me at all, not to stop biting my nails anyway. It did make me realise a few things about my childhood and to start to be kinder to myself and less self-critical. It doesn't work for everyone and it is very much dependent on the individual therapist and how relaxed you can be around them, and if you feel safe in the very relaxed state.

It actually used to freak me out slightly, as I was relaxing in the chair I sometimes felt there were one or two presences in the room whispering about me. I'm not saying anything "woo" was happening but our brains can do some very odd things at times and it can be unpleasant for some people or bring on a sort of PTSD reaction. It happens to me sometimes now when I do savasana/meditation in yoga classes- I can hear quiet talking or whispering (and I have checked it isn't anyone in the room). But nowadays I don't find it unpleasant, just kind of interesting, though if I wasn't in a room full of people I might think otherwise!

Suzi888 · 14/03/2023 11:43

That stuff you paint on that tastes foul? Or acrylics maybe? You won’t be able to get through those.

NotMyDayJob · 14/03/2023 11:59

Nailbitinghelp · 14/03/2023 10:28

Thanks all.

Thats interesting regarding gel nails. Can you get them put on short, stumpy, bitten nails? I assumed it wouldn't be possible?

Yeah my nails were pretty awful the first ever time, they can put gel on any length and as they grow. They won't look amazing the amazing the first time, but they'll start to look better.

doadeer · 14/03/2023 12:05

Only thing that stops me is getting acrylics. It seems to stop me biting around too and I really look after them.

Original poster
Nailbitinghelp · 14/03/2023 12:09

Thanks all. Some really useful info, I really did not know that about gel nails. Will have to investigate. I don't think hypnosis is for me tho.

OP posts:
okayah · 14/03/2023 12:15

Absolutely possible, 40y old nail biter here, gel or BIAB nails done every 3 weeks, it really helps break the habit. Try it!

doadeer · 14/03/2023 12:22

Gel didn't work for me as they came off more easily as my hands get wet a lot. They also didn't look as lovely as my acrylic set so mentally I didn't take as much care