To ask how you stopped nail biting

[yoursworried]

I'm 33 and have severely bitten my nails for as long as I can remember. It looks horrible but I barely know I'm doing it.

Today I had to go to the doctors with a very painful infection round the nail which involved draining and now a course of antibiotics. It's been a painful and expensive lesson and I'm a bit ashamed really as it's entirely self-inflicted by a mindless habit that worsens when I'm a bit anxious (like now as about to move and start a new job)

I am prompted to try again to give up but I've failed many times. The bad tasting stuff isn't enough for me - I can mindlessly chew through that so I am searching for any tried and tested ideas from the ever experienced mumsnetters. Thanks in advance

File them so they are not all ragged and uneven that is one thing that still now after 10 years of not biting makes me want to. So I keep them filed nicely.

I used acrylics and they really helped with not biting. worked or dd2 as well but she restarted about a year after She is currently back on acrylics.

also have you considered a hypnotist?

I’ve always bitten my nails as copied my mums behaviour. They are so weak they just break. My mum stopped, she had her front teeth removed and she can’t bite them with her falsetto, that’s quite extreme though.

For me the only thing that worked was working a summer job when I left school packing sweetcorn cobs, you had to pull the outer leaves off and chop the bottom stalk off but often they had loads of aphids in this sticky goo hidden in the leaves that stuck on your hands and nails and went black and stringy and was really hard to wash off at the end of the day and when I went to bite my nails just the thought of what had been on them really turned my stomach and I have never chewed my nails since.

I bit mine for over 30 years, hypnosis was the only thing that worked as it was subconscious biting. Definitely recommend it. It’s been 8 years since and although there have been times (generally very stressful points in life) I can keep them under control.

Thank you- if I can't get to grips with it any other way I will certainly consider hypnosis. I'm so glad I started this thread I've no excuse not to try with all these ideas

OP mine were worse than yours, literally bit 90% of the nail off. I started gels about 9 months ago, it feels odd in your mouth and makes you think. I know they badly need to be done due to growth but here they are right now with gel polish on (getting them sorted tomorrow haha)

@Igotthemheavyboobs they look nice! You give me hope ...

I randomly just stopped in my mid-teens! It's weird because I spent years making a concerted effort to stop biting (even wore gloves at home). I know this is not useful to you OP.

I do occasionally pull single strands of hair out at the root so wonder if my "fixation" has just shifted elsewhere.

I stopped when one of my friends did. Find yourself a stop biting buddy.

Braces! Not being able to bite for 3 months was the only thing that ever worked for me. If you've ever thought of getting your teeth done, it's an excellent side effect!

I don't remember what triggered it, but at some point during my school years I just decided that I wanted to stop biting my nails, and I think it didn't take too long to quit after that. I remember making a habit of sitting with my fingers under the sides of my legs so I wouldn't be as likely to absentmindedly nibble. It wasn't too long before the sensation of biting my nails became unpleasant to me. These days, the thought of that sensation even makes me feel a little ill (not to mention that I'm a bit of a germophobe, which also discourages nail-biting).

With a job that requires you to use your hands, maybe that's not so easy, but you could try keeping your hands tucked under your legs when you aren't actively playing piano.

I wonder if something like a fidget spinner, fidget cube, or stress ball might help keep your hands occupied.

Gel nails! You won't be able to bite them with gel polish on, it would feel horrid (the gel is quite thick and resilient)

Had both my front teeth crowned

Gel polish. I get it done every month. Never bit nails after I got it done - and nails are now strong and healthy after a lifetime of biting and breaking nails.

@MadeinBelfast eek! My nails are currently that short too, due to a very stressful time at the moment with my disabled son, but no blisters or signs of infection thank god!

I moved onto hair twiddling instead. I have to have some stupid mindless habit!

Shellac or gel is simply put onto your own nails. No extensions. I play guitar with these painted nails. It's great stuff - doesn't chip and really has helped me have great nails after a lifetime of nails that look like your do.
I was embarrassed first time I went to get them done as they were so short and ragged. However - she'd seen it all before.
Never bitten since!
Do let us know how you get on OP

Not sure how helpful this is but thought I’d add my own experience. Just for context I have OCD so not just an annoying habit. Been a nail (and skin around nails) biter my whole life, to the point where my hands are sore/bleeding/basically unusable. Never been able to stop etc.

However, I am a bitterly stubborn person, and when a few months ago my partner said to me that stopping nail biting would be really tough as it’s a lifelong habit, I heard the fatal words “it’s not hard, actually” fall out of my mouth . Anyway like stubborn idiot I am I stopped biting my nails that day to prove a point and am now 2 months in! I think it’s all about mindset - it’ll happen when you decide for yourself that you’re ready to stop.

I bit mine well into my 20s, would make them bleed, pull the skin off around the edges.
I stopped when someone said it was a form of self harming. Just shocked me into stopping I suppose.

I'll tell you what didn't work and that was being shamed by my mother about my nailbiting. I still remember, about 20 years later, her picking my hand up to show someone at church. I would have been an older teen by then. It was so embarrassing, and didn't help me stop (tbh I probably went and had a good nibble to get the emotions out).

Like others have said, I think I just decided to stop one day. My nails aren't perfect, I currently have one that's very short, and consequently the skin around that one is manky as well, but 9 out of ten's not bad. I no longer chew them for emotional support, but if there's a torn bit I do tend to tear it off as it annoys me.

Bizarrely I like nail polish on short nails on other people, but I think it looks weird on me, possibly because my fingers (and thus nails) are really tiny, so I need some length to have anything to get polish on. I'd be weary of shellac etc - you might be ok, but whenever I've had it done my nails have been really poor quality afterwards.

OP the problem is that it's an unconscious habit.

I bit my nails for over 45 years. I tried foul tasting stuff, varnish, acrylics - anything you name I tried it. Nothing worked long term. I have great will power and have achieved all kinds of things. I could stop with acrylics for a time - perhaps 6 months. I stopped for both my weddings but only for a year or so. In the end it always started again.

I alsogot sickness bugs when no-one else did because my hands were always in my mouth without me realising.

I did stop though, with hypnotherapy. Find a really good hypnotherapist. After 1 session, I now find the whole idea of biting my nails repulsive. I have no desire to do it. None. I drive, read and watch TV without chewing - all times when i would have bitten without even being aware.

Stopping yourself on a conscious level using self control is hard work and i never managed it. Now i don't have to thunk about it at all.

My nails now 😁

I got engaged and people kept asking to see it! Was mortified with the chewed hands. So I stopped. I still struggle in winter with dry skin triggering me but for the most part have never gone back to it.

I don’t see how you could bite through tips and acrylics. You would be so proud of your nails. I suddenly stopped nibbling in my mid 40s! Always had manicures and painted bails after that. However my nails were not strong 10 years later and I’ve now got acrylics. Never bit them again though!

I'm also an OCD nail and skin biter and I regularly slather my hands in hand cream. The greasy texture reminds me to stop and I think it also strengthens the nails and skin.