To ask, if you bite your nails…

[dingotoo]

How do you stop?

I used to bite my nails but then stopped as I think it’s a horrible habit. I got my nails done weekly and that’s how I stopped. The cost has gone up so much though that I’ve stopped having them done.

Recently I’ve been anxious and sometimes find I’m biting my nails without meaning to. I’ve just accidentally swallowed one 🤢

Has anyone else swallowed one by accident before? Presuming it will just get dissolved by stomach acid but the fact it’s happened has given me the impetus to stop again. Does anyone have any tips on how to train yourself away from doing it?

I bought a gel kit to do it at home as I couldn’t afford it anymore.

Never swallowed a whole nail but it’ll pass through I’d have thought.

Do you mean you bit off a false nail? Or you bit off a whole real nail? I'm confused
Or just a teeny part of a real nail

I'd imagine you'll be fine with the swallowed nail.

As for stopping biting them, don't they make polish that has an unpleasant flavour? I'm sure I've heard of that, though it would have been thirty years ago or so!

I stopped as an older child or preteen by actively sitting on my hands during times when might have been likely to bite them. If having your nails nicely done is a deterrent, would painting them at home be "enough"? Might be worth a try.

I’m the same, only stopped if I had acrylic or gel nails on. Tried the stuff that tastes horrible but it didn’t work!

You’ll be fine if you swallowed a nail.

No, I hate it. I hate the feeling of trying to bite through my nails, I hate the tearing feeling when pulling the strip of nail off (on the occasions I’m forgot to nibble off a sharp piece of broken nail before I get my hands on scissors/a file) and I haaaattteeee having rough, snagging nails, which you inevitably have after biting them.

I’ve never understood why people do this.

Could you perhaps nibble the skin on the sides instead to wean yourself off destroying the actual nail?

I was a lifelong nail biter, and persevered to let them grow for my wedding, although I started to bite them again afterwards.

I was determined to kick the habit, and allowed myself to still bite my thumbnails whilst leaving the others to grow.

Within a few weeks the growth on my nails gave me the incentive to let another thumbnail grow, and then the last one.

I still have the odd nibble, but have a lovely set of fingernails now.

Just did a bit of reading about this out of curiosity, and apparently some people (about half in the group who tried it, iirc) find "soft touch" helpful. I believe it's something you do as a substitute for the the nail-biting, but perhaps there's more to it than that. They recommended tracing circles in your palm with the fingers of your other hand, tapping your thumb to your first two fingers, or softly rubbing the back of your forearm.

I bit my nails a lot as a child, but these days the thought of the sensation of biting them makes me queasy, so it's definitely possible to kick the habit.

I stopped when I started taking zinc, my nails are too hard to bite through now

Never - if my Dad thought I was biting a nail I would have my hand slapped down (not hard). I hate seeing people biting their nails I want to go and slap their hand 🤣

I know you said you find it expensive but I get my nails done with BIAB gel about once every 6 weeks and I have drastically reduced the amount of biting I do. I used to pick and bite the skin more than the nails but would also bite nails occasionally.
I think I lucked out with an amazing nail lady as I read about people who have issues with nails falling off, damage etc. Even after I cut mine (Usually manage 3 weeks...) they are still in place! (Albeit a little "grown out") And the nail underneath is really healthy too.
Also lots of hand cream and cuticle oil - they don't taste great!

I bit my nails relentlessly from age 6 to age 36 and recently forced myself to stop. I stopped by clipping my nails as short as possible twice a week so that there is literally nothing left to bite.
You can also try similar things to beating any other kind of anxiety related urge (like quitting smoking) e.g. using a fidget toy instead or getting up and doing something else when the urge gets too strong. Sugar free mints/sweets or gum can also be helpful, or sipping a glass of cold water

I used to bite my nails as did my son - last year he got a terrible infection in his finger which the doctor said was likely caused by the nail biting. Every time I go to bite my nails now the image of his finger pops into my head 🤢 Neither of us have bitten our nails since!

I bit my nails pretty much from the moment I had teeth, right up until I was in my 40s. I bit them until they bled.

The only thing that stopped me was getting dip-powder nails done. Initially I had to have (short) extensions with them but now they’re just my own nails. I get them done once a month and I get loads of compliments on my nails now. It’s £32 a month but I feel it’s very worth it. Essentially, it makes my nails physically impossible to bite.

I do still bite the inside of my lip very badly though.