To Ask How To Stop Biting Nails

[WednesdayBeetlejuice]

And how to help them grow without covering them with gel or acrylic and somehow end up with nice strong nails.
Happy to spend money on purchases if they have good results.
I have tried the stuff that tastes vile. The habit is too strong for that to stop me. I just want nice hands.

I started taking ferritin , vitamin d , a multi vitamin and NAC and I just stopped

There is some link with NAC and nail biting it seems

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23651231/

I was a prolific nail biter, the Sally Hansen stuff in the gold bottle really helped mine to grow more quickly, I’d recommend that. I think you remove and reapply every other day.

www.superdrug.com/make-up/nails/nail-strengthener/sally-hansen-nail-treatment-growth-miracle/p/752926?gclsrc=aw.ds&gclsrc=aw.ds&gad_source=4&gbraid=0AAAAADp4mz_j-bAsXBWp3m-viwFObajxg&gclid=Cj0KCQjwrp-3BhDgARIsAEWJ6SzSVEhT9ENmf2n5kQPaQlX7szpitcKq6gTQq2pFDWdDoGs0jbmrIowaAgt3EALw_wcB

try opi nail envy , the clear one , the cloudy one stained my nails

Paint them.

I know you said no to gel but would clear gel be okay as it does make your nails almost unbreakable?

BIAB. Not the same as gels or acrylic and it stops me completely from fidgeting with my hands (used to bite prolifically and also pick at the skin). I pay about £40 a month for mine. Helps build the natural nail underneath.

I know you said no Gel but BIAB is insanely good, I can't believe how good mine look now and they are incredibly strong.

I've finally (mostly) stopped biting mine this year at he age of 40. I started by painting them (they looked shit for a bit) and just persevered. Every so often I absent mindedly bite them, but generally they look much better.

I now have much stronger nails and decent length to as I took the advice off my daughter when she suggested builder Gel.
I know you don't want Gel or acrylic nails but this is the best one I would recommend .

Can you get ferritin supplements?

I gave up alcohol and stopped biting my nails. I obviously chewed them absent mindedly after a glass or two of vino!

Thanks all I’ll take a proper look at all your suggestions. I have tried gel and builder gel before and it helps for a bit but as soon as my nails begin to grow I pick at them and pull it off which ruins my nails even more.

I feel so embarrassed with how they look at the moment. I worry that everyone is looking and judging.

Also does anyone have any tips on how to heal the wounds quicker from nail biting and skin picking please? I work in an office and it hurts to type. I don’t know why I do this to myself. Once I start it’s like I can’t stop.

Cuticle oil like crazy, multiple times a day

At the age of 42 I stopped biting them by painting them a bright colour - if I wear a pale colour then I tend to nibble again. They looked a bit odd for a short while but it was well worth it.

Best of luck!

I can only stop biting mine if I paint them a bright colour AND consciously switch to a different fidget if I feel the urge to bite them.

Following. I’ve bitten mine for 50 years but it’s got worse recently. I can’t use the funny taste stuff as I think it would upset my dog when I give him treats! I can’t bear the idea of painting them bright when they look so awful.

For me it was a simple nail file. I filed my nails so they didn't have any "raw" edges. That's what makes me want to bite. When smooth the sensation is less..

Friend used hypnotherapy

Gel/Acrylic/KISS False Nails is the only reason/way I've managed to stop biting/skin picking mine.

So far I've lasted about 2 to 3 weeks of no biting (picking took a little longer, probably only a week of not picking), and found my nervous fidget has gone from biting/picking to just drumming my (false on one hand, builder gel on the other) nails against something hard to get more audible stimulation (much to the disappointment of DP, the only saving grace is that I tap to a rhythm/pattern than mindless tapping 😅)

falling down the youtube/instagram nail art rabbithole also helped, as the magpie in me went "I want to do that!", LongHairPrettyNails in particular has been a big inspiration.

Good luck, it's worth the willpower, but don't beat yourself up if you accidentally relapse. This is my 2nd serious time of trying to stop, the first was in 2019, and well, everyone knows what happened in 2020 which was a catalyst of starting again until this year

Have a look at Chewigems and picking pads like this to help replace the habit and move it onto something else other than your fingers. You can also get chewable pencil/pen toppers if you are doing it at work.

Ohh thank you for those links, have sent them to DP to look at and followed the Etsy shop for a later date 😄

I rub bog basic Vaseline into my nails every night. It seems to strengthen them and make them look better, which is my incentive for avoiding biting.

@WednesdayBeetlejuice
I agree with most of these suggestions although like you the builder gel just gives me more to pick at.
I watched a good YouTube on "how long does it take to grow out bitten nails". Bitten nails grow fast apparently. The difference 7 days made was incredible and by two weeks they were looking good enough for varnish. So that's what I did two weeks ago. They are looking ok. I like dark polish on short nails rather than bright as it looks "efficient" like your nails are short for reason.
I have ordinary varnish put on as it lasts two weeks and I can get it off myself if it chips so I don't pull it off.

Nails grow better in the summer so I'm going to keep up the visits to the nail bar and hope I break the habit fully this year.