Former chronic nail biters

[squoosh]

How did you break the habit?

I've bitten my nails since I was a tiny tot and it's a habit I've found impossible to break. I can manage for a couple of months and then the temptation is too great and I give in. I used to be a heavy smoker and found that far, far easier to give up than this. Foul tasting stuff painted on nails, none of this works for me.

Has anyone tried cognitive therapy as a solution? My nails are just so flippin' ugly.

Hi I used to always bite mind and ended up using the minging tasting stuff but I soon got used to the taste! lol, The way I found to stop that worked for me was having my nails done for a while with false tips till they grow out a bit with the fibreglass rather than gel. Then after about 6 months I had them taken off professionally so your nails don't get ruined then started having manicures with just a file and polish by then you should have kind of broken the habit and when you see your nice long natural nails painted after you take the false ones off you won't want to bite! :)

I had some gelicure nails put on. Much better than acrylics or gels as it's just a stronger form of nail varnish and doesnt weaken your nails like acrylics.

These allowed my nails to grow underneath for a couple of weeks and then after I took it off I neatened them and then applied Nail Envy to harden them up. Have managed to not bite them for over a year now, after biting for 25 and my nails are great!

I am a nail biter. I hate it, DH hates it, and I am really worried my toddler is going to copy me any moment now. I tried the above methods - yuk stuff, professional false nails, but if I can't keep it up I just relapse worse than ever.

Watching this thread for help/support.

Well about three years ago someone said to me how awful they looked to the point I felt ashamed of them. From that day on I have never bitten them again and now have half decent nails :)
Now smoking the quitting of that took endless attemps a whole year but I have been smoke free now since January and I am never going backto those smelly things :)

I've often stopped for about three months or so. But inevitably I fall off the wagon. Often gardening is the culprit: I snag a nail or two from having my hands in the soil and then do a little nibble "just to tidy things up," and before you know it I have binge-nibbled the whole of two hands, and I'm lying in the gutter, drunk on calcium, and ugly-handed shame awaits me when I sober up.

I know how to get clean and go nail-teetotal: I just use the minging stuff, and pamper my nails with a bit of expensive cream or oil. I very quickly get to the point where I stop biting and enjoy the new growth -- but once that has become familiar I lapse. So I would LOVE to hear others' tips for long-term cures.

I am a nail biter and I also bite the skin round the sides of my nails. I have currently stopped. I start with Mavala (is that right name) to stop me nibbling however i soon forget then when my nails start to split and peel I start biting again and back to square one.

I need some wonder product to strengthen my nails - any suggestions?

I left my abusive husband and figured out that I had self-esteem issues, which I got to the root of.

My nails are gorgeous now.

I'm thinking of buying these gloves as a deterrent.

I stopped after 28 years by using those cheap stick on nails from boots. The best ones I found were broadway petites 'real short'. I got a couple of packs and kept the glue with me to stick them back on if they came off. This gave my nails long enough to grow to a length that wasn't embarrassing.

Then I used nail envy under a dark nail polish, which I think looks better on shorter nails. I still need to use a 'solid' colour - maybe because if it does get nibbled they look awful. If I use a sheer colour for some reason I start nibbling and get carried away

Good luck!

I bit my nails for years. The only way to stop for me was to paint them a really bright colour and somehow this made me more aware of them and so bit them less.

I kept pots of hand cream everywhere too as I didn't like the taste and was less likes to 'pick' if the skin round my nails was nice and soft - any hard bits and I'd pick til I bled.

I have lovely nails now - it can be done.

I'm a reformed nibbler, I've just bought OPI nail envy to strengthen as mine are soft and bendy and that makes me chew if I'm not careful

I stopped by putting French Manicure style polish on, not with the naff white tips, but just a sheer colour and straight away they looked better

Keeping the skin around them in good shape even more important I think so cuticle cream a must

I started biting my cuticles instead

I saw both DD and DS start to bite their nails and also started keeping them filed short with hardener on... I've not completely broken te habit but am much much better. My nails have white bits now!

Dammit. I keep my nails filed shorter with hardener on. Not the children.

get a glass file and keep them really short and smooth. I got DS to stop biting by doing this. He'd bite snaggy annoying bits, so I made sure there were none :)

I wanted nice nails for my wedding so I gave p. It's true that once they are looking nice you feel pride in them and it helps you not bite them.

I have an occasional relapse if I'm stressed at work. I have a rule where I'm only allowed to bite my left thumb. I get to satisfy the habit, but the rest of my nails remain nice.