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Original poster

Disgusting nails (pics)

42 replies

BreadstickBev · 06/08/2015 21:50

I'm a chronic nail bitter, have been for most of my 30 odd years. Now I feel the time has come to get rid not literally of them. Im not sure I'm able to do it totally alone so was wanting to know 1) How long my nails would have to get false ones applied 2) any type of fake nails recommended as I'm clueless and 3) and top tips for speedy growth??

Apologies for the pics as I know they are disgusting...

OP posts:

Thread gallery

FluffyCubs · 06/08/2015 22:22

I had nails like yours....I bit them all my life. One day I heard my boss refer to them as disgusting and was really upset....I went and got tacky old talons put on them...it totally stopped me biting them. Months later, I took them off...the nail underneath was very fragile bit I kept on moisturizing them, clipping them to stop biting those tempting edges....I haven't bitten them now for ten years. Presumably like me, you'll think the link will never recover...it does. What happened with ne was they'd grow a few mm then the pink would spread....my mails now don't look as though they've ever been bitten.Moisturize daily and trim them as often as you need to and they'llrecover in a few months.

Getting nails on is a great idea, but can only be temporary to cut the biting reflex....I never ever bite my nails how and they used to bleed.....there is hope!!

FluffyCubs · 06/08/2015 22:24

Ps taking biotin helps, and they're probably too short for salon talons, so just use elegant touch or something similar if you have to. Good luck.

LemonPied · 06/08/2015 22:27

Run Vaseline on them every day, I've cracking nails now cos of it.

MaryBerrysEyelashes · 06/08/2015 22:28

i nibble minie
had acrylic tip and coating put on

Everyone said ooh it ruins your nails, I thought ' mate they are shit anyway'

two months later i have amazing talons OF MY OWN that grew behind the fake ones

I ahev them done every three weeks

Hornydilemma · 06/08/2015 23:02

If you don't fancy fake nails, get yourself a really nice couple of colours & a hard topcoat like Seche Vite (Rimmel is good) or the Sally Hanson hel with UV topcoat. Do a really decent home manicure about twice a week & it removes the temptation to bite, also vit B hardens them (you have to take it for about 6 weeks to see results - the strong part of the nail takes that long to grow to the tip)

marthamydear · 06/08/2015 23:34

I am a nail biter. I have had a couple of comments all at once around a month ago and decided to grow them.

I have done it before, but I always bite them to tidy them once they're long. I am going to go to a nail bar now they're long enough and get a natural false set put on to stop me biting.

It's strange. No one comments ever and I live with nail biting and then all of a sudden two friends said within the same week - why do you bite your nails so short? and a child said to me why are your nails so short?- and I felt so embarrassed as I didn't have an answer.

I thought enough is enough. I stopped four weeks ago and now I look as though I have a natural french manicure.

You can do it! It feels weird though :) plus - don't be alarmed if the new nail looks like it's growing upwards - mine look like that, but once properly manicured they look nice.

Good luck... You can do it. I can do it, but the trouble is not biting them again once you have grown them!

canalknit · 07/08/2015 06:46

I too use to bite my nails, and couldn't stop until I started using Stop and Grow. You can get it from Boots and it's great as it tastes DISGUSTING so you definitely won't keep on biting. Good luck!

hellsbellsmelons · 07/08/2015 09:55

I always bit my nails.
Started getting acrylic nails.
Hit 40 and just stopped biting them.
Used a hand and nail cream.
Also used OPI Nail Envy and hey presto.
All my sisters are very jealous of my lovely long and natural nails.
Haven't even been tempted to bite them for over 5 years now.
You could go to a decent nail salon and see what they say about extensions.
Gotta be worth a go.

Original poster

BreadstickBev · 12/08/2015 17:34

Thanks all. I bit the bullet and called into a recommended nail bar. The girl has told me to get about 2wks growth if I can and then come back for gel nails. Apparently this should help me preservere without hindering growth and should not be sore or damage the nails or nail beds further like acrylics may do. Does this advice sound reasonable enough??

Thanks

OP posts:

FrizzyNoodles · 12/08/2015 17:41

While you're growing them get some nail oil and rub that in whenever you think you might chew them so you're doing something else with your fingertips. Also get a nail file or buffer to get rid of raggedy edges.

Original poster

BreadstickBev · 12/08/2015 17:45

Thanks Frizzy, my friend who is an ex nail biter who also knows what torture this is for me brought me this as a present today... Use both or just the oil?

OP posts:

FrizzyNoodles · 12/08/2015 18:06

That's really sweet of her I would use both. If the strengthener is a coating like nail varnish the oil might make it peel off a bit but peely strengthener doesn't look as bad as peely nails. You could oil through the day and put the strengthener on at night. Or if they both soak in you could alternate. Mine used to be like yours and having gel nails really helped and they look so lovely and feel so smooth its less tempting to bite them.

montserratSang · 12/08/2015 18:39

I'm a reformed biter. Two years now. Gel nails. I got them done on ridiculously short biten nails and they kept me away from them. Next time they were long enough to look nice. When I get the gels on o get my nails filed low as poss to reduce the nibble-tation. They are lush.

Kreeshsheesh · 12/08/2015 21:43

BreadstickBev, thank you for inviting me over here! This is a very informative thread. I may go and ask at my local beauty salon about what they can do with my nails. I've attached a photo as well to show you that you're definitely not alone!

Woofsaidthedog · 12/08/2015 21:46

I would say also to get some of the Opi nail repair, you apply like nail polish, one day one coat, next day two coats etc. after a week you remove it and reapply. It really makes a huge difference in conditioning your nails and making them stronger and growth quicker. Also try having gels applied every month - the nail grows under the gel but the gel makes you look a bit more polished and 'done'.

Vatersay · 12/08/2015 21:47

Work out when your key biting times are eg watching TV etc and pop some gloves on so you don't unconsciously bite.

MaryBerrysEyelashes · 12/08/2015 21:47

i posted elsewhere i had average nails
Put false tips on and a permanent colour and OMG my nails re now naturally long

InQuiteAPickle · 12/08/2015 21:53

Just popping in to second Vaseline!

I had bitten my nails most of my life and stopped 6 years ago. Even though they weren't bitten they were still crap - never grew longer than the tip of my finger although they looked tidy.

I started using Vaseline and my nails grow really well now. They're not perfect but I can get them quite long.

Vaseline is also great if you get cracked hands in the winter.

FadedRed · 12/08/2015 21:59

One way to stop you might try is to stop biting your nails two at a time. Sounds a bit bizarre but it can work really well. Start by not biting the middle and ring fingers, when they have grown a bit (they grow the fastest), then include the little fingers, then index, lastly your thumbs. As the first three (middle, ring and little) grow you will be able to 'arrange' your fingers so the grown nails are more visible than the bitten ones iyswim. And your will be so proud of them that it will encourage you with the others.
Use lots of good hand and nail cream and nail strengthener. Don't try to grow them beyond the finger end to start with, as they'll get stronger over time and will look better. Buy a good pair of sharp scissors to trim any little overgrown/caught skin edges, to get out of the habit of using your teeth! Be very gentle with filing, using a one way only technique with a gentle buffing type file or glass file.
Good luck!

shitebag · 12/08/2015 23:14

Ooh I'd like to join you too!

I've been biting mine my whole life and have tried to stop a million times but never managed.

I can't have long nails in my job but I would like neat nails with a bit of length about them instead of the raggedy Stubbs I have now. I'm going away for the weekend in September so I'd love to treat myself to a nice nail polish for that, do we think that could be doable?

shitebag · 12/08/2015 23:15

Oh and these are my horrors.

marthamydear · 13/08/2015 00:06

They're not too bad shitbag. You've done well not to bit down to the quick.

Try not to bite for two weeks - see the nail grow (It takes me just one week the white part of the nail grow)

Once they are long enough - get to a nail saloon and get some kind of manicure (or if you're not confident, get some falsies on)

It will stop you from biting your nails if you have something on top.

I am now in my 7th week, and i've now officially grown my nails!

It is possible.

PS. A few people mentioned my short nail and essentially shamed me into growing mine. So that's why I have grown them.

Good luck.

You can do it xx

squoosh · 13/08/2015 01:03

OP yours look like the nails of an obsessive biter. In these cases nail biting can be classified as a symptom of OCD (much like plucking your eyelashes out and other repetitive actions) so sometimes CBT is the best way to tackle it.

I bit my nails for over 30 years so I can feel your pain.

BrushtheHeat · 13/08/2015 01:14

I'm a chronic nailbiter too. Until they bleed. I'm on day 5/6 of not biting and have started getting white bits. I've tried growing them a few times but have always been disappointed with how they looked-nail polish didn't look quite right. Then I realised that my cuticles were untidy too so I got a Sally Hansen maximum grow cuticle pen (about a fiver) and pushed my cuticles back (gently!) with an orange stick. I can now see my half moons and shape of my nail bed is more regular and neater so I can take pride in them and not bite! I have a soak, use the cuticle pen, tidy them up and paint them and it stops me from biting!

BrushtheHeat · 13/08/2015 01:16

My nails!

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