Nail biting

[MyGhastIsFlabbered]

I'm so embarrassed about this. When I get stressed I bite my nails. And I don't mean a quick nibble I mean down to my elbows!!

It's such a disgusting habit but I can't seem to overcome it. So I'm starting this thread in the hope of maybe finding other people and also an accountability. Am going to post pictures of how awful my nails look in the hope of shocking myself into action. Anyone care to join me?

Day 1

I have broken the habit now but I wore those glue on nails, short ones from Superdrug everyday for about 7 months until I had broken the habit and now I manage to keep normal nice nails, not bleeding, ragged, awful ones that I’m
ashamed of. Worked for me anyway, and I’d been biting my nails since early childhood.

I've tried those but I'm so cackhanded I can never stick them on very well. I'm so annoyed with myself. I used to have lovely nails and regular manicures. Now they just look awful. And I bite them so short they bleed and are really painful.

My dh started biting his nails after his df died. It's a sign of anxiety and he won't go to the gp.

He honestly can't stop himself and it really irritates me.

Sorry I can't advise but I too would like some ideas to get him to stop. otherthanchophisfingersoff

Good luck. I've always bitten mine (since I was tiny) and was adament that it was just a habit not a sign of anxiety but I could never stop for longer than a couple of weeks at a time. I had counselling last year and haven't bitten my nails since October. I do make sure I have a nail file to hand at all times, as the smallest snag and my teeth still itch to chew, but far less than they used to.

I might join in. My nails are disgusting, much worse than yours. I’ve tried so many times to give up and would love to again. Having a very stressful time though so might not be realistic.

If you can manage just a couple of weeks then have a manicure it will help so much as the more ragged they are the harder it is to stop as there's always something to bite. But when they're filed neatly and painted there's not as much temptation. Mine take six weeks to grow to the top of my fingertip from their worst.

Just a few days of growth will give you a tiny white bit on the top. As soon as this appears Put some clear varnish on them - I find this really deters me from nibbling. As soon as I take polish off I start biting so I make sure it’s on all the time. I keep a nail file with me at all time and moisturise them lots so there’s no snags / hard bits to bite.

I'll join you as I'm in the same boat. I want to stop and have managed in the past but just recently I've got really bad again and I am ashamed of my stubby, chewed nails

Day 1... let the growing commence!

I've been the same and it is when I'm stressing about something. I'll start today, day 1.

I’ve bitten mine for as long as I can remember. It’s classified as an impulse control disorder. It definitely runs in my family (my mum, sister, 3 of my 4 children & my niece have all been nail biters. They have all managed to stop... except for my niece & myself)
Weirdly, I don’t bite mine when they are painted though. I’m not sure why except they feel different when painted & I seem to leave them alone. But if the paint chips then I usually pick at that until it’s gone. I have gel manicures so they stay chip free for longer. Have recently bought a lamp & polish to do this at home so I can make sure they stay painted. I keep them fairly short & painted in nude colours.
Good luck everyone.

Ok ladies let's do this!
But no shame if we have a bad day and bite! And no pressure.

I have recently started biting again after about 15 years of not doing it at all

If my nails are painted, I won't bite them. I havent painted them much in the last 6 months - whereas I used to ALWAYS have them painted or shellac - so I'm going to get that back in my weekly beauty routine in the hope it will stop me nibbling.

Let's all keep eachother in check here

So I've found myself putting my fingers in my mouth then stopping which is progress but I'm still picking at loose skin.

Well done! I found wearing gloves as much as possible helped me in the early stages! Bought some white cotton ones from the chemist.

I've always been a nail biter (and skin picker. Grim) but I've got loads better over the last few years.

I know they're the last thing you want to draw attention to when they're all bitten, so painting them seems odd, but it really does help me. I choose a neutral colour and use a strengthening base coat. If I've spent time painting them it just makes me pause and think before biting somehow. It also helped once they grew back a bit to keep them painted because they looked funny (didn't sit in the nail bed properly so the white part at the top looked wonky and got dirt behind it too easily somehow) - but that settles down if you can stop biting for a while.

I also used micropore bandage tape to cover any real problem nails at times when I was biting without thinking (driving, watching telly etc)

So, accountability time. Nails are unbutton so far but look what I did to the skin on my poor thumb. It looks awful.

Try the stop biting nail product - it's really bitter - so if I'm tempted it stops me in my tracks immediately. I find using it breaks the cycle when I am stressed.

I bit my nails for 30 years then had a gel polish for a special occasion. Got the gel redone a few times until I broke the habit and now haven't bitten for 10 years.

Long term nail biter here. I find that hand cream or cuticle oil helps a lot. I have a few different hand creams stashed in bags. Even a small tube of lip balm will work as a cuticle oil at a push.

I find that if I concentrate on rubbing in the hand cream/cuticle oil I'm less likely to bite or scratch. It gives me the satisfaction of smoothing my skin without doing damage.

I agree with other posters that a coat of clear varnish helps. My greatest problem is when my nails break once they reach a decent length. That's really annoying.

I am a reformed nail biter- what cured me were gel extensions. The thought of chewing off £45.00 worth of manicure got me out of the habit... I had them constantly for about six months, soaked it all off to let my nails breathe and finally found myself without the urge to bite them. Now I have nice mid length nails.

Checking in after a week. I haven't bitten my nails at all but am struggling not to nibble the skin. I swear there's a tiny ribbon of white at the top of the nail!

Looking so much better already @MyGhastIsFlabbered You must be really pleased.
Try using a scented hand cream to put you off chewing at the skin. Funny taste is enough to remind you to stop. Once the skin is healed it's so much easier.

Get some Camrex lip balm onto those nails. The stuff in the pot. Just rub it into each nail a few times a day and all those rough little hangnails will look much better. Even some vaseline would do. It really softens the cuticle and makes the nails look much better.

Ok, I’m in! My DM is dying and I’d ruled out taking part because I’m VERY stressed, but I’ve been moisturising my cuticles and not biting for about four days now and I’m actually finding it a useful distraction.

And my mother has beautiful hands and nails and it would be a nice tribute to her to have nice nails at her funeral!

I’m a proper lifelong bad biter though, and I pick my cuticles till they bleed. I feel like I’ve found my people on this thread but I’m not sure about my long term chances of success!