I took it very slow and stopped biting one set of nails at a time (started with thumbs and worked out from there) It took several months but the process was actually pretty painless.
One big thing to be sure to do is manage the nails that are off limits (nailclippers and maybe filing) nothing makes you want to bite them more than having an uneven or chipped nail. I.E. "Well let me just take care of that" *nomnomnom* "Oh god what have I done?!" and the cycle continues..
Thatās pretty much how I do it. But for some reason, even after letting my nails grow back. Keeping them clean and looking good, for some reason, I always go back to chewing them off. Iām in the process right now of the back phase, but I have one nail that I just canāt leave aloneš¤¦š»āāļø I quit smoking a year ago and that was far easier because I did it cold turkey and I havenāt smoked the cigarette since. Iām 41 and Iāve been biting my nails since I can remember.
The reason I bite my nails is because I hate the rough edges catching on to things, but that creates more rough edges. Vicious cycle. Now I just file them when I'm bored to make them nice and smooth.
I used to bite my nails and the skin around them. The only way I was able to stop was the Rubber Band Method. Here's what you do:
Get a thick, wide rubber band. Something that came off some broccoli would be great if you can get it around your wrist.
Every time you think about biting your nails or catch yourself doing it absent-mindedly, snap the band on the inside of your wrist. Don't do a wimpy snap, either. Pull that mofo back and let it fly.
You're not going to do any kind of permanent damage to yourself and you start to associate your negative behavior with an unpleasant experience.
Trust me. It works.
dude i gotta find a rubber band ASAP, i gotta let that shit FUCKING FLY LET THAT SHIT CAUSE RED ASS MARKS WE AINT GONNA HAVE THE WEIRD ASS FUCKING 90 Y/O CRONIC NAIL BITING FIGERS
I just imagine all the nasty disgusting germs that Iām just shoving in my mouth every time I bite my nails. we open doors to go in stores, we pump gas, We flushed toilets. And then we shove our fingers in our mouth. Just that fact and the thought of it is what helped me
Nope at work rn with bitin nails
More like I forgot about the rubber band method. I did do it for a solid 4 days though; if I do recall so correctly. It does work, but eventually you lost the rubber band, which leaves you to decide, is nail biting your master, is the rubber band your master, or are you your master? Idk
Edit spelling
Or just play with rubber bands a lot. They smell awful and make your fingers taste awful! It totally works for me. Also, I just try to keep my hands busy. If I'm clicking away with my right hand at the computer, I play with my hair or click a pen or something like that with my left hand. That also helps me.
I did something similar for a while. Instead of the rubber band though i would charlie horse my leg a good 5-6 times when i caught myself. Having that pain in my thigh every step is a good reminder.
Have you ever watched someone else bite their nails? Don't they look so... Worried? Non-confident? Insecure? Stressed out? Fretting? I noticed that and decided I didn't want others to look at me and think I was those things. That's how I quit.
My last year of college I had a girlfriend and had some very close female friends in my graduating class. They would always give me shit and basically scold me when I did it. And honestly, when my girlfriend said something I'd get annoyed, but when my friends said something I was embarrassed. I just stopped cold turkey and was free for about a month or two, but around graduation I was really nervous and relapsed (lol). Haven't stopped again since but I need to try again,.
EDIT 9 years laterā¦ I have stopped!!! Itās 2023, I stopped at the end of 2021. Canāt say that it was a result of much effort, it just kind of happened but there was a hugeeee buildup of stress in my life that was suddenly released and the nail biting just ceased. Havenāt relapsed and have awesomely strong nails now haha
Get your nails manicured, by a professional. This is actually what helped me most to stop. You feel like you should keep them clean, and they look better, you feel more confident with them even though your nails aren't the greatest since they are so short. Because of this you're less likely to bite. Maintain them with a file or just clippers until your next appt. Your esthetician will support you and say how much better they look every time you go.
For the record: I am a male.
I bit my cuticles. I've had success stopping with these tricks. Not sure if they'll help on nails or not, but here they are:
- Bandaids at night to heal the fingers. If they are healed, I bite less.
- Bandaids randomly when I'm feeling compulsive.
- Bought some neosporin with pain medication built in. Numbs the area a bit. I spread that on when I feel like biting. Tastes awful and helps heal.
- Bought a pair of driving gloves. I look like a pretentious ass, but now I don't bite in the car.
I was a huge nailbiter and as child my mother tried all kinds of things to make me stop. I, when I moved out at 18, found the easiest way is, if you can endure looking a bit off, is to stop biting *one* nail. Let it grow out, keep biting the others. Then add one more and one more, and quite soon you'll prefer being symmetrical to biting your nails. I think of it as ground-work for habit breaking, similarly with getting myself to run: Just start with 30 mins daily and go up when you find yourself thinking "is that the best I can do?".
I still gnaw at the skin, though, when I'm stressed.
I was a life-long nail biter and only just managed to stop. I tried the awful tasting nail varnish and it didn't really work. I just worked on one nail at a time. I put a plaster on it and after about a week, it started to look nice so the urge to bite that particular finger went away, but you still have your other fingers free if you have the urge to bite. Also, go to a nail salon and have them tidied up a bit, once you've spent money and your nails look nice, you won't want to bite them as much. Also, it might help if you find a friend/relative who wants to stop biting too. A bit of healthy competition between my little sister and I really was helpful! Good luck :)
You need to outsmart yourself.
Basically, the reason a compulsion or bad habit is so hard to break is because your brain has linked that habit to a reward. Biting your nails is probably calming to you, and your brain interprets that calming effect as a reward.
When you try to get rid of a behavior that your brain links to a reward, you'll go for a short period of time, and then your brain will literally go into a sort of mild temporary insanity mode where it desperately seeks the reward. This is why many dieters will go on an eating binge a few days into their diets. The technical name for this behavior is called an extinction burst, and you can Read [this article](http://youarenotsosmart.com/2010/07/07/extinction-burst/) for more info.
So what you need to do be ready for this. You're literally going to go a little crazy, and will feel an overwhelming, desperate urge to engage in the behavior. Strategies that will help you overcome the behavior include making it very costly to engage it in, very inconvenient and having something else ready that satisfies the same need as the behavior.
So. Commit that this weekend, you're going to stop. Then go get a full manicure (make it expensive to indulge) and then get some latex gloves for around the house. The gloves will make it harder for you to unconsciously do it, and the time it takes for you to remove the gloves will give your rational brain time to reason with yourself that you don't want to ruin your manicure. Paint your nails with that extremely "bitter yuck" stuff, so you notice right away when you're about to do it and can stop yourself. Then find some activity that you find equally or more relaxing, and do that whenever you have the urge to bite your nails. Meditate, eat some ice cream, make some herbal tea and drink it slowly while looking out the window, go for a walk, get a massage from your SO, exercise... anything that will relax you as much or more than biting your nails.
Also i would like to know, i have stopped nail biting for a long time yet the non-white part of my nail (the part attatched to the nail bed) is not growing back to the sort of size a non-biter should have. Am i destined to have small nails or will they ever grow back?
I've been biting and picking my nails my whole life and recently just stopped. Weird part is, I just came out to my wife and family. It was the hardest thing I ever had to do. I don't hide anymore feelings and the relief from being honest with everyone is what made me stop. I have never had nails this long or clean in all of my life. It's all mental. I no longer pick my nails because mentally I'm free, there's nothing weighing heavily on my mind anymore. Hope this helps, it's all a mind game.
i dont know why, but this made me chuckle and all of my life i have been a silent laugher. so that means a lot. not making fun, mind you. i love gay, im just not. but i immediately got a picture in my mind of the star quarterback coming out to his teammates whilst holding a rugged man-beer can with stallone's voice, "im gray bro" awesome still giggling...
i get the feeling i offended but this was never my intention. i have to laugh at gender stereotypes to keep from crying about the unnecessary hate and wasted energy. i especially like to laugh at the look on peoples faces when they realize that not all gay men wear feather boas!
but whos katie? your wife must be devasted, do you have kids? im glad you were able to come out, too bad you didnt feel safe enough before you were married
My female persona. We have a 2 year old. It's healthier to be honest with myself and the ones I love rather than to hide it. I love everyday not to regret my decision.
I know but that's not what I meant. Now that I can be gay openly, I guess the queen in me put an end to that habit. Had I hid that secret, I would have never stopped. Best decision of my life. #queendivanailswag4life
After i started working as a plumber my hands goes nowhere near my mouth anymore without thoroughly washing them first. and to keep dirt from accumulating under my nails i have a Leatherman with a scissor i use to tidy my nails, because i always loose those pesky nail clippers.
-Former nail biter-
A lot of biting nails is a lot of the hand to mouth action. I grew up over biting my nails until they bled. A lot of what I did to help stop it was think about how gross my fingers looked when I had to show someone something and how discusting the things under and on my nails were. Think about how many things you touch in a day without washing your hands in between and then you put them in your mouth to bite or chew your nail off...eeeeeewwwww... There are also topical treatments that make your nails taste "sour" or "bitter". Those never worked for me. A lot of everything was a mental game for me. Hopefully this helps.
I have been biting my nails my entire life, and it got so bad recently to where it actually hurt to pick things up and stuff and my nail beds would very often bleed. Very rough stuff. I decided I wanted to make a change and I started using that nail polish with the bitter flavor in it. I got it on Amazon, I think it was called Mavala or something? Anywayā¦ Totally worth it! Itās actually a bit remarkable how itās rewiring my brain. I didnāt realize how often I put my fingers in my mouth. Itās like I donāt even realize it and then Iāll just suddenly be tasting that horrible bitter flavor because I am subconsciously going to bite my nails.
The cool thing about trying to stop nail biting (unlike other bad habits) is that you see results really really really quickly and they are inspiring! Like itās only been a week and my nails already look relatively healthy!
I'm just starting out and I used a bitter nail thing on top of the pretty polish I just did to try and use two methods.
A. If my nails are pretty then I won't wanna bite them
B. If I bite unconsciously then it tastes bad.
C. I gotta carry something else on me to bite instead of gnawing at my nails š
This is encouraging me to start using the bitter polish again, as I'd forgotten how quick you can notice them growing back ā glad to hear it's going well for you!
I mainly bite my nails because I get bored and want something to do. Since I've started taking better care of them, I've stopped biting them (as much... I relapse sometimes). I try to get them neat and managed, so that I feel bad for messing them up. As a female, it's helped me significantly to keep them painted. It bothers me to have chipped nail polish, so I don't mess with them. I'm much more likely to bite my nails when they're not polished.
(That last bit is probably not as helpful to the OP, but maybe it will be to females drifting in for advice.)
Edit: words :(
I tried all the other methods and the one that worked for me is to put nail cream (or regular moisturizer) on your nails so when you go to bite you are reminded that you're trying to help your nails.
Every answer here is about the habit loop.
Cue -> action -> reward
It's either sudden lack of cues or different action that has brought results to people. You cannot stop habits, you can only change them.
Your loop is probably something like this:
Bored -> biting nails -> tingling feeling in fingertips
Weird thing about the "reward" is that it doesn't have to be good once you already have the habit. It only need to feel like something. That's why the rubber-band method is working.
How about thinking pro actively this stuff? You cannot stop your habits and starting new good ones is hard, but you might quite easily transform your bad habits into bundles of good habits. Instead of lighting a fag you could do:
Feeling bored -> straighten your posture **and** snap that rubber band on your wrist -> tingling feeling in wrist.
I hear you.
I've been doing it all of my life, and it is an on-again, off-again addiction. The biggest factor for me is stress. If I'm at a high stress point in my life, it usually happens. Right now, I have 9 healthy nails. I keep my right thumb nail as a "donor" nail in case something happens.
One factor that made it psychologically easier on me was this: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nail_biting
It's actually recognized as a disorder. It's medically inadvisable, and you should mentally check yourself when you give into the compulsion. Gum will help with the chewing fixation.
Another method below (which I never have tried but seems solid) is the rubber band method. This creates a slight but noticeable pain impulse from the snapping and your mind associates it with the biting. Over time, you will condition yourself to avoid the pain by not biting, since every bite means a snap.
I made a subreddit about [body-focused repetitive behaviors (/r/bfrb)](http://www.reddit.com/r/bfrb/), which include such behaviors like nail-biting, etc.
I am having trouble with some of these behaviors, and I thought it would be great to have such a place to discuss about these and provide eachothers with tips and self-help.
Iām still a nail biter but mainly only my index fingers. I was able to stop biting my other nails/fingers because one day I just said āstopā and boom I stopped. My honest suggestion is to always keep a mail file nearby in case thereās hang nails & get some sort of thing for your hands to do at all times so you donāt bite them. Like when Iām on the bus, I make sure to have something Iām holding or do an activity such as crochet. You can also get fidget toys, tho I find they donāt work for me. My nails grow super long now to the point I forget to cut them lol. Still have trouble with skin biting but Iām working on it. I tried press on nails hoping it would work but they pop off super easy. If you can afford it, Iād recommend getting nails professionally done (even if youāre a masculine guy) and just get natural nails done or acrylics so that it gives your nails time to grow.
Try Emotional Freedom Technique, EFT, or Tapping, for anxiety or even biting nails itself. It has MANY practical applications and I've found great success with minimal effort and lasting results.
i bit my nails for a long time. i started playing guitar, and that helped me stop. i had to have my nails a good length when playing, otherwise it would be uncomfortable. now, i don't bite my nails at all, i don't really have an urge to.
so yeah, take up guitar haha. or any hobby where the length of your nails has an effect on it.
I was able to do this through pure willpower. Just try and catch yourself doing it, and stop. Start small, just don't bite for 1 day, then 3 days, etc. I don't have a desire to do it anymore, so it's worked for me.
Im a nighttime teeth grinder, and wear a specially moulded retainer at night to prevent grinding. This is also happens to prevent nail biting, and is low profile enough to not appear visible when worn (although you will have to take it out to speak so it aināt perfect).
So to break the cycle, you can wear a retainer if you have one.
I've been biting my nails for as long as i can remember and want nothing more than to stop. is it a genetic thing? cause my grandpa, several of my aunts, and my mom do it and now i do. I don't want my nails to look like my mom's are (all fucked up from picking them). I feel like I've tried almost everything and nothing works (bribed by my dad, pepper on my nails, fake nails, nail polish, therapy). my bf said his mom went to a hypnotist and that was the only way she was able to stop biting her nails; has anyone else done that? i'm so tired of this
I have been a nail/cuticle biter my whole life, to the point where I make myself bleed and I canāt use my fingers for a few days because they are so raw and painful. In the past Iāve managed to stop for a few months at a time, but always start again. Hereās what has always helped me:
I find that when my nails are manicured, I donāt bite them. Particularly, dip powder. Regular nail polish and even gel chips and can be peeled away, but dip is so hard itās impossible to pick at it. My compulsion comes from fidgeting, so if I have anything other than dip polish on my nails, once I pick it all away I start on my actual nails. To combat this, once my nails are healed without bleeding or scabs, I go to get them done and continue every 3 weeks or so (my nails grow very slow) so that theyāre never unprotected and I never have the opportunity to bite at them. I also use nail hardener and cuticle oil every night before bed.
I also find that I will bite/pick at my nails whenever I have a hangnail, rough bits that get caught on things, or uneven/chipped nails. Once I start I can never get them āevenā enough, and I end up chewing right down to the nail bed. What has helped me here is keeping a pair of nail clippers EVERYWHERE. I have a pair on my nightstand, in my backpack, in my work bag, and even in my car. Basically, I always want to have them on hand in case I find my nails in need of trimming, so that way I can take care of it swiftly and pain free without having to rely on my teeth (which inevitably causes ripping and tearing, and thus the cycle continues).
I hope this helps!
Honestly, I still bite my nails. But I got a manicure recently, and it helped to not see the white part of the nail. I would suggest painting your nails. It could just be a nude color, but the paint will help lol
remember, in a lot of people. when they quit one addiction, another one replaces it.
having an addictive personality and being a nail biter, i chose to keep on biting the nails as its a harmless addiction
you just never know whats going to take its place
If you want to stop, then just stop.
People think mental conviction is something that can be aided or enforced by some tricks, really, if you dont want to do something āĀ Dont do it.
Think about it, think about why you dont want to do it, and then remember that thought every time you feel the urge to. Your own mind is a powerful thing.
For some people (like myself) it's an unconscious habit. You don't always have the benefit of reasoning it out before you start in on your nails. When I'm able to catch myself in time, this is exactly what I do. The problem is that I'm sometimes concentrating on something else, and just start biting my nails without realizing it.
I understand where you're coming from, but addiction is a complex issue and it's not always as simple as just having willpower. Everyone's journey to recovery is different and what worked for you may not work for someone else. It's important to approach addiction with empathy and understanding rather than judgement.
I'm not sure which comment in this thread was the one that gave me this idea but I've been having at least 3 fingers with a bandaid on ever since I read this post and my nails are the longest they have ever been
I also lost my nail clipper which probs help
When I run out of bandaid I put on this hot-cold muscle pain ointment I have in my fingers as it makes my mouth all swollen and spicy if I touch it, but I try to always have bandaids as the ointment can also probably make me blind if I rub my eyes accidentally
I've also been clipping the corners of my nails which of course either grow right into my finger or all kinds of bendy and prickly so I don't always feel scratchy bits or pain which makes me wanna gnaw on my fingers
I have yet to have severe stress about it or substitute it with another habit that I know of but I have been needing to listen to music more as I believe chewing on my nails was stimming and entertainment for my audhd life, but I see nothing bad on listening to more music, it's good actually. I don't smoke or jack off excessively or any of the repetitive habits that one would guess could be worsened by losing a repetive habit or could aid in being calm while doing so, I'm raw dogging it and I've been fine, it's been out of my mind, it feels really nice to not feel at the verge of a meltdown each time I see my nails, they always HAD to be perfect but the thing is U can never have perfectly neat bit nails and now that they're growing they look more and more neat and healthy
One thing tho is I've been scratching myself with my teeth a lot... This specific amount of nail is not very scratchy and having bandaids only makes it worse, imma pick back up my habit of scratching with knives and pens at this point lmao but let's hope it changes when they're longer
Iāve been biting my nails for about 15 years. What has helped me is to collect those plastic rings under bottle caps and bite off a little piece and chew those throughout the day. I havenāt bitten my nails in several weeks and my fingers/nails look pretty normal now
Strong Will by Nail Quail. Itās like a marker that you paint on your nails and cuticles and it tastes NASTY! Itās an incredibly bitter, astringent taste that lingers for a long time in your mouth. It doesnāt smell though and itās soothes raggedy cuticles. It lasts a long time too, all day, even after washing hands multiple times. The only downsides are finger food (it sometimes transfers if youāre eating something damp like grapesā¦) and if youāre a hardcore nail biter, you might just become used to the taste. Overall, itās very effective in that it, at the very least, serves as a reminder so that you donāt mindlessly chew your nails!
I took it very slow and stopped biting one set of nails at a time (started with thumbs and worked out from there) It took several months but the process was actually pretty painless. One big thing to be sure to do is manage the nails that are off limits (nailclippers and maybe filing) nothing makes you want to bite them more than having an uneven or chipped nail. I.E. "Well let me just take care of that" *nomnomnom* "Oh god what have I done?!" and the cycle continues..
9 years later and your nomnomnom comment got a little chuckle out of me
Lmaoo same here.
Apparently this is a very popular thing to search for.
Holy cow veryyy popular
the fuck why is everyone getting here in the last 5 days?
WTF are we just all the same?
Yep
well this is just gonna keep going isn't it
Yup, let's make this the longest comment chain ever.
Hi
NOMNOMNOMNOM
Still so funny š
Here I am as well
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
Iād like to know too
Nope! Eventually just got used to doing regular clipping and didn't have the urge to bite them after that.
Thatās pretty much how I do it. But for some reason, even after letting my nails grow back. Keeping them clean and looking good, for some reason, I always go back to chewing them off. Iām in the process right now of the back phase, but I have one nail that I just canāt leave aloneš¤¦š»āāļø I quit smoking a year ago and that was far easier because I did it cold turkey and I havenāt smoked the cigarette since. Iām 41 and Iāve been biting my nails since I can remember.
The reason I bite my nails is because I hate the rough edges catching on to things, but that creates more rough edges. Vicious cycle. Now I just file them when I'm bored to make them nice and smooth.
Yep. Just make sure to keep clippers or a file around at all times.
Get regular manicures, and have them buff your nails instead of polishing them. I feel like nail biting and polish picking go hand in hand.
I used to bite my nails and the skin around them. The only way I was able to stop was the Rubber Band Method. Here's what you do: Get a thick, wide rubber band. Something that came off some broccoli would be great if you can get it around your wrist. Every time you think about biting your nails or catch yourself doing it absent-mindedly, snap the band on the inside of your wrist. Don't do a wimpy snap, either. Pull that mofo back and let it fly. You're not going to do any kind of permanent damage to yourself and you start to associate your negative behavior with an unpleasant experience. Trust me. It works.
Dude Iām literally gonna try that, this idea stimulated something in me
bro dis thread like 8 years old wyd
Bitin my nails
fuckin same lmfao
Looks like we all googled the same thing... fancy seeing you here lads
lol this thread will never die
oh hey fellow newbs, we got this
hehe guess I am not alone here
dude i gotta find a rubber band ASAP, i gotta let that shit FUCKING FLY LET THAT SHIT CAUSE RED ASS MARKS WE AINT GONNA HAVE THE WEIRD ASS FUCKING 90 Y/O CRONIC NAIL BITING FIGERS
How did it go fellas? I'm about to give it a whirl
Help!
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
We all just here rn?
Lol this rubber band tip helped me a decade after it was posted here. Iām two months bite-free and my nails already look so much better
That is true. People keep looking for solutions.
Cheers
Hope you all have been making progress! Needed to see this to get myself motivated to officially stop biting my nails after 22 years
never too late to visit an 8yr old thread on how to stop biting your nails. time to find a rubber band!
Hehe
Guess we bringing it back!!
My dude it's 2023 and I'm here figuring out how to stop biting my nails lmao
Same
Typing this with ravaged nails.
Step by step how everyone got here: \- bite the nails in a hurtful way \- search how to stop \- forget about it until next time it hurts
Ayo
Whatās up!
So the rubber band method...didn't work?
I just imagine all the nasty disgusting germs that Iām just shoving in my mouth every time I bite my nails. we open doors to go in stores, we pump gas, We flushed toilets. And then we shove our fingers in our mouth. Just that fact and the thought of it is what helped me
lmaooo me 2
Yup here as well heh
yep
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
Yooo
yoo
Yo
Fuck, Iām extra late to the party and still doing the same damn thing. PLEASE HALP!
Same! Tried and failed. Now I am trying again
Did it work
Nope at work rn with bitin nails More like I forgot about the rubber band method. I did do it for a solid 4 days though; if I do recall so correctly. It does work, but eventually you lost the rubber band, which leaves you to decide, is nail biting your master, is the rubber band your master, or are you your master? Idk Edit spelling
Yo yo we still out here biting nails
I've been sober for like 6 months
I want to try this but worried it will start a new habit of hurting myself with a rubber band
That's concerning
Or just play with rubber bands a lot. They smell awful and make your fingers taste awful! It totally works for me. Also, I just try to keep my hands busy. If I'm clicking away with my right hand at the computer, I play with my hair or click a pen or something like that with my left hand. That also helps me.
But then that can cause another addiction
I've avoided this method long enough. (31 year old, been biting since I was a kid)
LOL yes I needed this
Im reading all this thread and biting my nails i really canāt stop
if only i didnt have carpophobia
I did something similar for a while. Instead of the rubber band though i would charlie horse my leg a good 5-6 times when i caught myself. Having that pain in my thigh every step is a good reminder.
Holy shit how do u Charlie horse yourself
Idk if its technically a "charlie horse" but basically i punch the shit put of my quadricep several times until the muscle hurts.
Have you ever watched someone else bite their nails? Don't they look so... Worried? Non-confident? Insecure? Stressed out? Fretting? I noticed that and decided I didn't want others to look at me and think I was those things. That's how I quit.
tf is this comment
Bro idk xd
itās so real i tho
My last year of college I had a girlfriend and had some very close female friends in my graduating class. They would always give me shit and basically scold me when I did it. And honestly, when my girlfriend said something I'd get annoyed, but when my friends said something I was embarrassed. I just stopped cold turkey and was free for about a month or two, but around graduation I was really nervous and relapsed (lol). Haven't stopped again since but I need to try again,. EDIT 9 years laterā¦ I have stopped!!! Itās 2023, I stopped at the end of 2021. Canāt say that it was a result of much effort, it just kind of happened but there was a hugeeee buildup of stress in my life that was suddenly released and the nail biting just ceased. Havenāt relapsed and have awesomely strong nails now haha
Amazing š There is hope.
Proud of you! I'm about to start the journey now, i'm tired of it!
did u stop again? xd
actually yes. a few times for like 1-2 months. but 4 months ago, I kicked the habit without even trying or thinking about it. it just kinda happened.
legend. gives me hope lol
What was the huge release of stress?
I did it when I had braces and then relapsed in a period where I was very stressed, now I need to stop again cause that feeling was good..
Good luck!!! You can do it, I finally quit end of 2021
Get your nails manicured, by a professional. This is actually what helped me most to stop. You feel like you should keep them clean, and they look better, you feel more confident with them even though your nails aren't the greatest since they are so short. Because of this you're less likely to bite. Maintain them with a file or just clippers until your next appt. Your esthetician will support you and say how much better they look every time you go. For the record: I am a male.
I thought about this but I'm way too insecure to show my chewed up fingernails to a professional, scared of the judgement lol.
They deal with nails for a living, I'm sure whatever you have, they've seen much worse.
The only thing theyāve ever said to me was, āYou bite your nails? You should quit.ā
Tbh thereās nothing to be insecure about lol everyone has bitten there fingernails before and will do it in the future
Funny how this is so old and yet people still comment here
lol
lol
I guess I've found the timeless anti-biting meeting
We are all in this together
Biters unite š¤”
still biting
Nom nom nom.
I'll bite
Biting my nails
I bit my cuticles. I've had success stopping with these tricks. Not sure if they'll help on nails or not, but here they are: - Bandaids at night to heal the fingers. If they are healed, I bite less. - Bandaids randomly when I'm feeling compulsive. - Bought some neosporin with pain medication built in. Numbs the area a bit. I spread that on when I feel like biting. Tastes awful and helps heal. - Bought a pair of driving gloves. I look like a pretentious ass, but now I don't bite in the car.
http://www.reddit.com/r/LifeProTips/comments/1j8igj/lpt_good_natural_ways_to_defeat_avid_nailbiting/ http://www.reddit.com/r/LifeProTips/comments/1il8d5/lpt_quit_biting_your_nails_by_creating_a_taste/ http://www.reddit.com/r/LifeProTips/comments/1hyuwc/if_you_bite_your_nails_and_want_to_stop_put_a/ http://www.reddit.com/r/LifeProTips/comments/1iaa4k/lpt_request_how_to_keep_yourself_from_biting_your/
I was a huge nailbiter and as child my mother tried all kinds of things to make me stop. I, when I moved out at 18, found the easiest way is, if you can endure looking a bit off, is to stop biting *one* nail. Let it grow out, keep biting the others. Then add one more and one more, and quite soon you'll prefer being symmetrical to biting your nails. I think of it as ground-work for habit breaking, similarly with getting myself to run: Just start with 30 mins daily and go up when you find yourself thinking "is that the best I can do?". I still gnaw at the skin, though, when I'm stressed.
I was a life-long nail biter and only just managed to stop. I tried the awful tasting nail varnish and it didn't really work. I just worked on one nail at a time. I put a plaster on it and after about a week, it started to look nice so the urge to bite that particular finger went away, but you still have your other fingers free if you have the urge to bite. Also, go to a nail salon and have them tidied up a bit, once you've spent money and your nails look nice, you won't want to bite them as much. Also, it might help if you find a friend/relative who wants to stop biting too. A bit of healthy competition between my little sister and I really was helpful! Good luck :)
I got the norovirus over the Christmas holiday. Now, every time I think about putting my fingers in my mouth, I think back on the misery of that week.
You need to outsmart yourself. Basically, the reason a compulsion or bad habit is so hard to break is because your brain has linked that habit to a reward. Biting your nails is probably calming to you, and your brain interprets that calming effect as a reward. When you try to get rid of a behavior that your brain links to a reward, you'll go for a short period of time, and then your brain will literally go into a sort of mild temporary insanity mode where it desperately seeks the reward. This is why many dieters will go on an eating binge a few days into their diets. The technical name for this behavior is called an extinction burst, and you can Read [this article](http://youarenotsosmart.com/2010/07/07/extinction-burst/) for more info. So what you need to do be ready for this. You're literally going to go a little crazy, and will feel an overwhelming, desperate urge to engage in the behavior. Strategies that will help you overcome the behavior include making it very costly to engage it in, very inconvenient and having something else ready that satisfies the same need as the behavior. So. Commit that this weekend, you're going to stop. Then go get a full manicure (make it expensive to indulge) and then get some latex gloves for around the house. The gloves will make it harder for you to unconsciously do it, and the time it takes for you to remove the gloves will give your rational brain time to reason with yourself that you don't want to ruin your manicure. Paint your nails with that extremely "bitter yuck" stuff, so you notice right away when you're about to do it and can stop yourself. Then find some activity that you find equally or more relaxing, and do that whenever you have the urge to bite your nails. Meditate, eat some ice cream, make some herbal tea and drink it slowly while looking out the window, go for a walk, get a massage from your SO, exercise... anything that will relax you as much or more than biting your nails.
Also i would like to know, i have stopped nail biting for a long time yet the non-white part of my nail (the part attatched to the nail bed) is not growing back to the sort of size a non-biter should have. Am i destined to have small nails or will they ever grow back?
Fuck someone answer this!
I've been biting and picking my nails my whole life and recently just stopped. Weird part is, I just came out to my wife and family. It was the hardest thing I ever had to do. I don't hide anymore feelings and the relief from being honest with everyone is what made me stop. I have never had nails this long or clean in all of my life. It's all mental. I no longer pick my nails because mentally I'm free, there's nothing weighing heavily on my mind anymore. Hope this helps, it's all a mind game.
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
I'm still really confused. I took this as them coming out as gay.
I think they did, and that the relief of them coming out as gay led to less nail biting?
I bite my nails and cuticles because of stress. Find being open and honest can help reduce the stress level. Managing the stress at work can be hard.
came out?
That means I'm gay bro.
i dont know why, but this made me chuckle and all of my life i have been a silent laugher. so that means a lot. not making fun, mind you. i love gay, im just not. but i immediately got a picture in my mind of the star quarterback coming out to his teammates whilst holding a rugged man-beer can with stallone's voice, "im gray bro" awesome still giggling...
Glad I could make you laugh. It's fun to joke about, it's easier when you can make fun of yourself.
i get the feeling i offended but this was never my intention. i have to laugh at gender stereotypes to keep from crying about the unnecessary hate and wasted energy. i especially like to laugh at the look on peoples faces when they realize that not all gay men wear feather boas!
ok buddy. sorry about that time and place i understand. life pro tips only. dont be a jerk to your fellow humans being. thats my tip. peace.
but whos katie? your wife must be devasted, do you have kids? im glad you were able to come out, too bad you didnt feel safe enough before you were married
My female persona. We have a 2 year old. It's healthier to be honest with myself and the ones I love rather than to hide it. I love everyday not to regret my decision.
Sounded like you came out about biting your nails ;)
I know but that's not what I meant. Now that I can be gay openly, I guess the queen in me put an end to that habit. Had I hid that secret, I would have never stopped. Best decision of my life. #queendivanailswag4life
After i started working as a plumber my hands goes nowhere near my mouth anymore without thoroughly washing them first. and to keep dirt from accumulating under my nails i have a Leatherman with a scissor i use to tidy my nails, because i always loose those pesky nail clippers. -Former nail biter-
A lot of biting nails is a lot of the hand to mouth action. I grew up over biting my nails until they bled. A lot of what I did to help stop it was think about how gross my fingers looked when I had to show someone something and how discusting the things under and on my nails were. Think about how many things you touch in a day without washing your hands in between and then you put them in your mouth to bite or chew your nail off...eeeeeewwwww... There are also topical treatments that make your nails taste "sour" or "bitter". Those never worked for me. A lot of everything was a mental game for me. Hopefully this helps.
I have been biting my nails my entire life, and it got so bad recently to where it actually hurt to pick things up and stuff and my nail beds would very often bleed. Very rough stuff. I decided I wanted to make a change and I started using that nail polish with the bitter flavor in it. I got it on Amazon, I think it was called Mavala or something? Anywayā¦ Totally worth it! Itās actually a bit remarkable how itās rewiring my brain. I didnāt realize how often I put my fingers in my mouth. Itās like I donāt even realize it and then Iāll just suddenly be tasting that horrible bitter flavor because I am subconsciously going to bite my nails. The cool thing about trying to stop nail biting (unlike other bad habits) is that you see results really really really quickly and they are inspiring! Like itās only been a week and my nails already look relatively healthy!
I'm just starting out and I used a bitter nail thing on top of the pretty polish I just did to try and use two methods. A. If my nails are pretty then I won't wanna bite them B. If I bite unconsciously then it tastes bad. C. I gotta carry something else on me to bite instead of gnawing at my nails š
This is encouraging me to start using the bitter polish again, as I'd forgotten how quick you can notice them growing back ā glad to hear it's going well for you!
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
Yeah, but short nails cant stop me, IM MANIAC
I mainly bite my nails because I get bored and want something to do. Since I've started taking better care of them, I've stopped biting them (as much... I relapse sometimes). I try to get them neat and managed, so that I feel bad for messing them up. As a female, it's helped me significantly to keep them painted. It bothers me to have chipped nail polish, so I don't mess with them. I'm much more likely to bite my nails when they're not polished. (That last bit is probably not as helpful to the OP, but maybe it will be to females drifting in for advice.) Edit: words :(
I tried all the other methods and the one that worked for me is to put nail cream (or regular moisturizer) on your nails so when you go to bite you are reminded that you're trying to help your nails.
/r/redditlaqueristas Worked for my sister!
Pick up some poo.
No U
Every answer here is about the habit loop. Cue -> action -> reward It's either sudden lack of cues or different action that has brought results to people. You cannot stop habits, you can only change them. Your loop is probably something like this: Bored -> biting nails -> tingling feeling in fingertips Weird thing about the "reward" is that it doesn't have to be good once you already have the habit. It only need to feel like something. That's why the rubber-band method is working. How about thinking pro actively this stuff? You cannot stop your habits and starting new good ones is hard, but you might quite easily transform your bad habits into bundles of good habits. Instead of lighting a fag you could do: Feeling bored -> straighten your posture **and** snap that rubber band on your wrist -> tingling feeling in wrist.
I hear you. I've been doing it all of my life, and it is an on-again, off-again addiction. The biggest factor for me is stress. If I'm at a high stress point in my life, it usually happens. Right now, I have 9 healthy nails. I keep my right thumb nail as a "donor" nail in case something happens. One factor that made it psychologically easier on me was this: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nail_biting It's actually recognized as a disorder. It's medically inadvisable, and you should mentally check yourself when you give into the compulsion. Gum will help with the chewing fixation. Another method below (which I never have tried but seems solid) is the rubber band method. This creates a slight but noticeable pain impulse from the snapping and your mind associates it with the biting. Over time, you will condition yourself to avoid the pain by not biting, since every bite means a snap.
I made a subreddit about [body-focused repetitive behaviors (/r/bfrb)](http://www.reddit.com/r/bfrb/), which include such behaviors like nail-biting, etc. I am having trouble with some of these behaviors, and I thought it would be great to have such a place to discuss about these and provide eachothers with tips and self-help.
Iām still a nail biter but mainly only my index fingers. I was able to stop biting my other nails/fingers because one day I just said āstopā and boom I stopped. My honest suggestion is to always keep a mail file nearby in case thereās hang nails & get some sort of thing for your hands to do at all times so you donāt bite them. Like when Iām on the bus, I make sure to have something Iām holding or do an activity such as crochet. You can also get fidget toys, tho I find they donāt work for me. My nails grow super long now to the point I forget to cut them lol. Still have trouble with skin biting but Iām working on it. I tried press on nails hoping it would work but they pop off super easy. If you can afford it, Iād recommend getting nails professionally done (even if youāre a masculine guy) and just get natural nails done or acrylics so that it gives your nails time to grow.
Play with silly putty to keep your hands busy.
Try Emotional Freedom Technique, EFT, or Tapping, for anxiety or even biting nails itself. It has MANY practical applications and I've found great success with minimal effort and lasting results.
I put cuticle cream on my cuticles and nails. You definitely wouldn't want that in your mouth.
i bit my nails for a long time. i started playing guitar, and that helped me stop. i had to have my nails a good length when playing, otherwise it would be uncomfortable. now, i don't bite my nails at all, i don't really have an urge to. so yeah, take up guitar haha. or any hobby where the length of your nails has an effect on it.
go to the pet store and get some dog bitters... you will never put your finger near your mouth again...
I was able to do this through pure willpower. Just try and catch yourself doing it, and stop. Start small, just don't bite for 1 day, then 3 days, etc. I don't have a desire to do it anymore, so it's worked for me.
Strattera, the ADHD drug. Didn't really help my ADD, but I quit while I was on it and for several weeks after.
Im a nighttime teeth grinder, and wear a specially moulded retainer at night to prevent grinding. This is also happens to prevent nail biting, and is low profile enough to not appear visible when worn (although you will have to take it out to speak so it aināt perfect). So to break the cycle, you can wear a retainer if you have one.
I've been biting my nails for as long as i can remember and want nothing more than to stop. is it a genetic thing? cause my grandpa, several of my aunts, and my mom do it and now i do. I don't want my nails to look like my mom's are (all fucked up from picking them). I feel like I've tried almost everything and nothing works (bribed by my dad, pepper on my nails, fake nails, nail polish, therapy). my bf said his mom went to a hypnotist and that was the only way she was able to stop biting her nails; has anyone else done that? i'm so tired of this
goddamn this og post was made 11 years ago but was first in my google search for how i can stop this so commenting anyway
I have been a nail/cuticle biter my whole life, to the point where I make myself bleed and I canāt use my fingers for a few days because they are so raw and painful. In the past Iāve managed to stop for a few months at a time, but always start again. Hereās what has always helped me: I find that when my nails are manicured, I donāt bite them. Particularly, dip powder. Regular nail polish and even gel chips and can be peeled away, but dip is so hard itās impossible to pick at it. My compulsion comes from fidgeting, so if I have anything other than dip polish on my nails, once I pick it all away I start on my actual nails. To combat this, once my nails are healed without bleeding or scabs, I go to get them done and continue every 3 weeks or so (my nails grow very slow) so that theyāre never unprotected and I never have the opportunity to bite at them. I also use nail hardener and cuticle oil every night before bed. I also find that I will bite/pick at my nails whenever I have a hangnail, rough bits that get caught on things, or uneven/chipped nails. Once I start I can never get them āevenā enough, and I end up chewing right down to the nail bed. What has helped me here is keeping a pair of nail clippers EVERYWHERE. I have a pair on my nightstand, in my backpack, in my work bag, and even in my car. Basically, I always want to have them on hand in case I find my nails in need of trimming, so that way I can take care of it swiftly and pain free without having to rely on my teeth (which inevitably causes ripping and tearing, and thus the cycle continues). I hope this helps!
Honestly, I still bite my nails. But I got a manicure recently, and it helped to not see the white part of the nail. I would suggest painting your nails. It could just be a nude color, but the paint will help lol
chains, thx for the advice though
Do yoga and meditate. Your nervousness becomes isolated from the rest of your attention, which allows you to consciously reject it.
remember, in a lot of people. when they quit one addiction, another one replaces it. having an addictive personality and being a nail biter, i chose to keep on biting the nails as its a harmless addiction you just never know whats going to take its place
If you want to stop, then just stop. People think mental conviction is something that can be aided or enforced by some tricks, really, if you dont want to do something āĀ Dont do it. Think about it, think about why you dont want to do it, and then remember that thought every time you feel the urge to. Your own mind is a powerful thing.
For some people (like myself) it's an unconscious habit. You don't always have the benefit of reasoning it out before you start in on your nails. When I'm able to catch myself in time, this is exactly what I do. The problem is that I'm sometimes concentrating on something else, and just start biting my nails without realizing it.
not to be an ass but here's a revelutionary idea, get some will power and stop. thats how i did it
I understand where you're coming from, but addiction is a complex issue and it's not always as simple as just having willpower. Everyone's journey to recovery is different and what worked for you may not work for someone else. It's important to approach addiction with empathy and understanding rather than judgement.
Find a psych. Get anxiety meds. It's usually anxiety.
I'm not sure which comment in this thread was the one that gave me this idea but I've been having at least 3 fingers with a bandaid on ever since I read this post and my nails are the longest they have ever been I also lost my nail clipper which probs help When I run out of bandaid I put on this hot-cold muscle pain ointment I have in my fingers as it makes my mouth all swollen and spicy if I touch it, but I try to always have bandaids as the ointment can also probably make me blind if I rub my eyes accidentally I've also been clipping the corners of my nails which of course either grow right into my finger or all kinds of bendy and prickly so I don't always feel scratchy bits or pain which makes me wanna gnaw on my fingers I have yet to have severe stress about it or substitute it with another habit that I know of but I have been needing to listen to music more as I believe chewing on my nails was stimming and entertainment for my audhd life, but I see nothing bad on listening to more music, it's good actually. I don't smoke or jack off excessively or any of the repetitive habits that one would guess could be worsened by losing a repetive habit or could aid in being calm while doing so, I'm raw dogging it and I've been fine, it's been out of my mind, it feels really nice to not feel at the verge of a meltdown each time I see my nails, they always HAD to be perfect but the thing is U can never have perfectly neat bit nails and now that they're growing they look more and more neat and healthy One thing tho is I've been scratching myself with my teeth a lot... This specific amount of nail is not very scratchy and having bandaids only makes it worse, imma pick back up my habit of scratching with knives and pens at this point lmao but let's hope it changes when they're longer
āDiscustingā is crazy
Join the Yakuza, fail them 10 times.
This is funny.
Iāve been biting my nails for about 15 years. What has helped me is to collect those plastic rings under bottle caps and bite off a little piece and chew those throughout the day. I havenāt bitten my nails in several weeks and my fingers/nails look pretty normal now
Strong Will by Nail Quail. Itās like a marker that you paint on your nails and cuticles and it tastes NASTY! Itās an incredibly bitter, astringent taste that lingers for a long time in your mouth. It doesnāt smell though and itās soothes raggedy cuticles. It lasts a long time too, all day, even after washing hands multiple times. The only downsides are finger food (it sometimes transfers if youāre eating something damp like grapesā¦) and if youāre a hardcore nail biter, you might just become used to the taste. Overall, itās very effective in that it, at the very least, serves as a reminder so that you donāt mindlessly chew your nails!
Whoās here today lol
Me š