Nail bitting!! I need to stop please help.

[toastedfaerie]

First off let me say hello! My name is Sue and I am new to the boards. There is so much useful information here!! I was wondering if anyone had any recs for something to help me stop biting my nails!

Thank you in advance!
Nice to be here
Sue

 

[frocher]

......

 

[tiramisu]

what I found to work for me, and really well (I have been a nail biter from childhood) is to just spend money on your nails... always keep them looking pretty, and you will stop (b/c they look so nice with no raggety cuticles and a nice lacquer on them!!)

I first would recommend getting a professional manicure, or if cost is an issue, just invest in the care of your nails... pick up some nice cuticle oil and nail growth polish (well, likely you'll want a nice glass file to clean up those chewed edges!!). Then keep your nails always with polish on, and that tastes bad (then looks bad if you bite them--no one likes chipped polish!) so you'll stop eventually. Trust me!! I am in law school--and used to be a stress nail biter.. since I started taking care of them, I no longer mindlessly chew on them!!

I totally recommend butterLondon's Handbag Holiday cuticle oil (smells fab--tropical and works great too) and Horsepower Nail fertilizer... your nails will grow fast and strong with these. Also, for a less expensive option, look into Sally Hansen stuff at any drugstore. But butter nail lacquers are AWESOME!! I am nearly as addicted (nearly, but not quite LOL) to that company as I am MAC.... What is butter london? : butter LONDON : Long Live Nails

HTH a bit!! Good luck... and welcome to the forum!

 

[L281173]

Start with a simple weekly manicure. Once you start to spend money and start observing your nails looking pretty. You will never want to bite your nails again. I have not bitten my nails in nearly 19 years. I bit my nails up to age 15.

 

[breechan]

Other than the good advice above, I found that putting on acrylics stopped me from biting. I couldn't stand really long ones but shorter sporty tipped ones are ok. I can't wear those now with my current job. I'm sure they arent good for you in the long term anyways.

I'm not cured though. Part of the trouble is that my nails are so paper thin. They tear and catch really easily, then I find myself trying to correct them through peeling at them or biting.

I'm curious to see what has worked for others.

 

[toastedfaerie]

Thank you for all the replies, that butter london has kit that I am going to try as well as the bitter stuff. I need to teach myself a lesson.

Thanks!

My goal is to get Rocker polish by mac and have nails! I really wanna to buy it.

Sue

 

[mariecinder]

I've heard that putting tabasco or something else bitter and strong into clear nail polish works well also.

 

[lainz]

my mom cut up garlic and put it in my clear nail polish. bleh. that totally worked.

 

[argyle_socks]

LOL!
I just got over this exact problem last summer!
I started to paint my nails, with cheap drugstore stuff, just anything with color. My nails were really short (sometimes almost half a cm from the tip of my finger), so it looked stupid in the beginning.
My theory was that I didn't want to ingest the (in my case, purple) flaky, chemical polish.
In the end it worked.
But I agree that spending time on your nails (I started to file mine) really helps you to take pride in your nails, so you don't want to bite them as often.

 

[user79]

That anti-nail bite stuff can be purchased at almost any drugstore and has a bitter taste. But, it didn't really work for me. I was a chronic nail biter, I would pick at them to try and "smoothe" them out and instead made them look TERRIBLE!

I totally quit that habit. The trick for me was to ALWAYS have a nailfile around and carry it on you. When you get the urge to bite, take the file and just file your nails. It somehow broke the habit for me. Applying a clear coat of nail polish will also help to make your nails look nicer and will motivate you to keep them that way.

 

[Love Always Ivy]

i bite my nails when im nervous and theyre unpolished. i always make sure to have them nicely polished because once theyre unpolished, i will bite them right off. if you spend money on them, like get manicures, you will DEFINETLY stop chewing on them!

 

[Divinity]

My husband has the exact same problem and has tried everything suggested, even acrylics! Anyone got any more ideas?

 

[Temptasia]

I hope you nail bitters carry around a hand sanitizer.

It's not just nails that are touching your mouth. Bacteria and who knows what else could be spread through finger to mouth contact. Ick!!!

 

[toastedfaerie]

Yea I know its a gross habit, but ever since this post I have not bit them once! I have polished them also, well whats left of them my poor nails! I also bought some of the no bite stuff at the drug store and I have it on hand incase I get outta control...Gotta keep me in line! Thank you ladies for all your input.

Sue

 

[tiramisu]

Quote:

Originally Posted by toastedfaerie Thank you for all the replies, that butter london has kit that I am going to try as well as the bitter stuff. I need to teach myself a lesson. Thanks! My goal is to get Rocker polish by mac and have nails! I really wanna to buy it. Sue

I love that Horsepower fertilizer... I promise if you keep at it your nails will grow fast, long and strong!! I have noticed a huge difference and I am a mommy who has to wash her hands all the time (therefore prone to weak brittle nails)!!!
Let us know how it turns out

I have Rocker polish, and it is an awesome shade!!!

 

[SlimSugar]

I had that problem too.. I use NO BITE by Orly.. Tastes disgusting!! Will definitely work!!

 

[NutMeg]

I found that keeping them polished or even using horrible tasting things didn't work for me. I'd just kind of power through it until it was gone. Icky, I know. The thing that made the difference for me was keeping them neat and filed. If there isn't a rough edge, I don't feel compelled to bite.

 

[Loveleighe]

there is a drugstore product that tastes like earwax so you'd stop biting your nails. I believe that if your nails are growing and looking healthy that that is an instant nail biting deterant. so get them done frequently. Odorless garlic help to grow your nails and make them stronger. Same goes for eating garlic in your diet. It sounds crazy but my older brother had a very serious nail biting problem he used to bite his nails down so far his fingers would chap and split and bleed all the time. To cure his problem he used psychology and decided that everytime he caught himself biting his nails he would scream outloud stop biting your nails!" regardless of where he was. He caught himself so often and faced a little bit of embarrasment but it's been 7 years and counting since he's bitten his nails last.

 

[s0o_r0qish]

im a nail biter as well..
what i did to stop was i just kept gettin them done,
so that i couldent get to my real nail.

 

[V15U4L_3RR0R]

Quote:

Originally Posted by tiramisu what I found to work for me, and really well (I have been a nail biter from childhood) is to just spend money on your nails... always keep them looking pretty, and you will stop (b/c they look so nice with no raggety cuticles and a nice lacquer on them!!) I first would recommend getting a professional manicure, or if cost is an issue, just invest in the care of your nails... pick up some nice cuticle oil and nail growth polish (well, likely you'll want a nice glass file to clean up those chewed edges!!). Then keep your nails always with polish on, and that tastes bad (then looks bad if you bite them--no one likes chipped polish!) so you'll stop eventually. Trust me!! I am in law school--and used to be a stress nail biter.. since I started taking care of them, I no longer mindlessly chew on them!! I totally recommend butterLondon's Handbag Holiday cuticle oil (smells fab--tropical and works great too) and Horsepower Nail fertilizer... your nails will grow fast and strong with these. Also, for a less expensive option, look into Sally Hansen stuff at any drugstore. But butter nail lacquers are AWESOME!! I am nearly as addicted (nearly, but not quite LOL) to that company as I am MAC.... What is butter london? : butter LONDON : Long Live Nails HTH a bit!! Good luck... and welcome to the forum!

That's exactly how I stopped biting my nails. I can't stand imperfect nail polish lol so I try to keep it good for as long as possible. My want of perfect nails outweighted my want to chew.