Fingernail Biters Anonymous...

[quispquake]

AARRGGHHH!!!

Sorry, had to get that out of my system...I'm 41, have been chewing my nails since I was four, and have decided to quit...it's been about two weeks, but I'm going positively nuts...

Any advice on any methods you successful ex-biters may have used? The cold turkey approach I'm using is sort of working (i.e. I haven't bitten my nails), but I'm constantly bringing my nails to my mouth & catching myself...and I'm a complete nervous wreck (I knew it'd be hard, but I didn't realize how hard...).

Thanks for any suggestions!
pp23

[Q3JR4]

1. I bit my nails until I came to college.

I also had a tendency to bite the skin around the nail, and I got tired of how my hands looked.

One day I made the decision. I didn't make any special conditions, didn't put anything on my hands or tell myself anything. Just like that, I stopped.

It's been four years now and I've been nail-biting free for most of that (not counting two or so days when I got really nervous). Even now I know I could go back. It would be really easy for me to do so. I just think I'm better than that.

Anyway, good luck in that. I'll be rooting for you. :)

[fudge stripe cookays]

2. I feel for you, PP

I'm 38, and it's been pretty much the same for me. I sucked my thumb for a long time, and went from there straight to the nails.

Sally Hansen used to make this nasty-tasting stuff to put on your fingertips to stop nail biting, but I don't think they make it anymore.

There's some other stuff I got in the baby department, I think it's called Thum (no b). Only for me the taste wasn't strong enough and I kept biting! Good luck though-- it might work for you.

I'm a gardener, and my hands look like crap anyway. For me it's a lost cause. I'm too orally fixated.

[Bobbie47]

4. nail polish

The better your nails look the more will power you have to resist.

[soothsayer]

6. nope, nail polish turns out to be really fun to scrape off with your teeth

Your nails feel so thick in your mouth---yum! i did it cold turkey, just by reminding myself how stupid it must look. but when i got laid off, i thought F it. I love biting my nails! Ok, i love doing it, but hate that i do it.

i'm conflicted! age 42

[Richardo]

10. LOL, FSC. I had the foul-tasting Hansen stuff when I was a kid...

...but actually developed a taste for it and continued biting. :silly:

Actually continue to this day, and I've got almost 10 years on you. (Note: I DID give up biting my toenails sometime before my first birthday.)

:hi:

[fudge stripe cookays]

11. Toenails? Ewwwwwwww!!!!

Hey you! :hi:

[liontamer]

3. you can have a helper

somebody who monitors you and slaps your hands away from your mouth

[Richardo]

13. Well I *am* married, and she ordinarily doesn't need an excuse to slap me

...but she's not always there to catch me! :D

[FranzFerdinand]

5. ugh

30 and i've been chewing since i can remember. i hate how my fingers look. i go until i see blood sometimes... couldn't even imagine trying to quit smoking without biting my nails and fingers.

i can't quit just yet, it's too good to me :( plus, i think us nail biters have better immune systems :)

[quispquake]

7. I'm glad I don't smoke too...fingernails are tuff enuff to quit...

From the many posts here, doesn't seem like there's an 'easy' answer...(and I want one!!!). Oh, well, if I do succeed, I guess it's a pretty cool thing...we'll see how neurotic I get over the next couple...I may do the fingernail polish (clear obviously!!!) fix just so I don't unconsciously bite (which seems to be my biggest problem)...

[miss_kitty]

17. i stopped both

and your observation is spot on. very hard to stop

[ProfessorGAC]

8. Try This

I had this problem in high school. In early college, i started ALWAYS carrying a nailclipper with a file in my pocket. I found that every little chip or tear got me playing with it, which eventually led me to "trimming" with my teeth.

I started to smooth edges with the file or clip away nicks IMMEDIATELY when they happened. This reduced the urge to mess with the nails and kept them out of my stupid mouth.

I haven't bitten my nails for 30 years.
The Professor

[fairfaxvadem]

9. go to a really good nail place...

Do the works, pedicure, manicure. Get your cuticles cleaned up, etc. Once you see how nice they look, you won't want them in your mouth.

And, don't do any serious manual labor like home improvements or gardening, etc., until you feel in control. Ruining your nails this soon won't help.

I have nice nails about 3/4 of the year, the rest of the time I go back to nailbiting.

Just my personal recommendations.

[TX-RAT]

12. Hang in there, you'll make it.

I chewed my nails until they bleed, for 30+ years. Haven't chewed for more than 20.
Keep a set of clippers with you at all times.
Keep them trimmed short.
Every time you catch yourself fixing to chew, TRIM your nails.
Now if your chewing toe nails i can't help you.

Good luck
Hell sounds like you already made it.

[miss_kitty]

14. clear polish and a will of iron

as an ex-biter (mostly) i'll tell ya what would set me off into a session-ragged nails! it's a vicious cycle.

tool kit: clear polish; a pair of really good scissors (mine are small wiss fabric cutting scissors, ONLY for nail cutting); a diamond nail file; cuticle pusher or orange sticks. the ones with the flat end for pushing your cuticle back, gently and the pointy end for cleaning crap out from under your nails. gentle polish remover and cuticle lotion.
get cotton gloves and put a good lotion on your hands and put the gloves on before you go to sleep. mind you i am a single woman who sleeps alone-this is not a problem for me.

treat yourself to a good manicure, or if you can afford it, get a professional manicure once a week. ask the manicurist about technique. try not to cut your cuticles. ask a friend with fab NATURAL nails who his or her manicurist is. don't get fakes-they'll wreck your beds. when you spend $$$ on your hands and they start looking good, you will feel less inclined to bite.

if you are trying to stop the cycle of unconsciously biting, try the gloves and lotion, like during tv time, or when you are reading a book.

carry bandaids with you so if you have a nail tragedy away from your good gear, you can keep it out of harm's way till you get to your tools. keep 'em short for a year or so.

but really clear polish is absolutely key. good freakin' luck, and don't beat yourself up if you backslide. they say not to cut them, but until you get the biting under control, i've found that's the best way to go

[never cry wolf]

15. Cold turkey 2 years ago at the age of 47

Not quite sure how except for motivation.

(Seeing my old flame for the first time in 22 years. Also inspired me to lose 95 lbs.)

[TX-RAT]

16. motivation. Is a wonderful thing.

A young woman made fun of my nails one day, and i quit the next.

[cmf]

18. all it took for me

was to think about all of the nasty stuff underneath my fingernails. Dirt, old skin, bacteria, etc. It's pretty gross. If you can think about it every time you put a nail in your mouth, you will slowly stop.

[Commendatori]

19. If you find a secret that works, PP23, share it with me, okay?

We're in the same boat.

[quispquake]

20. Thanks for all the help!

Stuff I'm definitely doing:

a) Nail Polish
b) Keeping the nails short
c) Having grooming stuff with me...

Thanks again!!!

[redqueen]

21. There's a special polish that tastes really bad

It worked for me.

[Misunderestimator]

22. I have been off and on a nail-biter since I was a child...more off than on

Usually some stressful situation brings it back. The clear nail polish that tastes like crap works wonders. (I think one of them is called "Bite it", but there are many out there.) That's my advice. They have something like it in almost any drugstore.