Nail biting

[Melody Pond]

I bite my nails.
I have done all my life, it is a horrible habit I picked up from my Mum. My Mum has been biting her nails since she was young and only recently stopped.

I have tried everything to stop. I managed to not bite them for about a month but then I started my exams and got stressed. I bite my nails for many different reasons including stress, boredom and comfort. I also occasionally comfort eat when I am bored so I bite my nails instead of comfort eating.
A lot of the time I don't realize I am doing it until it is to late and I am down to skin. Depending on what I am doing I sometimes bite them down and end up bleeding without even noticing.

Anyone got any ideas of how to stop.

I have tried all of the traditional techniques.

• normal nail varnish (I just end up eating nail varnish)
• the bad tasting nail varnish (doesn't bother me)
• putting plasters on my nails (I peel them off without noticing)
• only biting one nail and letting the others grow (I forget and bite all of them)
• wearing gloves when I want to bite (worked for a bit in winter but I can't wear them 24/7)
• stress ball (I would forget it or just not bother, it didn't have the same effect)
• cross stitching to keep my hands busy (worked for a while but I can't cross stitch 24/7 or in an exam)

I have even used some of the alternatives from the self harm thread. They each work for a few days to a week maximum and then I bite them without realizing and then I feel so bad.l

[losing touch.]

i have the same problem. i always let mine grow for a bit then just bite them.. for no reason really.. i just get bored i guess. it's kinda annnooyyinggg.

[AshtrayHeart]

I have that problem, and whenever I try to stop I'll do it without realising and break it. And with nail varnish I now pick it off without realising and bite my nails, it's so annoying.

[Power Cosmic]

I actually had the same problem up until I was 16-17.
Here's a nice way that might help you give it up. Get yourself one of those mini nail clippers that can attach to your keys and always keep them in your pocket.
This way, basically, whenever you want to bite your nails, try to stop and just use the nail clippers instead. I actually after a while replaced the urge to bite with the urge to use the nail clipper, after which I took the nail clipper off of my keyring and left it in a drawer or somewhere else inconvenient.
By that point I had been put off biting my nails and found it much easier to give up.

Also don't blame yourself if you do bite your nails without thinking, it's a force of habit. Even if you do bite your nails without thinking, it's a minor setback, and you can just start stopping again (if you get my meaning? >.> ).
At least you're trying to stop it, that's always the important thing, just use that to motivate yourself =).

I hope this helps.

[taylalatbh.]

I have the same problem as you. But putting nail varnish on usually stops me for a while. But then once the nail varnish chips off, I end up picking it off (I like peeling things too ¬_¬). And this usually takes off the top layer of my nails, making them weaker. So when I do have slightly long nails, they're really weak and break off anyway. So I can't win!

[Strider]

I'm surprised so many people have the same problem as me! I was about to make a thread about this I have tried everything said above, except the nail clipper thing. The problem with that is I don't realize when I start to bite my nails and then when I realize it is too late.
What I've started to do (and it works sometimes, but not enough) is keeping a container of ice cubes with me at my computer desk. I eat the ice instead of biting my nails. Problem I'm having is starting again once my ice is gone
So if anyone has any other ideas, let me know. My parents are really at me about my nail biting, and I keep telling them that I don't know how to stop. They don't really get it.

[*Faith*]

Have you tried chewing gum? It works a little for me.

[.Brittany.]

Hi Rachel,

Have you tried trimming your nails so you wouldn't be able to bite them? I did that, and now I don't bite them anymore.. Since you tried the nail varnish I guess that you wouldn't mind the lime/lemon juice one either. Try trimming them down

Brittany

[Melody Pond]

Originally Posted by Reakless Emotion

Hi Rachel,

Have you tried trimming your nails so you wouldn't be able to bite them? I did that, and now I don't bite them anymore.. Since you tried the nail varnish I guess that you wouldn't mind the lime/lemon juice one either. Try trimming them down

Brittany

Originally Posted by Invictus

[FONT=Georgia
Here's a nice way that might help you give it up. Get yourself one of those mini nail clippers that can attach to your keys and always keep them in your pocket.
This way, basically, whenever you want to bite your nails, try to stop and just use the nail clippers instead. I actually after a while replaced the urge to bite with the urge to use the nail clipper, after which I took the nail clipper off of my keyring and left it in a drawer or somewhere else inconvenient.

[/font]

Both of these are good idea but my nails are so short I can't cut them. They are literally right down to my fingers. They normally end up bleeding because there is nothing left to bite so clipping them won't work.

Originally Posted by *Faith*

Have you tried chewing gum? It works a little for me.

I don't chew gum, I just don't like gum, never have.
I have tried having sweets like chewits or lollipops but once I have ran out of sweets I bite my nails again. Also I can't eat too many sweets as I have sensitive teeth and too much sugar hurts.

I can't win

[.Brittany.]

Try this Rachel

If you can't get any bad tasting gloss from your chemist to put on your nails, try soap. It tastes disgusting and will probably put you of nail biting for life. If you don't have soap as an option either try some of there...
Plaster
Shampoo
Broken up flower petals
Sunflower oil, this will also make your nails shiny and pretty!

taken from This site

[HearMeSCREAM]

I stopped biting my fingernails because PINWORM eggs got under my nails, and I swallowed them, and they came out the other way, as little worms... Not my mouth.
Horrific, aggrivating, irritating.. I stopped the day I got them. Since then I havent bitting a single nail off.
Hopefully you can take this into consideration. You definantly DO NOT want to be tossing and turning, itching, and crying like I did. It was ssooo annoying -.-

[Unicorn.]

Weirdly, but if you can find coconut handwash (treacle moon) try it!

Becuase it smells good, but tastes absolutley vile