Need to stop biting my nails

glithert

So I chew on my nails. A lot.
At first, I thought I could put an end to this by, you know, just not doing it. That didn't work so well. Any time I sat down to read, or surf the web, etc., sooner or later I'd be at it again. I tried sitting on my free hand, but I just started chewing on my lips and the inside of my cheeks.
Next, I tried gum. That worked until I chewed all the gum in the pack (which took about 3 hours) at which point it was right back to business as usual.

What should I do now?

BobFromMarketing

Learn self control or at least learn to discipline yourself every time you catch yourself doing it. Simple punishments that preferably don't involve any physical harm to your person or long term mental problems.

Spoit

Also, you could put some of that really nasty tasting 'nail polish' they sell

Technicality

When I broke the habit, what helped me the most was always having scissors and a nail file handy. Whenever I caught myself doing it I would stop that very second and trim and tidy up the nail with the scissors and file. I guess it sorta worked as a small punishment like BobFromMarketing suggests, with the added benefit of removing the specific bit of nail so you can't go back to the same spot a few moments later.

Plus, filing your nails has a certain tactile appeal similar to biting on them.

Dr. Gero

I got fed up having nasty looking nails and just stopped cold turkey. Once they started growing out, they looked a hell of a lot better, and I haven't broke down since.

Put a rubber band around your wrist and snap it really hard whenever you catch yourself chewing your nails.

Adda

Yeah it's just something you have to work through, you realise when you do it which is a big help. I kept a pair of nail clippers on my desk and just used those whenever I found myself going to bite my nails.

Someone else suggested that nasty tasting crap you can put on your nails which works for some people.

Echo

I made it a contest to see how long I could get my nails to grow.

Then they got so long that they were in the way of typing.

T. J. Nutty Nub

Echo wrote: »

I made it a contest to see how long I could get my nails to grow.

Then they got so long that they were in the way of typing.

did you win?

jpeg

It does help if you have some underlying reason to stop biting them aside from wanting to. I have bitten my fingernails since I was a toddler, and I had tried quitting several times just for my own personal benefit before to no avail, but this spring I stopped biting my right hand so I could play fingerstyle guitar without picks, and I haven't touched that hand in something like 4 months now.

BoomShake

Technicality wrote: »

When I broke the habit, what helped me the most was always having scissors and a nail file handy. Whenever I caught myself doing it I would stop that very second and trim and tidy up the nail with the scissors and file. I guess it sorta worked as a small punishment like BobFromMarketing suggests, with the added benefit of removing the specific bit of nail so you can't go back to the same spot a few moments later.

Plus, filing your nails has a certain tactile appeal similar to biting on them.

THIS

I'm 21 now and have been a nail biter since maybe age 3 or 4 (whenever age it was my pacifier was taken away). At it's worst, I'd bite them low enough to bleed, I'd always hide my fingers and never point to anything, etc. It's never really been for nervousness or any reason other than habit, so there was nothing in that regard to overcome. I've tried pretty much everything. It's easy enough to get used to the nasty tasting "nail polish". Bribery didn't work (if I stopped biting, my parents were going to buy me a new SNES game I really wanted). Having someone watch and tap me or hit my hand away didn't help (ended up just pissing me off). Rubber band thing didn't help. I've tried the self-disgust route (nobody wants to see these hands, no girl is going to want to hold it, etc.), but that would fail after a day or two. Pretty much everything and anything failed after a few days or didn't work at all. The worst part was that if I was able to hold out long enough for one nail to get a little bit of white, I'd start picking at the cuticles with it, which just made everything look like shit.

Then, when I went to college, I got my own nail clipper and cuticle trimmer. It's a slow transition process, but it really does work. When you start biting a nail, you'll get rough spot or a hang nail. I realized that I'd keep biting just to get that off, try and clean it up, damage control. With clippers and trimmers, you can stop and nip any biting or picking in the bud right there. You'll bite less and less. Keep your nails trimmed really low so that they're too short to get a good bite.

Now, three years later, I'm to the point where it wasn't too bad. I was then able to decide that I'd have to suck it up and make a final push. I'd have to let them look like shit for a while and not try to clean up any rough patches, dry cuticle bits, etc. This is easier considering it's summer and I'm not seeing people all the time. I go to bed and think to myself for a little while "good job not biting today. Let's do that again tomorrow. Don't bite tomorrow". When I wake up, I'll think a similar thing. It's been a few days now and I haven't had a slip up yet or even the urge, which is a huge deal for me.

Also, don't beat yourself up for it. Lots of people have been or are in the same situation. Getting upset is really only going to make it harder. It takes a long time for most people.

starmanbrand

I'm currently getting over the habit of peeling my nails off. It's working pretty well so far. When I feel the urge I just press my thumb against the closest side of my ring finger. It applies a bunch of pressure and provides that FEELING of messing with my finger nails, but without doing it.

If I zone out and find myself messing with the nail, I clip it as mentioned above.

aioua

So... am I odd for biting my nails and not caring at all?

I mean... I don't get them all bloody, and I'm not even vaguely concerned about how they look. (Not in a "I don't care if they look bad." way, it's more "You think it looks bad, really? You're weird.")

Is there something truly horrible about nail biting that I should know?

Unknown

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BoomShake

Wikipedia wrote:

Negative Effects
Bitten fingertips can become very sensitive to pain, usually at the place the skin meets the edge of the nail. Hangnails are broken skin on the cuticle. When they are improperly removed, they are susceptible to microbial and viral infections producing whitlows. Saliva may then redden and infect the skin. Finally it may also result in the transportation of bacteria that are buried under the surface of the nail, or pinworms from anus region to mouth. Nail biting is also related to dental problems, such as gingival injury.

Regarding social effects the aesthetic aspect of the nail may affect employability, self-esteem, and interaction with other people.

Link

aioua

Huh. Well, I reiterate that I don't painful/bloody nails or anything like that, or ever really had any sort of finger infections, and I've been doing it for 20 some years.

And really... if someone is grossed out by me biting my nails, like every other human from before scissors were invented, I'm not too concerned.

subedii

Aioua wrote: »

Huh. Well, I reiterate that I don't painful/bloody nails or anything like that, or ever really had any sort of finger infections, and I've been doing it for 20 some years.

And really... if someone is grossed out by me biting my nails, like every other human from before scissors were invented, I'm not too concerned.

We didn't used to have clean running water, it's still disgusting if you don't shower.

We didn't used to have antiperspirant, it's still gross if you stink of sweat.

We didn't used to have toothbrushes and toothpaste, but it's nasty if you go without them.


I could go on. saying that we used to be like that at some point in the distant past of of time immemorial is not a good line of argument to follow.

Tomanta

I didn't bite my nails but I did pick at them/peel them off. I stopped (well, prevented myself from doing so) when I started keeping them too short to do that. I clip them roughly every other day and keep clippers in my pocket.

I should probably take a file to them a little more often, though.

splash

Girls find it unattractive = my reason for stopping. I didn't realize it mattered so much before.

Aurora Borealis

Nobody's hands is gettin' near my sensitive girlparts if their nails are gross. Just sayin'.

But I got a nail biting habit too. I also have like eight sets of nail clippers. No matter where I sit in the house there's one within arm's reach. Any time I catch myself biting I clip instead. My nails are super short, but at least they are not ragged and they certainly don't hurt as much.

Clean and well trimmed fingernails are sexy.

Bionic Monkey

BobFromMarketing wrote: »

Learn self control or at least learn to discipline yourself every time you catch yourself doing it. Simple punishments that preferably don't involve any physical harm to your person or long term mental problems.

Pretty much this. I forced myself to stop biting back in high school. Just exercise self control. You're not gonna manage it the first time, right out of the gate, but every time you catch yourself biting, stop yourself. You'll last longer and longer each time, and catch yourself sooner and sooner.

For what it's worth, I still clip and clean my nails excessively, but at least I'm not biting them down to the quick anymore.

Bionic Monkey

splash wrote: »

Girls find it unattractive = my reason for stopping. I didn't realize it mattered so much before.

Yep. My girlfriend in high school is the one who finally made me quit.

cooljammer00

I forgot why I stopped. I think my teeth got weak/my nails got thick and strong. Maybe it was when I started playing guitar and my hands would taste tinny.

admanb

This was my dad's method for me (he used to be an professional counselor). It may not work for you, as it relied on the fact that I spend much of my time in one spot (at my computer) initially, the rule only applied while at that spot:

(1) Set up a place somewhere near your most occupied spot. This can be a place where you have an extra chair (that's what I have) or just a place you move your chair to, or even just a pillow on the floor.

(2) The moment you catch yourself biting, shut off everything that could provide sensory input -- turn off your sound, monitor, close your book, whatever.

(3) Move to the place you designated and meditate, with your eyes open, for one minute (a timer of some sort is useful here). Meditation, in this case, is a very basic attempt to keep your mind clear and not do anything. Try deep breathing exercises.

(4) Repeat.

It won't be long before you catch yourself the moment you're about to bite down. It took me less than a week. Step 2 is to extend the trick to wherever you are. Step 3 is to make sure you don't replace it (it's usually a nervous habit) with some other bad habit. That's what the meditation is for -- you're trying to replace a bad habit with a good habit, not just kill a bad habit.

Incenjucar

Nail biting is also a dental hazard. Chipped teeth in the front of your mouth are horrible to have.