how to stop biting nails?

stringy

Help!! I don't have my nails excessively short like other nail biters but I'd prefer to stop. Because I keep my nails short, the skin and cuticles get damaged and my fingers looks manky (Im a bloke by the way) so know nothnig about manicuring etc, nor do I really want a manicure. I want nice normal nails, anyone help!?!? What are those anti-bite creams like?

Bri

Yeah just buy that stuff you put on your nails that makes them taste so bad. It should work unless your really determined to have a chew!

Gilgamesh

cut your fingers off

AdrianII

or pull your teeth out

Kolodny

I don't think the anti-chewing stuff is much use. Although it tastes disgusting you'll do it anyway if you're desperate (that's in my experience anyway - used to lick the stuff off then chew my nails! )

Sheer willpower is the best way - sit on your hands, think of one thing you can do or concentrate on every time you get the urge to bite them (preferably something that's better for you than biting your nails!) It's a hard habit to break but not impossible.

monkeyfudge

This was covered in depth on a thread in the Personal Issues forum a few months back...

There was lots of pretty good suggestions in there.

Here it is:

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=228432

stringy

thanks folks

a little bit of will power will do it.(probably will get the cream)

I did it before but when my nails grew they were pretty weak, I presume there's some gel/cream that strenghtens them

seamus

stringy wrote:

thanks folks

a little bit of will power will do it.(probably will get the cream)

I did it before but when my nails grew they were pretty weak, I presume there's some gel/cream that strenghtens them

I managed to stop doing it about 2 months back. Don't know why. Just one day I realised I had let them grow a little longer than normal, and decided not to bite them. Having a nail clippers helps. My problem was that I bit my nails when I thought they were growing a bit long. This was a bit like carving a turkey with a chainsaw, so then I'd have to bite all my nails to the same length. Now I make a conscious effort to get a nail clippers, or wait until I can get one, before clipping the nails. It's weird at the start but you get used to it. The longer I've gone without chewing on or biting my nails, the stronger they've gotten. I think it's the saliva that degrades the strength of the nail, which is why they bend and break.

astec123

I used the astec "patented" one at a time method. I would work on one finger for a few weeks and allow me to continue on the other 9 each 2-3 week period I would add another one along and over time you end up with less and less to bite and its like any addiction you need to be weened off the habbit. Basically you dont bite the ones you have kept safe.

deevey

I'v just managed to stop biting mine, BTW i was a really exessive nail biter .. literally "to the bone" .. horrible cuticals, torn skin etc... been a biter since .. well i was a baby..

Anyhoo, saw one of the little manicure machine thingies from lidl a few weeks ago (7.99), has a few little tools, polisher, cutical pusher-backer type things, filer etc...(yes i am a guy)

I wanted to try to make my crappy nails at least look presentable...so when i would be sitting at the tv instead of biting i'd start filing and trimming with the machine ...

even after a few days the results were outstanding .. and its amazing how fast they actually do grow..

I'll add that im sure i'v heard that stuimulation of this sort helps fast growth

They are definetly on the way to being normal again ... it'll be another few weeks but TBH i cant wait to have normal fingers again

P.S. that horrible tasting stuff didnt work for me .. just "got used to it" very quickly..

Ravelleman

I used to be a non stop nail biter but then about 3 years ago I decided to stop. And that's what I did. There was nothing more to it. Just don't put your hands to your mouth.

michaelanthony

Start smoking.

weemcd

i stopped biting my nails for about 2 months.

id put my hand in my mouth to bite them, but just chew them a little then stop.

eventually i went back to it tho.

Must try it again.

This has been a life long addiction! :`(