What are some good ways to stop biting my nails?

Question

I have been biting my nails since I was a little girl. Now I am almost 18 and it is time to grow up! I hate getting acrylics because they cost too much and they hurt my nails when i take them off. Is there anything I can do to stop the urge or habit (most times I don't even think about it before I do it) of biting my nails anytime I am bored, nervous or scared?

Thanks!

Answer 1

Get to know yourself, the first step is to be conscious when you start biting your nails. Feel your anxiety or stress levels.

Don't start thinking there is a short term solution. To stop nail biting, one requires patience and awareness.

Use an emery board to file when ever you feel like biting. Even if you file them down to nothing, it's better then chewing into your nail bed. Ouch!

Try using a coating that seals moisture in the nail and repels water and dirt. Oils or even waxy lip balm can be effective at softening nails.

Keep going with the program, any setbacks should be confronted as quickly as possible, to prevent a complete relapse.

Let white spots grow out gently. They are caused by blows or stress to the nail.

You can chew gum as it keeps you from biting your nails.

Take magnesium pills, one a day. They strengthen the nails and make them hard.

Try keeping an "egg" of Silly Putty with you! It is fun to play with and it occupies your hands during biting-prone times like while watching movies or television or sitting in class. Or you can try keeping a quarter or other coin in your pocket, and play with it when you feel the urge to bite your nails. Plus, these don't involve eating or chewing on anything, so they will help break the habit of oral fixation.

Challenge yourself: how many hours can you go without taking a bite? When you break a previous record, get yourself a treat. Then see: can you go a day? Three days? a week? two weeks?

Clean, manicured nails will be such an improvement to your self-esteem. You'll see!

If the habit is unconscious (i.e., you don't even notice yourself starting to do it), consider using NLP or hypnotherapy - practitioners will know some great techniques for retraining your mind very quickly and easily to remove unwanted habits.

See if you can notice how or when you decide to start biting. There may be an underlying cause of stress, nerves or boredom perhaps.

Dealing with the underlying and real issue could stop the nail biting and more.

Again, try chewing gum to keep your mouth busy.

You might also want to try putting nail polish on. Since it tastes so bad, you won't want to bite your nails anymore.

As your nails/skin grow, they will seem puffy and itchy. This is normal! This fudge-finger sensation will go away in time.

Clean your nails! Part of the reason you bite them is because they are dirty. Buff then, scrub them, clean them. This will make you appreciate them more.

If you are artistic, try doing projects with clay or plaster. It gets all over your hands, and the flavour stays in your nails (and all over your hands) long after you wash off any visible mess. They both taste bad to many people (clay tastes salty and can leave a slimy texture and plaster tastes chalky) and doing the projects will also keep your hands busy.

Put nail jewels on your nails. These are hard to bite, and the risk of one coming off in your mouth may scare you into quitting your habit.

Remember that long ago, people used to think that bitten nails got lodged in people's intestines (to this day some parents still tell their children this). Even though we know now that this is not actually true, it's a gross thing to think about as you chew...

Hope this all helps. I got it all off the site below, it's really quite good. Also, you can get special polishes to put on your nails which taste absolutely AWFUL when you try to bite them. This worked for my brother who bites his fingernails and his toenails!!

Answer 2

i used to bite my nails to but i stopped because i put tape on my fingernails for a week and 2 days. that kind of got me out of the habit . you should try it

Answer 3

Have your teeth removed.

Answer 4

I had that problem too. I really wanted long nails, but it was impossible for me to last a few hours without gnawing on them. You should try a few things that worked for me. They have this stuff you put on your nails. It tastes REALLY REALLY EXTREMELY BAD, so whenever you go to bite your nails, they taste terrible. That helped a bit. So I went a few weeks using that stuff. Then when my nails were long, I used Sally Hansen strong as nails nail polish. It looks sort of blue. That stuff is THE BEST. I love it. Also, if you have a hangnail, or something... resist the urge to pull it off, just file it.

Well that's what I did, hope it helps! :)