nail biting

Silaqui

Mine were just like your's Jojo, there wouldn't have been anything to do a manicure on! And I had the teeth thing - I had to have a slight filling in the front;s of my two front teeth where I'd worn down the enamel. Well done on quitting, I wasn't far off you with 25 years!

We could have this thread as a 'nailbiters anonymous' hehe! I haven't got any photos of my nails as there were before but could stick one on of how they are now - it might be an incentive to show you where they could be in 4 weeks time!

Good for you mommy with not biting. It does just take pure willpower I think. But it's surprising how quick you get out of the habit. My hands still wander to my mouth when I'm not doing anything but the 'bite' thing just doesn't happen now - i tend to rub my nails on my lips because they feel all nice and smooth now!

xx

Purple_Stars

I finally managed to stop biting my nails in February, after about 10 years of nail biting. I was just so fed up of having horrible-looking hands because of my nails. So, it was partially willpower. I also used an anti-biting nasty tasting nail polish, a Sally Hansen growth promoter/nail hardener nail polish, and a nice blue nail polish which I bought as motivation to use when I hadn't bitten my nails for a week. It worked! Was very difficult though.

What also helped me was to take photographs of my nails, and do it every few days so I could see the difference when I let them grow. And of course, carrying a nail file with me in case I broke a nail (which for me had been a major reason for my nail biting).

Now, in September, my nails are still fairly short, a bit healthier, a little bit stronger, but already look so much better than they used to! Annoyingly, I can't stop picking my nail polish off, and I still have ridges in my nails. But I'm on the road to nice hands! I would recommend taking photographs of your nail progress every few days, see if it helps motivate you.

Mimi_Arc_en_ciel

thought id give you a little update - i got some chewing gum for the car journey home from work! i havent bit my nails today Ive just took off the nasty nail stuff, pushed back cuticles and put on the slly henson nail growth (dont know if it works?)

Asda have peed me off but im determainded not to bite (plus im going to bed soon so it shouldnt matter lol)

Ill let you know how i get on!

Alizarin

Good luck mommyme! I'm a nail-biter too, have been ever since I can remember, but I'd really like to stop too.

My nails aren't too bad (they sometimes even have white bits on the end!) but I'm wrecking my front teeth. I think the problem is because my nails are so weak and break easily, so I chew the broken bits off (and then I have to gnaw all my other nails so that they are all the same length lol). The tip about carrying around an emery board sounds like it might help me though.

sahra

Hi, I found this thread by accident yesterday and decided last night to try and stop biting my nails. Haven't bitten them for over 12 hours now :rotfl:
Bought some of that stop 'n' grow stuff from Boots earlier and will put some on when I sit down to watch telly later (I find I chew to programmes like X factor!).

I'd so love to use nail polish:T

p.s great tip about taking a photo of how disgusting my nails are :T thanks

Silaqui

Well done Sahra! Keep it up, find a diversion tactic for when your hands wander up to your mouth.
Alizarin, I think you're right about the emery board for you if you tend to nbite because of snags.

Mine never use to get long enough to snag on anything,and in a strange way I miss that, the not having to be too careful with them thing. I can't text very quickly either now my nails are longer, even though they aren't even past the end of my fingers yet!

Hope you have kept it going today Mommyme!

x

lynseydee

I used to be a nail biter but found if I put on liquid silk wrap which I bought from Avon I wouldn't bite my nails as it wouldn't just be nail I was effectively eating. Also liquid silk wrap is made with silk fibres which are supposed to strengthen your nails. I now find I don't bite my nails. Have to work on the skin at the sides of my nails now :mad:

Jojo_the_Tightfisted

Shall we keep this as a mindfullness based thread then? I can't be doing with 12 steps, so I was thinking of something like - oh, I don't know - Stumpchompers United?

Rules of the group

We welcome any nail gnawer, cuticle chewer, hangnail h'addict (give me some leeway here, folks), pinky picker or anyone who, in some way in either the past or the present has mutilated their mitts or torn at their tootsies. Oh, or our friendly neighbourhood dentist, as it affects oral care too. Manicurists and podiatrists/chiropodists are welcome, and anyone else who has an interest/obsession or passion for nailcare (or was just passing through and got distracted on their way to the Old Style thread)

This is what I ended up with after all those years...




...and yes, they are real - and yes, they do need another coat. I was thinking of doing little halfmoons with silver, using French Manicure sticker guides.

So, anyone think this thread is a good idea?

claire1234

JoJo,

they look lovely, ooh i wish mine were like that!
im trying to grow mine,
im tried not nibbling away and i can see there getting quite long, im thinking of getting them done proberly next time im at the hairdressers or trying out some fake ones to see what there like,

Jojo_the_Tightfisted

:D

Thank you!

Rather than permanent superglue falsies, I would suggest cheap n cheerful sticky pad ones, as they do less damage to an already weakened nail. I have a set from the pound shop in case I break a natural one - it goes on the top and stops me biting it.

Falsies feel kinda weird, real nails are comfortable and you have extra sensations as they transmit tiny vibrations down into the tips of your fingers, it is important to get falsies as short as possible (file them yourself if need be) as you are positively hamfisted if you go straight to inch long talons from stumps!

But they are great for a day or two just to give you an idea of what you could have and as a barrier to biting.

I'm noticing now just how few people take care of their nails - not just biting, but anyone with long nails seems to have acrylics - I am getting quite chuffed that mine are natural.

Autumn/Winter is a good time to stop, as it's pretty hard to bite nails through woolly gloves!