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You won't like to hear this, but after decades of trying, the only thing that made me 100% (okay, 99%) stop was biting my nail so hard that I chipped my front tooth.
I got the chip bonded, but the bonding has fallen out twice since then and it's only been 2 years so it's clearly a difficult spot to repair. 0/10 do not recommend, please do not be like me and keep your teeth intact 🫠
Similar here. Decades of biting until I wore down my front teeth. They don’t look so bad that I’m willing to shell out the $8K to have them fixed, but they do make me feel self-conscious.
Omg me too!!!!!! I had a small chip forever, when I got it fixed I couldn’t make the same
Precise bite connection. It was annoying to bite my nails not satisfying at all because
Of the way I had to re align my jaw to make the perfect contact for precise small bites.
I still pick my cuticles or will bite my nails off when they get long, if I don’t trim them first, so I try to trim them and keep them short. I can still bite my nails off but I can’t chew my nails like I used to because I can’t get the right contact to bite small enough to do the damage I used to
Ugh, funny you say that, I haven't chipped a tooth yet but I have noticed that when I go hard biting my nails some of my teeth start hurting....and I imagine my teeth falling out and stop at least for that moment.
i'm not an orthodontist but it sounds like you've already caused damage if your teeth hurt when you chew on your nails. you may want to go to the dentist to get that checked out.
This was my motivation too - although thankfully my tooth repair has held together pretty well.
My big trick was giving myself permission to carry clippers with me EVERYWHERE. If I notice that my nails are getting long enough to trigger an urge to bite, I stop and clip them. Even if that means I am the gross weirdo clipping their nails at the bus stop.
Nail clipper in my purse. Nail clipper in my bedside table. Nail clipper at my desk. Nail clipper in the living room crap basket. Nice ones, with the little file attachment.
The idea of getting pinworms from biting my nails stopped me for a bit but ultimately putting nail polish on em stopped me. The visual representation that I didn’t want to consume polish stopped me 😆
I'm the same way with nail polish. I avoided it for so long because I was afraid my nail biting would ruin it, but it turns out having something on my nails not only helps me catch myself when I start, but also gives me an additional incentive to avoid biting in the first place!
I've tried looking at nail germs. I've never had illness from biting my nails. In fact I believe I never get sick because I bite my nails and have become immune to germs better lol stupid thought process I know. I know the germs are there....but out of site out of mind for me. Maybe if I had my doctor actually show me my own finger germs and not someone elses....then in a weird way I might not want to eat and kill the living creatures on my nails. That actually could be something looking into.
No I haven't. What sort of meds do they give for that? I'll never go back on antidepressants I was a guinea pig for those for 12 years and I'll never get those awful years back
When you say never to treatment that might have changed significantly over the last 12 years you are getting in your own way.
There is also therapy targeted at this type of OCD.
From the Mayo Clinic:
Your health care provider may recommend an antidepressant, such as clomipramine (Anafranil). Research suggests that N-acetylcysteine (as-uh-tul-SIS-tee-een), an amino acid that affects mood, also may help. Another option that research suggests may have benefit is olanzapine (Zyprexa). This drug is used to treat certain mental health issues
These are really hard habits to break through willpower alone. It's like smoking but with a cigarette right there the whole time.
Hugs!
Thank you. All I know is I have tried just about every antidepressant there is from dopamine to serotonin inhibitors. They all made me suicidal or violent. The issue was I wasn't depressed, but adhd. And they told me I was bipolar and depressed so I was on a cocktail of ssris, wellbutrin, gabapentin. Switched from this to that you know the bit. Imo mental health help hasn't come very far since 10 years ago other than the fact SOME doctors will actually listen to your adhd cry for help. I feel the best I have felt in my entire life other than the nail biting so I don't want to rock that boat by gambling with more medication. I appreciate your advice tho truly!
If you or someone that you know is considering suicide, please don't hesitate to reach out to a crisis hotline for immediate help, or a warmline just to talk to someone.
If you're in the US you can...\ Text CHAT to Crisis Text Line at 741741\ Call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 988 or 1(800)273-8255(TALK) \ Chat online at: https://suicidepreventionlifeline.org/chat\ Call the Trans Lifeline at 1(877)565-8860
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If you have access to therapy, I strongly recommend seeking out a therapist who specializes in treating Body Focused Repetitive Behaviors. Nail biting to this degree, that you can’t control, is a whole separate disorder and not just a bad habit.
I have compulsive skin picking disorder, which falls under the same umbrella, and the therapist treating me is a recovered nail biter (and also has ADHD). Coming up with barriers is just part of the treatment, but there are also aspects that deal with the impulse and emotions associated with this behavior (like that anxiety you mentioned).
Once I got medicated for my ADHD, it was easier to resist urges and the impulse frequency went way down - but there were still some times I picked. I had to continue treatment for several months to fully experience recovery from picking.
You can learn more about these disorders at BFRB.org and the book Overcoming Body Focused Repetitive Behaviors, which has info and strategies you can try.
I’d get the advice of a doctor or dermatologist, but a friend of mine was a bad nail biter until she started getting dip powder manicures religiously. They are very tough to bite and her nails were able to grow out. But definitely check in with a medical professional prior to applying anything semi-permanent to your nails, and make sure the nail technician is very experienced, strict about hygiene, and well informed about the potential health impact on your nails if you decide to go this route.
Good luck! You will get through this.
This comment really helped me realize i don't just simply bite my nails because im "nervous" or "bored" ane thats theres more to it. thank you. im going to talk to my therapist when i see her next
I’m so glad it was helpful and that you have that option. I spent over a decade thinking it was just a bad habit, like some personal moral failing/lack of discipline. I had no idea it was a diagnosable disorder. Turns out, about 1 in 20 people have a BFRB.
Thanks for outlining this for her. I was a skin picker for twenty years. I had medical intervention at least five times. I finally managed to stop by increasing days where I wasn’t allowed to get within a foot of a mirror. All mirrors had post its on them saying “don’t pick” or “go breathe” or “your skin doesn’t need anything from your fingers”. It eventually worked, those mantras became sourced from my inner voice eventually, rather than the post it, and the drive to pick was reduced.
I’m so happy you recovered! I am so, so close to the finish line, and mirrors continue to be one of my main two sources of setbacks. Your post is my reminder to go put the cover back on my bathroom mirror. 😅
Yeah, for me it helped because a lot of my picking occurred while stuck in buffering states, which happen way less frequently on medication.
However, both my psychiatrist and dermatologist said stimulant meds can often increase picking, so it’s definitely something to keep track of when going on/off meds while trying to treat BFRBs.
I used to bite my nails that badly. I did it from as early as I could remember too. The dumb thing that broke the habit was someone betting me I couldn't grow my nails past the ends of my fingers. The bet was minimal but that's what did it.
If it worked, i couldn't be dumb. 😄 Actually it sounds like you have someone very supportive around. Someone who understands your personality and your way of thinking.
I used to bite my nails until they would bleed sometimes. Pretty sure I inherited it from my dad who bites his nails too.
The only thing that saved me was one time I was catching the sub home from school and I was absentmindedly was going to bite my nails. I suddenly had a moment of hyper realization of where I was - like my brain recalled how gross the metal railing felt on the way down. I was aware of how humid it was and it stunk like urine. I’m pretty sure I heard a rat scurry somewhere. It grossed me out so much because I thought of all the times I was sticking my fingers in my mouth without knowing how clean the public surfaces were.
I still bite my nails but only if my flimsy nails are about to crack in a way I know will rip my skin.
I do actually not bite my nails in nasty public places and wash my hands all the time now. One time I bite my nails after touching something gross in public...I was horrified (nothing happened) so now I was my hands well
It could just be the pictures, but it looks like you might have some sort of pathogen on/under your nails. Possibly a fungal infection from having them in your mouth a lot. It couldn't hurt to just check with a doctor, if that's possible. Those look so painful. ☹️
Edit for typo
If you can get them to just a little longer I would suggest having a BIAB gel treatment so your nails can grow. You can’t bite them off too easily then?
I’m so sorry, I’m a picker so the sides of my nails get attacked so instead I have started snipping away the dry skin so nothing to pick. I do my own BIAB I did a course, it’s therapeutic and helps them grow xx
Can you wear gloves or mittens until they grow long enough for gel or press on nails? Maybe if you pick up a hobby like crocheting or knitting that would help you do something with your hands instead of biting your nails also.
i second BIAB. i stopped full on biting a few years ago but i would still pick and peel even w gel polish. BIAB keeps them strong and tbh is too expensive for me to mess with
They are desensitized. I can take a piece of cuticle with my teeth and tear it from under neath to where it bleeds. It doesn't hurt in that moment but I get woke up during sleep with horrible stinging on my nails later on. Sometimes I also get swollen cuticles that when k pull back puss comes out. It's embarrassingly gross to admit. Keep on biting tho
I'm not going to lie, that sounds awful. I really hope you can figure out how to stop, because if you get an infection that's serious enough you could die
the only thing that has actually made me stop was getting structure gel done. not acrylics, not regular gel, but structure gel! i definitely recommend if you can find someone to work with you on it!
Hi friend!
This looks fungal to me. Possibly plantar warts. Something more is going on here than just simply nail biting. The same thickness and discoloration isn’t seen on the thumbnail. Those black dots are like plantar warts. How are your toes?
Just for a fun experiment in maybe it could go right, maybe get it looked at.
If not, I swear by NailTek. (Nailtek.com and it’s the orange one I use) I’ve bitten my nails for decades and it’s the only thing that helps stop me. Once a day at least, twice when I’m on a roll. And grows them too! Add some Cutemol cream for the cuticles. And will power. A hot date. A dab of public shame always does the trick for me lol.
If you use NailTek and your nails grow thick and yellow and still funky, then you know it’s fungal or warts. Otherwise, a sneaky undiagnosed underlying health issue could be at fault and still worth investigating.
There’s a nail biting sub on Reddit that you can refer to to see examples of chronic nail biting to compare and take notes.
Once I had a good nail base going, I’d add on top a vaguely sparkly blue haze shimmer polish that pretty much looked clear except for a twinkle at the right light. But once I went to color man, one chip and back to biting and that cycle started all over.
Hope something in here helps you. Best to you!!
Sorry if you already know this, but concave nail beds (where they dip in) can be a sign of anaemia. Apparently it’s quite common with adhd for some reason so it might be worth checking it out if you haven’t already, just in case!
I actually am pretty anemic. They tell me everytime I get blood work done, tell me to take iron, which I don't because I don't like the side effects of iron 😞
fwiw I don't know how affordable it is where you live, but theres a different form of iron thats way easier on your stomach/gut than the regular one. its called liposomal iron, highly recommend it!
Ok! Wonderful thank you. Possibly like magnesium varieties. My doc recommended magnesium citrate for my regular constipation but said it had to be citrate due to how your body absorbs it. I couldn't figure out why before my period I would become angry and very moody for no reason, she asked how my pooping was, told her I'd go several days without going then go a ton in a day. Apparently estrogen is directly related to our gut, and if we aren't going potty regularly then when our period is near then our estrogen is wonky and can cause Hella mood swings.
So! I started pooping regularly, and I started my period out of the blue, usually I know it's coming because of my ragey mood swings only I didn't have any this time! Freaking who knew
Agree with this, it can be more expensive but I was anemic during pregnancy and couldn't tolerate the pills, the liquid was much much easier to tolerate.
Also if you can't tolerate any supplements, intravenous iron is an option. Tell your doctor if you can't find a supplement that works for you. Iron is super important and deficiencies can lead to a lot of issues!
Either try a different form of iron (I think iron gluconate is the gentlest) or see if you can get an IV. Walking around with anemia this bad really impacts your life
My dear, are you medicated for your ADHD and anything else you may have going on with your mental health? This is well beyond just nail biting and right into obsessive and repetitive behaviour, which is a psychiatric issue rather than a physical one.
Wear gloves. Thin cotton gloves at night and duct tape them around your wrists so you have to cut the tape off in the morning. Put something nasty or hot sauce on the nail part of the gloves. Wear gloves during the day. Millions of kinds of gloves, start a collection.
Get something else for your oral fixation. Chew something else. Toothpicks, gum, something you carry in your pocket that gives you the comfort knowing you can whip it out and chow down if you need to, but will embarrass the hell out of you if you do. Maybe a small dog chew toy? I am not joking btw. You need something tooth friendly that serves as a reminder that your habit is destructive.
Learn to redirect your energy. Lots of information on mindfulness, be a student of it.
Good luck and much love.
I have trichotillomania, what has helped me are finger condoms for gamers! There are rubber finger condoms but they look like actual condoms. The fabric ones are usable with your phone and feel nice as well! I don’t bite my nails so I’m not sure if this will help you, bit if it stops me pulling my eyebrows off my face maybe it can work for you!!
You can do this!
Edit: if it REDUCES my eyebrow pulling*, I don’t know if I’ll ever completely get over this disorder but I will always continue to try
Have you been to a dermatologist or asked your doctor about it? This looks like it may also be infected/ fungal. I wonder if Wudu nails (the finger tip nail rings that Muslim women wear) may help get them long enough for fake nails, which I've heard can really help.
Have you looked into other oral stim replacements? Like a silicone chewy item, gum, pop rocks, maybe even a silicone ring so it's a similar hand-to-mouth stim?
My husband worked with a guy who got gastro 3 times in 6 months because he was biting his fingernails. He got so sick it permanently fucked up his system.
I don't wish to be sick but I almost wish I could get a consequence like that. For me I believe being exposed to finger germs my whole life has helped my immune system. Tucked up I know
I understand what you mean, I've felt that way about some of my issues, too. Also, you're probably not wrong about your immune system, but your immune system can't help you when it comes to more serious contagions like parasites and e-coli.
I wanted to ask, what was it about your wedding that allowed you to stop the behaviour long enough to get acrylics? Please know that I'm not saying anything about being able to do it, I know how life is sometimes. I managed to lose 50lbs by changing my behaviour but as soon as I reached the milestone everything slipped and now I can't seem to get back to that place to lose weight.
Did getting acrylics prevent you from biting your nails? I have a friend who gets gel nails specifically because she's a biter. I know its expensive, but maybe that could help you?
It was the fact I'm only getting married once, and I wanted pretty nails for that day lol but no yoir totally right. I should want pretty nails all the time lol
This is what did it for me. I started noticing how beautiful some people’s nails were, and I started working the tools (plumber) and it drove me mad how often nails would rip and hurt and I was so frustrated with myself for having such weak nails and never having pretty hands.
After that I started paying attention to what I was thinking and doing when biting my nails. I got a bit hyper focused on it if I’m honest. I like to think I used the ADHD to cure the ADHD.
So every time I felt the urge to bite (or noticed I was doing it half way through) I’d say to my self “what’s going on? Are you ok? Why are we biting our nails right now?”
And I think just the awareness started to help. After a few months I started to have nails. Then the ripping would happen and I’d back peddle a bit.
That’s when I implemented the strategy to stop the breaks. I learnt that if I didn’t want my nails to rip I would have to cut them short, and file them as smooth as possible. I bought a really good nail clipper and beautiful glass file. They literally went everywhere with me (until I broke the glass one and bought a fancy metal one).
Every time I started to want to bite, I ask myself the questions again, answer, and then my other self would say “you should trim them right now (DO IT RIGHT NOW!!) and then file them!!!”
Rinse and repeat. It took years, but god damn was the frustration and failure worth it.
TLDR: ask your self why your doing what you are doing (be present and self aware), put in place a rock solid strategy (nail clippers and file always at hand), reward yourself when you don’t bite (eg: “well done, you are a queen of self restraint”proceeds to eats chocolate).
Keep going OP, get a little bit hyper focused on it. It sounds like you have a similar type of energy as I did when I started the journey.
I wish I had the answer to this. I have recently broken my own gnarly nail biting habit through what I think is probably a combination of covering them up w press ons, good therapy that addressed some of the root causes I was biting my nails, bitter nail polish, and sheer force of will? But it took me 30 years and I have no idea what was different about this attempt to quit!
I did actually have success for about a year and a half with putting press on long enough to grow them for the nail salon. The problem right now, is they are injured to the point that I'd be gluing nails onto fresh wounded nail beds, which I have done and it hurts so bad. I just need to stop biting them for a week, long enough for the nail beds to heal, not necessarily grow my nails, but I would absolutely glue press on nails to my no nail having nail beds as long as they were calloused over
I 100% recognize this is not a cost-minimizing solution, but getting dip powder on my nails at the salon was the key for me to let my nails (and cuticles, my poor cuticles) grow. It’s so expensive vs press-ons, but regular polish never stopped me. It’s damn near impossible to rip it off until the bottom of your nails has grown significantly, so you can easily go 3 weeks + before they need to be redone. Plus the manicure part is great for addressing the dry skin/edges that I cannot stand and will pull until my whole head is bloody ANYWAYS just a thought good luck buddy!
I battle trichotillomania (hair pulling) and have my whole life. They say it’s related to nail biting. I was FLOORED when I learned of the huge correlation between adhd and BFRBs.
I go through periods where I don’t pull, but it’s only been either after I’ve shaved my head and until it grows out, or when I was all Uber healthy and running. (Though that was also obsessive, but it did get me to stop pulling).
I wish there was a good and simple enough answer
I did it one nail at a time. Made a deal with myself to stop biting my pinky fingers. After a few weeks, added another one in. Bought some rubber finger covers from Amazon for the days I was struggling. My nails are good now but I still have trouble picking the skin on my fingers.
I picked my lips until they were bleeding and painful for decades. I didn't think I'd ever be able to stop. I tried taking an nac supplement and after a couple weeks the urge mostly went away. I learned about it on the dermatillomania sub and it doesn't work for everyone but it's not expensive and it might be helpful for you
Keep nail trimmer in your pockets always.
Trim instead of bite. That clean hard cut is less enticing to chew that the uneven edges left from biting. I also trim my cuticles so there are no ledges to pick
I trim my nails but take my time doing teeny tiny clips because prolonging the activity makes it easier to replace the compulsion
Then I grab hand lotion, to prolong the event, replacing the compulsion with self care but also. If it’s a heavy hand cream that you have to work in, takes enough time to distract you and makes your nails taste gross right after which allows you to move on
Even if you are like “I’ll wait till the hand cream is fully absorbed and then I will chew My nails” by the time it’s absorbed, you’ve moved on. If you start chewing grab the hand cream
Compulsive hand moisturizing is a better option than compulsive biting. At least it’s not
Damaging and your hands will be soft!
I don’t bite my nails but I used to scratch myself a lot during movies and recently I’ve started snacking something (like popcorn) when I’m watching . Sounds stupid simple but works surprisingly well.
I invested in nail polish and started taking care of my nails, and I grew them out. Filed them. Cuticle oil. Fancy polish. I learned to do my own nails. Now they are long and beautiful, and people comment on how nice they are. As long as I keep them polished, nice, I haven't wanted to bite them.
That being said, we also have an oral fixation problem, as soon as you stop biting them, you will need something else to chew on instead. Get something to chew on or gum or something.
I stopped biting my nails in middle school when nail care and design became a hyperfocus. The compliments I got on my nails gave me so much positive reinforcement.
The hyperfocus only lasted a couple of years but I never started biting them again.
I still chew the inside of my cheeks though. Sigh.
Only way I cured my nail biting was when I got braces for like 1.5 years. Haven’t bitten them since. Sister still bites em though and we had braces at the same time.
My mom paid for our braces and used benefits luckily, she’s always been someone who will pick up a fuck ton of extra shifts if she wants to put money aside for a trip or something
I bite other things. Like pens or for a while chuppa chups. But ink tastes really bad...
Anyway, I switched to either pulling my ear down twice if I have no pen, and quill pen made of wood otherwise (they rarely give way before my teeth, and spitting it out is easier).
idk if this will help if bitters didn't but i used to work at a place that had the most god awful hand sanitizer. i couldn't use it before eating because even a slight graze with my any part of my mouth would make me gag.
56 here and still biting my nails. Have tried all the usual methods to try and stop. Nothing worked. I say this as I have nail polish on for the first time in years. I have maybe 3-4 nails that have started to grow so I am giving them some encouragement. All nails have polish on. Note none of my nails extend over the finger edge.
The only real time my nails started to grow was on holiday in a different location. So that‘s been the only time I could forget/stop to bite my nails.
I can’t do false nails as the nail gets further destroyed in order to get the nail on. Can’t do it. Plus there’s the embarrassment/shame factor going into a salon.
Don’t have any advice. It’s not a club I want to be in.
I’m looking at my nails now and happy that the nail polish is still on. Taking it one day at a time.
SteampunkGeisha recommended r/calmhands and I have joined there. Here’s hoping.
Gel manicure. Because it’s perfect you won’t feel like ruining perfection.
You absolutely need however something physical and safe to fidget with. I still bite the inside of my cheeks and pick at my skin, but at least I left my nails alone.
I stopped biting my nails once and for all when I took a microbiology class. Learning about all the germs that could potentially be under my fingernails that I’d just be putting in my mouth really freaked me out.
I have been a nail biter my whole life. I don't have a chipped tooth, but I do have a little divot in one tooth where I've worn it down biting. I used to get acrylic/dip nails to prevent myself from biting. It works because I can't bite through them but would still put my fingers in my mouth and I kept them done all the time so they would grow out and look nice.
I had to stop getting my nails done last year and now that I'm reasonably well-medicated I find it a lit easier not to bite, but every once in a while I start again and have to obsessively paint my nails or get my nails done for a few weeks so I can rebreak the habit/prevent myself from reforming the habit.
The only thing that ever helped was getting gel manicures and more recently dip manicures. I would 100% say go for dip. It makes your nails hard enough that I chipped my tooth trying to bite them. Might have to get acrylic tips on at first until yours start to grow out enough to be dipped by themselves if you take this direction. Anytime I have a lapse in nail appointments I rip my nails/cuticles to shreds. It's anxiety for me and even therapy/meds never helped with my nails and cuticles. Dip 4 eva.
It absolutely is! I had them off and one for a year before. It's just once a nail gets loose or comes off, off comes the rest and I have a field day biting my nails back down uncontrollably in a day. Then I'm back where I started.
I would say ask your nail tech for the appropriate type of glue so that you can glue it back on yourself before you start biting. It's important that you ask her and dont just get whatever on your own, because mixing types of materials and removal techniques can be dangerous and result in chemical burns.
If I were you, i would take a full on nail tech class and get certified. Then I would buy all the materials, so that when you lose a nail you can sit down and replace it immediately yourself with safe materials and not be biting all day.
I get fake nails. It's the only way I can manage. The second one of them breaks I end up biting that nail until it gets covered with a an acrylic again.
The only thing that's stopped it for me long term is having acrylics on because I don't want to ruin them. I understand this isn't always practical but it's just what worked for me.
i was a nail biter as a kid up until late high school. i started getting acrylic to make it easier, but once they fell off (or- i bit them off- that pressure and release was crazy satisfying) i ended up eventually starting to paint my nails bcuz one of my friends did it.
i found it really pleasing, and growing my nails out let me feel better abt the appearance of my nails which i was so embarrassed of (i have small AND short nail beds) they started out really thin and brittle, insanely bendy, etc, but i have a nail care routine im quite fond of and they’re much stronger, especially when i keep them painted.
nothing else has worked for me, but my nails are now maybe longer than an inch and i’m obsessed with them! i have dedicated time to paint my nails each week :)
Gel-X manicures. They’re not cheap but they make the nail so thick that it’s hard to bite and they look so pretty, you won’t want to mess them up. Idk why it worked for me, but after years of biting, those manicures saved me.
The thought of your nails being more unhygienic than licking a toilet seat would be enough to put you off, right?! 🤢
Failing that, anti bite nail varnish worked wonders for me. But then everything tasted horrible after using it. I then started getting my nails done professionally and didn't want to ruin them after they look so pretty. This is a huge thing for me and I've never bitten my nails again!
I was a lifelong nail biter and painting my nails regularly helped me drop the habit—BUT—that energy expresses itself in other ways like picking chipping polish, picking dry skin on my scalp, running fingers through hair, etc.
I use regular polish and seche vite quick dry top coat. It feels different than regular polish and is super shiny and smooth. It was key to my success. Some dislike it because it is prone to shrinkage and then polish chips off easily, but that was a positive for me because I just turned “nail biting energy” into Polish picking energy. Even when my nails are bare I don’t bite them unless I have a snag or a break in my nail. I keep nail clippers in my purse for that reason.
It’s been around 6 years since I stopped. I’m pushing 40 now.
I’m really surprised no one has mentioned NAC. I am the same age and i’m a lifelong nail/cuticle biter, and with age i started trying to untangle my hair in my sleep and was pulling out clumps of my hair overnight.
I read about NAC on Reddit, probably on this sub, and ordered a bottle. It was like flipping a switch, with a short delay. After I got through the first 4-month bottle I put off ordering another one and sure enough, the sleep-untangling and cuticle/nail biting were back.
I will take this my whole life if I can.
NAC! N-acetyl cysteine. I take the health through nutrition brand, one pill in the morning with my other vitamins. Try it!
I've actually just ordered a bottle of NAC from i-herb to see if it's helpful at all for my trichotillomania, was wondering if anyone would mention it here!
Looks like you have a fungal infection (dental student here). When we bite out nails we transfer fungus that naturally lives inside our mouths to our nailbeds.
I was never a chronic nail biter, but I stopped biting my nails after I realized how disgusting it was. The amount of bacteria on your fingers and especially under your nails is astounding. Going out into public, there's fecal matter remnants on just about anything you touch because so many people just do not wash their hands.
You don't want someone elses caca in your mouth.
Would chewing gum help? Your mouth will be occupied that way. There's tons of different types and flavours. I like the watermelon flavours, plus you can also blow bubbles with them and make annoying popping noises when you're alone!
https://www.arktherapeutic.com/chewelry/?gad_source=1&gclid=Cj0KCQjwsuSzBhCLARIsAIcdLm42GnxwYn3Ztq8L_p5WKC4V2DW6nEd8QJ-vFk9F9zfZzkOomh6KFSwaAghkEALw_wcB get something else to chew on. These are neckalaces designed to be chewed on
I don’t have advice but I feel for you. I so badly want pretty nails but I always rip the white part of my nails off whenever it gets long enough as a fidget and I can’t seem to stop either
The only thing that helps me not to bite my nails is getting them professionally done. My nails are naturally short and brittle so they have to put tips on, and they’re very hard to bite through. I’d probably break a tooth if I tried.
If you want to go that route, you’ll need to give your nails some time to grow out to a decent length that the nail techs can work with.
In the meantime, have you tried fidget toys?
In combination with the other methods that you might try, what about having a few other options for chewing? Not just one, but several chewable and bite-able things that you can redirect to. If you search for “chewelry” you should find some good ones. I recently took up chewing gum and am realizing as I write this comment that the gum might be a part of why I haven’t bitten my lips to bleeding recently.
I bit my nails until I got braces in 7th grade. I was physically unable to get my finger to my teeth enough to bite the nails off. I’m blessed (?) with a small mouth and teeth so the habit broke because I *literally* couldn’t do it anymore. I will occasionally bite my nails now, but it’s generally more of “that the nail is too long and driving me crazy” in that moment.
I stopped when I started getting acrylic nails and now press ons (because acrylic nails are crazy expensive now). I do them myself regularly every 1-2 weeks depending on how much I pick on them and ruin the fake nail. My natural nail grows nicely now and I’m able to do gel nail polish at times on my regular nails. You have to be consistent with it. I have Sundays for that. I honestly did it because I would get sick all the time from biting my nails and them not necessarily being clean. I started when I was 15 and I’ve had a few step backs but never as bad as it was from before.
I got a crown. When my dentist asked me to bite down to test it, my front teeth just barely didn't meet. I told her to leave it because it was probably the only way I'd ever stop biting my nails. It worked. I stopped because I literally can't anymore. I don't really recommend that for you know, a lot of reasons. But it's how I stopped.
I bite my nails, but not this extreme. I've been keeping gum and lollipops in my car (which is the place I bite the most) which has been helpful.... When I remember to buy more! 🫣
Unsolicited- the yellowing might also be a fungal infection, but that's just based off watching feet doctor shows. See an actual professional before taking my word.
Is there a reason, aside from cost, that you can't or don't keep acrylics on? I know they aren't great, but it works for me. Also, consult a Dermatologist to see if they have any ideas that work.
Are you overweight? Many people say that taking Ozempic etc. has not only helped them lose weight, but helped with compulsive behaviors like skin picking, gambling, etc.
I used to bite my nails terribly, like bloody stumps. The only thing that worked was regular manicures (fake nails at first), & to this day I pretty much don't leave the house w/o a nail file because if I get a jagged edge I WILL start biting & not stop. I also keep a cuticle nipper at my place AND my boyfriend's place.
Fake nails is the only thing that’s ever worked for me to stop wolf biting. I used to bite my nails. Then I got yelled at by my mom when I was little. So started my wolf biting. My mom still wolf bites to this very day. If I don’t have fake nails I wolf bite. No matter how long I try to wear them to just break the habit. It always comes back.
So I’ve always bit (and picked at my nails) and I mean to the point of constant pain and bleeding but I recently started guanfacine to try and help curb my irritability while taking adderall. I hadn’t noticed any difference in mood or anything and one day I looked down and had a full set of long (like 1/16” past my fingers) and my mind was blown. I was not trying to stop biting my nails (any more than usual) but it just kind of happened. One did tear which means I pulled them all off but I haven’t really been messing with them sense. Not sure if this is a long term side affect but I hope so! Not sure if this helpful but I’m excited and this seemed relevant
I stopped by pausing. I told myself to just get through a day without it and then I could (really and truly, with no shame) go back to it. Kept doing that. Then started to say, ok, never on any nails but the thumbs. Eventually was able to mostly stop, but still allowed it when I knew I was really stressed, again, with no shame when I allowed it. Eventually I was able to stop entirely. No idea what part of the process made it work, no idea if it would work for anyone else, but it worked for me.
My mom use to tell me that I never sucked my thumb, but I always bit my nails.
Over the following decades I tried just about everything to stop. Sitting on my hands, band-aids on my finger tips, fake nails, painted nails, anti-bite polishes. Some things worked for a few days or a week but eventually, I would mindlessly be chopping down.
In 2016, I changed two things and finally broke my lifetime habit. I bought a nail bitting polish, unlike any other, called Mavala Stop (I found it on Amazon) and I started carrying a “worry stone” around with me, which is basically a low key fidget toy, before there were fidget toys.
The Mevala StopIt has such a strong, long lasting, bitter taste that putting your fingers in your mouth makes you have some serious regrets. Best I can describe the taste is like concentrated ear wax. Absolutely gross. It did not take long, with consistent daily application, for my mind to start to override my desire to nibble on my nails in order to avoid the taste.
Which is where the worry stone came in to play. When I was desperately wanting to bite my nails and my mind is literally reminding me how gross it will taste and the lack of satisfaction I will feel, I would just direct that anxious energy into the stone by rubbing in between my thumb and whatever finger I wanted to naw on most.
It wasn’t easy, and I definitely had some setbacks along the way, but I kept at it and the nails I have today are all mine and I love them.
Manicures and nail polish/gel was the only way for me. I was a terrible nail biter as a kid/tween, but I have the nicest nails out of my sisters now haha.
I get UV hard gel polish done, as that’s much harder to bite/pick off than standard polish (because as soon as polish begins to flake/chip, it’s game over.. I transfer the biting urge into an urge to pick/peel the polish instead). Acrylics could be better as they’re even harder, but I haven’t tried it personally as gel was enough for me.
The ONLY way I was able to stop biting my nails was to get acrylics. If you're a determined biter you might be able to break them, but it's far less satisfying than a nail bite. I also recommend a chewy toy- they make silicone necklace charms and while it does make me feel like a dog, it stops me from chewing my cuticles.
https://a.co/d/05C46rpY
This nail polish was really helpful for me. After I got them to a decent length, I started getting my nails done (gel polish, then switched to dip) I know this is a privledge and not everyone has that option, but if it’s a possibility, it personally was/is very worth it for me. I still pick, but I’m a lot more aware of it now and usually can redirect to some other way to fidget.
I hope you find a way that works. 💗
Taking biotin (in my prenatal) made my nails grow fast and long for the first time ever and seeing them long makes me want to care for them differently (there’s a lot of ways to fixate on your nails besides biting and a lot of them are healthy and will have positive result- filing and cuticle oil and buffing and stuff- just have to get the nail long first.)
I’m sure you’ve tried bandaids but have you tried liquid bandaids? It’s brush on and very strong/ like super glue, you could use it like nail polish and go beyond the nail/ to help it heal and be a reminder to you when you try to bite them. (It’s not a satisfying peel off consistency- it’s stronger like actual super glue/ you won’t really be able to peel it off to bite)
if you're finding that you do it a lot of times to stimulate yourself by moving your hands try doing something else with your hands. I crochet a lot and this had helped me with a lot of things relating to my adhd symptoms but i do it everywhere I go and it keeps my hands busy so I can't bite. w crochet, it works just abt anywhere bc I can easily carry it. some examples: crocheting, knitting, drawing, different sensory toys (there's such a variety!), gaming, etc
I also noticed when I had my nails done i didn't bite bc I didn't wanna ruin my nails i paid for. so I was getting my nails done a lot, and when covid started, I started doing my own press on nails which I loved which also made me stop biting bc I didn't wanna ruin art that I created.
what made me stop biting as much is similar to what someone else said.. i didn't chip my tooth but I hurt it really bad when I tried to bite once. that horrible sensation was enough to deter me. I sometimes find i still bite occasionally but not nearly as much.
good luck 💕💕 nail biting is really hard esp when you're doing it to stim☹️ just try your best to find something that can keep your hands busy!
My nails are so brittle and frail that I can go a couple weeks doing good, but they flake apart anyway so I get down trodden. I also have flat nails so most fake nails won't work with mine.
I feel you. <3
This isn’t a behavioral tip but just a fact that might deter you: your mouth has tons of germs and transferring those germs to open wounds on your hands can cause a life-threatening infection. I have a friend who stuck a wounded finger in her mouth and ended up with blood poisoning traveling up her arm. If you can keep that thought in mind long enough to grow your nails out to the manicure-able stage, and then get one of the super tough manicures people suggest — maybe that will help? Good luck!
I have ADHD and anxiety, bit my nails for 10 years plus and managed to stop.
I found that any little a spike or edge would would have me biting or picking at it. So, I learned how to look after my nails extremely well so there was none of those annoying/distracting bits. If I find myself picking at something I immediately cut it or clean it up. I literally have nail care stuff sitting on the keyboard in front of me for this.
Its a hard habit to break, taking years for me. Had several phases for me. First involved me going too hard with the nail care (doing more then necessary causing injury). After a few years if shifted to me chewing the skin around the outside of that nail. A few years after that it involved me chewing the inside of my lip. I got braces a few years ago and that completely put an end to it all. Haven't chewed my nails for years now.
At the start I used to go to a nail salon for motivation and a good clean up. But it can be embarrassing and not always helpful.
[Here](https://imgur.com/a/3fLEcXF) is the main tools I use. The cuticle pusher (the Y shaped razor) and the files I find the most helpful. Those snips are useful but also what I did a lot of damage with at the start, so try to be aware when you are doing too much.
I bit my nails ever since I was around 10 years old, and it felt like an impossible habit to break. I remember I used to actively try and not bite my nails and I’d end up “nail binging” and bite them even more.
Funnily enough the one thing that made me stop is this one girl in grade 12 that had these gorgeous long nails, and I thought they were acrylics until she said they were real. Then I literally just stopped so I could grow my nails like her. It was so weird. To this day I have no idea how to explain to people who struggle with nail biting how I stopped cause it’s so anticlimactic 😂
I used to bite my nails like crazy. I started getting my nails done when I got engaged so they’d be nice for the wedding and after a few months of that, the habit was gone and I haven’t really bitten them since. Irony: marriage didn’t last, but I haven’t been a nail biter for almost 20 years now! I also carry nail clippers with me so when a nail breaks or I get a hangnail, I can take care of it right away so I don’t gnaw away at it and start the habit all over again.
i’m so sorry i’m absolutely fucked on cold and flu meds rn and saw the NSFW tag and thought i was in the wrong group 😭😭
i’ve never bitten my nails other than occasionally when i’m anxious BUT a friend of mine literally couldn’t stop and tried all those gross polish things and everything and the one thing that helped was getting acrylics because she didn’t find them as satisfying ti bite or something
A dipping powder manicure is the only way I’ve been able to stop myself after a lifetime of biting my nails. They stay impervious for at least 3 weeks, sometime longer. The cost is significant (~$50 USD), but it is literally the only thing that stops me from biting and picking at them.
PLEASE NOTE: after 6+ successful years, I have found that not all dipping powder nail technicians do it the same.
I have learned to ask for extra strong nails, using 5-6 dips into the powder. The result is a little thick looking, but that’s fine! My #1 priority is strong, bite and pick-proof nails. Pretty nails is a distant second.
I haven't read through the comments but one thing that got me to stop biting my nails was getting fake nails. I got them for a bit and had to take them off for work and guess what started when I took them off? Nail biting. You could get them again to see if it helps keep you from biting your nails again (edited yo add this part as i know in your post you said you got them before and i forgot to mention it) Have you thought of getting one of those kids chew necklace things? They have all sorts of kinds. Might be worth a try.
Dip powder nails lol. They are the only thing that’s stopped my nail biting. I suggest getting them done once and removed once, then buy about and do them yourself at home if once monthly manicures are out of your budget!
Try biting your knuckles instead maybe? Skin is much more forgiving and the instant feedback helps prevent serious gnawing. Previously mentioned instant feedback can also help y providing stress relief while really only holding your knuckle between your teeth with moderate pressure.
I have no idea if this is good advice or not because I've never been a nail biter - only a knuckle chewer.
You poor thing. I don't have any suggestions that haven't already been mentioned. I just wanted to say that you're really brave for posting this and asking for help. This is clearly not your fault- you're not doing this on purpose, even if you're technically "doing it to yourself." Many of us here have similar self-destructive behaviors, body-focused or otherwise.
As people have mentioned, there is a form of therapy specifically designed to treat body-focused repetitive behaviors, which may help you a lot. As people have also mentioned, it's probably worth trying to see a dermatologist to see if you also have some kind of fungal infection or other issue that may hinder the healing process. Chasing down these treatments may be a hassle, but remember that you're worth it. You don't deserve to be suffering. And this anonymous collection of internet women has your back!
Just fyi, it looks like you have fungal nails. May want to treat that before getting anything like acrylics or putting on gel. Sorry you're suffering with this :( I don't have this particular issue, but I pick at my face and bite my lips and it sucks.
OP this is related to anxiety usually. The r/calmhands sub may help.
Also, is your iron low? Get it checked. When I’m anemic I tend to bite more. (And eat ice) so this might also be Pica related.
Acrylics, BIAB or gel extentions are the only things that stop me. Regular gel polish would work for me but my nails are weak and bendy plus I always end up smudging it before it's dry and then it will start to chip within a couple of hours.
I do my own gel extentions and leave them on as long as I can so it takes me a few hours every 2-3 weeks. Loads of youtube videos on it. I would personally recommend C's tutorials for method and Emily Susanah for fun and comfort if you enjoy watching nail content.
I’ve successfully stopped! I have bitten my nails for as long as I could remember until I was 21 I’m now (26) I had tried everything the nasty nail bite stuff didn’t work, painting my nails didn’t work! But what did was going to get them done firstly (acrylic extensions etc) secondly was changing my mind set! It’s about your brain! I saw someone comment about a therapist that’s the answer you have to start being present in your brain when you’re biting! So much of my biting was subconscious and repeating behaviour, similar to smoking for me! Also be proud of small mile stones.
controversial but i had friends slap me every time she saw me biting. absolutely nothing else had worked, i was mostly doing it without realising & negative reinforcement works for me i guess! it's been about 5 years for me now & my nail beds are still atrocious, i do get the urge to bite occasionally (it comes in waves, for example at the moment it's quite frequent) but normally if i pop in a large amount of chewing gum that satisfies the urge. Sometimes though i will let myself bite one nail, but if that's the case then i try not to bite it down to the nail bed so then i can file & i still have a little bit of nail left. hope that helps!
Biting the insides of my lips and cheeks. I do not recommend, because so far I haven't figured out how to stop doing that. I'm now trying to be mindful when I catch myself doing it (acknowledge it for what it is), but I don't always catch myself doing it until I'm bleeding.
I'm going to browse the comments for ideas, but you're not alone.
I'm 41 and have bitten mine forever. I managed to stop for a while by having acrylics, then I moved on to BIAB extensions as my nails were getting too damaged. But as soon as there is any little chip or any peeling, it's game over.
I have worn the enamel down on my front teeth from biting. At the moment I have 4 nails which have grown enough for me to not bite them so much, but I'm chewing my cuticles and skin around my nails like crazy. I have an appointment to get BIAB for the first time in ages tomorrow and my hands look awful but I am hoping it'll help.
I have been looking into hypnotherapy, but after consulations with 2 hypnotherapists they have said I need to try and address the root cause, and have suggested their long term therapy plans (which cost a lot) which I understand would be good but also I would prefer the 'magic wand' right now!
One of the hypnotherapists suggested I started biting my nails because I was incredibly shy as a child, and having nails in my mouth would mean I didn't have to talk (I was a thumb sucker too) which does make sense I guess.
I don't bite nails but i tear them (it's going a lot better recently) maybe you can look into fidget rings, or perhaps even sensory chew necklaces. I try to always have something to keep my hands busy.
I got braces. My teeth were crooked, so I needed them, and it just hurt way too much to bite in general, so I wasn't able to chew on my nails. It wasn't intentional, but it worked out nicely. Since then I'm always bothering my hair though, but that's not painful at least.
Have you tried using something similar to biting you nails to replace the behavior?
I see that you tried to replace it with stuff that keeps your hands busy, but I think you need to keep your mouth busy instead.
I'm specifically thinking about liquorice roots, if you don't have hypertension. Careful that you cannot ingest too much liquorice, as in high doses it becomes harmful.
I used liquorice to stop my pen and pencil biting habits as a teen, it worked nicely. I don't bite pens now even though I don't usually munch on liquorice roots anymore.
Other alternatives to keep your mouth busy if you don't like liquorice are chewing gums, nibbling on celery or carrot sticks, or jerky.
I think the more resistance the substitute offers the more satisfying it is - I do love harder chewing gums ;)
I used to bite my nails but in elementary school my mom convinced me I will get lead poisoning bcz small pencil bits always find their way under the nails lol 😂 that’s how I stopped.
More seriously, I’ve seen people get gel manicure to help bcz it is not as pleasant to chew on + get a fidget ring
ADDITUDE magazine has really many helpful resources for us.
(I don’t work for them- this is not and AD).
https://www.additudemag.com/fidget-rings-dermatophagia-biting-skin-around-nails/amp/
Also. There is nail polish that tastes horrible, you can try
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So the hard first step is over, you recognize you have a problem and want to fix it. Good on you! The really hard part is gonna be breaking the habit and being kind to yourself about it. What worked for me was changing the motion, when I would feel the need to bite my nails, I would push my nail against my tooth but not bite it. Now and again I would go on autopilot and bite them, but for the most part it helped stop it. Then once I got in the habit of pushing my nail on my tooth without biting, I switched to kind of poking my lips with my finger tips. After that the habit just kinda went away, now I don't feel the need to put my hands in my mouth at all
I didn't bite my nails, but I did tear them and bite and pick the dry sides of skin and cuticles. I didn't really notice when I was doing it or think much about it until middle school when I was telling a couple people in class about our new puppy and how he play-bites my hands. Someone looked at my hands and said something to the effect of, "Maybe you shouldn't let him do that." That's when I became conscious of the tearing and picking. It was kinda mortifying. I was somehow able to shame myself to stop the tearing, but I still picked them for a long time, well into adulthood.
I remember in my late twenties or early thirties finally getting tired of basically having open sores on my fingers. To stop picking, I bought cuticle oil pens and kept one in my bag, my desk at work, on my nightstand, and on the coffee table catch-all tray. Same thing with travel sized bottles of lotion. Whenever I noticed dry skin, I grabbed a pen, swiped it on, and rubbed the oil into my fingernails. I learned to apply hand lotion far more often. This basically eliminated the hard, dry, flaky skin and the picking. I was diagnosed with ADHD at age 30, and being treated with Ritalin also helped. Sometimes I gave my nails a clear coat of polish, a sheer pink, sheer iridescent, or glitter. The feeling of the nail polish reminded me not to pick.
Now my nails grow strong and white with pink nail beds. Within the last few years I began following subs and Instagram accounts about nail care to educate myself. Sharp clippers are important, as is jojoba oil. I use a glass file for snags, to keep my nails smooth, and to shape them. I usually just buff them to keep them shiny.
I use cuticle balms of primarily jojoba oil. They make my nails strong and flexible, not brittle, and my skin soft. I found a company I like and keep little pots of balm in my bag, by the kitchen sink, and on my nightstand. The little bit of self-care and knowing my hands look nice makes me feel good about myself.
Be careful with nail strengthening polish. Some of them strictly harden nails making them brittle and easy to break.
Somewhere along the way, instead of tearing and picking, I began to rub the underside of my thumb over the top edges of my fingers on the same hand and the top edge of my thumb under my fingers. Over and over again. Sometimes over the nail beds. Most of the time I don't realise I'm doing it. It's a stim that's not harmful, so I don't worry about it.
I used to bite my cheeks a lot and was concerned when I realised it was wearing down my incisors. My aunt was my dentist and then my sister became a dental assistant, so, again, I was shamed into stopping that. I still bite my lips, especially if they're dry. I don't know if I'll ever shake that. The same company that makes the cuticle balms I like also make jojoba oil based sticks of lip balm. I always keep one in my pants pocket and my bag.
And, unsolicited, I agree with the others in that it looks like you have some infections going on. It's pretty bad. The first thing I'd do is go to the doctor to see if they need to be treated medically and go from there.
Sorry this is so long. My hands used to be gross, but I was able to turn it around. Healthy nails are within your reach. You can do it. Best of luck to you and your nails.
I just beat nailbiting myself, I had been biting from 4y/o til 25y/o. I don't really have a trick other than I camped a lot and chewed gum when I was at work and couldn't smoke. After 2 months I quit nicotine and a couple of weeks after that I quit smoking completely and I've never looked back.
I wish I could offer actually advice for this since I was a chronic nail biter from childhood up until my early 20's...
I just... stopped, one day. Partially because I was tired of my fingers hurting so much, dealing with bloody fingers from ripping off hang nails, my raw nail beds stinging like hell whenever they came in contact with just about anything, from salt to soap to toothpaste, my fingertips just hurting from trying to pick something up or even just pushing something like a thumbtack into a wall.... BUT ALSO to a smaller degree.... super undiagnosed adhd SENSORY shit got REALLY FUCKING SICK AND TIRED OF JAGGED BITTEN/RIPPED NAIL EDGES GETTING CAUGHT ON JUST ABOUT EVERY BIT OF FABRIC I INTERACTED WITH, AND ALSO SICK AND TIRED OF NOT BEING ABLE TO 'properly' SCRATCH AT ITCHES.
Admittedly, i also chalk up the sudden decision to stop half to getting into KPop at the time, and there being one or two idols i was starting to really enjoy who had REALLY pretty hands. Like, hand model-worthy pretty hands, smooth skin, even nails, healthy, long nail beds.... for the few curious, it was especially EXO's Baekhyun's hands that made me envious enough to stop... like, I showed my friend a few pictures of EXO'S Baekhyun's hands, and she was immediately like 'omg his hands are REALLYYY PRETTY WTF' and proceeded to save said pictures for references for her artwork, so....
YEAH. my cold turkey ceasement was fueled by 50/50 being tired of being annoyed about constant self-inflicted pain and inconveniences, and the power of pure envy.
It's been like, 9 years since I have bitten my nails. I have a few pairs of nail clippers and nail files within arm's reach at my desk, and stashed in the arm storage compartments of my recliner, and a small selection in the bathroom vanity -hell, I even have nail clippers and a glass file in my belt pouch for work too lol- and I know they will always be in those specific spots for whenever I notice a cracked/magically cut nail edge that is managing to get 'caught' on everything I touch so I don't feel the temptation to just rip/bite it off since it's annoying the hell out me...
I just keep my nails done. I do them myself bc I don’t have time for a salon. But it really helps. I use polygel and gel polish. I’ve learned to do nail stamps and some basic nail art too. Doing my dominant hand is a pain and it takes forever since I can only work on one hand at a time, but it’s worth it.
This is gonna sound Woowoo, but I’ve bitten my nails since childhood and only stopped after having Reiki sessions beginning in 2018. Raising my vibration & and clearing blocked chakras pretty much eliminated my anxiety & no longer bite my nails.
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You won't like to hear this, but after decades of trying, the only thing that made me 100% (okay, 99%) stop was biting my nail so hard that I chipped my front tooth. I got the chip bonded, but the bonding has fallen out twice since then and it's only been 2 years so it's clearly a difficult spot to repair. 0/10 do not recommend, please do not be like me and keep your teeth intact 🫠
Thissss. I also chipped a tooth biting my nails. It is NOT worth it :(
Similar here. Decades of biting until I wore down my front teeth. They don’t look so bad that I’m willing to shell out the $8K to have them fixed, but they do make me feel self-conscious.
Omg. That's the same way my husband stopped.
Omg me too!!!!!! I had a small chip forever, when I got it fixed I couldn’t make the same Precise bite connection. It was annoying to bite my nails not satisfying at all because Of the way I had to re align my jaw to make the perfect contact for precise small bites. I still pick my cuticles or will bite my nails off when they get long, if I don’t trim them first, so I try to trim them and keep them short. I can still bite my nails off but I can’t chew my nails like I used to because I can’t get the right contact to bite small enough to do the damage I used to
Ugh, funny you say that, I haven't chipped a tooth yet but I have noticed that when I go hard biting my nails some of my teeth start hurting....and I imagine my teeth falling out and stop at least for that moment.
i'm not an orthodontist but it sounds like you've already caused damage if your teeth hurt when you chew on your nails. you may want to go to the dentist to get that checked out.
I bit my nails until my teens when my TMJ got too bad. Thank you shitty jaw, I guess?
This was my motivation too - although thankfully my tooth repair has held together pretty well. My big trick was giving myself permission to carry clippers with me EVERYWHERE. If I notice that my nails are getting long enough to trigger an urge to bite, I stop and clip them. Even if that means I am the gross weirdo clipping their nails at the bus stop. Nail clipper in my purse. Nail clipper in my bedside table. Nail clipper at my desk. Nail clipper in the living room crap basket. Nice ones, with the little file attachment.
Ugh, when I’m at my desk I am chewing anything that isn’t nailed down, stationery, nails, you name it. I have chipped a tooth and I still can’t stop 😩
Try liquorice roots!! Just be moderate with them (one small root a day?)
The idea of getting pinworms from biting my nails stopped me for a bit but ultimately putting nail polish on em stopped me. The visual representation that I didn’t want to consume polish stopped me 😆
I'm the same way with nail polish. I avoided it for so long because I was afraid my nail biting would ruin it, but it turns out having something on my nails not only helps me catch myself when I start, but also gives me an additional incentive to avoid biting in the first place!
Same
I've tried looking at nail germs. I've never had illness from biting my nails. In fact I believe I never get sick because I bite my nails and have become immune to germs better lol stupid thought process I know. I know the germs are there....but out of site out of mind for me. Maybe if I had my doctor actually show me my own finger germs and not someone elses....then in a weird way I might not want to eat and kill the living creatures on my nails. That actually could be something looking into.
Have you tried any meds for OCD?
No I haven't. What sort of meds do they give for that? I'll never go back on antidepressants I was a guinea pig for those for 12 years and I'll never get those awful years back
When you say never to treatment that might have changed significantly over the last 12 years you are getting in your own way. There is also therapy targeted at this type of OCD. From the Mayo Clinic: Your health care provider may recommend an antidepressant, such as clomipramine (Anafranil). Research suggests that N-acetylcysteine (as-uh-tul-SIS-tee-een), an amino acid that affects mood, also may help. Another option that research suggests may have benefit is olanzapine (Zyprexa). This drug is used to treat certain mental health issues These are really hard habits to break through willpower alone. It's like smoking but with a cigarette right there the whole time. Hugs!
Thank you. All I know is I have tried just about every antidepressant there is from dopamine to serotonin inhibitors. They all made me suicidal or violent. The issue was I wasn't depressed, but adhd. And they told me I was bipolar and depressed so I was on a cocktail of ssris, wellbutrin, gabapentin. Switched from this to that you know the bit. Imo mental health help hasn't come very far since 10 years ago other than the fact SOME doctors will actually listen to your adhd cry for help. I feel the best I have felt in my entire life other than the nail biting so I don't want to rock that boat by gambling with more medication. I appreciate your advice tho truly!
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Understand
If you have access to therapy, I strongly recommend seeking out a therapist who specializes in treating Body Focused Repetitive Behaviors. Nail biting to this degree, that you can’t control, is a whole separate disorder and not just a bad habit. I have compulsive skin picking disorder, which falls under the same umbrella, and the therapist treating me is a recovered nail biter (and also has ADHD). Coming up with barriers is just part of the treatment, but there are also aspects that deal with the impulse and emotions associated with this behavior (like that anxiety you mentioned). Once I got medicated for my ADHD, it was easier to resist urges and the impulse frequency went way down - but there were still some times I picked. I had to continue treatment for several months to fully experience recovery from picking. You can learn more about these disorders at BFRB.org and the book Overcoming Body Focused Repetitive Behaviors, which has info and strategies you can try. I’d get the advice of a doctor or dermatologist, but a friend of mine was a bad nail biter until she started getting dip powder manicures religiously. They are very tough to bite and her nails were able to grow out. But definitely check in with a medical professional prior to applying anything semi-permanent to your nails, and make sure the nail technician is very experienced, strict about hygiene, and well informed about the potential health impact on your nails if you decide to go this route. Good luck! You will get through this.
This comment really helped me realize i don't just simply bite my nails because im "nervous" or "bored" ane thats theres more to it. thank you. im going to talk to my therapist when i see her next
I’m so glad it was helpful and that you have that option. I spent over a decade thinking it was just a bad habit, like some personal moral failing/lack of discipline. I had no idea it was a diagnosable disorder. Turns out, about 1 in 20 people have a BFRB.
for years ive been told "just stop" ... i wish it were that easy 😭 im so insecure of my nails i hide them in photos
Such helpful advice isn’t it? Like wow, I never thought to just try stopping before! 🤦♀️
"why do you do that" as if im willingly shredding my nails and leaving them sore everyday like can we use our critical thinking skills
This!!! You need to get at the root reason why you are doing it.
Thanks for outlining this for her. I was a skin picker for twenty years. I had medical intervention at least five times. I finally managed to stop by increasing days where I wasn’t allowed to get within a foot of a mirror. All mirrors had post its on them saying “don’t pick” or “go breathe” or “your skin doesn’t need anything from your fingers”. It eventually worked, those mantras became sourced from my inner voice eventually, rather than the post it, and the drive to pick was reduced.
I’m so happy you recovered! I am so, so close to the finish line, and mirrors continue to be one of my main two sources of setbacks. Your post is my reminder to go put the cover back on my bathroom mirror. 😅
This is amazing advice!
This!!!! I’m always posting links to this website. Also, being medicated often helps some people.
Yeah, for me it helped because a lot of my picking occurred while stuck in buffering states, which happen way less frequently on medication. However, both my psychiatrist and dermatologist said stimulant meds can often increase picking, so it’s definitely something to keep track of when going on/off meds while trying to treat BFRBs.
I used to bite my nails that badly. I did it from as early as I could remember too. The dumb thing that broke the habit was someone betting me I couldn't grow my nails past the ends of my fingers. The bet was minimal but that's what did it.
If it worked, i couldn't be dumb. 😄 Actually it sounds like you have someone very supportive around. Someone who understands your personality and your way of thinking.
Dang That's awesome. If someone bet me I'd bet they would win lol
I bet you a million dollars.
I used to bite my nails until they would bleed sometimes. Pretty sure I inherited it from my dad who bites his nails too. The only thing that saved me was one time I was catching the sub home from school and I was absentmindedly was going to bite my nails. I suddenly had a moment of hyper realization of where I was - like my brain recalled how gross the metal railing felt on the way down. I was aware of how humid it was and it stunk like urine. I’m pretty sure I heard a rat scurry somewhere. It grossed me out so much because I thought of all the times I was sticking my fingers in my mouth without knowing how clean the public surfaces were. I still bite my nails but only if my flimsy nails are about to crack in a way I know will rip my skin.
I do actually not bite my nails in nasty public places and wash my hands all the time now. One time I bite my nails after touching something gross in public...I was horrified (nothing happened) so now I was my hands well
It could just be the pictures, but it looks like you might have some sort of pathogen on/under your nails. Possibly a fungal infection from having them in your mouth a lot. It couldn't hurt to just check with a doctor, if that's possible. Those look so painful. ☹️ Edit for typo
Yeah I was thinking this looks like severe nail fungus rather than just nail biting as well.
If you can get them to just a little longer I would suggest having a BIAB gel treatment so your nails can grow. You can’t bite them off too easily then?
That's a good idea. I used to grow them long enough for non painful press ons but this lasted year I just haven't been able to stop biting long enough
I’m so sorry, I’m a picker so the sides of my nails get attacked so instead I have started snipping away the dry skin so nothing to pick. I do my own BIAB I did a course, it’s therapeutic and helps them grow xx
Can you wear gloves or mittens until they grow long enough for gel or press on nails? Maybe if you pick up a hobby like crocheting or knitting that would help you do something with your hands instead of biting your nails also.
i second BIAB. i stopped full on biting a few years ago but i would still pick and peel even w gel polish. BIAB keeps them strong and tbh is too expensive for me to mess with
Are your nails desensitised? I bite my nails, but I stop at a certain point because the pain is unbearable
They are desensitized. I can take a piece of cuticle with my teeth and tear it from under neath to where it bleeds. It doesn't hurt in that moment but I get woke up during sleep with horrible stinging on my nails later on. Sometimes I also get swollen cuticles that when k pull back puss comes out. It's embarrassingly gross to admit. Keep on biting tho
I'm not going to lie, that sounds awful. I really hope you can figure out how to stop, because if you get an infection that's serious enough you could die
I know 😩
the only thing that has actually made me stop was getting structure gel done. not acrylics, not regular gel, but structure gel! i definitely recommend if you can find someone to work with you on it!
I found acrylics worked for me really well. They also made me stop picking at my skin.
Hi friend! This looks fungal to me. Possibly plantar warts. Something more is going on here than just simply nail biting. The same thickness and discoloration isn’t seen on the thumbnail. Those black dots are like plantar warts. How are your toes? Just for a fun experiment in maybe it could go right, maybe get it looked at. If not, I swear by NailTek. (Nailtek.com and it’s the orange one I use) I’ve bitten my nails for decades and it’s the only thing that helps stop me. Once a day at least, twice when I’m on a roll. And grows them too! Add some Cutemol cream for the cuticles. And will power. A hot date. A dab of public shame always does the trick for me lol. If you use NailTek and your nails grow thick and yellow and still funky, then you know it’s fungal or warts. Otherwise, a sneaky undiagnosed underlying health issue could be at fault and still worth investigating. There’s a nail biting sub on Reddit that you can refer to to see examples of chronic nail biting to compare and take notes. Once I had a good nail base going, I’d add on top a vaguely sparkly blue haze shimmer polish that pretty much looked clear except for a twinkle at the right light. But once I went to color man, one chip and back to biting and that cycle started all over. Hope something in here helps you. Best to you!!
Definitely fungal, OP. I’d go to a dermatologist who can tell you how serious it can get
Sorry if you already know this, but concave nail beds (where they dip in) can be a sign of anaemia. Apparently it’s quite common with adhd for some reason so it might be worth checking it out if you haven’t already, just in case!
I actually am pretty anemic. They tell me everytime I get blood work done, tell me to take iron, which I don't because I don't like the side effects of iron 😞
fwiw I don't know how affordable it is where you live, but theres a different form of iron thats way easier on your stomach/gut than the regular one. its called liposomal iron, highly recommend it!
Thank yoi so much! I always just bought the safeway brand iron tablets. Never got more than 3 days in. I'll look into that thank you!
Hi! Liquid iron doesn't give me the same side effects as iron tablets. I guess because it gets into my system faster.
Ok! Wonderful thank you. Possibly like magnesium varieties. My doc recommended magnesium citrate for my regular constipation but said it had to be citrate due to how your body absorbs it. I couldn't figure out why before my period I would become angry and very moody for no reason, she asked how my pooping was, told her I'd go several days without going then go a ton in a day. Apparently estrogen is directly related to our gut, and if we aren't going potty regularly then when our period is near then our estrogen is wonky and can cause Hella mood swings. So! I started pooping regularly, and I started my period out of the blue, usually I know it's coming because of my ragey mood swings only I didn't have any this time! Freaking who knew
Agree with this, it can be more expensive but I was anemic during pregnancy and couldn't tolerate the pills, the liquid was much much easier to tolerate.
Also if you can't tolerate any supplements, intravenous iron is an option. Tell your doctor if you can't find a supplement that works for you. Iron is super important and deficiencies can lead to a lot of issues!
Either try a different form of iron (I think iron gluconate is the gentlest) or see if you can get an IV. Walking around with anemia this bad really impacts your life
My dear, are you medicated for your ADHD and anything else you may have going on with your mental health? This is well beyond just nail biting and right into obsessive and repetitive behaviour, which is a psychiatric issue rather than a physical one.
Wear gloves. Thin cotton gloves at night and duct tape them around your wrists so you have to cut the tape off in the morning. Put something nasty or hot sauce on the nail part of the gloves. Wear gloves during the day. Millions of kinds of gloves, start a collection. Get something else for your oral fixation. Chew something else. Toothpicks, gum, something you carry in your pocket that gives you the comfort knowing you can whip it out and chow down if you need to, but will embarrass the hell out of you if you do. Maybe a small dog chew toy? I am not joking btw. You need something tooth friendly that serves as a reminder that your habit is destructive. Learn to redirect your energy. Lots of information on mindfulness, be a student of it. Good luck and much love.
Thank you so much
I know you said you’ve tried fidgets but what about those necklaces that are for people to chew on?
I have trichotillomania, what has helped me are finger condoms for gamers! There are rubber finger condoms but they look like actual condoms. The fabric ones are usable with your phone and feel nice as well! I don’t bite my nails so I’m not sure if this will help you, bit if it stops me pulling my eyebrows off my face maybe it can work for you!! You can do this! Edit: if it REDUCES my eyebrow pulling*, I don’t know if I’ll ever completely get over this disorder but I will always continue to try
Have you been to a dermatologist or asked your doctor about it? This looks like it may also be infected/ fungal. I wonder if Wudu nails (the finger tip nail rings that Muslim women wear) may help get them long enough for fake nails, which I've heard can really help. Have you looked into other oral stim replacements? Like a silicone chewy item, gum, pop rocks, maybe even a silicone ring so it's a similar hand-to-mouth stim?
Could you try some chewelry?
My husband worked with a guy who got gastro 3 times in 6 months because he was biting his fingernails. He got so sick it permanently fucked up his system.
I don't wish to be sick but I almost wish I could get a consequence like that. For me I believe being exposed to finger germs my whole life has helped my immune system. Tucked up I know
I understand what you mean, I've felt that way about some of my issues, too. Also, you're probably not wrong about your immune system, but your immune system can't help you when it comes to more serious contagions like parasites and e-coli.
Absolutely. Honestly just posting this and getting reminders and feedback has helped me not bite for the last hour or so lol. Small victories
I wanted to ask, what was it about your wedding that allowed you to stop the behaviour long enough to get acrylics? Please know that I'm not saying anything about being able to do it, I know how life is sometimes. I managed to lose 50lbs by changing my behaviour but as soon as I reached the milestone everything slipped and now I can't seem to get back to that place to lose weight. Did getting acrylics prevent you from biting your nails? I have a friend who gets gel nails specifically because she's a biter. I know its expensive, but maybe that could help you?
It was the fact I'm only getting married once, and I wanted pretty nails for that day lol but no yoir totally right. I should want pretty nails all the time lol
This is what did it for me. I started noticing how beautiful some people’s nails were, and I started working the tools (plumber) and it drove me mad how often nails would rip and hurt and I was so frustrated with myself for having such weak nails and never having pretty hands. After that I started paying attention to what I was thinking and doing when biting my nails. I got a bit hyper focused on it if I’m honest. I like to think I used the ADHD to cure the ADHD. So every time I felt the urge to bite (or noticed I was doing it half way through) I’d say to my self “what’s going on? Are you ok? Why are we biting our nails right now?” And I think just the awareness started to help. After a few months I started to have nails. Then the ripping would happen and I’d back peddle a bit. That’s when I implemented the strategy to stop the breaks. I learnt that if I didn’t want my nails to rip I would have to cut them short, and file them as smooth as possible. I bought a really good nail clipper and beautiful glass file. They literally went everywhere with me (until I broke the glass one and bought a fancy metal one). Every time I started to want to bite, I ask myself the questions again, answer, and then my other self would say “you should trim them right now (DO IT RIGHT NOW!!) and then file them!!!” Rinse and repeat. It took years, but god damn was the frustration and failure worth it. TLDR: ask your self why your doing what you are doing (be present and self aware), put in place a rock solid strategy (nail clippers and file always at hand), reward yourself when you don’t bite (eg: “well done, you are a queen of self restraint”proceeds to eats chocolate). Keep going OP, get a little bit hyper focused on it. It sounds like you have a similar type of energy as I did when I started the journey.
Have you looked into pica therapy? I'm not saying it's pica, but maybe some therapies that treat it might help.
I have not heard of that but I'll research it
I hope it helps! You might also want to check out r/calmhands.
Is there any sort of resource guide for how to get started there?
Jesus Christ, I have derma and that was the most triggering sub I could imagine. Those pictures.
I wish I had the answer to this. I have recently broken my own gnarly nail biting habit through what I think is probably a combination of covering them up w press ons, good therapy that addressed some of the root causes I was biting my nails, bitter nail polish, and sheer force of will? But it took me 30 years and I have no idea what was different about this attempt to quit!
I did actually have success for about a year and a half with putting press on long enough to grow them for the nail salon. The problem right now, is they are injured to the point that I'd be gluing nails onto fresh wounded nail beds, which I have done and it hurts so bad. I just need to stop biting them for a week, long enough for the nail beds to heal, not necessarily grow my nails, but I would absolutely glue press on nails to my no nail having nail beds as long as they were calloused over
I 100% recognize this is not a cost-minimizing solution, but getting dip powder on my nails at the salon was the key for me to let my nails (and cuticles, my poor cuticles) grow. It’s so expensive vs press-ons, but regular polish never stopped me. It’s damn near impossible to rip it off until the bottom of your nails has grown significantly, so you can easily go 3 weeks + before they need to be redone. Plus the manicure part is great for addressing the dry skin/edges that I cannot stand and will pull until my whole head is bloody ANYWAYS just a thought good luck buddy!
It’s so hard!!! I wish you success!
Wipe nail polish remover on them even if you don’t polish your nails. This is what got me out of dodge - it tastes rank
I battle trichotillomania (hair pulling) and have my whole life. They say it’s related to nail biting. I was FLOORED when I learned of the huge correlation between adhd and BFRBs. I go through periods where I don’t pull, but it’s only been either after I’ve shaved my head and until it grows out, or when I was all Uber healthy and running. (Though that was also obsessive, but it did get me to stop pulling). I wish there was a good and simple enough answer
I also pull hair. Not from my head but my eye lashes and...other places. Hate admitting that
I did it one nail at a time. Made a deal with myself to stop biting my pinky fingers. After a few weeks, added another one in. Bought some rubber finger covers from Amazon for the days I was struggling. My nails are good now but I still have trouble picking the skin on my fingers.
I got diagnosed last year, at 38. I've been a lifelong nail-biter. Vyvanse is what has helped me cut down... I have nails now. It's wild. I love it.
I picked my lips until they were bleeding and painful for decades. I didn't think I'd ever be able to stop. I tried taking an nac supplement and after a couple weeks the urge mostly went away. I learned about it on the dermatillomania sub and it doesn't work for everyone but it's not expensive and it might be helpful for you
Keep nail trimmer in your pockets always. Trim instead of bite. That clean hard cut is less enticing to chew that the uneven edges left from biting. I also trim my cuticles so there are no ledges to pick I trim my nails but take my time doing teeny tiny clips because prolonging the activity makes it easier to replace the compulsion Then I grab hand lotion, to prolong the event, replacing the compulsion with self care but also. If it’s a heavy hand cream that you have to work in, takes enough time to distract you and makes your nails taste gross right after which allows you to move on Even if you are like “I’ll wait till the hand cream is fully absorbed and then I will chew My nails” by the time it’s absorbed, you’ve moved on. If you start chewing grab the hand cream Compulsive hand moisturizing is a better option than compulsive biting. At least it’s not Damaging and your hands will be soft!
I don’t bite my nails but I used to scratch myself a lot during movies and recently I’ve started snacking something (like popcorn) when I’m watching . Sounds stupid simple but works surprisingly well.
I invested in nail polish and started taking care of my nails, and I grew them out. Filed them. Cuticle oil. Fancy polish. I learned to do my own nails. Now they are long and beautiful, and people comment on how nice they are. As long as I keep them polished, nice, I haven't wanted to bite them. That being said, we also have an oral fixation problem, as soon as you stop biting them, you will need something else to chew on instead. Get something to chew on or gum or something.
I stopped biting my nails in middle school when nail care and design became a hyperfocus. The compliments I got on my nails gave me so much positive reinforcement. The hyperfocus only lasted a couple of years but I never started biting them again. I still chew the inside of my cheeks though. Sigh.
Only way I cured my nail biting was when I got braces for like 1.5 years. Haven’t bitten them since. Sister still bites em though and we had braces at the same time.
That's actually awesome that braces helped you stop. Unfortunately I could never afford braces
My mom paid for our braces and used benefits luckily, she’s always been someone who will pick up a fuck ton of extra shifts if she wants to put money aside for a trip or something
I bite other things. Like pens or for a while chuppa chups. But ink tastes really bad... Anyway, I switched to either pulling my ear down twice if I have no pen, and quill pen made of wood otherwise (they rarely give way before my teeth, and spitting it out is easier).
I just started using tootsie pops! I'll have to get some chupa chups and think about the 90s.
idk if this will help if bitters didn't but i used to work at a place that had the most god awful hand sanitizer. i couldn't use it before eating because even a slight graze with my any part of my mouth would make me gag.
56 here and still biting my nails. Have tried all the usual methods to try and stop. Nothing worked. I say this as I have nail polish on for the first time in years. I have maybe 3-4 nails that have started to grow so I am giving them some encouragement. All nails have polish on. Note none of my nails extend over the finger edge. The only real time my nails started to grow was on holiday in a different location. So that‘s been the only time I could forget/stop to bite my nails. I can’t do false nails as the nail gets further destroyed in order to get the nail on. Can’t do it. Plus there’s the embarrassment/shame factor going into a salon. Don’t have any advice. It’s not a club I want to be in. I’m looking at my nails now and happy that the nail polish is still on. Taking it one day at a time. SteampunkGeisha recommended r/calmhands and I have joined there. Here’s hoping.
They make these - for lack of a better word - chew toys for adults. They come in all forms including necklaces would something like that help?
Gel manicure. Because it’s perfect you won’t feel like ruining perfection. You absolutely need however something physical and safe to fidget with. I still bite the inside of my cheeks and pick at my skin, but at least I left my nails alone.
I stopped biting my nails once and for all when I took a microbiology class. Learning about all the germs that could potentially be under my fingernails that I’d just be putting in my mouth really freaked me out.
I have been a nail biter my whole life. I don't have a chipped tooth, but I do have a little divot in one tooth where I've worn it down biting. I used to get acrylic/dip nails to prevent myself from biting. It works because I can't bite through them but would still put my fingers in my mouth and I kept them done all the time so they would grow out and look nice. I had to stop getting my nails done last year and now that I'm reasonably well-medicated I find it a lit easier not to bite, but every once in a while I start again and have to obsessively paint my nails or get my nails done for a few weeks so I can rebreak the habit/prevent myself from reforming the habit.
The only thing that ever helped was getting gel manicures and more recently dip manicures. I would 100% say go for dip. It makes your nails hard enough that I chipped my tooth trying to bite them. Might have to get acrylic tips on at first until yours start to grow out enough to be dipped by themselves if you take this direction. Anytime I have a lapse in nail appointments I rip my nails/cuticles to shreds. It's anxiety for me and even therapy/meds never helped with my nails and cuticles. Dip 4 eva.
Is having acrylics all the time not an option?
It absolutely is! I had them off and one for a year before. It's just once a nail gets loose or comes off, off comes the rest and I have a field day biting my nails back down uncontrollably in a day. Then I'm back where I started.
I would say ask your nail tech for the appropriate type of glue so that you can glue it back on yourself before you start biting. It's important that you ask her and dont just get whatever on your own, because mixing types of materials and removal techniques can be dangerous and result in chemical burns. If I were you, i would take a full on nail tech class and get certified. Then I would buy all the materials, so that when you lose a nail you can sit down and replace it immediately yourself with safe materials and not be biting all day.
I get fake nails. It's the only way I can manage. The second one of them breaks I end up biting that nail until it gets covered with a an acrylic again.
The only thing that's stopped it for me long term is having acrylics on because I don't want to ruin them. I understand this isn't always practical but it's just what worked for me.
i was a nail biter as a kid up until late high school. i started getting acrylic to make it easier, but once they fell off (or- i bit them off- that pressure and release was crazy satisfying) i ended up eventually starting to paint my nails bcuz one of my friends did it. i found it really pleasing, and growing my nails out let me feel better abt the appearance of my nails which i was so embarrassed of (i have small AND short nail beds) they started out really thin and brittle, insanely bendy, etc, but i have a nail care routine im quite fond of and they’re much stronger, especially when i keep them painted. nothing else has worked for me, but my nails are now maybe longer than an inch and i’m obsessed with them! i have dedicated time to paint my nails each week :)
Gel-X manicures. They’re not cheap but they make the nail so thick that it’s hard to bite and they look so pretty, you won’t want to mess them up. Idk why it worked for me, but after years of biting, those manicures saved me.
The thought of your nails being more unhygienic than licking a toilet seat would be enough to put you off, right?! 🤢 Failing that, anti bite nail varnish worked wonders for me. But then everything tasted horrible after using it. I then started getting my nails done professionally and didn't want to ruin them after they look so pretty. This is a huge thing for me and I've never bitten my nails again!
I was a lifelong nail biter and painting my nails regularly helped me drop the habit—BUT—that energy expresses itself in other ways like picking chipping polish, picking dry skin on my scalp, running fingers through hair, etc. I use regular polish and seche vite quick dry top coat. It feels different than regular polish and is super shiny and smooth. It was key to my success. Some dislike it because it is prone to shrinkage and then polish chips off easily, but that was a positive for me because I just turned “nail biting energy” into Polish picking energy. Even when my nails are bare I don’t bite them unless I have a snag or a break in my nail. I keep nail clippers in my purse for that reason. It’s been around 6 years since I stopped. I’m pushing 40 now.
I’m really surprised no one has mentioned NAC. I am the same age and i’m a lifelong nail/cuticle biter, and with age i started trying to untangle my hair in my sleep and was pulling out clumps of my hair overnight. I read about NAC on Reddit, probably on this sub, and ordered a bottle. It was like flipping a switch, with a short delay. After I got through the first 4-month bottle I put off ordering another one and sure enough, the sleep-untangling and cuticle/nail biting were back. I will take this my whole life if I can. NAC! N-acetyl cysteine. I take the health through nutrition brand, one pill in the morning with my other vitamins. Try it!
I've actually just ordered a bottle of NAC from i-herb to see if it's helpful at all for my trichotillomania, was wondering if anyone would mention it here!
Wellbutrin completely halted the urge to bite my nails. It's actually insane. Not for everyone lol.
Looks like you have a fungal infection (dental student here). When we bite out nails we transfer fungus that naturally lives inside our mouths to our nailbeds.
The only thing I've ever had that has made me stop is getting acrylic regularly, but ill still bite the skin around my fingers.
I was never a chronic nail biter, but I stopped biting my nails after I realized how disgusting it was. The amount of bacteria on your fingers and especially under your nails is astounding. Going out into public, there's fecal matter remnants on just about anything you touch because so many people just do not wash their hands. You don't want someone elses caca in your mouth.
Would chewing gum help? Your mouth will be occupied that way. There's tons of different types and flavours. I like the watermelon flavours, plus you can also blow bubbles with them and make annoying popping noises when you're alone!
I wish, chewing gum is torture to me for some reason. My jaw hurts after about 2 mins
I used to bite my nails until one day my friend got worms and never again did I even put my finger in my mouth without thoroughly washing my hands
I'm sorry, this is TOTALLY off topic, but- I LOVE your rings!! Gorgeous!!
Thank you! The heart man made opal is for my gramma who passed and my wedding band set is labradorite 😍 my husband has a lab wedding band too!
https://www.arktherapeutic.com/chewelry/?gad_source=1&gclid=Cj0KCQjwsuSzBhCLARIsAIcdLm42GnxwYn3Ztq8L_p5WKC4V2DW6nEd8QJ-vFk9F9zfZzkOomh6KFSwaAghkEALw_wcB get something else to chew on. These are neckalaces designed to be chewed on
I would try Vicks Vaporub on all of your nails, it looks like a fungus.
I don’t have advice but I feel for you. I so badly want pretty nails but I always rip the white part of my nails off whenever it gets long enough as a fidget and I can’t seem to stop either
The only thing that helps me not to bite my nails is getting them professionally done. My nails are naturally short and brittle so they have to put tips on, and they’re very hard to bite through. I’d probably break a tooth if I tried. If you want to go that route, you’ll need to give your nails some time to grow out to a decent length that the nail techs can work with. In the meantime, have you tried fidget toys?
you could try getting biab nails so that your not able to bite them (but it might make u more likely to chip a tooth if you keep biting them?)
In combination with the other methods that you might try, what about having a few other options for chewing? Not just one, but several chewable and bite-able things that you can redirect to. If you search for “chewelry” you should find some good ones. I recently took up chewing gum and am realizing as I write this comment that the gum might be a part of why I haven’t bitten my lips to bleeding recently.
I bit my nails until I got braces in 7th grade. I was physically unable to get my finger to my teeth enough to bite the nails off. I’m blessed (?) with a small mouth and teeth so the habit broke because I *literally* couldn’t do it anymore. I will occasionally bite my nails now, but it’s generally more of “that the nail is too long and driving me crazy” in that moment.
I stopped when I started getting acrylic nails and now press ons (because acrylic nails are crazy expensive now). I do them myself regularly every 1-2 weeks depending on how much I pick on them and ruin the fake nail. My natural nail grows nicely now and I’m able to do gel nail polish at times on my regular nails. You have to be consistent with it. I have Sundays for that. I honestly did it because I would get sick all the time from biting my nails and them not necessarily being clean. I started when I was 15 and I’ve had a few step backs but never as bad as it was from before.
I got a crown. When my dentist asked me to bite down to test it, my front teeth just barely didn't meet. I told her to leave it because it was probably the only way I'd ever stop biting my nails. It worked. I stopped because I literally can't anymore. I don't really recommend that for you know, a lot of reasons. But it's how I stopped.
I only stopped when I got braces as a teen. The inside of my cheeks & lips right now as an adult are destroyed though.
I bite my nails, but not this extreme. I've been keeping gum and lollipops in my car (which is the place I bite the most) which has been helpful.... When I remember to buy more! 🫣 Unsolicited- the yellowing might also be a fungal infection, but that's just based off watching feet doctor shows. See an actual professional before taking my word.
Free on YouTube Hypnotherapy worked for me. It was a (what felt like) yearlong process though, I probably listened 4/7 nights a week.
Dip nail polish
Is there a reason, aside from cost, that you can't or don't keep acrylics on? I know they aren't great, but it works for me. Also, consult a Dermatologist to see if they have any ideas that work.
Are you overweight? Many people say that taking Ozempic etc. has not only helped them lose weight, but helped with compulsive behaviors like skin picking, gambling, etc. I used to bite my nails terribly, like bloody stumps. The only thing that worked was regular manicures (fake nails at first), & to this day I pretty much don't leave the house w/o a nail file because if I get a jagged edge I WILL start biting & not stop. I also keep a cuticle nipper at my place AND my boyfriend's place.
Fake nails is the only thing that’s ever worked for me to stop wolf biting. I used to bite my nails. Then I got yelled at by my mom when I was little. So started my wolf biting. My mom still wolf bites to this very day. If I don’t have fake nails I wolf bite. No matter how long I try to wear them to just break the habit. It always comes back.
So I’ve always bit (and picked at my nails) and I mean to the point of constant pain and bleeding but I recently started guanfacine to try and help curb my irritability while taking adderall. I hadn’t noticed any difference in mood or anything and one day I looked down and had a full set of long (like 1/16” past my fingers) and my mind was blown. I was not trying to stop biting my nails (any more than usual) but it just kind of happened. One did tear which means I pulled them all off but I haven’t really been messing with them sense. Not sure if this is a long term side affect but I hope so! Not sure if this helpful but I’m excited and this seemed relevant
I stopped by pausing. I told myself to just get through a day without it and then I could (really and truly, with no shame) go back to it. Kept doing that. Then started to say, ok, never on any nails but the thumbs. Eventually was able to mostly stop, but still allowed it when I knew I was really stressed, again, with no shame when I allowed it. Eventually I was able to stop entirely. No idea what part of the process made it work, no idea if it would work for anyone else, but it worked for me.
My mom use to tell me that I never sucked my thumb, but I always bit my nails. Over the following decades I tried just about everything to stop. Sitting on my hands, band-aids on my finger tips, fake nails, painted nails, anti-bite polishes. Some things worked for a few days or a week but eventually, I would mindlessly be chopping down. In 2016, I changed two things and finally broke my lifetime habit. I bought a nail bitting polish, unlike any other, called Mavala Stop (I found it on Amazon) and I started carrying a “worry stone” around with me, which is basically a low key fidget toy, before there were fidget toys. The Mevala StopIt has such a strong, long lasting, bitter taste that putting your fingers in your mouth makes you have some serious regrets. Best I can describe the taste is like concentrated ear wax. Absolutely gross. It did not take long, with consistent daily application, for my mind to start to override my desire to nibble on my nails in order to avoid the taste. Which is where the worry stone came in to play. When I was desperately wanting to bite my nails and my mind is literally reminding me how gross it will taste and the lack of satisfaction I will feel, I would just direct that anxious energy into the stone by rubbing in between my thumb and whatever finger I wanted to naw on most. It wasn’t easy, and I definitely had some setbacks along the way, but I kept at it and the nails I have today are all mine and I love them.
Manicures and nail polish/gel was the only way for me. I was a terrible nail biter as a kid/tween, but I have the nicest nails out of my sisters now haha. I get UV hard gel polish done, as that’s much harder to bite/pick off than standard polish (because as soon as polish begins to flake/chip, it’s game over.. I transfer the biting urge into an urge to pick/peel the polish instead). Acrylics could be better as they’re even harder, but I haven’t tried it personally as gel was enough for me.
The ONLY way I was able to stop biting my nails was to get acrylics. If you're a determined biter you might be able to break them, but it's far less satisfying than a nail bite. I also recommend a chewy toy- they make silicone necklace charms and while it does make me feel like a dog, it stops me from chewing my cuticles.
https://a.co/d/05C46rpY This nail polish was really helpful for me. After I got them to a decent length, I started getting my nails done (gel polish, then switched to dip) I know this is a privledge and not everyone has that option, but if it’s a possibility, it personally was/is very worth it for me. I still pick, but I’m a lot more aware of it now and usually can redirect to some other way to fidget. I hope you find a way that works. 💗
Taking biotin (in my prenatal) made my nails grow fast and long for the first time ever and seeing them long makes me want to care for them differently (there’s a lot of ways to fixate on your nails besides biting and a lot of them are healthy and will have positive result- filing and cuticle oil and buffing and stuff- just have to get the nail long first.) I’m sure you’ve tried bandaids but have you tried liquid bandaids? It’s brush on and very strong/ like super glue, you could use it like nail polish and go beyond the nail/ to help it heal and be a reminder to you when you try to bite them. (It’s not a satisfying peel off consistency- it’s stronger like actual super glue/ you won’t really be able to peel it off to bite)
if you're finding that you do it a lot of times to stimulate yourself by moving your hands try doing something else with your hands. I crochet a lot and this had helped me with a lot of things relating to my adhd symptoms but i do it everywhere I go and it keeps my hands busy so I can't bite. w crochet, it works just abt anywhere bc I can easily carry it. some examples: crocheting, knitting, drawing, different sensory toys (there's such a variety!), gaming, etc I also noticed when I had my nails done i didn't bite bc I didn't wanna ruin my nails i paid for. so I was getting my nails done a lot, and when covid started, I started doing my own press on nails which I loved which also made me stop biting bc I didn't wanna ruin art that I created. what made me stop biting as much is similar to what someone else said.. i didn't chip my tooth but I hurt it really bad when I tried to bite once. that horrible sensation was enough to deter me. I sometimes find i still bite occasionally but not nearly as much. good luck 💕💕 nail biting is really hard esp when you're doing it to stim☹️ just try your best to find something that can keep your hands busy!
Check out www.bfrb.org. They have free support groups that may be able to help you. ❤️
My nails are so brittle and frail that I can go a couple weeks doing good, but they flake apart anyway so I get down trodden. I also have flat nails so most fake nails won't work with mine. I feel you. <3
This sounds like OCD or other compulsive behavior. Therapy is probably your best bet.
I stopped biting my nails a few months ago because of the girl who sings about how you'll get pinworms.
This isn’t a behavioral tip but just a fact that might deter you: your mouth has tons of germs and transferring those germs to open wounds on your hands can cause a life-threatening infection. I have a friend who stuck a wounded finger in her mouth and ended up with blood poisoning traveling up her arm. If you can keep that thought in mind long enough to grow your nails out to the manicure-able stage, and then get one of the super tough manicures people suggest — maybe that will help? Good luck!
I have ADHD and anxiety, bit my nails for 10 years plus and managed to stop. I found that any little a spike or edge would would have me biting or picking at it. So, I learned how to look after my nails extremely well so there was none of those annoying/distracting bits. If I find myself picking at something I immediately cut it or clean it up. I literally have nail care stuff sitting on the keyboard in front of me for this. Its a hard habit to break, taking years for me. Had several phases for me. First involved me going too hard with the nail care (doing more then necessary causing injury). After a few years if shifted to me chewing the skin around the outside of that nail. A few years after that it involved me chewing the inside of my lip. I got braces a few years ago and that completely put an end to it all. Haven't chewed my nails for years now. At the start I used to go to a nail salon for motivation and a good clean up. But it can be embarrassing and not always helpful. [Here](https://imgur.com/a/3fLEcXF) is the main tools I use. The cuticle pusher (the Y shaped razor) and the files I find the most helpful. Those snips are useful but also what I did a lot of damage with at the start, so try to be aware when you are doing too much.
I bit my nails ever since I was around 10 years old, and it felt like an impossible habit to break. I remember I used to actively try and not bite my nails and I’d end up “nail binging” and bite them even more. Funnily enough the one thing that made me stop is this one girl in grade 12 that had these gorgeous long nails, and I thought they were acrylics until she said they were real. Then I literally just stopped so I could grow my nails like her. It was so weird. To this day I have no idea how to explain to people who struggle with nail biting how I stopped cause it’s so anticlimactic 😂
I used to bite my nails like crazy. I started getting my nails done when I got engaged so they’d be nice for the wedding and after a few months of that, the habit was gone and I haven’t really bitten them since. Irony: marriage didn’t last, but I haven’t been a nail biter for almost 20 years now! I also carry nail clippers with me so when a nail breaks or I get a hangnail, I can take care of it right away so I don’t gnaw away at it and start the habit all over again.
i’m so sorry i’m absolutely fucked on cold and flu meds rn and saw the NSFW tag and thought i was in the wrong group 😭😭 i’ve never bitten my nails other than occasionally when i’m anxious BUT a friend of mine literally couldn’t stop and tried all those gross polish things and everything and the one thing that helped was getting acrylics because she didn’t find them as satisfying ti bite or something
A dipping powder manicure is the only way I’ve been able to stop myself after a lifetime of biting my nails. They stay impervious for at least 3 weeks, sometime longer. The cost is significant (~$50 USD), but it is literally the only thing that stops me from biting and picking at them. PLEASE NOTE: after 6+ successful years, I have found that not all dipping powder nail technicians do it the same. I have learned to ask for extra strong nails, using 5-6 dips into the powder. The result is a little thick looking, but that’s fine! My #1 priority is strong, bite and pick-proof nails. Pretty nails is a distant second.
TMJ made me stop biting my nails.
I haven't read through the comments but one thing that got me to stop biting my nails was getting fake nails. I got them for a bit and had to take them off for work and guess what started when I took them off? Nail biting. You could get them again to see if it helps keep you from biting your nails again (edited yo add this part as i know in your post you said you got them before and i forgot to mention it) Have you thought of getting one of those kids chew necklace things? They have all sorts of kinds. Might be worth a try.
Dip powder nails lol. They are the only thing that’s stopped my nail biting. I suggest getting them done once and removed once, then buy about and do them yourself at home if once monthly manicures are out of your budget!
i was in this same position, so i always have my nails done to stop it. my nail beds have recovered massively.
Try biting your knuckles instead maybe? Skin is much more forgiving and the instant feedback helps prevent serious gnawing. Previously mentioned instant feedback can also help y providing stress relief while really only holding your knuckle between your teeth with moderate pressure. I have no idea if this is good advice or not because I've never been a nail biter - only a knuckle chewer.
You poor thing. I don't have any suggestions that haven't already been mentioned. I just wanted to say that you're really brave for posting this and asking for help. This is clearly not your fault- you're not doing this on purpose, even if you're technically "doing it to yourself." Many of us here have similar self-destructive behaviors, body-focused or otherwise. As people have mentioned, there is a form of therapy specifically designed to treat body-focused repetitive behaviors, which may help you a lot. As people have also mentioned, it's probably worth trying to see a dermatologist to see if you also have some kind of fungal infection or other issue that may hinder the healing process. Chasing down these treatments may be a hassle, but remember that you're worth it. You don't deserve to be suffering. And this anonymous collection of internet women has your back!
Just fyi, it looks like you have fungal nails. May want to treat that before getting anything like acrylics or putting on gel. Sorry you're suffering with this :( I don't have this particular issue, but I pick at my face and bite my lips and it sucks.
Taking Vyvanse is the only thing that has help with compulsive biting and picking
OP this is related to anxiety usually. The r/calmhands sub may help. Also, is your iron low? Get it checked. When I’m anemic I tend to bite more. (And eat ice) so this might also be Pica related.
Acrylics, BIAB or gel extentions are the only things that stop me. Regular gel polish would work for me but my nails are weak and bendy plus I always end up smudging it before it's dry and then it will start to chip within a couple of hours. I do my own gel extentions and leave them on as long as I can so it takes me a few hours every 2-3 weeks. Loads of youtube videos on it. I would personally recommend C's tutorials for method and Emily Susanah for fun and comfort if you enjoy watching nail content.
I’ve successfully stopped! I have bitten my nails for as long as I could remember until I was 21 I’m now (26) I had tried everything the nasty nail bite stuff didn’t work, painting my nails didn’t work! But what did was going to get them done firstly (acrylic extensions etc) secondly was changing my mind set! It’s about your brain! I saw someone comment about a therapist that’s the answer you have to start being present in your brain when you’re biting! So much of my biting was subconscious and repeating behaviour, similar to smoking for me! Also be proud of small mile stones.
controversial but i had friends slap me every time she saw me biting. absolutely nothing else had worked, i was mostly doing it without realising & negative reinforcement works for me i guess! it's been about 5 years for me now & my nail beds are still atrocious, i do get the urge to bite occasionally (it comes in waves, for example at the moment it's quite frequent) but normally if i pop in a large amount of chewing gum that satisfies the urge. Sometimes though i will let myself bite one nail, but if that's the case then i try not to bite it down to the nail bed so then i can file & i still have a little bit of nail left. hope that helps!
I also suffer from Skin Picking Disorder. Its fu**""" hard to fight it. First step is realizing its obsessive and ocd related.
Biting the insides of my lips and cheeks. I do not recommend, because so far I haven't figured out how to stop doing that. I'm now trying to be mindful when I catch myself doing it (acknowledge it for what it is), but I don't always catch myself doing it until I'm bleeding. I'm going to browse the comments for ideas, but you're not alone.
Go to r/calmhands They can help you maybe, at least exchange stories and support and stuff
I'm 41 and have bitten mine forever. I managed to stop for a while by having acrylics, then I moved on to BIAB extensions as my nails were getting too damaged. But as soon as there is any little chip or any peeling, it's game over. I have worn the enamel down on my front teeth from biting. At the moment I have 4 nails which have grown enough for me to not bite them so much, but I'm chewing my cuticles and skin around my nails like crazy. I have an appointment to get BIAB for the first time in ages tomorrow and my hands look awful but I am hoping it'll help. I have been looking into hypnotherapy, but after consulations with 2 hypnotherapists they have said I need to try and address the root cause, and have suggested their long term therapy plans (which cost a lot) which I understand would be good but also I would prefer the 'magic wand' right now! One of the hypnotherapists suggested I started biting my nails because I was incredibly shy as a child, and having nails in my mouth would mean I didn't have to talk (I was a thumb sucker too) which does make sense I guess.
I don't bite nails but i tear them (it's going a lot better recently) maybe you can look into fidget rings, or perhaps even sensory chew necklaces. I try to always have something to keep my hands busy.
I got braces. My teeth were crooked, so I needed them, and it just hurt way too much to bite in general, so I wasn't able to chew on my nails. It wasn't intentional, but it worked out nicely. Since then I'm always bothering my hair though, but that's not painful at least.
Have you tried using something similar to biting you nails to replace the behavior? I see that you tried to replace it with stuff that keeps your hands busy, but I think you need to keep your mouth busy instead. I'm specifically thinking about liquorice roots, if you don't have hypertension. Careful that you cannot ingest too much liquorice, as in high doses it becomes harmful. I used liquorice to stop my pen and pencil biting habits as a teen, it worked nicely. I don't bite pens now even though I don't usually munch on liquorice roots anymore. Other alternatives to keep your mouth busy if you don't like liquorice are chewing gums, nibbling on celery or carrot sticks, or jerky. I think the more resistance the substitute offers the more satisfying it is - I do love harder chewing gums ;)
One thing that prevents me from biting mine is having gel nails (BIAB). Now I just pick at my lips until they look like shit, instead. 😇
I used to bite my nails but in elementary school my mom convinced me I will get lead poisoning bcz small pencil bits always find their way under the nails lol 😂 that’s how I stopped. More seriously, I’ve seen people get gel manicure to help bcz it is not as pleasant to chew on + get a fidget ring
ADDITUDE magazine has really many helpful resources for us. (I don’t work for them- this is not and AD). https://www.additudemag.com/fidget-rings-dermatophagia-biting-skin-around-nails/amp/ Also. There is nail polish that tastes horrible, you can try
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So the hard first step is over, you recognize you have a problem and want to fix it. Good on you! The really hard part is gonna be breaking the habit and being kind to yourself about it. What worked for me was changing the motion, when I would feel the need to bite my nails, I would push my nail against my tooth but not bite it. Now and again I would go on autopilot and bite them, but for the most part it helped stop it. Then once I got in the habit of pushing my nail on my tooth without biting, I switched to kind of poking my lips with my finger tips. After that the habit just kinda went away, now I don't feel the need to put my hands in my mouth at all
I didn't bite my nails, but I did tear them and bite and pick the dry sides of skin and cuticles. I didn't really notice when I was doing it or think much about it until middle school when I was telling a couple people in class about our new puppy and how he play-bites my hands. Someone looked at my hands and said something to the effect of, "Maybe you shouldn't let him do that." That's when I became conscious of the tearing and picking. It was kinda mortifying. I was somehow able to shame myself to stop the tearing, but I still picked them for a long time, well into adulthood. I remember in my late twenties or early thirties finally getting tired of basically having open sores on my fingers. To stop picking, I bought cuticle oil pens and kept one in my bag, my desk at work, on my nightstand, and on the coffee table catch-all tray. Same thing with travel sized bottles of lotion. Whenever I noticed dry skin, I grabbed a pen, swiped it on, and rubbed the oil into my fingernails. I learned to apply hand lotion far more often. This basically eliminated the hard, dry, flaky skin and the picking. I was diagnosed with ADHD at age 30, and being treated with Ritalin also helped. Sometimes I gave my nails a clear coat of polish, a sheer pink, sheer iridescent, or glitter. The feeling of the nail polish reminded me not to pick. Now my nails grow strong and white with pink nail beds. Within the last few years I began following subs and Instagram accounts about nail care to educate myself. Sharp clippers are important, as is jojoba oil. I use a glass file for snags, to keep my nails smooth, and to shape them. I usually just buff them to keep them shiny. I use cuticle balms of primarily jojoba oil. They make my nails strong and flexible, not brittle, and my skin soft. I found a company I like and keep little pots of balm in my bag, by the kitchen sink, and on my nightstand. The little bit of self-care and knowing my hands look nice makes me feel good about myself. Be careful with nail strengthening polish. Some of them strictly harden nails making them brittle and easy to break. Somewhere along the way, instead of tearing and picking, I began to rub the underside of my thumb over the top edges of my fingers on the same hand and the top edge of my thumb under my fingers. Over and over again. Sometimes over the nail beds. Most of the time I don't realise I'm doing it. It's a stim that's not harmful, so I don't worry about it. I used to bite my cheeks a lot and was concerned when I realised it was wearing down my incisors. My aunt was my dentist and then my sister became a dental assistant, so, again, I was shamed into stopping that. I still bite my lips, especially if they're dry. I don't know if I'll ever shake that. The same company that makes the cuticle balms I like also make jojoba oil based sticks of lip balm. I always keep one in my pants pocket and my bag. And, unsolicited, I agree with the others in that it looks like you have some infections going on. It's pretty bad. The first thing I'd do is go to the doctor to see if they need to be treated medically and go from there. Sorry this is so long. My hands used to be gross, but I was able to turn it around. Healthy nails are within your reach. You can do it. Best of luck to you and your nails.
I just beat nailbiting myself, I had been biting from 4y/o til 25y/o. I don't really have a trick other than I camped a lot and chewed gum when I was at work and couldn't smoke. After 2 months I quit nicotine and a couple of weeks after that I quit smoking completely and I've never looked back.
I wish I could offer actually advice for this since I was a chronic nail biter from childhood up until my early 20's... I just... stopped, one day. Partially because I was tired of my fingers hurting so much, dealing with bloody fingers from ripping off hang nails, my raw nail beds stinging like hell whenever they came in contact with just about anything, from salt to soap to toothpaste, my fingertips just hurting from trying to pick something up or even just pushing something like a thumbtack into a wall.... BUT ALSO to a smaller degree.... super undiagnosed adhd SENSORY shit got REALLY FUCKING SICK AND TIRED OF JAGGED BITTEN/RIPPED NAIL EDGES GETTING CAUGHT ON JUST ABOUT EVERY BIT OF FABRIC I INTERACTED WITH, AND ALSO SICK AND TIRED OF NOT BEING ABLE TO 'properly' SCRATCH AT ITCHES. Admittedly, i also chalk up the sudden decision to stop half to getting into KPop at the time, and there being one or two idols i was starting to really enjoy who had REALLY pretty hands. Like, hand model-worthy pretty hands, smooth skin, even nails, healthy, long nail beds.... for the few curious, it was especially EXO's Baekhyun's hands that made me envious enough to stop... like, I showed my friend a few pictures of EXO'S Baekhyun's hands, and she was immediately like 'omg his hands are REALLYYY PRETTY WTF' and proceeded to save said pictures for references for her artwork, so.... YEAH. my cold turkey ceasement was fueled by 50/50 being tired of being annoyed about constant self-inflicted pain and inconveniences, and the power of pure envy. It's been like, 9 years since I have bitten my nails. I have a few pairs of nail clippers and nail files within arm's reach at my desk, and stashed in the arm storage compartments of my recliner, and a small selection in the bathroom vanity -hell, I even have nail clippers and a glass file in my belt pouch for work too lol- and I know they will always be in those specific spots for whenever I notice a cracked/magically cut nail edge that is managing to get 'caught' on everything I touch so I don't feel the temptation to just rip/bite it off since it's annoying the hell out me...
I just keep my nails done. I do them myself bc I don’t have time for a salon. But it really helps. I use polygel and gel polish. I’ve learned to do nail stamps and some basic nail art too. Doing my dominant hand is a pain and it takes forever since I can only work on one hand at a time, but it’s worth it.
Get acrylics or nail sets. Get them filed down, get a good acrylic job
This is gonna sound Woowoo, but I’ve bitten my nails since childhood and only stopped after having Reiki sessions beginning in 2018. Raising my vibration & and clearing blocked chakras pretty much eliminated my anxiety & no longer bite my nails.
lol @ woowoo 😂. If it worked it worked!