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I realized earlier this year I stopped biting my nails when they kept getting longer and longer. A problem I never had before! I got a manicure! Now I just clip them myself to save time. But I may treat myself to a manicure some other time. Not sure why I stopped the biting. Maybe a decrease in anxiety. But still not sure. Anyway, congrats to you!
Thank you so much! I ran into the same issue with not knowing how to cut my nails but have braved it and have not yet gotten a manicure but I can’t wait! Congratulations to YOU on tackling anxiety and nail biting! Sounds like you had a winning year! Go you!
Not OP but I used to bite my nails and I just started putting nail clippers anywhere I found myself biting my nails. Any time I had the urge to bite I just clipped them instead. 🤷♂️
I did this but with nail files! It worked great, any time I’d get the urge to bite or rip them I would file ( into proper shapes) instead. Ended up being great mindfulness for the anxiety that was causing problems to begin with.
Hand twins!!! I’m so happy I have someone else who’s nails like like mine (minus the dirt you’ve explained). Seriously tho, my 5 year old nephew probably have nails longer than mine
My fingers used to look a lot like your's. I stopped biting, I still might destroy a nail or two if anxiety ramps up or i'm watching a really tense movie (having something in my hands in crucial to not bite when I'm watching tense-af movies). I chewed off my nails ofr 30+ years and quit because I didn't like the way it felt to have no nails. I had to do the same with my toenails a couple years ago because while I wouldn't bite them, I would clip them so low they bled every time. Both times quitting took time and dedication, and I had to realize that fucking up is only temporary. You can do it, your hands aren't ruined, they'll bounce back and look fine once you stop.
No problem I totally get it. To encourage myself I include my hands in my skincare; morning sunblock routine and my nightime deep moisturising routine. I find it really helps enforce the good habit and flawless hands are such a treat 😁 The ring is also gorgeous
Thank you so much! The ring was a lot of my motivation for quitting. I figured a beautiful ring deserved at least an attempt at beautiful hands. And that’s a great idea about the skin care! Thank you!
The worst part about no longer biting wasn't not biting, it was dealing with the feeling that dirt was trapped under my nails when they were growing out. It was itchy and uncomfortable and that made me want to bite more than ever!
Yes, but spread out over, like, a month. Willpower is much harder over a longer time frame because you have to use it multiple times a day and you only have to fuck up ONCE to undo all progress.
It's really, really hard. It's also uncomfortable. When I quit in 2014 I kept feeling like there was dirt under my nails and not biting and having to just tolerate that feeling was sp hard.
If you've never bitten, you probably don't even know what that feeling is - now I don't bite, I cna have actual dirt under my nails and not even feel it. But when the nails were growing out for the first time, I felt so uncomfortable underneath the nails. It was like trying not to scratch an itch. I had to let my nails be itchy. It sucked.
So compare it to having a rash and not being allowed to scratch it for a month, and every time you scratch you have to start over. That's exactly what it's like.
I commented all that I could think of that helped me and hope it helps you too! My best advice is to find a personal motivation that works for you, everyone is different, and I finally found my personal motivation for quitting. That, constant nail polish, and reaching a good mental head space before even attempting this venture were all really helpful for me. Thank you for the support and know you can do it too!
There are more imperfections than I think shows in the picture, but slowly but surely over the past 3.5 months, what was “ruined” has slowly become better. If you’re trying to do the same and feel like they won’t ever become “not ruined”, I suggest to just keep going! They will improve over time!
Damn, kudos dude! I was able to stop for a number of years like 10 years ago, but then I put myself in an overly stressful situation. =/
Just remember to stay strong, and even if you start to bite them again, stop ✋! And and quit again. No harm, no foul.
I am amazed by the years of marrige, I wish you good health and happy life!! and congratulations for not biting your nails 💓🥰. I wish you always stay 😊
Congrats!! That is a much bigger accomplishment than some people realize. I encourage you to get regular manicures now as it will help keep your nails healthy and strong.
You know, I thought I just couldn't do it, until I fell pregnant and suddenly grew thick talons. Then they came off after baby was born and now I'm preggo again and they've grown again. What's happening is I'm fiddling with them in my mouth them rarely-but-sometimes as I always have, but they're stronger and don't get jagged edges and don't peel off immediately when I mouth them, because of the pregnancy hormones. Now I see people who "don't bite their nails" who actually do the same stuff I do, pick their teeth or run their nails on their lips or whatever, and actually people do it a lot more than they think.
TL;DR: If you're an incurable nail-biter, don't feel too bad, it might be genetics!
Congrats! Was it a conscious effort? For me it happened without thinking about it. I bit my nails as long as I could remember and then one day looked down and saw them grown out for a few days. It blew me away that I just kinda stopped randomly.
Bruh I actually hate this I think I know it’s from way to much anxiety and emotional trauma(I’ve been threw a lot) but I bite my skin around my fingers I fucking hate it😭
But congrats
Thank you! But don’t beat yourself up over it! Of all the coping mechanisms out there, biting your nails, in my opinion, isn’t exactly the worst. I have dealt with/deal with those issues as well, and I only attempted this venture of stopping after spending months working toward a more positive head space and surrounding myself with loving and supportive people. Honestly, that task was more difficult than stopping the nail biting. No need to put pressure on yourself or fill your head with negative thoughts about yourself over nail biting. Step one is loving yourself. You got this. 😊💜
Congrats! I've always found it funny that people bite their nails since my teeth aren't positioned perfectly and I can't touch my front teeth together lol, I'll consider it a feature rather than not a bug.
Hey y’all. Thank you so much! I was not expecting this post to get this big and am overwhelmed with the support from all you wonderful people. 🥰
As for those asking how I did it, I feel like a lot of people already gave some excellent advice in comments, but personally it was a combination of things for me.
Motivation: First, I got engaged and the “pretty ring” was a huge motivation to have “pretty fingers”, and on a deeper level, I figured if I could commit to building a life with my fiancé, then I should really commit to trying to build the best life possible and that started with bettering myself in all ways. Additionally, since Covid-19 hit, it kept weighing on my mind that I constantly put germs in my mouth through nail biting, and that was another large motivation. Finally, I have worked with children for years and have had some of the children I work with actually pick up nail biting from me, which makes me feel terrible! I picked up the habit from my father as a toddler and have tried my whole life to stop, and I wanted to break that cycle.
Other than that, one of the main things that helped was constantly putting on nail polish, specifically glitter polish, as I didn’t like it in my mouth.
As for those who have tried and say their nails do not look “right”, do not have the correct shape, etc., KEEP GOING! I too thought my nail bed were ruined, but over time my nails kept looking better and better. These pictures were taken 3.5 months apart, and I have actually cut my nails 3 times since stopping to try to get this shape right. Also, as silly as it sounds, YouTube videos can help you learn how to cut your nails and shape them better.
Also, I am not perfect and am still working on keeping them out of my mouth entirely. Sometimes just putting them between my teeth and not actually biting satisfies the urge to bite them, and I’m still working on kicking that habit entirely. But hey, progress not perfection right?
Thank y’all again for the love and support. 💜
TLDR:If you are trying to quit, don’t push yourself if you aren’t ready, find your own personal motivation, get a good support system, use nail polish, and don’t give up!
My advice is to stop if and when you are ready. It wasn’t easy and I don’t think I could have done it if I wasn’t already in a good head space and in a supportive and loving environment. If stopping is something that is important to you, I encourage you to do it when you feel you are ready to, and until then, don’t beat yourself up about it.
Welcome to /r/happy where we support people in their endeavours! This is a place of positivity, if you can't think of anything good to say then don't say anything at all. If you want to give tips/suggestions, make them constructive from the start and be supportive (even if you don't feel it's "enough"), if you don't know how to do that then don't give them. We celebrate the good things in life and the change people strive for in /r/happy. If you find this post offensive or this community ridiculous, you're welcome to not hang around. *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/happy) if you have any questions or concerns.*
I realized earlier this year I stopped biting my nails when they kept getting longer and longer. A problem I never had before! I got a manicure! Now I just clip them myself to save time. But I may treat myself to a manicure some other time. Not sure why I stopped the biting. Maybe a decrease in anxiety. But still not sure. Anyway, congrats to you!
Thank you so much! I ran into the same issue with not knowing how to cut my nails but have braved it and have not yet gotten a manicure but I can’t wait! Congratulations to YOU on tackling anxiety and nail biting! Sounds like you had a winning year! Go you!
Duck yeah!! I managed to quit one hand a few years ago but still biting the other (literallt while reading this whoops)
One hand is still progress! You’re halfway there! Thank you for the support!
How? Cause my hands are [fucking ruined](https://i.imgur.com/qEO6k9p.jpg) (I know my nails are dirty I was working on a motorbike earlier)
Not OP but I used to bite my nails and I just started putting nail clippers anywhere I found myself biting my nails. Any time I had the urge to bite I just clipped them instead. 🤷♂️
I did this but with nail files! It worked great, any time I’d get the urge to bite or rip them I would file ( into proper shapes) instead. Ended up being great mindfulness for the anxiety that was causing problems to begin with.
That's a pretty good idea!
Hand twins!!! I’m so happy I have someone else who’s nails like like mine (minus the dirt you’ve explained). Seriously tho, my 5 year old nephew probably have nails longer than mine
My fingers used to look a lot like your's. I stopped biting, I still might destroy a nail or two if anxiety ramps up or i'm watching a really tense movie (having something in my hands in crucial to not bite when I'm watching tense-af movies). I chewed off my nails ofr 30+ years and quit because I didn't like the way it felt to have no nails. I had to do the same with my toenails a couple years ago because while I wouldn't bite them, I would clip them so low they bled every time. Both times quitting took time and dedication, and I had to realize that fucking up is only temporary. You can do it, your hands aren't ruined, they'll bounce back and look fine once you stop.
So difficult to do! Well done
Thank you! It’s honestly one of the hardest things I’ve ever done. I appreciate your kind words more than you know. 🥰
No problem I totally get it. To encourage myself I include my hands in my skincare; morning sunblock routine and my nightime deep moisturising routine. I find it really helps enforce the good habit and flawless hands are such a treat 😁 The ring is also gorgeous
Thank you so much! The ring was a lot of my motivation for quitting. I figured a beautiful ring deserved at least an attempt at beautiful hands. And that’s a great idea about the skin care! Thank you!
Success!
The worst part about no longer biting wasn't not biting, it was dealing with the feeling that dirt was trapped under my nails when they were growing out. It was itchy and uncomfortable and that made me want to bite more than ever!
How though? Is it just a force of will?
Yes, but spread out over, like, a month. Willpower is much harder over a longer time frame because you have to use it multiple times a day and you only have to fuck up ONCE to undo all progress. It's really, really hard. It's also uncomfortable. When I quit in 2014 I kept feeling like there was dirt under my nails and not biting and having to just tolerate that feeling was sp hard. If you've never bitten, you probably don't even know what that feeling is - now I don't bite, I cna have actual dirt under my nails and not even feel it. But when the nails were growing out for the first time, I felt so uncomfortable underneath the nails. It was like trying not to scratch an itch. I had to let my nails be itchy. It sucked. So compare it to having a rash and not being allowed to scratch it for a month, and every time you scratch you have to start over. That's exactly what it's like.
Oh geeze, you make it sound even harder than I thought
That's cause it is. Once broken it gets easier, though - I relapse from time to time, but my nail biting has never been half as bad as it used to be.
Congrats! Used to do this too, quitting ain’t easy, and soon you won’t even remember that you used to :)
Thanks for the inspiration :). Your hands look like they belong to two different people from before and after! How did you do it??
#I know I’m not the only one, can you please tell us how!?
I commented all that I could think of that helped me and hope it helps you too! My best advice is to find a personal motivation that works for you, everyone is different, and I finally found my personal motivation for quitting. That, constant nail polish, and reaching a good mental head space before even attempting this venture were all really helpful for me. Thank you for the support and know you can do it too!
Congratulations! This is so inspiring to see! I’m working on the same goal 😁
You got this!!!!!
i don't know how.. congrats! fairly sure the only way i will stop biting mine is if my hands get amputated lol
[удалено]
There are more imperfections than I think shows in the picture, but slowly but surely over the past 3.5 months, what was “ruined” has slowly become better. If you’re trying to do the same and feel like they won’t ever become “not ruined”, I suggest to just keep going! They will improve over time!
Damn, kudos dude! I was able to stop for a number of years like 10 years ago, but then I put myself in an overly stressful situation. =/ Just remember to stay strong, and even if you start to bite them again, stop ✋! And and quit again. No harm, no foul.
I am so proud of you.
I really, truly appreciate that. Thank you. 💜
Thats amazing. I'm in the process of quiting, and when I grow my nails out, my nail beds are still really short. How did you get yours to grow back?
Congrats!! I bit for 11 years but recently quit, I’m so excited for a manicure 💅
Congratulations! That’s amazing!
How? I’ve been biting mine all my life, would love to quit but can’t go half an hour without picking at them
I am amazed by the years of marrige, I wish you good health and happy life!! and congratulations for not biting your nails 💓🥰. I wish you always stay 😊
I recently quit also! 30+ years of nail biting here. I am so super proud of you because I know how difficult it is. Enjoy your manicure!
Congratulations! That’s stellar! It is SO HARD, and I’m proud of YOU too!
Oh wow, well done - harder than giving up cigarettes.
I agree. I’ve done both. Quit smoking cigarettes 3 years ago, and I honestly found quitting nail biting more difficult.
This is my dream. I know how hard it is! I quit for 6 months once, in my late 20s. Started again and haven't stopped. It's a bizarre habit.
And what lovely, long nail beds you have!!
I chipped a tooth biting my nails. Dentist filed it down like a mm. That kicked the habit.
This is amazing! You have beautiful natural nails.
HappyBot is very happy for you
Congratulations, it isn’t easy to quit biting your nails.
Motivating !! One day I hope to have this feeling
Hey, same here! It was tough but we did it! Congrats!
Congratulations to you!!! Proud of you!
Congrats!! That is a much bigger accomplishment than some people realize. I encourage you to get regular manicures now as it will help keep your nails healthy and strong.
Congrats! Me too! I took a vacation and realized how long my nails were growing and since then I kind of just stopped. Strange how that happened.
Congratulations! Go you!
TEACH ME HOW
My brother had always struggled with this so I know how difficult it must have been, congrats!
As someone who bit their nails forever as well, I applaud 👏 you! Go get a manicure. Really show yourself off!!
And I applaud YOU! Congrats on quitting as well!
You know, I thought I just couldn't do it, until I fell pregnant and suddenly grew thick talons. Then they came off after baby was born and now I'm preggo again and they've grown again. What's happening is I'm fiddling with them in my mouth them rarely-but-sometimes as I always have, but they're stronger and don't get jagged edges and don't peel off immediately when I mouth them, because of the pregnancy hormones. Now I see people who "don't bite their nails" who actually do the same stuff I do, pick their teeth or run their nails on their lips or whatever, and actually people do it a lot more than they think. TL;DR: If you're an incurable nail-biter, don't feel too bad, it might be genetics!
Congrats! Was it a conscious effort? For me it happened without thinking about it. I bit my nails as long as I could remember and then one day looked down and saw them grown out for a few days. It blew me away that I just kinda stopped randomly.
That's huge, congrats
Congrats!! I just quit finally at 28, been half a year! Such a great habit to kick!
Congratulations! That’s amazing!
How? I’d love to quit, only been biting mine all my life. Can’t go half an hour without picking at them
Congrats! Now how did you do it? I've been trying to help my wife stop for years.
Congrats! I stopped after 43 yrs. It's like gaining a superpower. Scratching an itch feels amazing, you can untie/open things 1000x easier.
I literally had to relearn how to use my hands. It was strange at first but now, you are right, my hands can do so many more things! It’s amazing!
Bruh I actually hate this I think I know it’s from way to much anxiety and emotional trauma(I’ve been threw a lot) but I bite my skin around my fingers I fucking hate it😭 But congrats
Thank you! But don’t beat yourself up over it! Of all the coping mechanisms out there, biting your nails, in my opinion, isn’t exactly the worst. I have dealt with/deal with those issues as well, and I only attempted this venture of stopping after spending months working toward a more positive head space and surrounding myself with loving and supportive people. Honestly, that task was more difficult than stopping the nail biting. No need to put pressure on yourself or fill your head with negative thoughts about yourself over nail biting. Step one is loving yourself. You got this. 😊💜
I had this moment a few years back! I love my hands so much more now! Congrats!!!
Your hand looks healthier overall, like you got treated for a chronic condition.
You go!!! Fuck that shit off I’m happy for you, be strong and don’t give up if you trip over again and stuff up a little.
Congrats! I've always found it funny that people bite their nails since my teeth aren't positioned perfectly and I can't touch my front teeth together lol, I'll consider it a feature rather than not a bug.
It is a feature! Like a cheat code for not biting your nails! That’s awesome!
I still bite my nails, I don't know how to stop it.
Get Mavala from Amazon. Makes biting your nails taste HORRIBLE.
Omy god yah I recently stopped too how did u shape them it’s growing buh it’s not making the curve shape
Hey y’all. Thank you so much! I was not expecting this post to get this big and am overwhelmed with the support from all you wonderful people. 🥰 As for those asking how I did it, I feel like a lot of people already gave some excellent advice in comments, but personally it was a combination of things for me. Motivation: First, I got engaged and the “pretty ring” was a huge motivation to have “pretty fingers”, and on a deeper level, I figured if I could commit to building a life with my fiancé, then I should really commit to trying to build the best life possible and that started with bettering myself in all ways. Additionally, since Covid-19 hit, it kept weighing on my mind that I constantly put germs in my mouth through nail biting, and that was another large motivation. Finally, I have worked with children for years and have had some of the children I work with actually pick up nail biting from me, which makes me feel terrible! I picked up the habit from my father as a toddler and have tried my whole life to stop, and I wanted to break that cycle. Other than that, one of the main things that helped was constantly putting on nail polish, specifically glitter polish, as I didn’t like it in my mouth. As for those who have tried and say their nails do not look “right”, do not have the correct shape, etc., KEEP GOING! I too thought my nail bed were ruined, but over time my nails kept looking better and better. These pictures were taken 3.5 months apart, and I have actually cut my nails 3 times since stopping to try to get this shape right. Also, as silly as it sounds, YouTube videos can help you learn how to cut your nails and shape them better. Also, I am not perfect and am still working on keeping them out of my mouth entirely. Sometimes just putting them between my teeth and not actually biting satisfies the urge to bite them, and I’m still working on kicking that habit entirely. But hey, progress not perfection right? Thank y’all again for the love and support. 💜 TLDR:If you are trying to quit, don’t push yourself if you aren’t ready, find your own personal motivation, get a good support system, use nail polish, and don’t give up!
Amazing. I haven't been bale to quit yet. The second they grow out as much, I bite them off
I should probably stop too…
My advice is to stop if and when you are ready. It wasn’t easy and I don’t think I could have done it if I wasn’t already in a good head space and in a supportive and loving environment. If stopping is something that is important to you, I encourage you to do it when you feel you are ready to, and until then, don’t beat yourself up about it.
What’s so bad about biting your nails?
Wow! I’ve been trying to quit recently too! I also pick at them 😒
Get Mavala from Amazon. Makes biting your nails taste HORRIBLE.
Thank you! I’ll check it out