Biting your nails

[Plastic chicken]

I used to bite & pick at my nails regularly, mainly through boredom on long-haul runs in the truck. Quite often they would end up sore for a day or two if I'd picked/bitten down beyond the nail bed. I solved the problem by carrying nail clippers with me and, as soon as I started biting/picking, clipping the nail as short as possible so I had nothing to grip on to.

[Prizam]

Prizam said:

OK, I'm in. Been biting my nails since about 8 I would guess. tried al the nasty flavoured varnishes, but they didn't stop me. I wash my hands a lot, so always need to re-apply.

I also find biting them is related to stress. My worst time for biting is in traffic in the car.

It is disgusting, and does look silly. I think just need reminding of it some times.


Starting operation anti-bite.... now.

Prizam said:

How is everyone getting on?

I think I'm 10 days in now. Slipped up a couple of times at the start but nothing now for quite a while.

The kids being sick lately has probably helped, along with my fear of hygiene. I don't know why I haven't been able to stop like this before. Best I have ever managed before this thread was a couple of days.

Update time for me. Reading an article today about biting fingernails reminded me of this thread.

Something about this particular thread triggered something in my brain and I haven't bitten my nails since my last reply. it's truly amazing!

I do need to take better care of my hands overall, I expect I should invest in something better than the nail clippers that came out of a Christmas cracker back in the 90s. but, I do now have nails that need clipping around once a week.

[eldar]

eldar said:

Wacky Racer said:

Been biting my nails all my life but suddenly stopped 2/3 weeks ago, the funny thing is I didn't make any conscious effort to do so, just don't feel the urge to do so. Really strange.

Cool story bro' and all that.

Anybody else done the same, maybe with smoking?

Same here, been chewing my nails for 40 years, then stopped for no reason. That was 10 years ago. Never consciously bit them, then stopped.

Then 4 years later, began biting one nail, little finger, right hand. Only when asleep, not aware. No other digits mauled. And only occasionally. Odd.

[NAAHD]

I bite mine so badly to the point I’ve run out of nails and end up biting the skin down the sides until it bleeds. I haven’t had to cut my nails as long as I can remember. I also bite my lip in the same way.

I can’t seem to stop it and I fidget my feet and fingers all the time too. I get restless legs and can’t ever settle

It’s worse when I’m under pressure or feeling exceptionally anxious but it’s always a thing I do. I have to stop it one day before I’ve caused real damage

[NAAHD]

I bite mine so badly to the point I’ve run out of nails and end up biting the skin down the sides until it bleeds. I haven’t had to cut my nails as long as I can remember. I also bite my lip in the same way.

I can’t seem to stop it and I fidget my feet and fingers all the time too. I get restless legs and can’t ever settle

It’s worse when I’m under pressure or feeling exceptionally anxious but it’s always a thing I do. I have to stop it one day before I’ve caused real damage

[MDifficult]

I thought I'd post and offer some hope to those of you who are still struggling. I bit my nails and the skin around them for probably 35 years until they (and one in particular) were absolutely awful, painful, ragged and disgusting, but managed to eventually stop and stay stopped for the last 4.

Like many in this thread, I tried all sorts over the years, but in the end it took a combination of things to make it happen and I think they might be helpful for others..

A wake up call. For me, it was a forthright director who was singing my praises in a review but added... "but you need to stop biting your nails. It makes you look like you lack confidence and it's gross." I knew both things but when it's from someone you respect, it matters more. Let me assure you.. everyone sees you bite them and everyone thinks it's gross, even if they say they don't. You need to stop it.

Someone to do it for. For me, I got my youngest daughter to challenge me. What kind of a father lets their daughter down? What lesson am I teaching her if I fail? I got her to inspect them every week.

A method. For me, it's a very nice set of nail clippers. Every day, morning and night, I inspect my nails and clip them down as short as they can be and look neat. If I get a straggly bit, I clip. I wear gloves to do anything messy like gardening or spannering to keep them clean and if they still get any dirt underneath, I clear it out with a toothpick and then clip. Clip, clip, clip, clip without fail.

A reward. I won't say what it was but I promised myself I'd buy myself 'x' if I didn't bite them for a year. I managed a year but didn't buy it... because I doubled-down for another year. At the end of two years, I bought what I wanted.

Am I cured? After 4 years I think so. I still clip, clip, clip, but I can go for a few days between if needs be. My nails and finger tips now look absolutely normal and my nails are strong but flexible so they rarely get straggly bits - I can't tell you how weirdly proud of them I am now They WILL come back to you, it just takes time.

Anyway, hope that helps someone!

[Gareth79]

Sadly after a year or two of normal nails during WFH I went back to it :/ I can't quite figure out how to get back into the same mindset though. The initial shove on here was useful, and a comment somebody on here made similar to point 1 above in highlighting what other people think when they see it.