how do I stop the bad habit of.....

[Willing and Unsure]

biting my nails? I bite my nails down to just about nothing and then start at the skin around them. I only do this when I'm bored or really concentrating on something. It's like it's totally subconscious.

so really, how can I possibly stop?

 

[Cathleen]

biting my nails? I bite my nails down to just about nothing and then start at the skin around them. I only do this when I'm bored or really concentrating on something. It's like it's totally subconscious.

so really, how can I possibly stop?

Become conscious of it, keep reminding yourself. When I was young I bit my nails and then started to notice others nails, they looked nice, I became conscious of mine looking poorly. So I stopped, make it important enough and you'll have greater success.

I have heard some folks used something on the nails that created a bad taste but I just decided it looked bad.

Good luck.

 

[RavenSpirit2k4]

Stay busy with your hands. I quit biting mine when I was working with crafts whenever I wasn't doing housework.

Hope it helps.

 

[Missingmeds]

My suggestion is one that worked for me. I went and had acrylic nails put on. I know the cost of upkeep is something that I won't feel that I am wasting. And it keeps my hands looking nice.

 

[gumby123]

I had bitten nails until I was twenty five. I hated them but I just couldn't stop. I also had artificial nails put on, but just until my nails under were nice enough not to bite. It's been over ten years and no urge to bite anymore.

 

[firefighter02]

If I remember from college it falls under the "oral fixation" catagory. Thus, you need to find something esle for your oral to fixate on....

I could make you a suggestion list if you would like.

FF

 

[Dstorage]

Are you taking a multivitamin with mineral supplements? Often nail biting is a symptom of mineral deficiency. Otherwise get the fake nails put on for a few weeks or however long it takes you to kick the habit.

 

[RamapoNJ]

I am biting my nails right now! i have been since I was a child. seems almost impossible to stop.

 

[warrior queen]

easy, easy.

first - you have to identify what it is that you are getting as a payoff for that behaviour?
calm nerves, ease from anxiety, cigarette replacement (very common!), etc.
try to figure out what makes you do this - keep a diary, and every time you nibble, write in why, how you felt on a scale of 1 to 10, how long you did it for, how you felt after you stopped, what the situation was that you were in while nibbling.
then find another activity to replace it.

to help you stop, dip your fingers into chilli/curry/pepper/mustard (whatever makes you sick or gag) every time you can remember - and voila! no more nail biting.
you have to make the behaviour unpleasant in order to stop doing it.
might help to enlist your friends also - ask them to yell at you every time they see you do it (the more embarrassing public yelling works!)
(eg. exactly how many times have you slammed your hand in a car door? once, because your brain associated it with unpleasantness!)

 

[Weird Harold]

biting my nails? I bite my nails down to just about nothing and then start at the skin around them. I only do this when I'm bored or really concentrating on something. It's like it's totally subconscious.

so really, how can I possibly stop?

Some really good suggestions so far. One that hasn't been mentioned yet is Hypnotism. Hypnotism is often a good cure for habitual behvior that doesn't have some physical cause -- like mineral deficiencies.

However, none of them worked for me. The thing that stopped me from biting my nails was getting a full set of dentures -- I still stick my fingers in my mouth, but I just don't have the ability to actually bite the nails any longer.

There is a product on the market for breaking children of the habit that makes the nails taste bad -- not just bad, but nauseatingly bad. I don't recall the brand-name off-hand, but I'm sure google knows what it is.

 

[boston_bbw]

I also went the acrylic route.. worked like a charm. They look good and makes it impossible to bite.

 

[Willing and Unsure]

thanks for the great suggestions. Unfortunately, acrylics arent really an option since they cost a bit (and I'm just a poor college student). I've been thinking some about when I'm doing it, and it's usually when I'm bored here in the room, trying to stay awake in class, or just totally in the zone working on homework. I used to put horrible tasting nail polish on my nails so I wouldnt bite them, and I'd sit and peel the nail polish off instead.


and I do believe it's some sort of oral fixation, just dont know why. I chew on my pen caps too (leave some pretty nasty looking bite marks in those).

 

[Glistening Girl]

I have also bitten mine since I was a kid. I do it mostly when I am stressed or just not paying attention, like watching T.V.

I tried the fake nails thing twice and hurt myself ripping them back off as fast as I could. Hated the feeling of them.

I have tried that bitter stuff you can buy, hot sauce and my dad offering me large amounts of money. Nothing has ever worked.

If I could afford it I think I would try Hypnosis. It is a very annoying habbit. I don't wear rings and I can't give hubby that back scratching he would love to have.

Like the denture idea. Maybe when I am old and wrinkled I can finally have some decent nails.

 

[Ms_Lilith]

Chew gum. Honestly. I used to be a serious nail biter. Gum makes you already HAVE something in your mouth, and who wants nail bits stuck in their gum?

 

[Willing and Unsure]

Chew gum. Honestly. I used to be a serious nail biter. Gum makes you already HAVE something in your mouth, and who wants nail bits stuck in their gum?

I can manage somehow chewing my nails and a piece of gum at the same time and not get the nails stuck in the gum. it's like I'm some sort of professional nail biter or something.

 

[twoeyecyclops]

That's uh interesting...

I just chew on toothpicks...

As someone said I can bet you can find other 'healthier' ways to get your oral fixation LOL

 

[flyindolphine]

i used to bite my nails just like you did, untill one of my friends smacked my hand so hard that it got all read and it urt like hell, but it worked, never again did i bit my nails. so get someone to kick you!

 

[naughty_erica]

you have to really want to stop.

One day I decided to stop biting my nails.
I have only bitten them 2 times since then (almost a year ago)

I get urges when the nails aren't as strong and are more likely to split (vitamin deficiency as others have said??), and when I am really stressed out.

Painting them helps. Paint tastes bad! Plus, you don't want to mess up the paint.

Stay mindful of it and remind yourself how dirty your hands are. Full of germs! Yuck! Don't put them in your mouth!

Good luck!