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Nail biting question
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GSixZero
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Feb 19, 2007, 03:24 PM
 
I realize asking a bunch of computer nerds about personal hygiene is somewhat ridiculous, but I've looked for some answers about this and can't quite seem to find any.

So I've bitten and picked at my fingernails as long as I can remember, over 20 years. I've stopped a few times for a while (weeks to a couple months) but always seem to restart again. It's a hard habit to break when you're nails are always an arms length away.

Anyway, I've once again gotten sick of how my bitten and red nails look and have stopped biting them for about a week. One question I have that maybe reformed nail biters can answer is how long does it take for the nail bed to grow out? Basically my nails are flesh colored out to the point where I was biting them, and then they're white beyond that. It's starting to look better now, but I have the feeling that they won't look non-bitten for quite some time. Any one know how long that takes?

ImpulseResponse
     
zerostar
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Feb 19, 2007, 03:40 PM
 
I have read It takes quite a long time (years or so). I too bite my nails and have been sick of it many times but I must not have nearly the self control you do! Good luck and keep it up!
     
::maroma::
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Feb 19, 2007, 03:47 PM
 
My girlfriend bites her nails as well. They are also bitten down to the beds and then some. She always says she wants to stop, and has tried many times, but never seems to be able to. She's tried putting on those fake nails to act as a barrier, but they only last a little while and she quickly goes back to biting.

I would imagine it would take a very long time for her nails to grow back and start to look "normal". Which I would love. I love her and all, but her nails are nasty.
     
Cold Warrior
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Feb 19, 2007, 03:49 PM
 
Paint on some stuff that makes you nauseous.
     
zerostar
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Feb 19, 2007, 03:51 PM
 
I'd probably just be nauseous all the time.
     
Railroader
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Feb 19, 2007, 03:54 PM
 
I used to bite my nails when I was younger. In High School a teacher recommended having nail clippers always on hand. I bought a half dozen sets and placed them all over the place and carried one with me at all times. When ever I caught myself biting my nail I'd pull out the clippers and use them. I don't know why it worked, but it did.

YMMV.

I still keep a set on my key rings and in my cars. I also have some in my medicine cabinets, tool boxes, junk drawers, and other miscellaneous places throughout the house.
     
mitchell_pgh
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Feb 19, 2007, 03:56 PM
 
Originally Posted by Cold Warrior View Post
Paint on some stuff that makes you nauseous.
This worked for a friend of mine. They make odorless fingernail polish that tastes horrible.

http://www.amazon.com/MAVALA-Stop-Bi...761673-7310337
     
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Feb 19, 2007, 03:57 PM
 
Originally Posted by Railroader View Post
I used to bite my nails when I was younger. In High School a teacher recommended having nail clippers always on hand. I bought a half dozen sets and placed them all over the place and carried one with me at all times. When ever I caught myself biting my nail I'd pull out the clippers and use them. I don't know why it worked, but it did.

YMMV.

I still keep a set on my key rings and in my cars. I also have some in my medicine cabinets, tool boxes, junk drawers, and other miscellaneous places throughout the house.
I think the nail biting I'm talking about might be different from your habit. My girlfriend's nails are bitten down so far that there is almost nothing left, at all. What's left of the nail bed is tiny and all muttled up and gross looking. Nail clippers aren't even possible at this stage.

EDIT:

Found an image on Google that is close to what I'm talking about:
     
besson3c
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Feb 19, 2007, 04:01 PM
 
Why not trim your nails regularly with a fingernail clipper? With no fingernails to chew on, would you resort to toes?
     
GSixZero  (op)
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Feb 19, 2007, 04:06 PM
 
Yeah, my trick also depends on keeping my nails as nice as possible. A large part of the urge to bite comes from nibbling off rough or sharp edges of nails, so the first time I tried to stop I went to the drug store and bought a bunch of nail care supplies (emory boards, clippers, and the soft emory board to buff the tops etc) and I found that it made a big difference. Partly because they starting looking better from day one, it minimized the urge to clean them up with my teeth, and feeling a smooth, trimmed fingernail was a reminder that I shouldn't be biting.

The last time I had stopped for about three weeks. I was on vacation and had decided it would be a stress free time that would lend itself nicely to stopping. Of course two days before I was scheduled to fly home, I lost my passport and all the well-laid plans and neat trimmed fingernails went to hell. I ended up getting my passport back but it's taken me a bunch of months to find another reason to stop biting.

ImpulseResponse
     
GSixZero  (op)
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Feb 19, 2007, 04:10 PM
 
Originally Posted by ::maroma:: View Post
Found an image on Google that is close to what I'm talking about:
Oof, yeah, mine were never that bad, but I feel for her. It's an awful habit that strikes a bunch of different nerves. I am self conscious enough that whenever people can see my hands, and I'm not doing anything (like when we're sitting around a table, etc) I curl all my fingers into a loose fist and then tuck my thumb inside. Some people can benefit from anti anxiety or anti OCD drugs.

ImpulseResponse
     
mdc
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Feb 19, 2007, 04:10 PM
 
I tend to let mine grow for about a week or so and then I bite them all off because I enjoy it. For some reason my nails grow really quickly and after a week or so there is a good amount of nail to be bitten off.

Besides the enjoyment of biting them, I am not always around nail clippers and my nails tend to grow quite quickly. I don't want "long" nails, but since I don't have clippers around me all the time, I bite them.

I could buy clippers like Railroader suggested, but that'd take away the fun

edit:
Where are that person's nails? Even to begin with, their actual nail part seems to be about 5mm. And how did they bite them down *that* much?!
Once in a while I bite mine far too much, nowhere close to that, and they bleed.
( Last edited by mdc; Feb 19, 2007 at 04:13 PM. Reason: Shock and horror after seeing the above image)
     
Peder Rice
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Feb 19, 2007, 04:11 PM
 
Originally Posted by Cold Warrior View Post
Paint on some stuff that makes you nauseous.
Nail biting like most small, bad habits is usually related to stress, and unfortunately are quite hard-coded for most adults. Therefore, removing this habit will be difficult, and will require some definite work.

Firstly, make your nails taste as bad as you can, perhaps with stinging hot sauce and something innocuous that you consider rancid. Secondly, replace nail biting with something else, like a stress ball; this should give your hands and mind something to focus on instead. Thirdly, take steps to reduce the stresses and anxieties of life; exercise more, eat healthier, take frequent breaks at work or from homework whatever may be the case, and do good things for yourself like volunteering at an animal shelter.

Not only should you be able to end the nail biting, but you should also be able to ameloriate the conditions that bring about habits like nail biting.
     
Lateralus
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Feb 19, 2007, 04:14 PM
 
Originally Posted by besson3c View Post
With no fingernails to chew on, would you resort to toes?
Yes, actually.

My fingernails never used to look as bad as in the picture above, but my toes were pretty close. I was constantly picking at them and biting them (yes I can reach).

The trick for me on the toe nail biting was basically to never go bare footed. Socks, always. And after a few months my desire to mutilate my toe nails vanished and I've had good nails for a few years now.

I kept battling with my finger nail biting until it occurred to me to try the same trick I did with my toes. So I picked up a few pairs of really thin, tight fitting gloves and wore them pretty much everywhere.

It worked somewhat. I went back on some of the progress I'd made after I stopped wearing them and still pick at them regularly. But for whatever reason I don't eat down anywhere near as far as I used to. So even though I still bite at them, they look much healthier than they used to.

Might wanna try the glove trick. Especially now that it's February. You can get away with it now better than you'll be able to in the sweltering summer, when wearing tight gloves 24/7 makes it look like you pulled or are planning to pull an OJ.
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::maroma::
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Feb 19, 2007, 04:27 PM
 
Originally Posted by mdc View Post
edit:
Where are that person's nails? Even to begin with, their actual nail part seems to be about 5mm. And how did they bite them down *that* much?!
Once in a while I bite mine far too much, nowhere close to that, and they bleed.
That takes some serious biting and gnawing. My girlfriend's nails are just like that, and she bites her nails and doesn't even realize she's doing it. Sometimes I'll say "hey! stop biting your nails", and she'll react as if she didn't even know she had her finger in her mouth at all, let alone biting her nails. Its definitely become a true habit and not just something that she does when she's nervous or whatever.

I don't think she has the willpower to quit on her own. I honestly think she's going to need some professional help/therapy to kick this addiction.
     
kmkkid
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Feb 19, 2007, 04:28 PM
 
My bf bites his nails and it disgusts me. I'm constantly having to tell him to stop. It's a dirty, disgusting habit. Fingers which touch hundreds of things in one day DO NOT belong near your mouth.
     
besson3c
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Feb 19, 2007, 04:31 PM
 
Wow, I can't believe that this many people in here have this problem or are close to somebody with this problem... Toes too!
     
GSixZero  (op)
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Feb 19, 2007, 04:37 PM
 
Originally Posted by besson3c View Post
Wow, I can't believe that this many people in here have this problem or are close to somebody with this problem... Toes too!
I think I'm more perceptive of the problem than most since I do it and I'm a little ashamed of the bad habit, so I notice it more often, but I wouldn't be surprised if 20% of people bite their nails occasionally and 10% do it badly. It's a lot of people.

ImpulseResponse
     
natnabour
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Feb 19, 2007, 04:38 PM
 
I used to bite my nails for about 15 years. And I tried everything from that terrible tasting nail polish to wearing fake nails (ew!) to wearing mittens and nothing worked.

The ONLY thing that stopped me from biting on my nails was biting/chewing on something else. You need an oral fixative. This is when I got addicted to gum - which isn't a terrible addiction, considering I always had fresh breath.

As long as something was in my mouth, I wasn't inclined to bite my nails.

I still, at times, find myself biting the meat around my nails when I'm watching a suspense thriller - but other than that, I have no desire to do so.
     
RAILhead
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Feb 19, 2007, 05:01 PM
 
My granddad's solution was to dip your fingers in chicken crap. Chicken crap was also his remedy for licking your lips and making them chapped.
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zerostar
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Feb 19, 2007, 05:23 PM
 
Ahh... chicken crap... the cause of and the solution to all the worlds problems.
     
besson3c
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Feb 19, 2007, 05:31 PM
 
Originally Posted by RAILhead View Post
My granddad's solution was to dip your fingers in chicken crap. Chicken crap was also his remedy for licking your lips and making them chapped.

I bet you have a website where you sell this chicken crap, and you are trying to lure in some business here just to unload your inventory. Well, I'm not interested in buying your chicken crap.
     
zerostar
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Feb 19, 2007, 05:33 PM
 
Frickin spammers.
     
macforray
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Feb 19, 2007, 06:31 PM
 
Originally Posted by Railroader View Post
I used to bite my nails when I was younger. In High School a teacher recommended having nail clippers always on hand. I bought a half dozen sets and placed them all over the place and carried one with me at all times. When ever I caught myself biting my nail I'd pull out the clippers and use them. I don't know why it worked, but it did.

YMMV.

I still keep a set on my key rings and in my cars. I also have some in my medicine cabinets, tool boxes, junk drawers, and other miscellaneous places throughout the house.
That is exactly how I quit. I then established a routine that I still keep. One of the first things I do on Monday mornings is trim my nails. Been doing this for more than twenty years. If I keep them short the desire to bite them seems to diminish. I still "nibble" on that rare occasion when I am nervous or upset.
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SSharon
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Feb 19, 2007, 07:35 PM
 
I bite my nails more than I should, and the skin around them, but they don't look terrible and they never bleed. I generally have pretty good self control, but I don't even notice myself doing this to stop it. Since I see this thread I am taking it as a reminder to stop.
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Teronzhul
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Feb 19, 2007, 08:07 PM
 
I bite my nails, but rarely ever do I even get them as far back as the quick. They've certainly never looked as bad as those in the picture above. I've never bitten my toenails though... I can reach but, they're my toes.
     
aristotles
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Feb 19, 2007, 08:14 PM
 
Wow. You guys need some serious help. Go see a shrink and get some drugs or a straight jacket.

Or better yet, get some therapy to reduce your anxiety to a level where you will stop feeling the need to bite them.
( Last edited by aristotles; Feb 19, 2007 at 08:21 PM. )
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brassplayersrock²
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Feb 19, 2007, 09:25 PM
 
what has helped me, is that if i find myself going to bite my nails, for some reason it is only my left hand that i do it to(and my right pinky), i then scratch my head or somewhere else, and i wont want to bite anymore. might help

i think i have a needing to touch something problem rather than a biting problem, but i do bite

-a
     
macintologist
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Feb 19, 2007, 10:06 PM
 
I think it's an oral fixation "problem". You just need to be biting on something other than nails. Try sugarless gum, or other sugarless chewy things. Buy a Nargile and smoke those every once in a while. Do something with your mouth other than biting your nails.
     
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Feb 20, 2007, 10:49 PM
 
I'm surprised no one has mentioned to take up smoking. Oh, that's another thread.

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Tiresias
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Feb 21, 2007, 12:18 AM
 
Originally Posted by Railroader View Post
In High School a teacher recommended having nail clippers always on hand. I bought a half dozen sets and placed them all over the place and carried one with me at all times. When ever I caught myself biting my nail I'd pull out the clippers and use them. I don't know why it worked, but it did.
This worked for me too.

I used to bite my nails until they bled. I had tried that foul tasting polish but it didn't work.

But then a doctor told me to start carrying a pair of nail clippers and a nail file on me at all times.

The nail file is important because nailbiters are trying to get rid of a jagged edge, only their biting just creates more jagged edges, so there's no end to it.

To begin with, you'll have no nails to clip. Use the file to keep them smooth. Filing will replace the biting habit. As they grow, use the clippers and the file.

I broke a terrible ten year habit in a month this way.

Nail biting is digusting. There are worlds of bacteria under your nails. After stopping biting, I actually noticed that I was less susceptible to sore throats and stomach troubles.

Good luck.
     
the_glassman
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Feb 21, 2007, 02:08 PM
 
Good luck beating it. I've known many who have tried and failed. I've luckily never suffered from nail biting which is a good thing, because it's one of the more disgusting habits you could have. The picture posted of the nails chewed so far down upsets my stomach. I used to bitch at one of my girlfriends whom I refused to kiss after she had bitten her nails. She would never understand why I was like that, but the possible crap you have stuck under you fingernails should paint a mental picture that would be enough to get just about anyone to stop. Or so I would think.
     
lucy
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Sep 30, 2007, 07:05 PM
 
Hi, I'm in my twenties and still bite my nails, so far down, they hurt, and sometimes bleed, Its a habit I have had ever since I was a little girl, I also still bite my toenails just as badly. I often look at other peoples nails, and have never seen any as badly bitten as mine, that pic posted earlier comes close, if I knew how to, i'd post a pic of them to show you !
should anyone like to try & stop this deforming habit, please email me, maybe with some encouragement & support from a fellow biter, we can help each other ?
[email protected]
     
turtle777
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Sep 30, 2007, 07:09 PM
 
How about getting professional help ?

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IceEnclosure
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Sep 30, 2007, 08:56 PM
 
Originally Posted by lucy View Post
Hi, I'm in my twenties and still bite my nails, so far down, they hurt, and sometimes bleed, Its a habit I have had ever since I was a little girl, I also still bite my toenails just as badly. I often look at other peoples nails, and have never seen any as badly bitten as mine, that pic posted earlier comes close, if I knew how to, i'd post a pic of them to show you !
should anyone like to try & stop this deforming habit, please email me, maybe with some encouragement & support from a fellow biter, we can help each other ?
[email protected]
i like it
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mikebrito7
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Dec 4, 2007, 04:58 PM
 
Hey guys i found this forum doing a search in Google, and i can relate.

I have bitten my nails for several years now, and tried almost everything out there. Even wearing gloves... : (

I even purchased a course to stop biting nails i think the address was Stop Biting Nails | Stop Nail Biting In 9 Minutes!.

Anyways, the course was pretty good, and I haven't bit my nails in about 2 months now. If some of you are interested I can share some of what it taught.

Good luck to all of you all in ending your nail biting...
     
peeb
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Dec 4, 2007, 05:08 PM
 
I second the nail clipped thing. Buy ten of them, and leave them everywhere you go - office, car, home etc. Whenever you would bite, clip. Works for me.
     
Dork.
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Dec 4, 2007, 05:47 PM
 
Originally Posted by mikebrito7 View Post
Hey guys i found this forum doing a search in Google, and i can relate.

I have bitten my nails for several years now, and tried almost everything out there. Even wearing gloves... : (

I even purchased a course to stop biting nails i think the address was Stop Biting Nails | Stop Nail Biting In 9 Minutes!.

Anyways, the course was pretty good, and I haven't bit my nails in about 2 months now. If some of you are interested I can share some of what it taught.

Good luck to all of you all in ending your nail biting...
Is this spam?

Anyway, I bite my nails, and I'm proud of it! I rarely bite them down to the point where they bleed, since that is uncomfortable. I have at least enough self control to stop before the nail gets down to a nub. My nails look short, but healthy.

There is something strangely satisfying about chewing on your own body parts.
     
Laminar
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Dec 4, 2007, 05:57 PM
 
Originally Posted by Dork. View Post
There is something strangely satisfying about chewing on your own body parts.
My dog seems to agree.
     
hart
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Dec 5, 2007, 10:31 AM
 
Dealing with the underlying stress may actually be necessary. If I stop one nervous habit another one pops up. I find myself picking at my cuticles behind my own back. My other one is twiddling my hair. Or rolling bits of paper in my pocket, which I suppose is relatively harmless but it's strictly a habit when I'm walking outside. If nothing else is available I start grinding my teeth. I have a lot of stress overflowing in my life and it's like extra electricity coming out my fingers.

I stopped nail biting years ago because it hurt my teeth and now I am strongly in the school of people grossed out by putting germs in ones mouth but the habits overall won't quit. Its a bit tacky but I started using toothpicks to clean my teeth while I'm watching movies at home. It satisfies the habit plus aids in oral hygiene. Plus I don't get bloody cuticles.

Funny thing is my 9 yr old son is biting his nails and grinding his teeth (when he doesn't have a DS planted between his fingers.) The nervous twitchy thing has been passed down a generation.
     
s_d22
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Apr 29, 2008, 08:16 PM
 
...
     
Laminar
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Apr 29, 2008, 08:40 PM
 
wat
     
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Apr 29, 2008, 08:53 PM
 
nis
     
   
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