It's been a week!
@beautyqueen26 (16030)
United States
June 12, 2007 1:53pm CST
I haven't bitten my fingernails in a week! For me, it's cause to celebrate. I've been a fingernail biter for a long time. I can remember biting my nails when I was four years old. It's a nasty habit, especially since I have cats!
Some people suffer from other things, like eating and cleaning compulsions. Nail biting is my compulsion.
Lately, I've been taking a good daily vitamin, and I think that helped. And, I cut out coffee. Or, at least, drink less of it. So, I don't feel so nervous all the time. And, I've been posting on My Lot non-stop for a week. The activity has helped keep my mind off my nails.
This morning I noticed that my nails are developing the little white caps on them. It's been years since I've seen that!
Just wanted to pass those tips along to you, just in case they could help you fight the urge to bite your nails.
If you have any other ways to stop the nail biting habit, please let me know.
4 people like this
19 responses
@aretha (2538)
• United States
12 Jun 07
CONGRATS!!
thats one of the hardest things i have ever done and know it is a really bad habit. i stopped bitting my nails for a couple months and they were so nice and long. they got to be 1/4 inch long and i was so proud of them until i broke about 5 of them and then they just looked bad to have 5 really long nails and 5 really short ones so i bit the rest off and i haven't stopped again. i think about it all the time and would love to stop again. maybe i will try it again.
great job and good luck
keep it up
1 person likes this
@aretha (2538)
• United States
20 Jun 07
LOL yeah the lotion don't work for me either. bug spray does! every time we walk out the door we always have bug spary on and after holding the baby orplaying with them i can't bit them. i would take lotion any day over the bug spary. i have stopped smoking a couple times but then i bit my nails even more. i would love to do both. i will someday.
@KatieS (503)
• United States
13 Jun 07
I chewed my nails for over 30 years and one day just stopped. I wish the same could happen with my smoking. When I first stopped, my nails grew weak and broke easily. But now they are strong and I have to actually clip them. I do have one thumb I pick on, it got the white cap on it and I was so proud of that little thumbnail. Then I had to drive thru a bad storm a few nites ago and there it went. I was told once that putting lotion on your hands when you are biting them will keep you from it, but it never stopped me, just got me addicted to lotion. Nail polish might work, and keeping your hands busy doing stuff all the time. When I watch TV I do sudoku puzzles or something.
@beautyqueen26 (16030)
• United States
12 Jun 07
Here's an idea that worked for me. And, I didn't remember it, until you asked for help with your daughter.
Depending on how old your daughter is, this tip may or may not work.
One time I put cologne/perfume on my fingertips and it left a bitter taste. And, everytime I tried to bite my nails, I would taste the bitter cologne and it would make me not want to bite my nails. The good part was that the taste didn't wear off with general hand washing. But, you have to apply it after bath time.
Thanks for the reminder. I don't know why I didn't remember this one before. Now I've got the perfect excuse to treat myself to new perfume! Goody for me.
Best of luck with your daughter and nipping the nail biting in the bud.
@inallduetime (741)
• United States
12 Jun 07
My dad in an effort to get me to stop sucking my thumb when I was a child, would rub jalapeno peppers over my thumbs. The peppers worked and I stopped sucking my thumb..... I'm not saying to do this but something along those lines should work, or maybe even what Beauty suggested. Good-luck and keep us posted.
1 person likes this
@beautyqueen26 (16030)
• United States
3 Jul 07
Ouch! That's sounds a bit extreme! It's been another month and I haven't bit my nails, so maybe this My Lot thing is helping. What do you think?
@marciascott (25529)
• United States
4 Jul 07
That is great, that you haven't bitten your nails, I suppose they are looking good now, its been 4 weeks ago. I hope you didn't start back. keep up the good work.
@lordwarwizard (35747)
• Singapore
13 Jun 07
Hello and well done! ;-)
A habit once formed is very hard to break.
Now hold it for 28 days of something and you will say permanent goodbye to it! Good luck! :-)
@marciascott (25529)
• United States
4 Jul 07
Hi, Lordwizard hopefully they did break the habit. I use to bite my nails the only way I stopped was to get my nails done, and that has been for 20 years or more getting nails done.
@loopylou2406 (382)
•
25 Jun 07
congratulations i hope that you are keeping up the good work!!
i wish i could i stop for a few days then i start again, when i feel bored is usually when i start biting them so i am going to post more on mylot LOL.
i wish you continued success LOL good luck!
louise x
@Marie2473 (8512)
• Sweden
13 Jun 07
Congrats =) I am also a nailbiter. I have tried giving it up several times, but always falls back into the bad habit. I hope u will do better than me - great job.
@Tanika (632)
• Australia
13 Jun 07
Heya, Congratulations!!
I too was a nail-biter for most of my life but in the last year I have stopped biting most of them. I know that sounds odd but for some reason I just can't give up the habit completely and I still bite my thumbs.
Anyway, good luck, keep it up, Tanika.
@tammyr (5946)
• Etowah, Tennessee
13 Jun 07
Way to go!
I use to bite mine. I started polishing them in stead of biting them. After I had a few coats on them and I had a chip or too, I would start chipping the polish off. Some times I might have 10 coats on before I started chipping it a way. That was only a partial help though.
One day this great guy that I had a huge crush on told me I would have pretty hands if I didn't bite my nails.
That was it!LOL I stopped, cold turkey.
@cjsmom (1423)
• United States
13 Jun 07
I'm so proud of you! I've never been a nail biter perse but my nails break easily and I haven't really taken care of them much. I decided that since I was was trying to lose weight and feel good about myself that I'd start working on my nails as well. I put Hard As Nails on them; just the clear, and then every few days I'll remove the polish and file any snaps on them, then I reapply. I showed hubby the other nite, saying, "My nails are starting to look pretty good, aren't they?" He replied with, "Are those real?" That made me feel so good! Keep up the good work.
@muscare (3068)
• Australia
13 Jun 07
Hey, congrats on your achievement, it's not easy to stop biting. I have to say it's been a long time habit of mine, and was always worse when I wasn't doing anything, but I managed to stop chewing all, and usually only have one short one now! Hmmm, funny, the habit seemed to lessen quite a bit when my wife and I stopped seeing the in-laws!
@archer1811 (1098)
• Philippines
13 Jun 07
Wow congratulations keep up the good work, bein' busy really helps us forgot other things that used to be our habit, may we be have a celebration for that, my husband have a cousin that a habit of sucking her thumbs until now that she's on college according to her its not easy to stop doin' that even if she's sleeping she still sucking her thumbnails, hope she can stop her habit soon, i dont have that habit so sorry i cant share to you anything, but am here to congratulate you for a job well done!! Continue what you have started and hope soon you succeed and wake up one day that nail biting wont be your habit anymore.
@AMDonovan06 (46)
• United States
13 Jun 07
Good job, I too bite my nails but am trying to stop the habit. Another bad compulsion I have is picking at my eyebrow. I don't even notice when i start doing it! And sometimes when I get nervous I'll be left with half an eyebrow!! I hate having this habit, but I am learning to control it.
@bestgirl2008 (183)
• Germany
13 Jun 07
lol this is the same story i am dealing but that good that we both stopped :)
@crazynurse (7482)
• United States
13 Jun 07
Congratulations! Don't underestimate yourself by saying that a week isn't long....it is!!! When I was young, my mother and father would put things around my nails that would taste bitter/hot if I chewed my nails. (there is actually one product sold in a little bottle for this purpose)It never worked really. I finally stopped in high school when it was important enough to me! Interstingly, after going to nursing school and culturing our fingers, nails etc, I won't even put my hand up to my face/nose/mouth now without washing them first!
@marinarovi (1318)
• Argentina
13 Jun 07
Well, congratulations! A whole week is a lot, as silly as it may sound.
I heard that rubbing your fingernails with aloe vera (the real plant, you cut a little leaf...) helps because it tastes really really bitter.
But I guess that since you've been doing so well you won't need any more tips!
=)
@amyann16 (414)
• United States
13 Jun 07
Way to go! I've been a nail biter for years, although I have been better the last 10 years than the first 20! I have been able to go months without bitting, but it takes considerable attention. The only thing I have found that works for me is paint my finger nails. I have to put considerable effort into keeping them manicured and by paying so much attention to them, I am able to keep them growing and long.
@vannyrao29 (76)
• Singapore
12 Jun 07
Hey i also have this bad habit of nail biting sincei was 10 yrs old, I have never thot about stopping this habit cos i dont know how. But ther was one time i tried, using nail polish so that when i see my nails i dont feel like biting them cos of the nail polish,,but when was half asleep i unknowingly bit of my nails, i can still remember the taste of nail polish...yucks! I dont think i can stop it..old habits die hard i guess!!
