Once one nail breaks (and they break easily since they are so thin) then I feel like I need to "fix" the other nails. And I don't fix them with nail trimmers. I am way too good at biting them and feel like I can fix them myself! But once one nail is shorter than the rest, it drives me crazy. I need all of my nails the SAME LENGTH.
I feel like it may be too hard to stop a habit I have done for so long. Of course the internet offers lots of suggestions. You can paint your nails with bitter tasting polish, wear gloves, replace the habit with something else... But what am I supposed to replace it with!?
So my thought is to go to a nail place and see if they are healthy enough to get acrylics over top. If I spend money on those, there is no way I will rip them off just to bite them. I can keep doing acrylics until they are long enough to hopefully just keep nice myself.
Does anyone local have a place they recommend me going?
Are you a nail biter?
Any tips to stop!?
OMG, your nails look painful to me because they are so short (and believe me, I keep my nails short). I know you have wanted to stop for awhile now. I know you can do it! I know you can--you are strong and you can do this :)
ReplyDeleteMy nails don't hurt, I promise! In fact I could probably get some more off of them! I know, I am disgusting. I don't want my nails super long, just enough to paint them and look pretty. I'm not sure I can do it without fake nails over top.
DeleteI know you can do it. Fake nails will help but it will come at a cost. After they come off, your nails will be really weak/thin (until they grow out). I've done both acrylics and also did shellac manicures and now I am just "plain jane".
DeleteI have no suggestions for you but I think you have the right idea about getting something like acrylics out on. I hear they are expensive to maintain but it may be a good solution until they grow out and then maybe do the gel nails to keep them strong. Do you take a hair, skin, and nails vitamin?
ReplyDeleteYeah I love those gel nails! I would only do acrylics until mine were long enough to look nice. I do not take those vitamins... should I?
DeleteI don't bite my nails, but I do crack my knuckles. And I do it a lot on the run, too! And not just my fingers . . . my mom always told me I'd end up with arthritis because of that nasty habit but apparently she was wrong. :)
ReplyDeleteI have good news for you! https://www.health.harvard.edu/pain/does-knuckle-cracking-cause-arthritis
DeleteI use to bite my nails a long time ago - two things worked for me in the end 1) keeping clear polish on them at all times (couldn't stand the taste if I bit them) and 2) contributing to a "rewards" jar every week I could go without biting them. For the life of me I cannot remember what I was saving for at the time, but it was enough of a motivation. Good luck!
ReplyDeleteHmmm I could totally see myself gnawing through clear polish but it's a good idea! I wonder what you saved for!
DeleteI was a nail biter and then in college I had enough. I used so much nail polish so I wouldn't bite them, and I carry a nail file to fix my nails if they break. it was a habit I did when bored or nervous, and now I play with my necklace charm.
ReplyDeleteHmmm yeah there's gotta be something I can play with when I am anxious or bored instead of biting.
DeleteI used to bite my nails too but I wanted to stop and make them healthy. I went with the same idea as bitter nail polish, except I put ear wax on my nails - I know this is disgusting but that was the point! I didn't want to put that in my mouth haha!! I suppose vegetable oil or something similar might work too.
ReplyDeleteOnce I stopped biting my nails, I found that they were very thin and prone to bending and then breaking. A work friend recommended NailTek III which is a hardener and the regimen was: Day 1 clean off any polish with remover and then cut your nails short with a nail clipper, coat with the nail hardener and finish with a top colour. Day 2-7 add another layer of hardener. Repeat from Day 1 again for 4 weeks. It really helped me, but I'm not sure how much of it was the product or the regimen. Good luck!
Wow thanks for those tips Jenny! I know my nails are very weak and brittle. :(
DeleteNail biting is so odd to me. I have never had the urge to do it! Does that mean you never polish your nails? I can't keep polish on very long, so I don't bother to do it very often. I do take vitamins for "hair and nails". My hair is quite thin. When I took prenatal vitamins my hair and nails were fabulous!!!
ReplyDeleteRight, I never polish my nails. Maybe I should take those vitamins! However, I feel like I have done so much damage to my nails over the past 36 yrs... Would it even help?
DeleteIt takes about a month for the "stuff" to kick in, but then my nails grow quite a bit. It's worth the try! I think they are "hair, nails & skin". You can get them any CVS, etc.
DeleteAs long as your nails do not hurt, then this is a harmless vice. You are not hurting anyone and it may be an outlet for you. You are a very strong minded woman and if you decide that you really want to stop then you will but it is not something that you should spend too much time worrying about. You wanna bite your nails...bite them. You wanna quit....quit. You can do either and all will still be good with the world as far as this goes.
ReplyDeleteI totally agree BUT I would love to have beautiful, nice, painted nails. I wouldn't want them too long because I play the piano, but of course I would want them longer than what they are now.
Delete