Nail biters! How can I stop?

What about acrylic nails? don't think i'd want to bite those suckers. They can be really short and natural, but maybe that would help?

The painting my nails thing works for me...at least until the polish comes off lol. You could coat something on your nails, like nail polish remover. It tastes disgusting. Or get a rubber band around your wrist and snap it every time you catch yourself biting your nails.

I've had acrylic nails once and unfortunately I picked them off and ruined my nails so badly!!

I could try that polish for the biting! it's really the picking that's my problem

I pick my cuticles too and it has really damaged my fingers. I have a cuticle oil that makes it hard to pick at them or bite my nails because it's slippery and tastes bad. It's a great way to prevent you from doing further damage and it helps restore them.

I used to be an insane nail biter....so compulsive that I tried the stuff Tania suggested and it didn't work...I just went about it dealing with the awful taste until the polish was basically taken off. The only thing that has worked for me is acrylic nails.

What about the shellac nails? I too was so bad for biting my nails. When I got shellac, it was a very hard coating that you can't peel off very well and that kept me from doing it. Plus they were so pretty and nice.

I had that problem for a while as well. Honestly it came down to having something else to do with my hands. When I could just sit in class and pick at them it was terrible, I couldn't stop and often wouldn't realize what I was doing until I had bitten them down to nearly bleeding. Doing gel polish helped a lot because it's so hard that I can't pick at my nails... until the polish starts to come up, then I had to really stop myself from peeling it up and ruining my nails completely. Try taking up a hobby you can do when you're otherwise idle- knitting, cross stitch, whatever so you don't sit in front of the TV and pick at them. Also get a really nice lotion to use on your hands- it's hard to pick at your cuticles when they are smooth and moisturized. This is a really hard habit to kick, people who don't do it don't usually understand why you do it. Unfortunately, mine migrated to picking at other things but I'm working really hard to get it under control. Ruined cuticles and scars aren't a good look, but it stems from true anxiety and you may need to look deeper than just stopping the habit for a long term solution. Good luck with this! Now I'm done being preachy. Ugh.

You could do the gel nail polish instead of acrylic! I hate how the acrylic damaged my nails too!

I would suggest playing with a stress ball when you have the urge to bite your nails.

What if you got weekly manicures for a few weeks- they trim your cuticles for you so theres nothing to pick at. I get them for fun (they are super cheap in my area). It might be a little investment but I love having a fresh manicure (hate chips), so I try to keep them nice until its time for a re-do. Also maybe keep clippers or a file in your purse and try to clip a cuticle if you need to and not bite it.

I was a nail biter my whole life until I got pregnant. It was so weird, I literally just stopped biting my nails & haven't since lol. I mean, I did bite at them a little during Pretty Little Liars, haha, but other than that I never do. I do find that having shellac on my nails helps sooo much. You can't really bite through it unless you're gnawing at your nails lol

Ugh I have this problem. I'm planning on getting acrylics a week before the wedding (or just a couple days I pick if they break in the slightest and acrylics would solve that for me since my nails are relatively flimsy and break easily

I think I'm going to try the rubber band idea or something like a stress ball. I do this so badly that I don't even realize its happening.

I appreciate all of the suggestions for getting my nails done and things like that but I know that it wouldn't work, I could put so much time into painting them perfectly just to start picking 2 minutes later.

I'm a bad nail biter too. I'm with you, acrylic nails worked for a little while, until I took them off and realized I had terrible nails underneath and needed to start over anyways. I tried a gel manicure about 6 weeks ago, that didn't work either. I managed to peel all the paint off and then the boredom/stress of driving made me bite one hand. Then I tried to convince myself I was challenging myself or conducting an experiment to let the other hand grow. I broke in two days. @Becky's advice might work. But I just do it by reflex :/

I'd go with a distraction like the rubber band or stress ball. I used to be a horrible nail biter and have done acrylics for years which has helped with the biting. I'm still bad with my cuticles but I use cuticle oil or lotion around the cuticles everyday which helps soften them and restore the damage. Good luck.

I also vote distraction. I used to bite my nails constantly and I noticed I did it when I was driving. So I got myself a pair of gloves to wear in the car so I couldn't.

I used to be a major nail biter. I don't bite as much now, but I do sometimes pick at my cuticles, so I feel your pain.

The best thing that I have found if getting regular gel manicures. The nail polish is hard to pick off at first, although after about a week and a half you can sometimes get it to peel off in one big piece, so don't go more than two weeks without getting one done. Also - my favorite part - they keep the cuticles trimmed and smooth so that it's REALLY hard to pick at them.

It's not 100%. I still pick at my nails and cuticles, and end up breaking my nails from this habit, but its helped SO much in letting me grow out my nails.

@Tania...I can't remember what brand it was, but I know it made me sick to my stomach and gag, but because it was so habitual when I was stress that I didn't care...I just suffered through it!

Gloves, the god awful polish @tania suggested, stress ball, and gum to chew on instead. I finally quit chewing my nails about 6 months ago and they looks so long and healthy now. The polish probably helped the most for me, just make sure you get the one that tastes the worst.

I saw some guy scratching his balls and hold on to the same hand railing i was going to use...Ive been nail biting free for 5 years.