Nail Biting - Lima,OH

Sounds more like stress than habit. I bite my nails when I am understress. Needless to say they are down to the quick right now. Sometimes when I catch myself chewing on them I look at them and say to my self but out loud softly. Grow! grow! grow! don't bite1! don't bite! and honestly it works after a couple of times. Then my nails grow til I can't stand the length and I then indulge myself and bite them off. I also do not wear polish of any kind. It weakens my nails.
Good luck it is a mind game.

Dear Victoria,

I don't bite my nails but used to chew the inside of my right cheek, sometimes until it bled. I started taking a teaspoonful of molasses every morning because I'd read it would cure or forestall grey hair. It didn't work for that, but I noticed I stopped chewing my cheek. My dentist (who was very happy for me) and I theorize that there's some nutrient in molasses that helps reduce stress (and maybe it's stress I don't even ralize I have). She says she has found out at a conference that most chewing done while awake (as opposed to night time teeth grinding) is stress related. The molasses won't hurt you and might help, you never know unless you try. good luck

K.

Victoria I had to go to extremes to quit biting my nails. When I was 23 I had to have all, yes all of my teeth pulled and got dentures. Now I keep my nails to a nice length but not only was it painful to get my teeth pulled but expensive. Now at 69 my nails are nice but I am old and wrinkled. :-) & :-(

Have you ever had artificial nails? You might give them a try, at least for a few months (maybe even 6 months). I guess you could still bite them, but it is much harder. I had them on for about a year (off and on) and no longer bite my nails like I use to. And my natural nails now grow strong and long! Good luck to you!

I'm a long time nail biter also. I've noticed that I bite when my mind is occupied, but my hands and mouth are not. Like when I read or watch tv. I was also biting a lot at work. For me the answer was to become conscious of where my hands were while I wasn't using them and putting something in my mouth, like hard candy or gum to keep it occupied. I still have trouble sometimes, but I just have to get tough with myself and stop. It's a hard habit to break because you do it subconsciously and it is a hand and mouth habit. Good luck to you.

I'm a nail biter to. When one nail get snagged it's like an invitation to bite them. I think when you are stressed you tend to bite more it's usually in the evenings when I slow down from a stressful day or driving to/from work I find myself biting. Try keeing lotions or germex on hands maybe that will veer you from chewing with flu going around this is my training method to stop - it's not guaranteed but it's worth a shot. Also you can go get acrylic nails but then you get into time and money to keep them up. Best of luck - this isn't an easy task at all.

I found that not using ANY polish helped me. If I polish my nails, I scratch the polish off with fingers and my teeth (gross, I know!) I make it a point to cut them ALL if one breaks or snags so that they are all the same length. Taking Biotin daily has helped them grow (too fast actually), at least 5mg.

Strangely, if I get a professional manicure, I don't mess with that though so the suggestion of getting fake nails for awhile could help. (Although, not sure if you should be inhaling those fumes since you are pregnant)

Maybe chewing gum at work would help? Not sure! But good luck, I stopped years ago and have never gone back. Sometimes I still can't believe I kicked the habit because it was a bad one.

Re: maternity leave...
It may be that the times that you have been able to 'stop' is because you've had an infant in your arms 24/7 :)
I don't bite mine, but I pick them constantly -- they grow fast and are healthy, but always short b/c I can't stand to let them grow! Only times I've had beautiful nails was after each of my kiddos were born. I was nursing constantly and never able to put my hands together.
Perhaps this is the same for you (not that it's a solution, unless you want to keep having babies LOL)

I would say stress related also. I have notice that I don't seem stressed but when my back is hurting or I am just plain achy I will bite and pick my nails. This is a physical stress and not a mental stress. I have also been sick and that is a stress on the body so that makes me pick and chew my nails. I usually go to the chiropractor when my back hurts and that helps relieve some stress... or physical exercise to keep me healthy.
Hope this helps.

I have had the same problem for years.
If you get any good suggestions, I would love to hear about them.

Victoria, Congratulations to you and your hubby on your new addition to your family!!
Nail biting is actually a symptom of an inner issue such as frustration... only you can answer that. Become willing to release the pattern for the condition and the need for(nail biting)the symptom will go away. This comes from Louise Hays book...You Can Heal Your Life. Good Luck