Nail Biting

[neenee]

Please tell me there is some miracle cure to get someone to stop biting their nails. My 13 yo DD is HORRIBLE about it. To the point that she will make herself bleed sometimes.

She has totally ruined her nail beds. Poor thing wants me to paint her nails and although I do the best I can....it is seriously hard to paint something that is only like 1/4 to 3/8" long!

I keep thinking that she will outgrow it but, it never seems to get any better.

Any suggestions that have worked for anyone else?

[emmasmommy]

i'd love to hear them also. my oldest is CONSTANTLY making herself bleed bc she bites them so low.

[jessica31876]

Well I know for me the stuff they put in nail polish remover to make it so you wont swallow it (Bitrex I think its called) makes the nails taste so nasty I dont even want to put my nails in my mouth so maybe something that will make her not want to bite her nails. Im pretty sure they sell stuff that has a bitter taste that will make her not want to bite them. Also maybe having some sugarfree candy/gum so when she is bored/stressed or whatever triggers her biting her nails to suck on a piece of candy instead. The last thing is to get her a manicure set and have her trim her nails so she cant bite them. That is what really worked for me is just keeping them trimmed with nail clippers and filing/buffing them.

link for stuff to put on the nails to stop nail biting
http://www.google.com/products/catalog?q=stop+nail+biting&hl=en&client=firefox-a&hs=UlM&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&prmd=ivns&resnum=3&biw=1600&bih=666&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.&um=1&ie=UTF-8&cid=6126426790638056853&sa=X&ei=wG-eTaDbMPSC0QHJrbmcBQ&ved=0CF8Q8gIwAQ#

[MissKim]

Let me know if you figure it out. I'm 40 and bite my nails horribly. I mean raw nail beds, no nails, etc. I have tried to stop to varying degrees, and I simply can't. I've tried the bad tasting stuff (nope, I just got used to the taste and kept on chewing). The longest I've gone is like a week when I had a temporary crown and really couldn't chew much. And when I got the permanent, I was so happy to go back to chewing. I just don't know how to cope without it. And yes, I've made myself bleed. Gotten infections because I chewed them too low or in the wrong place. I cannot stop.

The times I came closest to quitting were when I was a teen, so maybe your girl may get enough motivation. But I wouldn't count on her outgrowing it. I haven't.

[Tracyfish]

The only time I don't bite mine is when I have on artificial nails or when I paint my real ones. As soon as the polish comes off, it's on and I can't help myself.

[mariewilcox]

My son finally stopped when I told him about all the nasty nasty germs he was getting in his mouth because the fingernails harbor all kinds of nasty stuff that you touch throughout the day.... that and the fact that I told him he could get worms from biting them. That grossed him out sufficiently and every time he brought his fingers up to his lips I could actually see him thinking, and he would take them out of his mouth :D

[momtutu]

http://www.folica.com/spa-and-body/manicure/mavala-stop-for-nail-biting-and-thumb-sucking

This!!!

You paint it on and it stays on for up to 3 days. Stopped my son's thumb sucking in 1 week when he was 7 years old. Now, he was READY to stop sucking his thumb so that may be why it worked so well. I will tell you....this stuff is NASTY!!! But it works!

[Kiki]

The only time I don't bite mine is when I have on artificial nails or when I paint my real ones. As soon as the polish comes off, it's on and I can't help myself.

The artificial nails is the only thing that worked for me too! The nail polish didn't work, or the Bitrex. But the press-on nails sure as heck did. By the time they came off from wear, I had nice nails underneath and had broken the habit. :thumbup:

[nun69]

I bite my nails until I was in my 20's...it took me having artificial nails put on for YEARS before I actually quit.....I had them on for the past 2 years {I couldn't have them when I was deployed}, but I recently took them off about a month ago and I guess it just really broke the habit....

when I was young I don't know if it was a nervous habit or what but it took me years to quit~

[ColleenSwerb]

Yea, if she's really determined, there's nothing you can really do about it. I sucked my thumb and bit my nails and none of that bitter/nasty tasty stuff helped.

I STILL bite my nails. The only thing that's stopped me for the last month (which is some sort of miracle considering the stress I've been under) has been continually painting them every 6-8 days. Also, having nails files around has really helped. When I find myself picking at them I bust out the file and go to town. I don't even care if I file them down super short, as long as I'm not BITING them. You can't file your nails down til they bleed, you know? Or maybe I haven't tried hard enough, LOL!

[Lauramarie]

When I found out the germs that live under nails and read how people get worms, it made me stop. Plus it helped me complexion once I stopped. I think people do not realize they are doing it so its hard to stop. Maybe tell her that the hands she wipes with, touches things, doors, steering wheels, and everything else all live under her nails and she is ingesting fungi with every bite. Boys do not kiss girls with fungi...will that work? Maybe?!

[JulieB146]

I used to bite my nails all the time. It even caused the tooth I used to bite with to go crooked. I cured myself in college by always carrying a nail clipper around with me. When my nails started to annoy me, I'd start clipping (when it would not annoy other people). It helped break the cycle.

[Milmomma]

I did for years, about the first 22 years. It was a conscious decision I made that I wanted to stop. I cared nail files and lots of gum for months. I now bite my cuteicials and still chew the gum. But figure it's better.

[Leah]

I'm a nail-biter and have been since I was little. The ONLY thing that every worked for me was the acrylic nails, I wouldn't even put them in my mouth.

From someone who grew up hearing "get your fingers out of your mouth!", please don't nag at her about it, it's a habit that can't easily be broken.

[neenee]

Thanks for all of your wonderful suggestions. I don't really get on to her about it because I can tell she does it without a second thought. It is just a habit. I will have to try a few of these things and see what might work. She has been begging for artificial nails for a while now so maybe that will be what I try first.