Extreme Nail Biting Problem

[smartin91]

I have a nail biting problem.

My nails are chewed down past my fingertips. My ring fingernails are shortest, at about an eight of an inch long. The skin where my nails used to be is scarred and ugly. Despite the intense pain and bleeding, I can't stop biting my nails. When I can't get a grip on the nail with my teeth, I find myself picking at them with a knife, nail clippers, pencil, or whatever's on hand.

I've tried nail polish. I ended up picking it off and then chewing as usual, all without even thinking about what I was doing. I tried bad tasting stuff, but I chew anyway, ignoring the bad taste, again without thought. I've even tried gloves, but I end up taking them off almost immediately, as I need absolute precision for my career- I'm an artist.

I've also been through some other supposed cures. I had braces for two years; rather than making it harder for me to chew, I ended up just picking more effectively at my nails with the metal brackets. The same can be said for the retainer I now wear. I've tried replacing my habit with something else, like gum chewing, but I find myself still chewing my nails even when the gum is in my mouth.

I know exactly why I bite my nails. It isn't because I'm anxious, and it isn't a leftover habit from finger sucking, which I never did. I do it because I can't stand my nails to be at all uneven or sharp. If I develop a hangnail, I pick at it because it's an aberration. So i bite and bite, trying to even things out. But then the leading edge of my nail will get sharp or cracked, and I bite it back and scrape it smooth with my teeth, often causing more aberrations in the smoothness of the nail. It hurts like a mother, and it bleeds hideously, but I barely notice when I'm chewing my nails. And that's why nothing works. I don't realize I'm biting my nails until after the fact.

Don't get me wrong, I am VERY embarrassed by this habit, and always have been. I used to say I broke my nails playing with my dogs, or they got smashed in the door, and other things like that. More recently I've just been fessing up, but it still hurts and humiliated me to see people cringing at the sight of my hands. I was too embarrassed to get my nails done for prom, because I barely have any. I hate people watching me draw and sculpt, because they'll be focused on my hands. I sit with my hands curled into fists, so my nails are hidden. Nail biting is like alcoholism for me. Everybody knows I do it, I'm extremely embarrassed about it, but there's nothing I can do to quit. I'm too embarrassed even to go to a doctor about it, and WAY too embarrassed to go to a hypnotist. Also, there's the fact that I'm strapped for cash, and couldn't afford it anyway.

And so, I'm coming here for help. Is there anything I can do to try and kick this habit? I'm convinced that if I can grow them out and keep them tidy, I can stop my nail biting, but it's impossible for me as things stand right now. Please help!

[TheDocAtTheLab]

I am a chemical engineer and I own and run an independent contract research laboratory.  Like everyone who has posted a "help me" comment on this site, I too was a compulsvie nail biter for about the first 35 years of my life.  The habit is currently being classified by the shrinks of the world as an OCD.  May be some truth to that and it is possible that it afflicts Type A personalities more so than others.  As may be.  My own experience has convinced me that most biters begin because their cuticles are dry and ragged and feel starved for oxygen.  It is weird feeling and it essentially feels like one has to peel back the edges of the nails in order to let the fingers "breath".  For those still biting their nails to the nub, there are two things that are necessary to stop.  First, you have to WANT to stop.  You have to train yourself to take your fingers out of your mouth every single time you find yourself lifting your hand to your face.  You must make a very conscious effort NOT to put them in your mouth.  This first advice sounds very "duh" at first but it is critically important if the treatment I'm about to describe is going to work.  And it will.  The real issue we all face, and I still face it 24/7, is dry, ragged, split, and painful cuticles.  For now, go to the drugstore and buy a container of cocoa butter cream (not lotion - cream).  Every morning, every night, and EVERY time you find yourself raising those hands to your mouth, put a liberal amount of the cream around every fingernail.  Saturate the cuticles and keep them moisturized at all times.  You can let the cocoa butter melt a bit and then wash your hands (NOT the cuticles) if you need your hands clean to work or whatever.  Just leave a thin line of the cream around the cuticles.  You must continue this therapy probably for the rest of your life.  I am convinced from personal experience that this treatment will work for almost all nail biting adults and likely for a good number of adolescents as well.  If you follow the advice, you will find that your nails will begin to show growth at the ends after about 10 days.  The nails will be ragged and uneven.  Get a nail file and smooth them as best you can.  Put the cocoa butter cream on the cuticles again immediately after filing.  Continue this regimen as well.  If you bite your nails to the nub as badly as I once did, it can take years for your nails to grow enough to become strong again.  Mine took fifteen years to get strong enough not to break easily.  Early on, the nails will be thin and easily torn.  Don't fret over this - keep smoothing them and keep them out of your mouth and keep the cream on the cuticles.  It takes about 2-3 weekds to heal and smooth the cuticles.  But once hydrated again, you will notice that your nails do not drive you crazy as before.  You will not feel the constant urge to gnaw at them and they won't feel "starved" for air.  Any time and every time you have this sensation, put the cream on the cuticles.  EVERY time.

No one, and I mean NO ONE has ever bitten their nails to the nub worse than I did.  I don't any more and haven't for many years.  But I put the cream on every morning, every night, and usually once during the day if I wash my hands in the lab a lot.

For now, the cocoa butter cream is the best I can offer.  But my staff is in the process of creating an advanced, all natural, and reasonably priced cuticle cream especially for nail biters.  We are adding some ingredients to better hydrate the cuticles, some to heal cracked and torn cuticles, and some to strengthen the nails.  We don't have a name for it yet but we hope to commercialize our cream in the coming months.  Until then, get the cocoa butter cream and get the fingers out of your mouth.  If I can refrain, so can you.  Notice I wrote "refrain", not quit.  No such thing.  You will always be a reformed nail biter who refrains from biting and has great looking nails as a result.  To reach this new state, you must heal the cuticles first and then keep them healed.  Start RIGHT NOW!  Do it!  TheDocAtTheLab.

[purpleAMJ]

Thank you that is something I will try. I'm a nail bitter who can't stop bitting and my hands hurt all the time.

[quintero_k013]

I was exactly like you, sir, or ma'am. Honestly, when ever you start biting your nails, eat sun flower seeds. I do it to this day and haven't bitten my nails for months. Sun flower seeds will keep your tongue and teeth busy. In a couple weeks it'll help you stop biting your nails. Try it! I hope it helps.

[SmellyWasp]

I feel your pain! You have described exactly how I feel about my own problem.
I always go thru what I call the grow and purge cycle. I have nails, then I ruin them by picking biting and getting to the stage where I look like I've been in an accident and hate to have my hands in water as its so painful. Right now I am in the middle stage - I have fingernails but they are gradually getting shaved down here or there thru picking and biting. Don't even mention the state of my skin (or lack of it - I couldn't get in to my tanning salon recently as it would not recognise my fingerprint in the  entry scanner)
I manage to grow my nails from having gel acrylics from the salon applied and refilled regularly for over a month so my nails are protected and grow underneath. You cannot bite thru these and they are too blunt to be able to pick your other fingers. You will be surprised the magic these nail techs can work with even the smallest bit of nail. I'm so glad I faced my embarassment and went to ask for their help. Once my nails were long enough I had the acrylic nails removed and had gel manicure on my own thin, damaged nails (I recommend harmony gellish, stay away from CND or shellac it just is not strong enough) this gave them a really strong coating and looked lovely. I then made sure I continually moisturised my hands  throughout the day so that my dreadful skin was soft and there were no dry bits to pick at. This made me leave them alone and the frenzied chew/pick cycle was less as I had been unable to do so for over a month. However its expensive to get manicures all the time and as soon as it chipped I started to pick and as I cannot afford to get a manicure right now I have reverted to going at my nails again. I don't notice until I get a pain from pulling too much skin. Its frustrating and driving me mad. I am going to take a picture of my nails today, give them a tidy, paint them and begin to moisturise again to see if I can keep these for a bit longer.

You can do it. At least you want to stop, just keep trying and dont be too hard on yourself. Even if you grow a small amount of nail and end up biting it off sometime later, still at least see this as an achievement on the last time. Then each time you manage to grow, it will get better for longer. I hate myself when I bite but In the past year I have not yet ever bitten them all the way back to the cuticle so I feel I have made some progress, even with my short scrappy nails. Next I will try and get my fingerprints back....Good luck xxx

[dean2105]

I also have the same issue, or well did. I know there are alot of techniques people claimed worked for them. However i was a chronic nail biter, i had a problem typically known as Onychophagia to the medical world. There is no specific cure for nail biting, but i can share with you a few techniques i used to help me.

Firstly: Keep track of your progress, so wait until a specific date (1st of the month is a good one, or first day of the week) and tell yourself ok im gonna stop biting my nails today. Buy a cheap calendar or make one or just keep track of the days with a diary or notepad. Then for everyday you didn't bite give yourself a tick or smiley face or whatever on your calendar, so you get that sense of achievement, which will hopefully help you stop biting for a few days, then weeks, then months until finally you dont feel the urge anymore.

Ok secondly: Pictures, this might sound silly but take pictures of your nails, look at the damage you are causing to yourself. Imagine yourself with pretty and healthy nails. Hopefully seeing the damage and knowing the pain your a suffering will be enough to motivate you to stop.

What i did to help me stop was combining the 2 above techniques. When i started the calendar/diary, i took a photo of my damaged nails. As the days went on i could see the smiley faces next to all the dates i didnt bite on, and every week or so, or whenever i felt my nails where making progress i would take another photo and keep imagining what they are going to be like when they are pretty and healthy. Eventually after just over 6 weeks i completely removed the urge to bite my nails, i no longer feel uncomfortable talking to people or allowing them to see my hands. I haven't even attempted to bite a single nail for over 3 years now, i was a chronic nail biter for at least 10 years.

I just hope everyone can manage to accomplish the achievement i accomplished. So you can be happy with your new healthy nails. Good luck! Dean.

[nc3d]

I have the same issue, I've picked and picked and picked until I've mutilated the nail causing emense pain. As you describes I've used knives and clippers and my own teeth. I do it with my toes as well, minus the biting, which has given me ingrown nails. It's an odd thing, I see one hangnail so I try to remove it, end up making it worse, and for some reason can't help but to maticulously inspect my other nails, inevitably find an "issue" and start at them as well. It's mostly the cuticles that drive me crazy, especially when they look uneven, or at peeling up. I go in phases, on and off. When I'm really busy, it seems like I forget about them and my nails grown without me messing with them. I went for almost a year last time before I messed them up last time. I've been jobless for about six months now so my nails are destroyed. I'm also an artist and have had to work with stinging fingers, it *****. I start a new job tomorrow so maybe it will help being busy agian.