Kicking the Habit
It's quite possibly the hardest thing I've ever set my mind to doing.
What is it? Is it climbing a mountain? Getting in shape? Flossing? Quitting smoking? No, nothing so mild. I've decided I want to quit biting my fingernails.
I've been a nail-biter for just about as long as I can remember. It's not a conscious thing, really; I don't bite my nails to keep them short, I don't bite them because I like the flavor, I don't bite them out of spite for keratin. I bite them more or less because I don't think about it and end up chewing on them anyway. Most of the time I don't realize I'm doing it until it's too late. It's not nervousness, it's usually just because my hands and mouth aren't doing anything else, so they decide to have a party together.
So my goal for this month, September 2007, is to quit biting my nails.
The problem is… it's hard. I've been doing it for so long that I can't imagine a good way to kick the habit. I can't necessarily just trust myself not to do it — because I'm rarely aware I'm even doing it, I can't consciously keep myself from doing it. My girlfriend bought me a bag of pretzels with the idea that if I'm nibbling on pretzels all day, I won't need to chew on my nails. That works out decently, but only if I'm actually at my desk or near the pretzels. If I'm in a meeting, or in the car, or… well… anywhere but at my desk, it doesn't help.
I've actually even considered getting a box of latex/rubber gloves to wear, just so my nails aren't even exposed. If I try biting them, I'll get a good taste of rubber in my mouth and realize it's not gonna work. I can't wear regular gloves, because 90% of my day is spent at a computer, and regular leather gloves would have a bit of a negative affect on my ability to use a keyboard. That would be bad.
So… any suggestions on how to kick the habit? Any former nail-biters out there with tips to share on what makes it easier to quit? C'mon… I'm desperate here.
Photo by Elsie esq. License: Creative Commons Attribution.
Wendy said,
September 6, 2007, 1:26 pm
I'm not a nail biter, but I've heard that nail polish can help break the habit (like the gloves, if you try bitting your nails, you'll get a bad taste in your mouth). If you don't want colorful nails, I suggest clear nail polish.
Tom said,
September 6, 2007, 7:39 pm
My brother quit biting his nails through a bet with my dad. $100 if he could stop biting for a month. $100 richer, the nails were extra tasty on the 32nd day…
I've never been able to quit, and there's no real downside unless you're a hand model, so I've let go that goal.
Steel Froggy said,
September 6, 2007, 7:43 pm
haha, I do the same thing man. :P
I bite my nails so bad, that when I don't have them anymore I keep biting until I'm bleeding, then it hurts so I realize what I'm doing. =S
Either that or I eat my pencils, but those taste nasty so I bite my nails (or what's left of them) some more.
However, I've been meaning to break the habit as well, but I never actually 'got around' to it or anything. However, there is this one stuff (kinda like the nail polish comment) that's pretty much meant for things like this. It's got a nasty taste, so it helps kick the habit of 'chewing' or whatever.
Man, I gotta look into that more. lol.
I don't wanna say this, since you'd ditch the idea-
But the one I'm talking about is meant for hamsters. :P
I'd just have to find out if it's toxic or not, and if it is see if they have a human alternative….
lol
Steel Froggy said,
September 6, 2007, 7:45 pm
EDIT (If I could. lol): Hows about this-
We can have a contest, see who ends up chewing their nails first. lol
I guess it'll end on the 1st of October.
Dan can tell you if I'm cheating or not. :P
*Note to self- Find nasty tasting clear funny hamster stuff
Tigerblade said,
September 6, 2007, 7:51 pm
Are you talking about this?
Steel Froggy said,
September 6, 2007, 9:29 pm
Yeah, actually.
Stuff like that. =P
Sarah said,
September 11, 2007, 1:45 am
My hubby bites his nails, funny thing I never seem to notice him do it anymore either! He has never tried the nail paint that tastes of urine though! haha
I actually cannot stand men with long nails, it's a real turn off for me, so actually I have never moaned about it and he does not bite them so there is no nail left at all, so maybe he is not as bad as some.
Good luck with your task!
hellhound5005 said,
October 10, 2007, 9:44 am
ha ha, I've always bitten my nails, at least as far back as i can remember, but my aunt uses this stuff for her kids to stop sucking there thumbs. its got the taste of cyan pepper, and none of her kids suck there thumbs any more, ooo by the way thats the name of the product, thumbs, good luck with not biting you nails
Mroats said,
October 13, 2007, 6:43 pm
I bite my nails so bad…I have trouble snapping the tops of soda cans because of it. It's so bad…I even bite my skin around my nails when I run out of nail to bite. (Sorry for the gross out).
My reasons for biting are a mixture of anxiety, and just doing it unconsciously.
I've tried a “hypnosis CD” on “overcoming nail biting”. It worked for a few days and “back to biting” I went. (I did like the relaxation technique in it though. ;D)
I've also tried this liquid you paint on your nails (it's clear) called “Bite it”. …Holy SH_T it tasted so bad when I bited my nails! It's like tasting rubber bands… This worked for a few weeks. I bought it at CVS, but I just stoped using it because…my willpower is just bad. But this might work for you. ;D
Good luck, please let us know if you've reached your goal!
Tigerblade said,
October 13, 2007, 6:58 pm
Heh, no worries Mr Oats… I do the same thing - bite the nails until there's not much left to bite, then the skin. I dunno why, just nothing else to do.
And no… unfortunately… I didn't make my goal. Here it is, October 13, and still biting occasionally. My problem is that I'm rarely aware that I'm doing it until it's too late anyway. Meh. I'm still trying to break myself of it, but… oh well.
MrOats said,
October 14, 2007, 8:35 am
Ah well, we can't all be perfect. ;P
Have you considered the “Bite it” nail stuff? I've heard it's worked for some people…
Shannon said,
July 3, 2008, 9:18 pm
I have the same problem and am currently working on it.
I bought this nailpolish called “Kick the Habit; Stop the Bite”. They sell it at Wal-Mart.
Good luck to you.
Tigerblade said,
July 3, 2008, 9:26 pm
Thanks for the support, Shannon. I basically gave up a while back… while I’d like nothing more than to quit, it’s proved to be more than problematic to try quitting. Like I told Mr Oats above, my problem is that I don’t even realize I’m biting until I’ve already chewed on them for a bit.
Pete said,
December 9, 2008, 5:19 pm
The best way to control the nail-biting habit is do nothing about it. That is my lesson as a severe life-long nail-eating professional. All of the childhood horror stories I endured about eating germs, getting worms, or looking stupid could not dent the oral gratification that I required from biting my nails. The OCD urge was so powerful that I bit my toenails and ate my boogers (Ewww. . . .). Otherwise, I was a normal, healthy, and popular kid though a few girls refused to date me because I always had my fingers in my mouth.
When I graduated from adolescence to adulthood I still could control the urge to bite my nails, no matter what I did or how I tried. When I accepted the habit as a part of my essence, I released the shame and guilt that went with it and was able to become a happy family and career man. While there are always a few who condemn nail-biting and hold me in contempt, they are incidental in my life.
Pete said,
December 9, 2008, 8:18 pm
I meant to say in para. 2 “I still could not control the urge to bite my nails. . .”