How to Stop Biting Your Nails

Every January 1st for 25 years my resolution was to stop biting my nails. I always thought, that it would finally be the year that I would finally complete my task. Then at the end of every year it was a big disappointment when I still had the same short, ugly nails. However, 2010 was my year! I finally stopped biting my nails! What worked for me, may not work for you, so I will give you some other suggestions as well.

Bad Taste

You can find bad tasting nail polish at just about any store. I have seen products like this at Walgreen's, Wal-mart, Target, and the grocery store. I am sure other stores sell them as well. They have a variety of names but all work just the same. You polish your nails with the product. Then the first time you try to bite your nails, you get a mouth full of this nasty, bitter stuff. This may work very well for some people. However, it never seemed to work for me. I just kept something to drink with me and then I could wash the bad taste out of my mouth if I ever bit my nails.

Spice it up

Another way to try and cure nail biting with your taste buds is with hot sauce. Put just a bit of hot sauce on your nails. The next time you bite your nails your mouth will be on fire. However, this won't work for everyone. Some people like spicy stuff. Then there are others like me, who just keep a drink handy to cool their mouth off.

Vitamins

You can add a vitamin supplement to your diet. Vitamin E is said to help with nail growth. I have noticed that it will help my nails to grow faster. However, I bit my nails so often that the quickness of growth was not helping me to stop biting them at all.

Go Fake

Here is the beginning of what worked for me to stop. I began to think that this was a habit I would never be able to break. So whenever we had a special event to go to, I would go to the nail salon and get fake nails put on. They looked beautiful, were strong, and lasted at least 2 weeks for me. However, this is a pricey option. In my area it costs about $25 to get the nails put on, and then another $12-$13 every few weeks to get them filled in.

Going fake was only a part time solution for me. I had to find a solution that worked that didn't bust my budget.

What worked for me

June 2010, I went and got my nails done for a wedding. After 2 weeks I went and had them filled in. They looked so pretty that I wanted to keep them just a little longer for the Summer. I still would catch myself putting the fake nails in my mouth. So whenever I would do that, I would stop and then start cleaning underneath the false nails. Sometimes, I would rub lotion around my nails, or a cuticle oil on them. Anything to divert my attention away from biting on my nails. A few more weeks went by and my fake nails were beginning to come off. My real nails underneath had grown substantially during that month, so I decided to try and not bite them. After removing all of the fake nails, I used a nail buffer to smooth out my rough and weak nails. I also began putting a nail strengthening polish on at least once a week. Every time I would catch myself putting my nail to my mouth, I would start to clean them, polish them, or rub lotion on them. Soon another month had gone by, and my nails were still weak and breaking after having fake nails on, but they were not short and ugly anymore.

It is now February 2011. I have lovely nails now. They are strong, almost too strong according to a manicurist, and beautiful. I try and keep them painted now. It reminds me of how far I have come. It was definitely big change for me. I know that I am proud of myself for finally conquering this bad habit. Hopefully this article will help this be your year to stop biting your nails.