The Last Bite...

It all started when I was in my early teens, when I first began biting my nails. At the time I did not think much of it, but how it affected me in later years caught up with me. A case of bad nail conditions and infections, helped put a stop to chewing my nails. Looking back, the thought of it, makes my stomach churn.

A friend of mine, who suffers from the same problem reached out to me, asking for some advice, on ‘how to stop biting your nails’. My first response to her was “try dipping your fingers in vinegar,” of course I was kidding.  On a serious note, I instantly related to her problem as my past sprung to the present. The main reason I am typing this post, is to hope that she will read this and it may help her overcome her nail biting habits. If you are reading my post and suffer from the same condition, I hope my post proves to be useful. If I can do it, so can you!

There are many reasons why we feel the need to bite our nails; at times this is a natural reaction, without giving much thought in what we are actually doing. The first and most common is the result of nervousness, followed by boredom, worries, and stress. Of course some people have a disorder, which is the cause of excessive nail biting.

I fall into the boredom, nervous and stress categories. My early teenage years were not plain sailing and for me biting my nails was the equivalent of a therapy session- as queer as that sounds. Surrounded by elder sisters and friends with pretty nails, I would imagine when I would grow a set of my own lovely nails, which I could decorate, with every shade of nail polish available. For me, this was a great motivator- well that and the hideous look of my fingers. Soon after I was on the road to recovery, in a couple of months my nails looked normal again, although I detected the changes in the initial weeks.

I have many tips which I will share, on putting an end to nail biting. The first and foremost crucial thing is self-control, master this and everything else will run smoothly. Below I have listed a few tips I found helped me. Follow all, or certain steps and you are on your way to having lovely luscious nails… when you finally do, go wild and paint them in pretty shades. Rock out.

A before and after picture of my nail.

Tips and tricks:

•  If at fist it is proving difficult, try protecting one nail at a time. By doing this, your nails and their appearance will improve. Repeat each step with the following nails, until you have stopped nibbling altogether.
• Place adhesive bandages on your nails, to stop you from biting them.
• Keep yourself occupied, boredom is a result of nail biting and this could lead to an obsession.
• Using an image for inspiration may help.
• Using nail growth treatments may boost fresh nails forming, thus improving their appearance.
• Using specifically formulated nail polishes may prevent you from biting your nails.
• Wearing false nails may prove helpful.
• Maintaining a healthy diet may promote healthy nail growth. 
• Regularly washing your hands and using moisturising creams as well as cuticle oil, will promote nail growth. 
• Finally… celebrate your nail success.

A disclaimer I want to bring to your attention is, that there may be alternative methods out there, which help prevent nail biting. The tips I have mentioned are subjective (from my personal experiences), they helped me overcome my nail biting. I can only hope they will work for you.

I wish my friend and all of you nail biters out there, the best of luck. 

A. Boston. X