I am disgusting. Bad. Bad bad habit I have.

[Mr Bloke]

Actually, I just had a really cool idea; if I could put some kind of brace (with a sensor on it) in my mouth, and then attach sensors to my fingers, and as soon as the finger sensors get too close to the mouth sensor (i.e. fingers are near mouth), a high pitch alarm goes off (which would jog my awareness and I could pull back etc).

 

Is there any devices like that available? I think it would be a sure-fire way to stop.

 

What would I need to build something like that?

If you connected the sensors to a taser strategically concealed in your trouser pocket I think your habit would be cured instantly...

[sedith]

Not the end of the world though is it?

[Mr Bloke]

Not the end of the world though is it?

I suppose it depends which pocket he decides to conceal the taser in!

[cressida]

Keep to the nails on the little fingers where they don't show as much and leave the others alone

 

Remember people who suck their thumb don't bother with the fingers.

[NewBiz]

I bit my nails to the quick for years,I even used to gouge at them with scissors, but I now have really quite nice nails. I used the bitter tasting stuff which helped, along with Vaseline Hand and Nail to increase the then dire nail health. I also bought some other stuff to rub in the cuticles to promote growth.

 

Once I started to take a bit of pride in my nails, it really helped me stop, and before too long they were just about long enough to tap on a table top, and that was it, I was hooked. It took some time for the nails to strengthen/harden,and for a while they were incredibly flakey but I persevered and they came good.

 

Get started, stay strong, help your nails recover and you'll be surprised how quickly you get some growth. Once you have some 'white bits' you'll value them so much it'll help you stay stopped.

 

Good luck.

[Waldo]

Thanks NewBiz,

 

Can you remember what the stuff was that promotes nail growth (you run on cuticles)? Is it some kind of oil?

[NewBiz]

Thanks NewBiz,

 

Can you remember what the stuff was that promotes nail growth (you run on cuticles)? Is it some kind of oil?

 

It was an oil, but it's 16+ years ago so can't remember the name. Have a Google, you'll find something. Lavish as much attention on your nails as you can would be my advice. I found that I quickly went from biting them to spending hours faffing with them and checking for white bits. Now I never ever think to bite them (apart from when they get too long, and I can't be bothered to file so much growth off, so bite a chunk off, and file to a finish) The key to the oil was to massage it in, as the massaging promotes blood flow, which increases growth.

 

There was nobody more ingrained in their nail biting habit than me, and I've been cured for years.

[Waldo]

That's great, thanks NewBiz. Nice to know people can stop. :-)

[NewBiz]

That's great, thanks NewBiz. Nice to know people can stop. :-)

 

The rewards are certainly worth it. I no longer hide my nails and can scratch my head with my nails, whereas I used to have to use my knuckles, because my fingertips were too sore!

 

You can do it. Good luck!

[MrsMozzy]

I bit mine for 40-odd years and had tried all sorts. What finally worked was allowing myself to bite all but the nails on my two little fingers, then all but the two next to them and so on till I had 8 nicely growing nails. Stopping biting the thumbnails took ages. But the joy of tapping on a table or scratching an itch, as mentioned above, helped no end. My nails are now lovely: I have them done fortnightly and get lots of compliments about them. Stick with it!!