[GhostUser]

Well, hope this is the right place to post it and i don't post the same thing again <img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="/images/smilies/huh.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title=""><br><br><br><br>
Well, I have a problem, not exactly with my nails but with biting them. Since October last year when I had a lot of problems, I started putting on weight and so on, I am biting them all the time, not only nails but also the skin around them and it looks awful, I'm scared that I will have those short nails with flat fingers (if you know what i mean)<br><br><br><br>
I can't stop doing it, while i'm studying, reading, watching tv, anything. I'm embarassed because I have apalling hands now <img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="/images/smilies/dizzy2.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title=":dizzy:"><br><br><br><br>
Then 2 questions: Nothing helps, even special meds to put on my nails, what else i can do? <img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="/images/smilies/huh.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title=""><br><br><br><br>
second: If my nails are short now, can they look good again? I'm quite scared of they can be flat, short and ugly forever <img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="/images/smilies/worried.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title=":worried:">

 

[karenlovessnow]

You can ruin your nail beds...mine are damaged from years of abuse...my nails will grow quite long but they are full of ridges. The cuticles are really dry/cracked. Unforutunately I don't have any advice on how to stop. I'm sure it's just a nervous habit. The few times that I have gotten a manicure, or had acrylics/wraps put on my nails, it helped the cuticles. Maybe a short time of doing that will help break the cycle. Acrylics are not good for your nails either, so it has to be short term. So, if they are not too damaged, they can look good again, but you will have to somehow stop the biting. Hope someone else can come up with suggestions for you.

 

[Sunny]

I agree with Karen about trying acrylic nails. When I was a teenager I bit my nails constantly and they looked horrible, and made my fingers hurt. I wore the acrylic nails until my real nails grew out and it stopped my nail biting. It's worth a try.

 

[GhostUser]

Is it possible to try acrylic nails on hm, wide nailbeds? I thing they would look riddiculous <img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="/images/smilies/huh.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title=""><br><br><br><br>
But I think I can try after my summer camp, thanks <img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="/images/smilies/smiley.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title="">

 

[raw jess]

I was going to suggest acrylic, too. Yeah, you can put them on any kind of nails. It's a thick liquid when they put it on, almost a gel (or you could get gel nails,) then dries almost immediately to hard acrylic. Go to a decent place though. None of those cheap $20 shops. If the people doing them are wearing masks, stay away. Go to an upper class salon type place. I go through phases of getting pink and white overlay on my real nails for a few months, then I take it all off for a couple months, then do it again. But I only stop because I'm too lazy to keep going every 2 weeks for a fill. I'm a decent tipper, so it costs me quite a bit, too.<br><br><br><br>
I also keep my acrylic thin, none of those chunky, gaudy nails a lot of females have. You can have them look natural. You also don't have to have them be long and talon-like, either.

 

[jeneticallymodified]

ya know, instead of just 'stopping' your nail biting habit, which is really hard- you could try replacing it with another habit that uses your hands and/or mouth. *why do i feel like i'm waiting for people to s****** and think of inappropriate new habits all of a sudden?* anyway, replacing habits like this seems to work pretty well for me, it takes a while to retrain your brain, but you can do it!<br><br><br><br>
what about chewing on sugar free gum or dried fruit or something similar, every time you get the urge to chew your fingers, and folding the wrapper or a handy strip of paper into a little paper star or zigzag or triangle or teeny tiny snowflake, or just fiddling with it a bit, or learning to twirl a coin between your fingers like in the magic trick.<br><br><br><br>
ooohhhh... actually- a girl i know 'fiddles' with paper strips all the time as an anti-anxiety strategy, and she's got this cookie tin full of these beautiful little paper stars now- from all different sizes and thicknesses colours of paper- you could make lots of these really cool little things, occupy your brain, and save your fingernails, all at the same time.<br><br><br><br>
then you could make pin holes in them, varnish them, thead them on thin fishing line style stuff, and make cute necklaces, or use them as xmas decorations, etc. you can even buy special paper to make these from in chinese stores or craft stores, if you want to, and get really into it.<br><br><br><br>
i found the instructions to make them here:<br><br><br><br><a href="http://www.dltk-kids.com/world/japan/morigami_star.htm" target="_blank">http://www.dltk-kids.com/world/japan/morigami_star.htm</a><br><br><br><br>
their photo doesn't do them any justice though. i know that it says to use your thumbnail for something at the end, but you could use the a thin coin in its place to start with, and it'll be all the more rewarding when you have a long enough thumbnail to use!<br><br><br><br>
good luck, and be strong, you can do it!

 

[Gita]

or something like a useful little hobby. Dont laugh, but Cross stitch or knitting or something like that really takes your mind off trouble, and you can do it in front of the tv (well you have to look at it too). Its a great way to create christmas presents. I made a bunch of knit wash-cloths out of cotton string once.

 

[GhostUser]

i was making those stars in primary school, I will have a whole Universe in couple weeks now <img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="/images/smilies/laugh.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title=":lol:"><br><br><br><br>
thanks for your suggestions, I'll try not to look at my fingers as a food (are fingernails vegan <img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="/images/smilies/grin.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title=""> ? ), knitting is not for me, though, i always was bad at it at school <img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="/images/smilies/smiley.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title=""><br><br><br><br>
Today I barely touched my hands, started chewing the top of my pen while studying instead <img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="/images/smilies/thinking.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title=":think:"><br><br><br><br>
I have bought a nail lotion that makes the skin around nails and nails healthier, if i stop, that should help a little

 

[RaferLivingston]

<div class="quote-container"><span>Quote:</span>
<div class="quote-block">Originally Posted by <strong>muslimonster</strong> <a href="/forum/post/0"><img alt="View Post" class="inlineimg" src="/img/forum/go_quote.gif" style=""></a><br><br>
Well, hope this is the right place to post it and i don't post the same thing again <img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="/images/smilies/huh.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title=""><br><br><br><br>
Well, I have a problem, not exactly with my nails but with biting them. Since October last year when I had a lot of problems, I started putting on weight and so on, I am biting them all the time, not only nails but also the skin around them and it looks awful, I'm scared that I will have those short nails with flat fingers (if you know what i mean)<br><br><br><br>
I can't stop doing it, while i'm studying, reading, watching tv, anything. I'm embarassed because I have apalling hands now <img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="/images/smilies/dizzy2.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title=":dizzy:"><br><br><br><br>
Then 2 questions: Nothing helps, even special meds to put on my nails, what else i can do? <img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="/images/smilies/huh.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title=""><br><br><br><br>
second: If my nails are short now, can they look good again? I'm quite scared of they can be flat, short and ugly forever <img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="/images/smilies/worried.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title=":worried:"></div>
</div>
<br><br><br><br><br>
why dont you try to do things wich your hand can be useful, so thsat you cannot do the nail biting thing., example is cross stitching., maybe this would help<img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="/images/smilies/smiley.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title="">

 

[Absolut]

About a month ago i got acrylic nails.. and took them off like 2 weeks later.. my nails are really damaged etc but it did help!<br><br><br><br>
I also bite my nails.. and the skin!! But having the acrylics on gave time for the skin and nails to grow back to almost normal.. and there was hardly any wee teary bits.. the ones that are easy to bite.. (and to everyone who doesn't do that I can almost understand how gross that must sound..)<br><br><br><br>
Except now I'm back to doing it a wee bit.. but definately much better then it was before!<br><br><br><br>
And I'm really trying to make such an effort to stop.. but once you've been doing it err 18 years.. It's a hard habbit to break!! (but going into nursing, it makes it super gross.. because of all the bacteria.. and also I don't want anyone to comment on it.. ) It's not even a conscious thing anymore.. It just happens!!<br><br><br><br>
The skin on the nails that have healed look like they're never been touched! And my nails are getting there too! (I didn't bite them SHORT.. just to the tip of the skin)<br><br><br><br>
So yeah I'd definately recommend getting acrylics for even just 2 weeks.. or 3.. because it's been a big help!<br><br>
That and a wee bit of paranoia! Everytime I'm biting my nails in a lecture and I hear people behind me laughing/saying something along the lines of yuck.. I assume they're doing it at me for biting my nails/skin.. and yeah I don't want that!!!<br><br><br><br><br><br>
Anyway, also chewing gum helps! Because you don't seem to do it when there's something in your mouth!