How do I quit bitting my nails?
952133
Have you tried keeping them constanly polished?  I stopped biting my nails by using nail polish.  I don't want to ruin my nails when they're polished.  As soon as the polish chips, I repaint right over the old color.  I've been doing this for 10 years and my nails are now long and healthy.  But, if I go even a day without polish, I start biting again.  So, I just always keep them polished.
455575
they make this stuff, its nail polish, its called nail bite or no bite or something like that...get it at those chain drugstores like C*S
157710
Biting your nails is a nervous bad habit.  Try polishing your nails to make them more noticible to you before they reach your mouth.  Replace this bad habit with a good one.  For example, chewing on celery, baby carrots, or sugar-free gum.  Try keeping your hands busy with something you find relaxing, like drawing or knitting.  Exercise is the best way to get rid of nervous energy: swim, ride a bike, walk briskly, dance, skate, ski.  Share some time with a friend.  You CAN do it! Best to you.
1032467
This may or may not work for you; I did it when I was sixteen and have not bitten since.\nMy boyfriend at the time commented on my nails, which were bitten past the quick.  I started using 2- 3 coats of nail polish on those lil' nubbins.  I kept it on constantly.  I was first embarrassed by the look of it (you can really get this going if you put a bright color on), and second grossed out by the taste of nail polish. Once they finally grew, (it takes about 3 weeks) they were too hard to bite comfortably.  \nAlso, think about all the nastiness that really is under there.  If you are not a germ freak tho, this may not deter you.  Nailbiters tend to be germ freaks a lot of times, that's why I mentioned it.
603615
Try to create a habit that's not as bad to substitute for it.\n\nTry to find the worst consequence that could come out of your habit. Think about it every time your habit occurs.
560476
dont know why you can't stop.  but you can try to stop perhaps if you think of all the people that touch the things that you touch before you touch them. and how people could have just wiped their butts, picked their nose, picked up their dogs poo, had sex, scratched their butt, held their willie to pee, cleaned a litter box, grabbed some rotten food, took out the trash, or changed a tampon and didn't wash their hands and so after you touch what they just touched, you have all that nastiness on your hands and when you bite your nails, you are putting all those germs in your mouth.  hope that helps.  the gross factor made me quit biting instantly.  good luck.
196508
Lots of people swear by lots of things...the patch, hypnotism, etc.  I think cutting back is good, because your aren't obligating yourself to quit completely and immediately.  Things like lollipops can preoccupy you from smoking and help the "hand-to-mouth" addiction, I also recommend picking up mint toothpicks (little travel packs are available at health foods stores.)  Don't be afraid to talk to your doctor, either...he/she will probably be able to give you lots of excellent advice.  GOOD LUCK!
470939
Some people bite their nails simply as a bad habit and they have to consciously make the effort to stop.\n\nOther people, the ones who get down to bare bleeding skin, may be suffering from depression or something similar.  I used to be this person, I was biting my nails down to the nubbins to (unconciously) cause myself physical pain in order to cover up emotional pain.  After spending some time in therapy I was able to find better ways of dealing with things and now I have lovely nails!\n\nBy the way, this second example of nail chewing is a very similar behavior to people who cut or otherwise hurt themselves... the physical pain is easier to deal with than emotional pain.
821300
you know i have the same problem with my 4 year old.  he chews them way down and is ruining his nails.  you can try this stuff its called thum, you can usually get it at any pharmacy, just ask for it.  you put it on his nails and its supposed to taste really nasty and they stop doing it, or if your child is like mine he will do it anyway.  i also heard you can use vinegar.  i tried that also but my son claimed it was delicious. lol  ive heard of people using cayenne pepper, black pepper or hot sauce.  good luck with it.
1051325
Iv done this my whole life recently tried that special nail biting polish tasted nasty but didnt work. I have started getting manicures and seeing them so pretty is working.
988967
paint your nails or get a gel or acrylic overlay. if you paint your nails it will taste nasty when you bite them and with the overlay you cant bite it because its so hard! and your nails will look pretty so you wont want to hehe :)
677349
Hello my fellow nail biter! \n\nFrom one nail biter to the other let me just say I feel your frustration :P But recently I found that haven't been biting my nails as much, which is an extreme improvment for me. What I did was I just didn't do it, I said to myself I'm not going to bite anymore and everytime my nails came to my mouth I was conscious of it and I just pulled them away. An excellent thing to do is to occupy yourself with something else, take up another hobby and it'll replace your nail biting...I thought it was ridiculous but it actually works. It doesn't come quickly though, it takes a bit of time. Just be patient and one day you'll look at your nails and go all wide eyed and just go "OMG THEY ACTUALLY DO GROW!!" :P Gewd luck!
994750
My only answer to this one is the fact that they get nervous. I used to have a habit of biting my nails, but soon stopped because it is gross and you can get infections from it. I don't necessarily think that people "eat" them. Chewing is maybe something they do and it is a disgusting habit. \nI know that it is most likely a nervous habit.
1011810
Paint them or get fake nails, until your real ones grow out and you will lose the habit. It took me three years of fake nails, but I now have my own long nails that I have noo urge to bite!!
643663
I used to bite my nails when I was little. \nIt's something I slowly grew out of in a strange way. \nMy parents used to put this nail polish on my nails which made them taste horrible everytime I put my fingers in my mouth. This worked to a certain extent because it really did taste nasty.... but I used to wash it off my hands everytime I could (usually at school!) . \nMy parents also put up signs all around the house to remind me not to bite them. This helped but didn't stop it. \nAfter a while I started to like using nail varnish and started plastering the stuff all over my nails and peeling it off which stopped me from biting them. Although, this wasn't very good for me, but seeing my nails long made me want to keep them like that so I started growing my nails. \nOnly problem now though, is that I occasionally like to bite my cuticle instead!! \nIn general I think it's something she'll have to want to do herself. You can help her but never force it! People normally bite their nails when they are worried or scared. It's a sign of insecurity.\nThen again that's not always the case, so she may have her own reasons for it:\nIf you were not cutting her nails for her she probably turned to biting her nails as a way to keep them short. Nails break easily. Especially as a young active child you're more prone to breaking them! So if you start cutting them for her maybe she will stop biting them???
5426
cut your nails straight across when condition improves. Until then, make tiny v at top of nail. Sounds silly, but does work.
358952
Because they've done it ever since they were children; maybe they grew out of the sucking thumb phase and started biting their nails. Other people do it when they're nervous or anxious. Some people do it to trim their nails, seriously! I used to bite my nails out of habit. Then I stopped doing it out of habit and just bit them when they got really long. I think long nails on a guy looks kind of feminine. I've never gotten used to using nail trimmers except for toe nails and nail files are uncomfotable and take so long unless you get a really good file, if there is such a thing.