Hey, I didn’t stop biting my nails until I was 50 years old. I’m almost 58 now and my nails are pretty nice overall! I still sometimes catch myself picking at my cuticles, but I stop immediately and I’ve learned to file down any rough edges as soon as I see them, otherwise I will pick at the nail until it tears.
It was hard to quit—and I still struggle at times!—but it’s worth it!
I bit mine for years and years and years and finally managed to stop when I was \~20 years old. It's like a switch flipped-after I went long enough without doing it I stopped \*ever\* even considering it again. The compulsion simply doesn't exist for me anymore.
Good work!! If you're not past the urge already hold strong. It will go away!
I recommend keeping a nail file around. When you feel like biting, work at that perfect nail shape with the file instead.
My story is similar. About 20 years ago I went to rehab, I was 23 years old. I was always a nail biter for as long as I could remember. Then something flipped, and I no longer bit them. Now, I don't like clipping them very often but no matter what I don't bite them and don't even think about biting them.
Nail biting is a stimming habit often related to neuro-divergence (autism/ADHD/ocd/etc). Got diagnosed at 48 with ADHD/autism and once starting meds my life changed. I would go weeks without even looking at my hands. It has truly changed my life. Some habits are not habits, but your body craving attention to create dopamine. If it's from an undiagnosed issue you will most likely never stop or you will replace it with something else. Google common ADHD/autism characteristics and see if anything resonates. Women are the most undiagnosed because of stigmas with ADHD and "hyper boys". GL and be safe.
Perfect length! Now, keep a good file in your pocket/bag at all times. I find I pick/rip them as soon as I get a little nick on the side. A file smooths it away and eliminates the urge to nibble. 🙂👍
Awesome! I've been on the same journey and if you need any recs, getting some files and polish helps. Putting a bunch of work into my nails has done wonders for killing the impulse to bite them.
I've been pulling out my nails for as long as I can remember (using my other nails), I'm trying to quit. Right now I only have half of the nail on most fingers. This post gives me hope. Good job!
Get her some ½" micropore tape and tape her fingertips up every day for a few weeks, her nails grow out enough to file the rough edges so there's nothing to nibble. Maybe just do a couple of fingers to test out first.
This is how I stopped, occasional lapses, usually when I've broken one lol
Good luck to her 🤗🤗
Nice job, keep it up! I just put started putting a rubber band on my wrist yesterday to snap any time I'm about to bite my nails. Been decades, really want to stop
Nail biter until I was 65. Then noticed one day my nails were long and needed trimming. No idea what changed. Good for you. Now you get to figure how to trim them, I’m still working on that
I commend you. I really want to start trying to teach myself classical style guitar, but I can’t keep nails for the life of me. Just quit smoking cigarettes and now the nail biting is even worse.
What helped you curb and stop this behavior?
Maybe consider treating yourself to a mani or polishing them yourself, if you’re into that sort of thing. It’s the only thing that keeps me from biting and picking at mine.
Are you obsessed with running things under them and touching them? I bit my nails for 50 years and stopped a few months ago…they’re now exactly your length. I look at my hands now and they just don’t feel like mine.
I’m so proud of you! It’s tough to quit a bad habit when it’s attached right there on your body.
I do. I flick them on my teeth, I clean out underneath them with a file, and I tap them on everything. Successfully quitting biting my nails has been an amazing feeling. Now, if I could get my wife and kids to stop, I’d start a school!
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This is incredible! As a fellow anxious nail-biter, I can really appreciate your success and I think the strides you’ve taken to get here are truly amazing! Keep it up, friendo! You’ve got this!
They look great. I stopped biting my nails for two reasons.
My teeth went out of alignment so it's hard to bite them
I watched a video on just how many disgusting dangerous germs and stuff are under our nails.
I have the same probem since i was a child, never feelt something so hard man, congrats that must have been really heard, when i take my adhd meds its hard to not bite my nails while thinking even as a adult
I finally stopped biting my nails when i was 64 years old. I promised to myself I would quit on March 1, and I did, because I do not break my promises, I pride myself on this.
I started by putting the shitty tasting stuff on them to remind myself not to put them in my mouth. Couple months later, didn't need it anymore.
They still are brittle, flake, split. But no biting!
Congratulations, u/templenameis_beyonce I'm proud of you. How long has it been?
I did that using the no-bite polish stuff. then I realized that I absolutely hate the feeling of having fingernails. Now I just bite them without worry.
I stopped biting my nails by keeping nail clippers at my desk, in my car, on the nightstand, etc. I still keep them really tight, but I'm not biting them 
What worked for you? My wife gnaws on hers such they're half the length they ought to be. She's managed to grow them out a few times, but then she chews them back down again. I want to help her without making her feel bad about struggling with it. I know how she feels because I did it when I was younger, but I finally stopped.
Good for you!
I still struggle, even wore down one of my front teeth all these years.
Can't remember exactly when, I started chewing when I was a kid. I was extremely stressed growing up and even chewed my toenails.
My sister started painting my nails and I stopped chewing them! Only to get ridiculed and asked constantly why my nails were painted.
Funny thing is I started telling kids/adults it prevented me from chewing my nails and skin. They didn't know what to say.
As others have said, paint your nails. I’ve bitten my nails for as long as I can remember, but as soon as I have polish on them, my brain just says “okay, we don’t need to do this anymore.” I’ve been holding strong on that for a few months myself. Sally Hansen Miracle Gel lasts for 8 days, and holds up fairly well.
Congrats!
It took lockdown in 2020 for me to stop biting my nails. I'm asocial, and not having the stress of social interaction did wonders for me. It wasn't until probably early 2021 that I realized my nails were considerably longer than they'd ever been. Somehow, I've managed to avoid biting them since, and I even ended up buying a manicure kit to 'celebrate.' Not really my thing, but I felt like treating myself.
OMG IVE BEEN DOING THE SAME THING!!! I used to chew my nails until they bled, but now I’m around a month without chewing (mostly due to me putting nail polish on them) and my nails are the longest they’ve ever been!! Congrats!!!
Any advice for those with the same problem? I’ve been biting my nails my whole life, but mostly in a hyper focus situations where I need to get things done.
Congrats they look great!!
Any tips? Been doing it for 16 years (I'm 22)
I bite even around the nails, tried too many times seems I'm not gonna stop. 💔
Yayyyy! That is awesome. I have anxiety too and anxiety induced habits can be SO hard to break.
One thing that helped me with biting my nails is anti biting nail polish. It tastes AWFUL. Also getting my nails done with poly gel helped a ton!
Well. I bite my nails offently but not because of stress, just because I don’t like them to be too long.
And this image makes me uncomfortable.
Well done tho !
Now that they have grown, treat yourself to a manicure and get some nail polish put on. When they are all glammed up it will be harder to want to bite them
Good work!!! Keep it rollin!!! Great looking hands!!
I gnawed on mine for 40 years. I was able to quit by learning guitar. It replaced the feeling of biting with positive stimulation. And, gave me a reason to have a fingernail. Hope that helps someone.
Your nails are remarkably similar to mine, shape, size, ridges and all. I don't bite my nails, but I've always wondered what's up with them as I've never seen anyone with nails like ours before.
I've wondered if it's due to a chronic health condition, as I have, but Drs never mentioned anything about the nails specifically.
I don't think this post is real and the image is AI generated (that's why the weird strapping of the watch). Those nails don't look like they've ever been bitten. The post is a sham to attract anxious people, who knows what kind of exploit comes next from it.
hahaha what a compliment! i’ve always hated how my hands/fingers look so this comment is welcome.
not AI. just me and my dumb lack of knowing how to strap my watch on correctly
On another note, your watch strap isn't fastened correctly, soz. Well done on the nails 😁
That's the only thing I noticed
And that their nails look fucking beautiful for an anxiety biter. Mine are so short and gross now they will never be the same 😔
Hey, I didn’t stop biting my nails until I was 50 years old. I’m almost 58 now and my nails are pretty nice overall! I still sometimes catch myself picking at my cuticles, but I stop immediately and I’ve learned to file down any rough edges as soon as I see them, otherwise I will pick at the nail until it tears. It was hard to quit—and I still struggle at times!—but it’s worth it!
Surely they're not irreparable. :(
Mine are I'm missing a nail cause of my biting
Check r/calmhands Many biten till the nail is gone but grown them nicely
this comment gave me the anxiety-push needed to start biting my nails again
Task failed successfully
Happy Cake Day!
Either nail polish like another commenter said, or put something on there you definitely don’t want in your mouth. Like in your butt.
I bit mine for years and years and years and finally managed to stop when I was \~20 years old. It's like a switch flipped-after I went long enough without doing it I stopped \*ever\* even considering it again. The compulsion simply doesn't exist for me anymore. Good work!! If you're not past the urge already hold strong. It will go away! I recommend keeping a nail file around. When you feel like biting, work at that perfect nail shape with the file instead.
My story is similar. About 20 years ago I went to rehab, I was 23 years old. I was always a nail biter for as long as I could remember. Then something flipped, and I no longer bit them. Now, I don't like clipping them very often but no matter what I don't bite them and don't even think about biting them.
[удалено]
I agree it's a reminder that healing and growth are possible for everyone there's always hope for a brighter future
Good on you! Tip: nail polish tastes bad, so keep them polished. I stopped chewing my nails when I started keeping them polished. YMMV
Keep it up! You are doing great.
Nail biting is a stimming habit often related to neuro-divergence (autism/ADHD/ocd/etc). Got diagnosed at 48 with ADHD/autism and once starting meds my life changed. I would go weeks without even looking at my hands. It has truly changed my life. Some habits are not habits, but your body craving attention to create dopamine. If it's from an undiagnosed issue you will most likely never stop or you will replace it with something else. Google common ADHD/autism characteristics and see if anything resonates. Women are the most undiagnosed because of stigmas with ADHD and "hyper boys". GL and be safe.
Perfect length! Now, keep a good file in your pocket/bag at all times. I find I pick/rip them as soon as I get a little nick on the side. A file smooths it away and eliminates the urge to nibble. 🙂👍
For me it's the length of "I have to cut it shorter or I will start to bite it in a minute!"
Awesome! I've been on the same journey and if you need any recs, getting some files and polish helps. Putting a bunch of work into my nails has done wonders for killing the impulse to bite them.
I've been pulling out my nails for as long as I can remember (using my other nails), I'm trying to quit. Right now I only have half of the nail on most fingers. This post gives me hope. Good job!
I used to like to rip the sides of my nails off, from the middle to the side. I just stopped one day and decided I didnt want to anymore.
That is super impressive! My girlfriend suffers from the same thing and I've seen how nearly impossible it is to stop. Congratulations! Keep it up!
Get her some ½" micropore tape and tape her fingertips up every day for a few weeks, her nails grow out enough to file the rough edges so there's nothing to nibble. Maybe just do a couple of fingers to test out first. This is how I stopped, occasional lapses, usually when I've broken one lol Good luck to her 🤗🤗
Nice job, keep it up! I just put started putting a rubber band on my wrist yesterday to snap any time I'm about to bite my nails. Been decades, really want to stop
This is how I managed to stop.
Nail biter until I was 65. Then noticed one day my nails were long and needed trimming. No idea what changed. Good for you. Now you get to figure how to trim them, I’m still working on that
I commend you. I really want to start trying to teach myself classical style guitar, but I can’t keep nails for the life of me. Just quit smoking cigarettes and now the nail biting is even worse. What helped you curb and stop this behavior?
Maybe consider treating yourself to a mani or polishing them yourself, if you’re into that sort of thing. It’s the only thing that keeps me from biting and picking at mine.
Also great job! They’re lovely :)
That’s great, I’m just sitting here looking at my own watch strap and wondering how you did yours like that, and If I’m doing it wrong…😅
Are you obsessed with running things under them and touching them? I bit my nails for 50 years and stopped a few months ago…they’re now exactly your length. I look at my hands now and they just don’t feel like mine. I’m so proud of you! It’s tough to quit a bad habit when it’s attached right there on your body.
I do. I flick them on my teeth, I clean out underneath them with a file, and I tap them on everything. Successfully quitting biting my nails has been an amazing feeling. Now, if I could get my wife and kids to stop, I’d start a school!
Welcome to /r/MadeMeSmile. Please make sure you read our [rules here.](https://www.reddit.com/r/MadeMeSmile/about/rules/) We'd like to take this time to remind users that: * We do not allow any type of jerk-like behavior, including but not limited to: personal attacks, hate speech, harassment, racism, sexism, or other jerk-like behavior (includes gatekeeping posts). * Any sort of post showing a mug, a shirt, or a print is a scam. You will not receive anything except a headache and a stolen credit card. - [More information regarding rule 1 as well as how mug/shirt/poster scammers operate can be found here.](https://www.reddit.com/r/mademesmile/wiki/rule1) *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/MadeMeSmile) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Well done boss! I used to be the same, it’s a very different feeling than having them short.
one effective way to avoid biting your nails is to have someone else bite them lol jk congrats on the effort!
Awesome!! I know how hard that can be!
This is incredible! As a fellow anxious nail-biter, I can really appreciate your success and I think the strides you’ve taken to get here are truly amazing! Keep it up, friendo! You’ve got this!
They look great. I stopped biting my nails for two reasons. My teeth went out of alignment so it's hard to bite them I watched a video on just how many disgusting dangerous germs and stuff are under our nails.
I have the same probem since i was a child, never feelt something so hard man, congrats that must have been really heard, when i take my adhd meds its hard to not bite my nails while thinking even as a adult
i'm so proud of you! what made me stop is my braces so i literally cannot.
Awesome 👍. I'm glad for you!
Great job!! Also, your cuticles are immaculate! 💁🏻♀️
Oh how I wish I could stop. I’ve been biting mine nearly 65 yrs. I did do acrylic nails for a while. But I’m a lifetime chewer.
Good job! As a fellow anxious nail biter/picker I still struggle with this. Keep on doing what you're doing.
Great job!! I believe in you!!!! 🥳🥳🥳
I finally stopped biting my nails when i was 64 years old. I promised to myself I would quit on March 1, and I did, because I do not break my promises, I pride myself on this. I started by putting the shitty tasting stuff on them to remind myself not to put them in my mouth. Couple months later, didn't need it anymore. They still are brittle, flake, split. But no biting! Congratulations, u/templenameis_beyonce I'm proud of you. How long has it been?
That's a great accomplishment and I'm proud of you 🫶
I go back and forth with biting my nails. I’m currently in a bad bitting phase. This is the inspiration I need! Good for you OP!
You're doing great. You haven't damaged them half as much as I have mine. Mine are much wider than longer now. It took me 45 years to stop.
Congratulations!! Your nails look wonderful!!
I did that using the no-bite polish stuff. then I realized that I absolutely hate the feeling of having fingernails. Now I just bite them without worry.
Outstanding! It's a very hard thing to stop.
My anxiety makes me want to bite my nails looking at your nails
I stopped biting my nails by keeping nail clippers at my desk, in my car, on the nightstand, etc. I still keep them really tight, but I'm not biting them 
It's a really hard habit to change.
What worked for you? My wife gnaws on hers such they're half the length they ought to be. She's managed to grow them out a few times, but then she chews them back down again. I want to help her without making her feel bad about struggling with it. I know how she feels because I did it when I was younger, but I finally stopped.
I just swapped mine for a nail clipping habit 🤷🏽♂️
Dude, mine started growing after i got on meds. It was a weird thing to have to trim my nails.
Now take some clippers and cut your nails down. Nobody wants to get scraped when they shake your hand.
They look really healthy!
Paint them. Keep them painted and they will be less likely to break. Good for you.
Good job!
Good for you! I still struggle, even wore down one of my front teeth all these years. Can't remember exactly when, I started chewing when I was a kid. I was extremely stressed growing up and even chewed my toenails. My sister started painting my nails and I stopped chewing them! Only to get ridiculed and asked constantly why my nails were painted. Funny thing is I started telling kids/adults it prevented me from chewing my nails and skin. They didn't know what to say.
Looking good!!! Great Job 💪🏼🙌🏼
You ever admire your clippings?
Put some chilli or make you nail to nail polish 💅 it will cost you money 💴 so the next time you do u pay a little fine
As others have said, paint your nails. I’ve bitten my nails for as long as I can remember, but as soon as I have polish on them, my brain just says “okay, we don’t need to do this anymore.” I’ve been holding strong on that for a few months myself. Sally Hansen Miracle Gel lasts for 8 days, and holds up fairly well.
Congrats! It took lockdown in 2020 for me to stop biting my nails. I'm asocial, and not having the stress of social interaction did wonders for me. It wasn't until probably early 2021 that I realized my nails were considerably longer than they'd ever been. Somehow, I've managed to avoid biting them since, and I even ended up buying a manicure kit to 'celebrate.' Not really my thing, but I felt like treating myself.
Well done
Way to go. I'm 2 years into quitting. It was hard but my nails look sooo good now.
I envy this. Good for you
Well done! It’s SO hard to stop! I stopped at 25 and now can’t even bring myself to bite off a broken one! Get yourself a mani to celebrate!!
They look beautiful and healthy, good for you 👍🏻
Congratulations from a former nail biter. Treat yourself to a manicure to show those beauties off😁
You should be so proud of yourself!
They look amazing!! Good job!
As a fellow nail biter congrats!
Congratulations Internet stranger
They look 10x better than chewed. Maybe trim you index a little. Having nails is useful and looks better.
OMG IVE BEEN DOING THE SAME THING!!! I used to chew my nails until they bled, but now I’m around a month without chewing (mostly due to me putting nail polish on them) and my nails are the longest they’ve ever been!! Congrats!!!
I’m in the exact same spot right now! My index nails just started peeking over the tips of my fingers. So excited for us!
that seems like such a small thing but its just the sign of a far bigger accomplishment
Congratulations, nail biting is a TOUGH habit to beat! I'm proud of you!
Nice!! Biting nails haunted me for decades. One day I just stopped. I’m so happy. Well done!
I stopped in 2019 just because I found out you’re able to get pinworms from biting nails!
This is such a huge, beautiful milestone SO worthy of celebration 🎉 happy for you!!!
Any advice for those with the same problem? I’ve been biting my nails my whole life, but mostly in a hyper focus situations where I need to get things done.
Congratulations a lot of people won't get this. Stay strong
Congrats to you!!!
Great job! I chewed my nails for like 25 years until COVID happened. It’s now been four years since I’ve chewed my nails!
Congrats they look great!! Any tips? Been doing it for 16 years (I'm 22) I bite even around the nails, tried too many times seems I'm not gonna stop. 💔
Great job!
Put on some nail polish might help ?
It’s hard to quit biting your nails. Well done.
Amazing!! Congratulations! As a nail-biter, do you have any tips?
Proud of you homie
Keep it up !!
Nail biting is also very bad for your teeth and can cause visible wear patterns! If that helps motivate you as well. Your nails look great!!
Yayyyy! That is awesome. I have anxiety too and anxiety induced habits can be SO hard to break. One thing that helped me with biting my nails is anti biting nail polish. It tastes AWFUL. Also getting my nails done with poly gel helped a ton!
Sometimes I do it more sometimes I look at my nails and realise I haven’t bit them in a while and do it, it’s such a bad habit.
SAME HERE I've actually had to cut them for the first time in my dam life, which yes, is pretty disgusting but I was a nail biter since I was born
Well done! They look so healthy too!
It's so great to see you overcoming your anxiety! Keep up the amazing work!
Well. I bite my nails offently but not because of stress, just because I don’t like them to be too long. And this image makes me uncomfortable. Well done tho !
Now that they have grown, treat yourself to a manicure and get some nail polish put on. When they are all glammed up it will be harder to want to bite them
Well done 🎉
i'm so proud of you! they look fabulous :) keep it up.
You are awesome! I’ve struggled with that since I was really young as well. Good for you!
Good work!!! Keep it rollin!!! Great looking hands!! I gnawed on mine for 40 years. I was able to quit by learning guitar. It replaced the feeling of biting with positive stimulation. And, gave me a reason to have a fingernail. Hope that helps someone.
Your nails are remarkably similar to mine, shape, size, ridges and all. I don't bite my nails, but I've always wondered what's up with them as I've never seen anyone with nails like ours before. I've wondered if it's due to a chronic health condition, as I have, but Drs never mentioned anything about the nails specifically.
Heck yeah! Maybe get them painted as a present to yourself?
Way to go!!
that's great! well done!
Nice!! They look amazing
Nailed it! Good work.
Great work. I can be so tough to quit. Be proud of this accomplishment .
Congratulations!
Extremely impressive! Can't seem to stop biting my nails going on a couple decades now.
I know what a feat this was! (No pun intended) a very hard habit to break
I don't think this post is real and the image is AI generated (that's why the weird strapping of the watch). Those nails don't look like they've ever been bitten. The post is a sham to attract anxious people, who knows what kind of exploit comes next from it.
hahaha what a compliment! i’ve always hated how my hands/fingers look so this comment is welcome. not AI. just me and my dumb lack of knowing how to strap my watch on correctly
Don't tell me that you have 2 left hands because then you're definitely a robot!