Today’s post is a little different from the usual. In short, there’s no recipe or decor. It’s actually about a recent victory of mine. For over forty years, I bit my nails. Ewwww, I know. It was a terrible habit. Very unladylike and painful amongst other things. So if you’re biting your nails as an adult and want to stop, I hope to inspire you today.
Remember when I shared How to Treat Cracked Heels… for Good? I still swear by all of those tips. Maybe today you’ll be encouraged to give your hands and nails a little extra TLC too.
How I Stopped Biting My Nails
I’m not sure what the psychology behind nail-biting is; however, I do know that for me it was out of nervousness, boredom and even some insecurities. My attempts to quit biting my nails over the years was to no avail.
While in college and several years thereafter I wore acrylic nails. They did some damage of their own. Imagine how many times I would take them off and think I could (or would) conquer the nail-biting. Too many to count… and every single time I was wrong. Consequently, I failed over and over again.
Nail Biting at it’s finest…
Nail Biting at it’s finest…Ironically, I was very insecure about my hands and fingernails. Soooo, it took me forever to find a pic or two where my short (and sadly embarrassing) nails were visible.
In July of 2019, I got a powder dipped manicure, and (honestly) I didn’t love it. They looked unnatural, thick and I was incredibly disappointed considering how much they cost. Nevertheless, we were going away, so I chose to deal with them. Sigh.
Upon our return home, I couldn’t wait to get them off. Surprisingly they pretty much popped right off too. There was a minuscule amount of growth. However, that little bit of growth seemed promising to me.
I felt like there was a shift in my mindset and there was no turning back. It’s hard to explain, but it was as though I turned a light switch off — and I refused to turn it back on.
August 3, 2019
August 3, 2019I’ve always been a bit of a germaphobic, yet I chose to bite my nails. Such a crazy contradiction, right? Well, in August, I couldn’t get past the number of germs and bacteria I was probably putting in my mouth due to the biting. Between that, the cost of getting my nails done, the damage I had done to my teeth from all the biting, and other things — I knew it all had to end. It was time for a change.
So, I bought a couple of products to promote health, strength, and growth. The products I used were Maximum Growth by Sally Hansen and Hard as Nails by Sally Hansen. And often I would put a light pink color over the strengtheners, Hi Maintenance by Essie.
My only concern was that after 40+ years of nail-biting I may have ruined my nail beds. I remained hopeful. There was no way I was going to allow those negative thoughts to sway me from pressing on. When I felt the urge to bite, I would pick at the nail polish or chew gum.
By September I wanted to try something else to keep me from biting further — so I tried these nail wraps I saw on Etsy. They seemed to be pretty awesome. On the other hand, they were made of vinyl and had to be heat activated using a hairdryer. It was a lot of work and my dogs are trained to come for treats when they hear the hairdryer (insert facepalm). So let’s imagine how that application went. Hmmm…
September 12, 2019
September 12, 2019Heat. Apply. Heat. (treat the dogs) and repeat for all ten fingers. Yep.
Anywho, they had rough edges that drove me crazy. No matter how much I filed them, the edges just didn’t smooth out. They were cute though and I didn’t bite my nails. #winning
Over time I continued to clip them (like we trim our hair) to promote growth. Of course, you hate doing this when you want them to grow, but I knew it was par for the course.
As you can see below, I was faithful to my routine and just kept plugging away (pardon my dry cuticles). Surprisingly, my nails seemed to be growing in well and my nail beds were normal. PTL!
October 4, 2019
October 4, 2019Then I got invited to a Color Street nail party on Facebook… 100% nail polish, no dry time, no tools required and it’s removable with nail polish remover. Therefore, as you can imagine, these strips were game-changers for me.
October 15, 2019
October 15, 2019
October 25, 2019
October 25, 2019My nails are doing better than ever, with no relapse. Woo hoo!
Consequently, I’ve started using these two lotions on a regular basis as well. Vaseline Healthy Hands, Stronger Nails is for your hands and nails, while Hard as Hoof is for your cuticles and nail beds. Both are amazing products – and, no, I’m not being paid to say that.
Now I just love having nails and keeping them manicured. You know what they say, “life is too short for naked nails.” Haha.
Are you ready to stop biting your nails? Feeling inspired to give your nails and hands a little TLC? Send updates… I’d love to hear from you.
p.s. This post was a little outside of my comfort zone. I didn’t initially plan to share all of this (not knowing if the outcome would be positive), so I didn’t have quality pictures, etc. However, I know that authenticity is essential to me, and I am proud of this accomplishment. If I can do it — anyone can.
Hugs and Blessings!
Diane@InMyOwnStyle says
Hi Kelly –
I loved this post and am glad you went beyond your comfort zone to post it. I am exactly like you…but add 55+ years as a nail biter. I am 60, but don’t think I bit my nails until I was in school. 🙂 I checked out your nail site and now I am curious and will try what you did.
Please email me when the French Marseille Ballet color comes back in stock.
Laura L says
I was a nail biter … but if I get gel manicures then I do not bite my nails. Win! BUT …. I cannot stop biting my cuticles! I absolutely hate it. Sometimes I have better success than others but I have not found a way to stop entirely. I am open to suggestions if anyone has any! Thank you!
Ellen Moore says
I am so thankful for your post, as I have had that problem and I am 80 yo! I probably hold some sort of record, but I must admit that I seldom have tried to stop. I have been able to stop a total of maybe twice! So thank you and thank you from my dear husband.
Julia Demmin says
Hey Kelly!
I love this post. One of the things that keeps me coming back is your authenticity! You are a real girl; not an air-brushed figment of someone’s imagination. These are practical, useful and easy tips that almost anyone can do…just like everything else on your site. 🙂
Keep on doing what you do, and I’ll keep reading and enjoying! You are a blessing.
Denise Mouton Ferguson says
Thanks for sharing your story. I have a VERY strange success story about nail biting. I do home health so I spend lots of time driving. I listen to books & borrowed & listened to the Marie Kondo book, Life Changing Book of Tidying about 3 times to make sure I got it all. (It’s a short book) From then on I haven’t been a nail biter after over 55 years! I know it’s the weirdest, but it’s true. Maybe her voice has an affect on me.
Irene says
Thank you, just saw your site. I’ll join the crowd of nail biters for ages, lots of them. Anyway, at times a nail or two actually started growing and I’d get excited and run it by my teeth to feel that it had grown. Naturally I would snag it so I had to bite it off. Disappointing for sure. Your plan sounds great and can’t wait for some success!!
Rene Carling says
I’m nearly 30 and I HATE the look of my nails. I am self-conscious when I drink around people, I hate pictures of my hands, I even avoided the classic engagement ring picture because I hated every image I took – all because of my short nails.
Tonight is the night… NO MORE BITING.
Thanks for being an inspiration.
Kelly Rowe says
Hi Rene. You go this… I’m cheering you on from the sidelines. Be sure to take a before picture… that’s something I enjoy looking back on to remind myself of the huge accomplishment.
Janelle says
I also was a nail biter for many years. As long as I can remember I’ve bitten my nails. As I become older I kept trying to stop but couldn’t. In 2019 a friend hosted a ColorStreet party and invited me. I was very unsure though. I decided to attempt it and bought my very first purchase, which were petite because that’s what I thought I’d need. Lol
Anyways long story short my nails are still kinda short, especially my right hand because those seem to break easier. Hehe I am no longer a nail biter. I love that I don’t have to feel ashamed of my ugly hands/nails. Now I love taking nailfies.. I had joined the ColorStreet stylists. I’m now addicted. Lol
debbie desper says
Hello Kelly, My name is debbie Desperand I want to thank you so much for your article on nail biting. I am 70 years old and i still bite my fingernails ! Can you believe that ugly ness???? Yes I know you understand. When I read your letter I could feel the vibe that you were talking directly to me . Plus one of the dates you mentioned was August 3 and believe it or not August 3 is my birthday….was it just coincidence ????? No it was a definite sign for me to finally take hold of the UGLY habit and get it out of my personal space !!!!! So nice to talk to you and I will be keep you up to date . Got to get my 2 lotions and get started ….Thank you again for sharing your journey through nail biting ………..your new follower debbie desper
Isabel Cervantes says
Thanks for sharing your story about nail biting. I don’t bite my nails but I have a son that does. And unfortunately his son is picking up the habit also! How can I help him? He is 45 yrs old and I don’t want to be a nag. He doesn’t get manicures bc he is a “macho man “. Haha
I will buy him the lotions you recommend and hopefully he will start using them. No nail polish for him.
Meg says
Thank you for this! I am 44 and have biting since my baby teeth came in. I have deciddd that this upcoming year is the year I stop and start healing my nails. I love pretty nails so my goal is polished nails, not press-on fakes. Thank you for the tips-I think gum might be the game changer!
Kelly Rowe says
Hi Meg! I’m so excited that you’re making 2025 the year to stop biting your nails. You can do this and I’m happy to answer any additional questions. You can do this!