"I Have Been Biting My Nails Since I Was A Baby!"

Hi Rose, im 14 years old and i have been biting my nails sense i was a baby. I have never bit my nails down to where they would bleed but to the point where they hurt. I have always wished that i could have pretty nails or be able to panit (paint) them with nail polish but i never could. All my friends have beautiful nails and love to where rings and show off their nails. I tried fake nails for a while but i got them off and my real nails grew but a week later i chomped them down to where they were before. I always thought that there was something wrong with me because i bite my nails. No one in my family does and hardly any of my friends do. I also once in a while bite my toenails which i hate doing but i do it anyways and i dont know why i do! After i do i hate wearing shoes and i hate when people look at my feet because im totally embarrsed that i bite them! Im glad that i have found some other poeple that are in the same kind of situation as me, im glad im not alone. I read the comment that the guy made about how its not ok to bite your nails. I think that it isnt ok to bite ur nails. I HATE biting my nails but im not weird because i do it. I think Rob meant that its ok to bite, that ur not alone. I dont think he meant that yes its okay to put ur fingers in ur mouth and risk getting sick or be in pain. I just think he meant that we are not alone in the situation and dont think your alone and the only one because ur not! This page has really help me and im glad that im not alone.
~Kate~

Latest Poll Results!

Here are the latest poll results asking about what kind of nailcare products you would try:



As you can see, quite a few people have already voted in this poll!

The majority of people have voted that they don't care what kind of product they use as long as it works! So I guess its safe to say that people really want to get rid of their nailbiting habit!

The next largest majority of the votes went to those that wanted to know more about the product before they used it.

You still have time to vote!

Nailbiting Poll!

14 Year Old Nailbiter

hi rose im 14yrs old and i have been biting my nails my entire life! I really wish i could stop, but i cant even when i have fake nails i nibble on them a little. My mom always yells at me to stop and that its gross but i really cant stop. I realy wish i could stop but i cant. I look at all my friends and they all can paint their nails and have beautiful finger nails. I hate wearing hand jewelry cuz im embarrsed of my nails. I always thought i was some freak that bit their toenails and its a relief to know that im not the only one. I kinda hate wearing shoes that show me toes cuz im scared that people will think im weird. Please help me if u have any suggestions please email me....this site help me feel better about my nail biting

Nailbiting Racism?

Hi Rose. I find that African-American female nailbiters can bite their nails down way lower than the rest of us. Their pain threshhold is higher and their nails can be way lower (shorter) than the rest of us. I met this black girl once, her nails were bitten 3/4 of the way down. Her nailbeds which used to be covered by the nails were huge and they were already converted to regular skin. Her nails were bitten down so low that you could actually grab onto the tips of her fingers without touching any nails. There was no sign of blood, pain or trauma. I asked her how she was able to get her nails that short, she told me that she never stops biting her nails. She said she can't! So, the more she bites them, the lower/shorter they got. Is there anyone on this board who is an african-american female nailbiter who can relate to this story?

Hi Rose, I was so excited to find your board after 40+ years of nail biting. However, just when I thought I found a safe place to talk about my lifelong nail biting, the ugly face of racism pops up. I would like to ask the poster (see above) what does she mean when she says. "African-American female nailbiters can bite their nails down way lower than the rest of us. Their pain threshhold is higher and their nails can be way lower (shorter) than the rest of us." Who is the poster referring to when she says "the rest of us"? As if to say African Americans are sub-human and the rest of society of is human. The status of that African American woman's fingernails applies to her and just her! NOT the entire African American race. Nor does the woman's threshold for pain apply to the African American people. Also, African American do have blood, since the poster wanted to know why she couldn't see the blood from the surface. duh... Racism is so deeply
ingrained in so many people, most don't recognize it, even if it jumped up and bite them in the face. I am sure there are white, Chinese, Latino woman in the world that have the same status as that black woman's finger nails. However, to base the woman's threshold of pain, the shortness of her nails and the so called lack of blood in the finger (???), on the color of her skin is insane. This poster has it all figured out and then wants to know if anyone can relate to her ludicrous racist story. Why should anyone respond when she has us sub-human African American mammals all figured out.

FYI (to the poster). I am a African American woman. My threshold for pain is very low. If I bite my fingernails a little too low they bleed. Please note this does not apply to "all" African American women, just me. Also poster "threshold" is spelled with one "h" not two. Does everyone in your race spell it that way?

13 Year Old Nailbiter!

Dear Rose,

I am a 13 year old almost 14 and I have been bitting my nails since I was little. As a toddler I bit my nails instead of sucking my thumb. I chew on my fingers so much that they turn red and sometimes even bleed. I know I am young but, I want 2 break this habit before it gets really bad.

biting my nails 'til they bleed!.........

I (was) reading one of your posts saying that a deficiency of Inositol, the B vitamin, contributes to nail biting.

It also mentioned that coffee makes this worse by draining your body of inositol. I had a lifelong nail biting habit which had just recently become painfully intense. I always bit my nails to the quick before, but recently I was biting them past that to the point where I was bleeding on several nails at a time. After reading that post, I went out and bought a B multivitamin that had inositol and started taking it. I haven't bitten my nails for a week! I also used some of that anti nail biting paste just to remind myself, but I stopped using it because it was unnecessary. Such a simple solution to my problem... I am now 27, and I have been biting my nails since I got them. I just thought I would let more people know. Now if anyone finds out the cure for binge-eating of ice cream, i'll be set for life. Thank you whoever you are.

Rich

How Can I Stop My 5 Year Old From Biting His Nails?

Hi i have a boy of 5 years and he bites his nails. is there some thing i can do to stop him? pls.

Thank you for your comments. However I'm not sure whether you just want an answer to your question or do you want your comment posted on the nailbiting board?

So that is why I am posting this email here.

Nailbiting Basics 101

I'm currently moving my Nailbiting Message Board to Blogger.com since AOL will be discontinuing their AOL member webpages.