Hi, I’m Carl and I was a nail biter and picker most of my whole life until the age of 50. I don’t really know why I started nor do I know why I did it so long. I didn’t even notice at times that I was biting and picking nails it was so automatic. If I had to guess, I probably went 40 years without having to cut or clip my fingernails. Maybe longer actually. It was so long ago I can’t even remember and I can’t recall ever owning nail clippers or scissors during that time.
I’m right handed and tended to have shorter nails on my right hand than my left. I didn’t even notice that until I started putting this website together and really started paying attention to my nail biting behavior. In fact, I didn’t even know much about my specific habits, I’d paid so little attention to them over the years. I found that this was key to quitting.
The truth is I was more a nail picker than biter but I did both. It’s a gross habit but it’s a hard one to stop doing. Especially when you don’t even try that hard (that was me for decades).
Once when I was about 10 years old, my mom paid me $10 to stop biting my nails so being a kid and wanting money, I complied and stopped. Then I started biting them again after a few weeks and she got a refund.
For me, it was just a habit and part of my daily routine. The odd thing is I knew it was wrong and annoying – seriously, the picking nail sound is like fingers on a chalk board when someone else does it – but I kept doing it anyways much to the chagrin of my wife and kids.
My wife has probably lost count of the number of times she told me “stop doing your nails!“ I’ve forgotten the number too but it’s very high. I’m apparently a very slow learner because it didn’t help me stop. Research shows that punishment and shame aren’t great motivators to stop nail biting and I’m proof of that.
My younger daughter got in on the act too and tried to help me out. Her general attempt to stop my nail biting was a two word statement: “Dad, nails.” Short and to the point.
How I Stopped Picking And Biting My Nails
Although that answer is too long to put here on one page, the good news is that I have detailed the answer here on this website. In fact, the reason I stopped picking and biting my nails was…
…due to me starting this website End Nail Biting.
I started researching nail biting, reading case studies, going on chat rooms to see what nail biters were talking about. And I started to pay more attention to my own nail behavior. I noticed that I would pick my nails as I was writing pages on this website, between typing the words.
Unreal.
Picking and biting nails while putting together a website called End Nail biting.
But I did stop doing it. Almost went cold turkey when I think about it at the age of 50 after biting my nails for over 40 years.
If I can quit, so can you.
Please read on below.
Triggers
We’ll talk a great deal on this website about nail biting triggers. What causes you to bite your nails in the first place? Your reason(s) might be different from mine. For me, I tended to bite my nails when I was bored or stressed but I’ve also come to find that I just did it to keep my hands busy at times. It became so natural for me I often didn’t even know I was doing it until I heard the familiar refrains STOP DOING YOUR NAILS (wife) and DAD, NAILS! (younger daughter).
On this website, I’ll also talk about what I’ve learned about nail biting including reasons for nail biting, other triggers you may be unaware of, research on nail biting and perhaps together we can figure out how to help you stop doing it once and for all just like I did.
Thanks for visiting End Nail Biting and do check back often as the site is updated regularly!
Carl
P.S. I put together a very detailed article for you called Personal Nail Biting Case Study that goes into depth about my nail biting journey from start to quitting and all the parts in between. It discusses many thoughts and theories behind nail biting and also methods you may try to stop. And if you’re a nail picker like I generally was, we talk about that, too.