Reply #14: clear polish and a will of iron [View All]

[miss_kitty]

as an ex-biter (mostly) i'll tell ya what would set me off into a session-ragged nails! it's a vicious cycle.

tool kit: clear polish; a pair of really good scissors (mine are small wiss fabric cutting scissors, ONLY for nail cutting); a diamond nail file; cuticle pusher or orange sticks. the ones with the flat end for pushing your cuticle back, gently and the pointy end for cleaning crap out from under your nails. gentle polish remover and cuticle lotion.
get cotton gloves and put a good lotion on your hands and put the gloves on before you go to sleep. mind you i am a single woman who sleeps alone-this is not a problem for me.

treat yourself to a good manicure, or if you can afford it, get a professional manicure once a week. ask the manicurist about technique. try not to cut your cuticles. ask a friend with fab NATURAL nails who his or her manicurist is. don't get fakes-they'll wreck your beds. when you spend $$$ on your hands and they start looking good, you will feel less inclined to bite.

if you are trying to stop the cycle of unconsciously biting, try the gloves and lotion, like during tv time, or when you are reading a book.

carry bandaids with you so if you have a nail tragedy away from your good gear, you can keep it out of harm's way till you get to your tools. keep 'em short for a year or so.

but really clear polish is absolutely key. good freakin' luck, and don't beat yourself up if you backslide. they say not to cut them, but until you get the biting under control, i've found that's the best way to go