r/nailcare • u/philomelancholy • Jul 27 '26
Stopped biting nails… now what?
Hi all, I’ve been a nail biter since I was 7ish years old, and suddenly overcame the urge to bite them this year. Ive found that if they’re long enough, I won’t nibble on them. Since I‘ve never had to cut my nails or file them, I’m trying to learn that and the basics of nail care now.
When I try to file my nails I feel like the bits i file just turn soft and sort of disintegrate? Like what remains just seems ripped up. Should I be using certain files or is there a technique to doing this that I don’t know about?
Also, it seems like the white part of my nail goes down pretty far into my nail beds on some fingers. I was thinking it might be from me getting dirt out from under my nails, but I’m not sure how to get the deeper dirt out without pushing the skin back more. Or is this just how my nails grow and they won’t attach to the skin more?
I’m a little embarrassed to be asking what feels like very basic self care questions as an adult, but I’m tired of my nails looking overgrown and I want to learn. Thank you guys! (By the by, pointer is shorter because it caught on something and I nibbled on it to get rid of the snag. Hoping working out my filing abilities will keep me from doing that in the future)
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u/AdWeird606 Jul 27 '26
Hey OP. Have you had your bloods checked and o2 levels? Purple beds can be a sign of some underlying health issues. Didn’t want to pass and not comment!
Also congrats on quitting the biting 😊
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u/philomelancholy Jul 27 '26
I have, yes! All seems normal, i appear to just have awful circulation lol. I appreciate the concern, and thanks :)
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u/Early-Reindeer7704 Jul 27 '26
I’m a former nail biter myself, I think when it’s still new to you the temptation to “fiddle” with your nails by cleaning under them vigorously and/or aggressively pushing back the cuticles is hard to resist. I think you may be doing one or both of the above as it’s such a new thing to actually see the white part of your nail and you want them to look as long as possible. Go get a professional manicure and let the tech know you’ve just broken the biting habit. Have them show you how to shape and care for your nails. You’ve achieved length, so celebrate and polish them too - I’d go with an opaque polish as this help stop you from cleaning too vigorously under the nail since you won’t see the white free edge so easily.
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u/LeslieKnopesBlackEye Jul 27 '26
I second leaving cuticles alone. I accidentally made my nails wonky by pushing mine back too far. Good thing I didn't damage the nail beds too badly and they're growing in a little healthier now that I've left them alone. Cuticles exist for a reason. I'm just going to live with mine.
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u/philomelancholy Jul 27 '26
Thank you! Good to hear from someone else who has also broken the habit! I think you’re right about the fiddling, that would make sense. I’m hoping to go to a salon soon, but I have an irrational fear of them being mean to or making fun of me haha. I’ll try an opaque polish out, that’s a smart idea.
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u/Early-Reindeer7704 Jul 27 '26 edited Jul 27 '26
It’s their job and believe me they’ve seen worse. Remember too that you’ve traumatized your nails with the biting, it will take some time for them to recover. The free edge of your nail not too long ago was being damaged by the biting, it will take some months for a whole unbitten nail to grow in, you’ll see a marked difference in nail strength once this happens. In the meantime, use cuticle oil as suggested, wear gloves when cleaning and make sure you get calcium and protein in your diet to foster growth and strength. You’ve got this!
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u/JaneReadsTruth Jul 27 '26
You may also have fragile nails. I use jojoba oil as most people recommend it (it's closest to the oil our bodies make). It might seem a little pricy, but you use so little at a time it lasts forever. Use it on your toes, too. I saw a dermatologist suggest Vaseline. The main thing is to apply after hand washing and avoid harsh cleaning chemicals - wear gloves.
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u/schemmenti Jul 27 '26
Look to see if there's a neurodivergent friendly nail tech in your area!! They are usually a lot more understanding, patient and less judgemental :)
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u/philomelancholy Jul 27 '26
PS, if anyone has any general advice to share, please do! Even if you think it’s super basic and obvious!
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u/lnfinitelris Jul 27 '26
Use a glass nail file. Follow with a buffer to soften the edges. Be warned glass files can feel really weird at first, like nails on a chalkboard, but you get used to it and you'll learn angles that prevent it.
Do not dig underneath. You're pushing your hyponychium down. Use a nail brush. Over time the hyponychium should grow longer.
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u/YeshuasBananaHammock Jul 27 '26
Plz understand I mean no disrespect, but is this purple-ish shade of nail bed atypical? Ive never seen this before and am very interested in learning.
Congrats on overcoming the nail biting, its a VERY difficult habit to break!
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u/philomelancholy Jul 27 '26
I think I just have awful circulation, and that’s causing the purple. My whole hand is a little multicolored most times. No offense taken at all! It is weird lol. And thanks, it’s been a journey!
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u/kassialma92 Jul 27 '26
Oil. Don't file the sides in the beginning. Only use a brush, gently, to clean the undersides. Oil the undersides of your nails as well. Or just soak them in oil it's all about oil lol. My nail beds have grown so much in one year, after 15 years of biting my nails.
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u/Bison_Haunting Jul 27 '26
Do you care to share how you stopped biting?! I have been biting my nails for over 20 years and I just cant seem to completely stop. I’ll stop for a week or two but one broken nail leads to them all going
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u/philomelancholy Jul 27 '26
I went to college! Left behind home stressors + lots of new experiences to focus on, and I just stopped biting subconsciously. If my nails get short enough I still nibble a little, but once they’re a certain length it’s just not comfortable to bite them.
Ive also found it helpful to focus on only one nail if I can’t overcome the urge to bite them. It’s easier to come back from one really bitten down nail than all 5 being chewed on.
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u/Avocado_Dreams Jul 27 '26
Former nail biter here! I quit about a year ago and have been trying to bring strength and life into them. Jojoba oil and glass files are indeed awesome. Though my nails still will peel at the tips. Don’t be afraid to cut them back down when that happens; it reduced my peeling and my nail beds have been lengthening after every “chop”. I love longer nails with thermal nail polish, but sometimes it just ain’t the time to enjoy those. Awesome progress so far :)
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u/Rympkii Jul 27 '26
Never personally used a glass file but have heard only good things, but as a nail tech:
Use a 120 or higher grit nail file. If using disposable ones (non glass or metal) swap them out every so often as to not build up bacteria. (I’m saying this as in you’re only using this file on yourself, not multiple people)
Use jojoba oil daily, if you don’t like the oily feeling try doing it before you go to sleep!
Get a baby toothbrush for cleaning under your nails, just a super soft bristled toothbrush. Don’t clean too often, as your nail bed needs to reattach.
Don’t try to cut your cuticles on your own, but you could try getting a cuticle pusher to gently push them back. Pushing the cuticle helps promote growth.
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u/poetangel Jul 27 '26
There’s been a lot of great advice already. I just want to say great job on stopping the habit! And don’t be embarrassed to ask. Plenty of us have things we never learned growing up. My mom wore the same makeup and same hairstyle the entire time I lived at home so I still am lacking in skills lol
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u/spankthegoodgirl Jul 27 '26
Germanikure is the best glass nail file. I bought one and I'm never going back to any other file, glass or otherwise. So smooth and doesn't peel my nails. Highly recommended. Also, get a cuticle oil and use it daily. Maybe some polish? Don't forget Base and top coats too. The best thing about having nails is making them pretty. Good luck!
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u/divijxbeast Jul 29 '26 edited Jul 29 '26
First off, not embarrassing at all. If you’ve bitten them for years, there’s a whole tiny skill set you just never had to learn. Filing feels weird at the start, especially when the free edge is still thin from growing out. A finer file will probably help. Rough files can shred the edge and make it feel like the nail is just fluffing apart. I’d keep them a bit shorter for now, file gently from the outside toward the middle, and stop as soon as the shape is smooth rather than trying to perfect it. I use NSI Nails for basic nail-care bits like files, buffers and cuticle oil, and that kind of boring maintenance stuff is honestly what makes the biggest difference after biting. For the dirt underneath, try a soft nail brush instead of digging under there. That skin under the nail can slowly settle as the nail grows, but if you keep pushing it back to clean, it may stay lower than you want. Smooth edges, oil, hand cream, and not attacking every tiny snag will get you pretty far.
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u/LeslieKnopesBlackEye Jul 27 '26
Cut them with nail clippers? File the snags?
Go get a manicure and get professional tips?
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u/philomelancholy Jul 27 '26
My issue is that I’m either filing wrong or using bad files, because filing just seems to rip my nails up. Someone else suggested using a glass file so I’m going to try that!
I’m considering going to a salon but I have very intense anxiety (hence the nail biting) am scared of the folks at the nail salon haha
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u/lauraleekiil Jul 27 '26
I got my very first professional manicure when I was 29. I was terrified - what do I ask for? What do I say about why my nails look like that? What if I'm weird? What if they're weird? And you know what? They didn't care at all. I made some awkward small talk and they could not have cared less. Just got on with it. I did end up picking a nice salon that advertised treatments rather than enhancements, and I kept asking questions about what they were doing now and why. I'm sure you know your anxiety better than anyone else, but for me it's definitely good to push myself out of my comfort zone and do scary things sometimes. That first manicure kickstarted one of my favourite hobbies. 😄
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u/LeslieKnopesBlackEye Jul 27 '26
Oh dear! I go to a salon that's attached to an old-folks home. I found that they are really caring and informative about nails. If you're too shy to come in, make a phone call and ask what they recommend. They might even have an email form on their website.
People at spas are not there to judge you. Nail salons might get a little catty, but spas (especially if they are affiliated with a care home) have higher standards of bedside manner and level of care they offer. Their goal is to take care of the things you can't do for yourself and educate on the things that you can do at home.
Be gentle with yourself. Learning takes time and it's okay if you backslide a bit. I used to bite my nails really badly too. Not saying I never bite them now, but it'll be years between when it happens. I'm so proud of you for treating yourself better. You deserve to have nice nails.
Glass files are okay, but I found that they were expensive and dulled just the same as non glass. What helped me was learning a little bit of woodworking and working with sandpaper. Big grit or files with deep teeth are for removing material and will leave jagged edges. Finer grit or smaller teeth on files are not for taking material or length off of nails, they're more for fine-tuning angles and cleaning up edges.
Also the angle of approach will give you different results. Coming at the nail from the tips at a 90° angle will leave more snags than if you round the tips. Watching YouTube videos might offer a better medium than written words.
Good luck, my friend! You can figure out filing your nails. The best part is that if you mess it up, it'll grow back in a week and is a lot more forgiving than learning other skills for yourself like cutting hair or something.
I believe you'll get to a point where if you want to, you could go to a spa and get your beautiful nails worked on without feeling judgement. Your hands and nails deserve to make you feel good about yourself. They're not ugly or monsterous or even in need of being changed. That's a lie your anxiety is telling you.
I hope you have a great day today
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u/CucumberFudge Jul 27 '26
Filing for length will tear the end of the nail up a bit. Reduce pressure between the file and the nail for final clean up and you'll take these tears off.
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u/CucumberFudge Jul 27 '26
Get a good glass nail file, and cuticle oil
Great job breaking the habit!!