Nail Biter

I found my daughter was doing that and when I asked her about it she said "they bug me." It was because her nails were jagged and I hadn't really shown her what to do with her nails to keep them maintianed. Doh! I taught her to brush her teeth, wash her hair and all of the other things but didn't think to show her how to file her nails.

I got her a cute pink nail file at Beauty Warehouse and some lotion and showed her what to do when her nails start "bugging her." I try to get her to file once a week or so. I think some people's nails may be more brittle and prone to hangnails. Who knows, it might help!

Hi,
How long has your daughter been bitting her nails? I was a nail bitting child well, I still bite my nails once in a while :( Good luck on the nail polish. I hope it works. My mom did anything you can imagine to stop me from bitting my nails and NEVER worked :( What I read is that it has to do with anxiety and stress so she will bite them when she has that anxiety or stress. Some people say is a bad habit. I would believe is a combination of both. You bite them because you are used to doing to but the reason I think I did is because I was nervious, stressed etc. You would think a child that young does not have stress but kids do. SO, bitting is an expression and I think a releaf from that stress. To this date my mom and I laught about everything she tried to do to make me stop and NOTHING work :) She tried the nail polish tons of ointments one of the nail polish was garlic scent and the other one really spicy jalapeno so my mouth would burn or the smell would discourage me from bitting it and I always told my mom, " it is not going to work" Now as an adult I still bite my nails once in a while but I noticed that what helps is getting a manicure no matter how short they are and that kind of helps me not do it because they are all painted and look so pretty. Other times when I did not bite them is if I was doing something that I so busy at work that didnt have time to just bite my nails :) Hope the nail polishes work.

If you can't find it by doing a Google search, go to Salley's Beauty Supply, or another beauty supply place, and they should be able to help you with that. My parents used to use that stuff on me and it was pretty icky, but made me quit!

Hi J.,
I myself am a nail biter and I seem to bite my nails when I am board, stressed, hungry or I am nervous, You might ask your daughter when you see her doing it if there is something wrong maybe she is upset about something or nervous about something, just a thought.
And trying the things the other ladies have said also. Goodluck W..

walgreens!!!! I do believe there is one made by sally henson that is sold at walgreens i have also seen some at walmart all in the beauty section with the other nail polish off to the side usually.dont know the name but remember looking at it.

Hello,
You can find the nail biter polish everywhere there is fingernail polish. It is with the nail polish, it is called Bite Free. That is the brand that I have bought. You might also try just painting her nails with a pale pink or something that is appropriate that might help, she won't want it to look all chipped. One reason that I bite my nails is having jagged edges, you might try filing and trimming her nails a couple of times a week. My parents tried the nasty nail polish with me and it never worked, maybe it will for you.
Good luck it is a hard habit to break.

I am a nail biter and for most of my life have been. When i was younger that stuff was called DON'T. It never worked for me. I quit biting my nails when I changed the habit. I started cleaning under my nails instead. That works for me until my nail chips or feels uneven. Thats when i start biting again. Do what you can for her young. Many might not think about this but, people without nails scratch differently then people with them. If she breaks the habit later she will tear up her skin and end up with scars and stretch marks when she's older. Experience taught me. Try pretty polish, teach her to how to apply it. I will be fun for her and hopefully she'll learn biting them ruins the polish. Hope my experience helps. Good luck!

I'm a chronic nail biter who has done it on and off all my life. All the anti-biting remedies out there never worked to stop the problem. Someone suggested getting regular manicures as a stop and I tried it. It has been the only thing that has worked. I don't like polish as it makes my hands feel suffocated, so I always just opt for clear and get French manicures done for special occasions. Since your daughter is so young, you might want to start by doing it yourself and perhaps tell her that if she stops biting, you will splurge for a "real" spa day. I know my nail salon, Girlfriends (http://www.girlfriendsnailstudio.com) here in Lee's Summit offers rates for kids under 12 and Barb and Susan will no doubt make it a very special occasion if you give them some advanced notice.

Try dipping her fingers in vinegar. You can wait until she is home or do it on weekends if you are worried about the smell. Or maybe just apply it to her fingernails directly with a small brush and let it dry. It has a nasty bitter taste of course.