How to Stop Nail Biting: After 20 Years, This Is How I Finally Broke My Biting Habit
Amy Clark is Adore Beauty's former Senior Editor and co-host of Skincare School the podcast (and self-appointed beauty road-tester!). Amy's worked as a journalist, beauty editor and podcaster for several years, previously writing and talking about all things beauty at Mamamia and You Beauty. When she's not writing honest, no BS product reviews and taking selfies 'for work', you'll find Amy eating halloumi in a hair towel turban and... taking more selfies.
Key Takeaways
- IBX Nail Treatment: I found that incorporating an IBX treatment significantly strengthened my nails under the regular manicure.
- BIAB Manicures: Having regular BIAB manicures has been transformative for breaking my nail biting habit.
- At-Home Care: I discovered that effective at-home nail care products, such as a good strengthener and cuticle oil, have been crucial in maintaining nail health between appointments.
- Moisturising Routine: I realised that consistent moisturisation using hand cream and cuticle oil can deter me from picking at my nails.
- Short Nails: Keeping my nails trimmed and not allowing them to grow too long has helped prevent the urge to bite them.
Asking how can I stop from biting my nails?
I was a nail biter for two decades. I actually can't remember a time in my life when I wasn't biting my nails.
I'd bite while watching TV. During a stressful work meeting. At the movies - FYI bitten nails and salty popcorn don't mix - and even through layers of foul-tasting polish specifically designed for how to stop nail biting. Ugh.
No matter how many times I was reminded just how much filth I was ingesting by putting my grotty fingers in my mouth, I could not stop. Not even the humiliation of strangers commenting vomit emojis on my product shots on Instagram cut enough to make me give up.
But 20 years and countless trips to the dentist later (including two recent appointments to fix chipped teeth from nail biting in lockdown), I've finally broken my bad biting habit.
From professional treatments to at-home nail care products, here is a step-by-step guide to exactly how to stop nail biting.
Well, this is what worked for me, at least.
You can watch my YouTube tutorial on how to stop nail biting here.
How to Stop Biting Your Nails
1. Get An IBX Nail Treatment.
The first thing to know about how I stopped biting my nails is, I didn't do it on my own.
I had a lot of help from Sydney-based nail artist @nails.by.jenna_.
The first thing Jenna suggested we do at our first manicure together was an IBX treatment. I'd actually never heard of IBX before then, but I saw great results by the time my next appointment rolled around three weeks later.
IBX is a nail treatment that uses conditioning monomers that can bond together and penetrate the nail plate to add a strengthening, protective shield.
Applied like regular gel polish and cured under an LED heat lamp, an IBX treatment can sit under your regular manicure to support your natural nails as they grow.
Want to learn more about nail health? Listen to the latest episode of the Beauty IQ Uncensored podcast on growing healthy nails below!
2: Have Regular BIAB Manicures.
Put simply, BIAB nails have changed this former-nail biter's life.
I've been having regular manicures applying and infilling BIAB nails every two to three weeks for the last six months. Yes, it's an investment, but it's probably the thing that's helped me break my nail biting habit the most.
That's not to say I didn't find myself, on occasion, surrounded by little gel nails I may or may not have picked off (I'm only human), but seriously, would you look at this growth?!
Hang On... What Is BIAB Nails?
BIAB stands for ‘builder in a bottle’ or ‘builder gels’, a type of nail product that's harder than shellac, but not as thick as SNS.
BIAB is a type of gel polish (note: gel and shellac are the same), but it cures hard under an LED light and is more durable than your regular shellac.
Anyone can have a BIAB manicure: it can be used to repair one broken nail or as a set of full extensions, or applied underneath gel polish to make your manicure last longer.
You can infill your manicure using BIAB as well, which means the builder doesn’t need to be soaked off if you want to change your gel nail colour (this isn’t something you can do with SNS nails).
While all types of manicures may cause nail damage, only the outermost layers of BIAB need to be gently drilled before they soak off completely.
Technically, acrylic and SNS can also be soaked off, but it’s a slow process and many salons just drill it off to save time.
BIAB is also ‘5 Free’, which means it doesn’t contain chemicals like formaldehyde or formaldehyde resin, toluene, dibutyl phthalate (DBP) or camphor.
But the game-changer for nail biters is how you can get the same look, hardness and strength as acrylic or SNS nails, without damaging the natural nail underneath. As much.
And by the way, these are my natural nails now. No extensions, they're all mine!
3. The Best At-Home Nail Care.
Just like with professional skin treatments, one manicure isn't going to break your nail biting habit. And this is where at-home nail care products come in.
As I mentioned, throughout my nail journey, I wasn't able to resist picking off my lovely manicure - we've all been there, as soon as one nail starts to lift, they've all gotta come off.
When I'd succumb to moments of weakness, using these products kept my natural nails in good shape until my next nail appointment.
Number one is a great nail strengthener. My favourites are the OPI Nail Envy 15mL in 'Bubble Bath' because they strengthen your nails while making them look more polished as well as the OPI Repair Mode 9mL
I find being able to physically see the white tips on my nails makes me want to bite them off, so applying a few coats of the tinted nail envy really helped.
The next two products are boring, but highly necessary: hand cream and cuticle oil.
Dry hands and dry cuticles can look scraggly, which is fine... except when you're looking for a bit of skin to bite or pick at. So, I've committed to applying hand cream and cuticle oil every night right before bed.
My favourites? The La Roche-Posay Cicaplast Hand Cream 50ml and OPI ProSpa Nail & Cuticle Oil To Go - I keep them on my bedside table so I don't forget... or until looking at them guilts me into applying.
Two other at-home nail care tips I've found useful in keeping my fragile nails from breaking are not letting them get too long, and not pushing my cuticles too far down.
The latter prevents the nail bed and cuticle area from becoming inflamed or damaged, and the former stops any breakage or splitting. My nails are so weak, I can practically bend them in half, so I file them as soon as they get long enough that I start thinking about biting them again.
And that is how I stopped biting my nails. Your journey might look different, but if there's one thing to take away from this article, it's this:
There is still hope for your poor, bitten nails yet.
Want more at-home beauty content? Check out these stories from the Adore Beauty team below!
- How to Do a DIY Manicure at Home for Beginners
