What do you think of nail biters?

[Anonymous]

Gross? Insecure? Nervous? Something else?

Tell the truth; you won't offend me. I cycle around between 75% biter (like, down to ragged stumps) and 25% pretty, healthy nails. I can only stop with a few coats of Nailtiques and OCD-like attention to cuticle cream, etc, and I am trying to get back on the wagon again! But for now, tell me your impression when you see someone nibbling or when you see clearly bitten nails.

[Anonymous]

I think nervous. My toddler does this, and it makes me worry that he will be an anxious kid. Neither DH nor I bite our nails, but I do have anxiety (hence the worry).

[Anonymous]

I was always a nail biter, I am 28 years old and I finally stopped about a year ago. I took my ugly, bitten up nails to the salon and received a manicure. They were super short but looked groomed and polished. I never bit my nails again and now they are long and strong. I get a professional manicure once a month

[Anonymous]

I bite my nails sometimes. I definitely do it when I am anxious about something, and I have found that the best way to stop is to address the underlying anxiety.

The worst thing for my nails, however, is that I like them to be even. So if I bite one, I feel compelled to bite all the others. To stop me from doing that, I actually have to trim and file all the others, because at least then I don't leave them ragged.

[Anonymous]

I assume that a nail biter is an anxious person. I don't think about it much beyond that though.

[Anonymous]

It looks pretty gross but I certainly don't judge or label the nailbiting person. I have enough bad habits of my own.

[Anonymous]

I don't bite my nails (did as a kid but stopped around age 8-9) but I bite my cuticles an the skin around my nails. I go through phases. Sometimes I bite them until they bleed, other times I leave them alone for a while. The only thing that really makes me stop is reminding myself how germy fingernails are and that I'll probably get sick from biting them. (True.) I don't consider myself an anxious person, but maybe I take my anxiety out on my fingers. I think it's really just a habit more than a manifestation of something deeper.

I have a brother or two who are nail biters and I don't necessarily think of them as anxious either. I think it's more habit than anything else.

[Anonymous]

Chronic low level anxiety.

[Anonymous]

Unhygienic. I don't want to touch anything you've touched and then be touching your saliva. Also unprofessional.

[Anonymous]

Nail biting is now on the OCD spectrum. I am biter and definitely have anxiety. However, when I was put on antidepressants the compulsion to bite ceased. I now have growing nails and can stop myself if I go back to the habit.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Nail biting is now on the OCD spectrum. I am biter and definitely have anxiety. However, when I was put on antidepressants the compulsion to bite ceased. I now have growing nails and can stop myself if I go back to the habit.

Oh for eff's sake, not everything is on a "spectrum."

[Anonymous]

don't care unless i'm sitting next to one aggressively chewing nails. then it's gross. makes me cringe

[Anonymous]

It's disgusting and a symptom of anxiety. And I've been trying to quit with varying degrees of success for twenty five years.

[Anonymous]

I have always bitten my nails and I'm not an anxious person. It's just a habit. I could have much worse habits so I don't think twice about it.

[Anonymous]

I'm 35 and I've bitten my nails since I was a child. Not because I'm anxious or scared. I like to bite them until they hurt and just about to bleed, the sensation is heavenly like getting a pedicure or a massage.

It's just a habit for many of us nail biters not a sign of gloom and doom and I couldn't care less what anyone thinks of my habit, you can kiss my ass with your judgments.