That is funny you asked that,my sister has done it for years. She would do it till it bled. I am sorry i can't give you any tips on how to stop. Just one day she decided it looked really bad and stopped. She tried everyting. She did it for about 7 years.

I used to do it, but my teeth have separated as such that I am no longer able to. It's not an awful habit (most of that stuff is just dry skin). But, if you're really desperate, try making a habit of not washing your hands after you go to the toilet.

Yeah, I do it. I bite my nails till they're gone, then i have nothing else to bite so.. It's a bad habite, done it for, like.. ever. So, cant really help you there. Im in the same boat! : )

I bit my nails for years and years (maybe 35)and then finally decided to try taking care of my nails, putting this stuff on them that made them grow strong and buffing them, little things, no major manicure as there wasn't much nail to pamper. They started to grow! My husband would remind me if I stuck my fingers in my mouth and I couldn't believe it but I had stopped. Then about 10 years after, I got a slight rough spot on the side of my fingernail, didn't have any nippers or file handy, stuck it in my mouth to trim and whammo! Went all around the nail. Now I can't stop doing it either. Hubby tries to say something about it but it just doesn't seem to sink in like the nail biting thing. I rip up my cuticles and then they start bleeding. I don't know what to do either. I have good times and bad, so maybe it is stress related and easier to not do it when everything is fine?

I bite nails, fingers, knuckles...anything really. I eat paper and chew on my clothes. Unfortuantly, I can't help you in stopping this. It seems I'm worse off than you are...

put somthing that tastes bad on the tip of ur fingers. youll stop soon.

I have bitten the skin around my fingernails for years, sometimes down to the first knuckle. I tend to do it more when I am stressed. However, I do not bite my nails. I keep them manicured, polished, etc. I have yet to stop biting them because it helps me to relieve my stress.

I do this, although I am more of a nail person myself (they're chunkier). Your best bet is to wear a strait jacket.

i do it...i have no idea how to stop though,i wish i did.

i too have this problem. I find it helps to rub the skin round your fingers with a nail file.. stops you from biting temporarily. Hide scissors in rooms where you tend to bite/cut the skin (like i do).. The only other thing i can think of is at night after you've eaten meals put some cream on your hands and fingers. The cream will moisturise the skin and prevent you from biting also!

Mm.. I've done this really badly for as long as I can remember. My fingertips are red/inflamed up 'til the 1st knuckle, and often bleeding- very ugly looking! :( I tried the bad-tasting anti-bite stuff, but as you say it's really gross when it gets on your food. How are you going now? Managed to quit? Some advice I've been given and am trying now is: 1. Think about all the bad effects of doing it (eg. looks terrible, embarrassing when people look @ your hands, unhygienic, painful etc) 2. Keep your mouth busy- try taking carrot sticks with you and eating them whenever u get the urge to bite. (helps relieve stress without being unhealthy) 3. Get a friend/partner to knudge you every time they see you picking/biting your fingers (it's so easy to do it without thinking. It's all very well to deliberately try not to, but what happens when you do it without thinking?? Try it, see how you go. Good luck!!

I do it all the time and I love it. It gives me a sensational feeling everytime I manage to rip a piece off my finger. Then I like to prolong the feeling and slowly chew at the skin with my teeth. I have been doing it so long that I have even got calluses there. Which is even better as when the skin grows back I have a really huge piece of skin to dig my teeth in to. It's an unhealthy obsession and it sucks when they start bleeding because that means I have to stop. Same as the person above I do it because it relaxes me. I do it at work when I'm thinking, when I'm watching TV involving dramatic moments to playing video games with one hand on the controller and the other in my mouth. Tried quitting but it is impossible. I was a smoker for 10 years and quitting that was nothing compared to losing the habit of biting the skin around my nails. This is crazy. I especially like to chew the middle fingers and thumbs. Which finger is your favourite? This topic is sick. I'm out. Peace Oh, the best way to quit. Is to want to quit. It seems like I don't want to so I'm gonna keep at it. Got so serious during my childhood my jaw started clicking and eventually locked. Man I need to stop this habit.

I did/do that too. To the point of bleeding and such finger tip pain! I got gel's on my nails and I cant do it anymore. Hope this helps :(

i have this very same problem and would really love the answer on how to stop the nail biting stuff dont work cause its for nails not skin really and just stings so much when its on the open cuts that my fingers constently have so if you find the answer please let me know ta

My boyfriend does it and it drives me crazy. I tell him all the time how unattractive it looks. Everytime he puts his fingers to his mouth I hit his arm so his hand slaps into his face. This has helped so much. He does it without even thinking so I have to help him. If you carry nail clippers to cut the skin off so you won't bite it that helps too. But he says me hitting his arm helps the most.

There is a technique that is a form of self distraction that you can learn to help undo habits you don't like. It's called Emotional Freedom Technique. For more info see this wikipedia article http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emotional_Freedom_Technique or go to their website for free information: http://www.emofree.com/

i bite the skin around my finger nails! ive tried but i cant stop!!! its discusting especially when my hands are wet you see all the chunks ive bitten i used to bite my nuckle too! but i havnt for months nw i did stop biting my skin around my nails for ages my fingers looked great nw im stressed and ive started again i hate it and wish there was something that wuld stop me :(

I have been so anxious to find an answer that i didn't notice I was biting my skin as I was reading this.. This seems to be a stress related issue for me too.. and like others, it seems to be hard for me to NOT WANT TO DO it for a long period of time..because it does relax me. I really want to stop. It drives my wife crazy also. I wonder if this is a sign of insanity or something when you tear at yourself and remove flesh and end up making yourself bleed. It has gotten so bad that I've now started to pick at my toes (with my hands, i dont bite) because my finger tips are still trying to heal. Is there some sort of thimble type thing for people like me? Something I can put on my fingers and still type on a computer for school and work and also be able to not look ridiculous?

try chewing gum trick your mind into thinking that your biting your skin

Nail biting can be more than just a bad habit. It can be the result of a faulty cingulate system in the brain. Did you know that onychophagia (nail biting) is categorized as an obsessive-compulsive (OCD) spectrum disorder and can be the result of a problematic cingulate system? (The cingulate system is the part of your brain that deals with your ability to shift attention, cognitive flexibility--ability to adapt to change, deal successfully with new problems--adaptability, movement from idea to idea, ablility to see options, ability to "go with the flow", ability to cooperate--shifting attention and with getting stuck in innefective behavior patterns). In a fantastic book I read called Change Your Brain, Change Your Life by a man named Dr. Amen (a clinical neuroscientist, child and adolescent psychiatrist, and medical directer of the Amen Clinic For Behavioral Medicine), he talks about problems with the Cingulate System, which include (does any of this sound familiar to you?): --Worrying --Holding onto hurts from the past --Getting stuck on thoughts (obsessions) --Getting stuck on behaviors (compulsions) --Oppositional behavior --Argumentativeness --Uncooperativeness; tendency to say no automatically --Addictive behaviors (alcohol or drug abuse, eating disorders) --Cognitive inflexibility --Road rage --“I would also add oppositional defiant disorder.”~Dr. Amen --Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) --OCD spectrum disorders: "There is a group of disorders that have been recently labeled obsessive-compulsive spectrum disorders. People with these disorders get stuck on unwanted, repetitive thoughts and cannot get them out of their minds unless they act in a specific manner. According to psychiatrist Ronald Pies, postulated OCD spectrum disorders include: Onychophagia (nail biting) Tourette's syndrom (involuntary motor and vocal tics) Kleptromania Body dysmorphic disorder (feeling that part of the body is excessively ugly) Hypochondria Autism Compulsive shopping (repetitive thoughts like 'I need to buy this one thing! I need to buy this one thing! I need to buy this one thing!') Pathological gambling Chronic pain Addictive disorders Eating disorders (such as anorexia and bulimia--in which there are "repetitive thoughts that significantly interfere with behavior" like '''Im too fat! I'm too fat! I'm too fat!' despite rational evidence to the contrary") Trichotillomania (pulling out one's own hair) So perhaps your nail biting is a symptom of a faulty cingulate system, in which case, an antiobsessive medication might provide relief. According to Dr. Amen (at the time of his writing, in 1998) "there are eight "antiobsessive medications" and more on the way. The current medications that have shown effectiveness with OCD [and OCD spectrum disorders I assume] are Anafranil (clomipramine), Prozac (fluoxetine), Zoloft (sertraline), Paxil (paroxetine), Effexor (venlafaxine), Serzone (nefazodone), Remeron (mirtazapine), and Luvox (fluvoxamine). These medications have provided many patients with profound relief from OCD symptoms. In addition, behavior therapy is often helpful...." Maybe this information will be helpful to you for breaking the habit, if its more than just a habit. Love, Amy

Bite away. Why stop? If you want to bite - then bite. Don't worry about anyone else.

If it makes you feel better, why not?

Perhaps the reason why you have developed this habit is because your cuticles are dry and raggedy. Try applying a good cuticle oil or cream on every day to moisturize and keep your cuticles smooth. I used VB Cosmetics' cuticle oil with shea butter and found that I do not have to apply it daily. I only use it once a week and my cuticles no longer dry out.

Clean the trap under your bathroom sink with bare hands. If that doesn't do it you are sick!

I do thet 2 but naw u mention it I did't do it 4 some time.(tank u) +2:)

Try only limiting yourself to one hand, then gradually reduce the fingers. You can then compare how well your hands look when you don't bite them and when you do. I mostly try not to look at my hands, or if I do, I try to completely focus on something else until I'm distracted. Or try hypnotism. good luck.

Yeah, I bite my nails and the skin around them. The skin gets rough and annoying. I even pick at my toes. It's not good but I don't know if I can stop it.

I have been biting the skin around my nails (and my nails, but not as badly) since the 3rd grade. I cannot manage to stop because I don't want to badly enough, and by now I've accepted the fact that my fingers look disgusting. I tend to do it while I'm spacing out and not really conscious of it and even more when I'm feeling anxious. When people smack my hands away while doing it, I feel really tense inside, almost want to hit them, and need to take a couple deep breaths to relax. It's definately a compulsive thing for me, and similarly to Trichotillamania it's a counter-productive self-grooming thing; I see an excess piece of skin, and I just have to get rid of it. They bleed often, and I've gotten a couple Staph infections in my fingers because of it. When I worked with young children it was bad because they would always ask me what was wrong with my fingers. I wish I had a strategy for myself and all of you, but I don't :/

my brother does it. you could just constantly put lotion on your hands to keep from biting, but if your a guy, that would be a little odd :)

I used to do this as well. I started getting my nails done by a manicurist, and that helped me stop biting the skin around them. I haven't had my nails done in years, but I was able to break the habit.

My son does this... we bought some bitter paint on stuff and this reminds him to stop doing it...

i stopped couple of years back. i used to compare my nails with others' and realised how ugly they are..

I have done the same thing for years. I have permanent calluses around my fingers and I even use my pocket knife to cut the dead skin away because there is so much. At times it gets so bad with the picking and biting and cutting it causes bleeding. I just can't seem to stop.

I would really advise people on cuffing their hands before biting if they have self consciousness. It depends whether you want to quit so badly or not. I too have this problem of biting my dry skin around my fingers but its wearing of, time by time. I assure you that even with the help of those anti-nail biting antidotes there is no point of stopping it because it naturally depends upon human behavior and motivation. Whenever you see yourself biting, try staying alert and make yourself repeat " NO! don't bite, STOP!!" and also tell yourself that you have stopped the habit to make yourself realize that you are finally make some progress.Try comparing yourself with others and and think about your future, Do you really end up Biting nails all your life? Or Not?? Then Its time that you END IT!! Hope this Helps.. TC and do reply if any of my tips are useful!

I would really advise people on cuffing their hands before biting if they have self consciousness. It depends whether you want to quit so badly or not. I too have this problem of biting my dry skin around my fingers but its wearing of, time by time. I assure you that even with the help of those anti-nail biting antidotes there is no point of stopping it because it naturally depends upon human behavior and motivation. Whenever you see yourself biting, try staying alert and make yourself repeat " NO! don't bite, STOP!!" and also tell yourself that you have stopped the habit to make yourself realize that you are finally make some progress.Try comparing yourself with others and and think about your future, Do you really end up Biting nails all your life? Or Not?? Then Its time that you END IT!! Hope this Helps.. TC and do reply if any of my tips are useful!

Hiyya Hunni, I bite my fingers too! I hate it because it looks horrid in water coz as yuu sed, all the chunks show and my sister thinks I am really gross (Which I am)! I thought of wearing rubber gloves all the time, or putting bitter liquid on my fingers (you can get that from the chemist) Hope this helps Lizzie xxx

im 15 years old and i always bite the skin around my nails without even noticing! i do it when im on the bus listening to my ipod or just when im bored in class. i notice it more when i get out of the shower or pool because i can see my skin like all chappy around my nails. i use this detol hand sanitizer sometimes and ive noticed if i try biting my nails that i get a really bad taste in my mouth so that semi helps. no ones ever noticed that i do it and neither do i half the time, i really want to stop too it's so annoying my hands look that disgusting compared to other girls my age. anyone else have any ideas on how to stop?

I also tend to bite my nails alot the best thing to do is to get condoms and apply them to each finger.IT WORKS TO! Some condoms also taste bitter so it will remind you not to bite! Plus doing this is good because then you will always have a condom with you! Never know when youll need one!!!!! haha! hope this helps!..................... P.S> if you wanted to try flavored condoms!! lol

The most important thing is that you are really motivated to stop. I can tell you first -hand, you well stunt the development of your nails, maybe permanently, if you continue. I used to bite my nails/cuticles because they didn't look perfect. Decide you're OK with them looking not perfect. Get a manicure , get false nails, do whatever it takes to stop yourself from starting without thinking. Good luck!