Nail Biter

[celebalook]

Hi all
I am a therapist and a terrible nail biter :o needing advise please.
I did have acrylic nails done at a discount salon which seem to be everywhere, i asked for gel but eventually found out they were in fat acrylic with a gel overlayx3 (really really thick). However i managed to keep them on for 3 weeks allowing my nails to get started with a minimal free edge, i then bit them off disgusting i know sorry. i eventually managed to restrain myself from biting them and had a free edge to be proud of (no biting for 6weeks), but this was ended yesterday when i was so stressed i couldn't resist and bit two of them which had split and broken which then leading me to bite them all:cry: i am now deeply upset and very cross wit myself. I start a spa job in 3 weeks and do not want to start with gross looking nails and the only way to start agin for me is apply some kind of extension. I am not a nail tech of any kind but know o the fab shellac and a little gelish. What extension? + shellac or gelish would you recomend??? thanks for any help

 

[geeg]

Hi all
I am a therapist and a terrible nail biter :o needing advise please.
I did have acrylic nails done at a discount salon which seem to be everywhere, i asked for gel but eventually found out they were in fat acrylic with a gel overlayx3 (really really thick). However i managed to keep them on for 3 weeks allowing my nails to get started with a minimal free edge, i then bit them off disgusting i know sorry. i eventually managed to restrain myself from biting them and had a free edge to be proud of (no biting for 6weeks), but this was ended yesterday when i was so stressed i couldn't resist and bit two of them which had split and broken which then leading me to bite them all:cry: i am now deeply upset and very cross wit myself. I start a spa job in 3 weeks and do not want to start with gross looking nails and the only way to start agin for me is apply some kind of extension. I am not a nail tech of any kind but know o the fab shellac and a little gelish. What extension? + shellac or gelish would you recomend??? thanks for any help

I wouldn't recommend either as I THINK YOU NEED SOMETHING MORE SUBSTANTIAL than a coloured gel and certainly more substantial than a colour coat like Shellac.

My advise would be to go to a technician who has a reputation for excellence and have a strong overlay such as L&P; as a biter you will need this.

You know you will damage your nails significantly if you bite them off again .. I'm surprised you had any free edge after biting the first lot off :lol: You must be good with your teeth. lol You've got 3 weeks to let them grow again so behave!! :hug:

 

[celebalook]

Hi Geeg
I would like something to cover them but french or natural looking do to the fact that i have bitten them since a very young child, i do not like nail polishes or any colour as it looks so awful and very strange on my fingers lol, i see L&P on here a lot, what is this please?
my fingers haven't hurt for 6-7 weeks and now they are so sore again, what a silly girl i am:irked: going to look for a nail tech tomorrow in my area which is Derby. Thx for advice do enlighten me what L&P is pls x

 

[Fabtans]

I can totally relate to you...I was the same since the day I was born. Its had a huge effect on my life, you name a treatment I have tried it. Anyway to cut a long story short a friend who is also a beautican and nail tech advised shellac....its been an overwhelming success for me, Im not on my 3rd treatment each one lasting 2 weeks, and I cannot believe the transformation in my nails. So much so, I just dont want to touch them. I never thought this possible as its been such a huge problem to me, but the shellac has given them a hard shiny finish so smooth and tough just what you need on nails that are very thin and scag all the time. Ive just had neglegee sorry if i spelt that wrong so it looks clear and just had a french polish finish. Please find the courage to put your hands infront of an expert as advised and ask for help and advise. I was so ashamed and upset and have felt this way for yrs, but I turned 40 this year and just thought enough is enough, I only do tanning, but now the children are getting older I would love to go to college and maybe learn new I treatments, Im even considering nails as Im so thankful and amazed at the result and help ive received. Possibly nails techs like you and me (one day) can go on to reassure and help other nail biters in same situation. I know those who dont have this terrible habit wont understand how it effects you, but i honestly believe we are born with the nail biting gene in us! My mum says i was born with my fingers in my mouth! Who knows, but dont feel you are disgusting anymore for having the habit, take control of it and be the boss, it only takes a couple of weeks to achieve neat nails even if short, you can transform them. Let me now how you get on....:hug:

 

[celebalook]

Hi fabtans
Yes you sound exactly the same as me, so did you have shellac straight over your bitten nails or some kind of extenion tip also, obviously now i have bitten them till they are sore i have no free edge at all:cry: just skin if you know what i mean but i have had lots of gel nails on in the past when they have been in worse condition. i know in three weeks they will look respectable for my new job if i don't bite them and i have heard and seen remarkable results on salon geek with the shellac so defo will be giving this a try. will let you know how i get on i am 36 so catching up with you

 

[geeg]

I can totally relate to you...I was the same since the day I was born. Its had a huge effect on my life, you name a treatment I have tried it. Anyway to cut a long story short a friend who is also a beautican and nail tech advised shellac....its been an overwhelming success for me, Im not on my 3rd treatment each one lasting 2 weeks, and I cannot believe the transformation in my nails. So much so, I just dont want to touch them. I never thought this possible as its been such a huge problem to me, but the shellac has given them a hard shiny finish so smooth and tough just what you need on nails that are very thin and scag all the time. Ive just had neglegee sorry if i spelt that wrong so it looks clear and just had a french polish finish. Please find the courage to put your hands infront of an expert as advised and ask for help and advise. I was so ashamed and upset and have felt this way for yrs, but I turned 40 this year and just thought enough is enough, I only do tanning, but now the children are getting older I would love to go to college and maybe learn new I treatments, Im even considering nails as Im so thankful and amazed at the result and help ive received. Possibly nails techs like you and me (one day) can go on to reassure and help other nail biters in same situation. I know those who dont have this terrible habit wont understand how it effects you, but i honestly believe we are born with the nail biting gene in us! My mum says i was born with my fingers in my mouth! Who knows, but dont feel you are disgusting anymore for having the habit, take control of it and be the boss, it only takes a couple of weeks to achieve neat nails even if short, you can transform them. Let me now how you get on....:hug:

My feeling was that celebalook was probably too severe a biter for Shellac to be effective and the L&P (liquid & powder) would be the better option, but maybe I'm wrong ! I'm thrilled that Shellac has worked for you in the way it has ... I know many including myself have experienced the transformation from nail enhancement to Shellac. I adore my natural nails now since wearing only Shellac.

Celebalook, you can but try it. The initial Shellac won't instantly transform the look of your nails, but it will transform the feel of them and perhaps provide that trigger that stops you putting them in your mouth. If it works for you, then in three weeks you will see a remarkable difference.

 

[celebalook]

Hi
Well i shall hunt for a good nail tech tomorrow and seek there advise and let you know how i get on, wish you could just step out from my laptop and do my nails then pop back lol

 

[geeg]

Hi
Well i shall hunt for a good nail tech tomorrow and seek there advise and let you know how i get on, wish you could just step out from my laptop and do my nails then pop back lol

I'd LOVE to be able to do that for you! :hug: and I would if I could :green:

 

[celebalook]

Just want to thank everyone for there kind words, i am so touched by everyones encouragement and support will try to put a photo of my grotty nails and then another one of them done by a nail tech and finally hopefully my own nails in a few weeks

 

[smartypantz]

I was a very bad nail biter turned picker and my nails were completely trashed, I even picked off l&p, gels. However I read here that if somebody had broke a nail, they applied a tip, so I just started applying tips, (very short) and shellaced over the top of them. Now some months on I have beautiful nails, that have great free edge and are strong. So for me Shellac really did work, even though my nails were in a terrible condition to start with, this is probably because there was nothing to pick at and they felt great to touch. I went with dark colours because they seemed to suit my short nails better. Always had a file to hand just incase I broke the edge of a nail, then I would file it down to stop the Shellac chipping. Hth

 

[osa]

Just want to thank everyone for there kind words, i am so touched by everyones encouragement and support will try to put a photo of my grotty nails and then another one of them done by a nail tech and finally hopefully my own nails in a few weeks

Hi.
this is a bit of an advice/comment from a fellow nail biter. iv bitten my nails since i was little and it wasnt until late last year that i was able to drastically minimize my habit from 150% to about 10% - yes, i surprised even myself and and everyone else who has known me.
id tried everything from bitter nail polish et all, but didnt work.
first of all you need to decide that you want to stop this habit and have beautiful nails, and then look for a very good nail therapist who would work with you.
get very nice looking extensions done - l&p (for strength), not too long, just with a bit of free edge. if your nails look pretty, doesn't lift, doesn't have any stray cuticle and with nothing generally to pick at, then you most likely wont pick or pull at anything (thats why you need a good nail therapist).
try to get your polish changed every week or 2 weeks depending on how fast your nails grow. its important that that you visit your nail therapist frequently, so your nails are always "repaired", even before you begin to notice that work needs to be done on them, and that they are always very well groomed to your likeness.
if you do this frequently for 2 - 3 months, your nails would grow out and you would begin to have enough of your own free edge to work with. when they are long enough (your therapist should advice you) you can dissolve the extension, l&p and then have another probably l&p overlay over your natural nail (without the extension); and still continue with your frequent grooming. its important that you wear the overlay right after you take the extensions off, because the temptation will creep back in still even at this point...(if you decide to flaunt or rest your nails for perhaps a week before getting the overlay)
at this stage, you would fell proud enough of what you've been able to "achieve" (severe nail biters will understand that this is a major achievement ;-) and think twice before you put your finger to teeth.
after another 1 -2 months when you have enough free edge to even wear a french polish), you can then begin to switch to other options such as shellac for gradual strength - if you feel you're able to withstand the temptation of having a lighter product on your nails without biting, if not continue with l&p or gel, until you get there.
even though you have gel or acrylic over it, you's still feel proud that those are entirely your nails-without any enhancements and that you've been able to grow your nails upto that length.
this has been how i have been able to resist going back to my nail bitting habit....i hope it helps you and anyone else...goodluck
cheers

 

[Fabtans]

hi
I had the shellac straight on to bitten nails. My nail tech advised she couldnt guarantee the proceedure obviously. i admit the first set lasted a week just over as I did tend to pick at the shellac and peel, was then told this isnt kind to the natural nail must soak off, so I thought ive just got to leave well alone and have done. Infact I split one nail yest and called my nail tech who so kindly squeezed me in this morning for a new nail of shellac cos she knows i kept tempted to pick. But honestly these have been the best thing ever for me, I now dont think twice about holding my hands out and ive never been able to do that in my life til i wore acrylics.
Its a shame one of these pros cant do the proceedure and one of us hold your hand through it for moral support, so relate to you, but you will crack it. When you get tempted squeeze your hands really really tight in a ball as tight as you can this takes the urge to nibble away instantley.