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Growing Out Healthy Nails After Years of Biting?

I've been a nail biter for 15 or so years; I finally stopped a month and a half ago. This is a great accomplishment for me, but as I watch my nails grow the white tips are really large, they extend all the way down to where I used to bite my nails. I thought maybe the pink part would grow.

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I have heard that the nail has to be reattached to the nail bed and that it'll take some time. Does anyone know how to speed up this process? Or if I'm wrong and it isn't a matter of the nail bed does anyone know why the nail does this? (By the way please don't leave answers telling me to talk to my doctor this will not help me.)

Please help. I feel that they are really ugly.

By MsAlie711

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July 15, 20115 found this helpful
Best Answer

You have moved the nail beds back. I don't know how long it might take for them to move forward, or even if they will. BUT, you accomplished something wonderful--it must have been very hard to stop such a long standing habit! (Habits are hard enough to break when it is not something you carry with you all the time, like fingers!)

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Be patient. Don't clean under your nails too vigorously with a nail cleaner or whatever, if they're very dirty, use a soft nail brush, so that you don't damage any re-growth that may have occurred.

Meanwhile, experiment with polishes--you can probably find a "French Manicure" polish set with some pinkish polish and white polish. Paint the pinkish polish further down, to cover some of the white. Give it time, and don't forget to stretch your arm over your shoulder and pat yourself on the back now and then!

 
Anonymous
August 29, 20161 found this helpful

Truly great answer, and so positive and heartwarming to see understanding and encouragement! I am 57 and have been biting my nails all my life. I have tried on a few occasions (many years ago) to grow them out, and they were so soft and fragile and then of course I would just go back to chewing my nails. My daughter is getting married in 12 days (eek!) and I have been attemting to grow them for the last 15 days or so...

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I didn't remark the date when I stopped, but I just stopped... cold turkey! I have been clipping instead of filing, and trying not to clean them too often (so disgusting what accumulates under them!), and applying Sally Hansen Hard as Nails and also using a cuticle cream and pushing them back. Here are my results so far.

 
September 16, 20170 found this helpful

Great advise. Also don't forget same as you don't want to disturb the repairing nail beds by cleaning under the nails with nail cleaners or using your own nails, you don't want your nails to grow more that 1/8 mm from the flesh. Keep trimming your nails with a nail clipper just so you can see a very thin white edge from the flesh.

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Long nails pull on the nail beds and tear the flesh again and again. You need to secure the nails on the flesh. It's a common mistake; people enjoy the long nails but since the nail bed is too short they soon break or bend which damages the nail bed and resets the line.

 
Anonymous
December 20, 20170 found this helpful

They will grow back. All the way to the ends of your fingers. I stop biting my nails after 20 years. Put Vitamin E oil on your nails everyday. Nail beds will grow out mine did

 
Anonymous
April 5, 20210 found this helpful

If you want them to grow out don't do anything to them don't clean under them if you do clean under them very very very lightly you'll see they'll start getting longer and longer. I have another trick but that's my own personal thing.... Nail bed's are out over my fingertips.

 
November 29, 20144 found this helpful
Best Answer

I have been biting my nails for almost 20 years since I was little. I don't even remember how they used to look, but judging from my parents, they were supposedly nice. I have stopped periodically and as they were starting to grow out, something would cause anxiety and I was back at square one.

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My girlfriend got me this polish called "No Bite" and it is absolutely disgusting if you touch it to your mouth. I think the biggest issue with chronic nail bitter is that you don't notice every time you do it. This gives you more control and awareness.

Now for the main point...the bed of my nails was considerably small from the decades of damage. In the course of a month, the nail bed is starting to grow back. Take progression to document not only the recovery, but also your success. Don't let your nails grow out too much or you might be tempted to quickly "cut" them by biting. This opens the door for relapse! Use nail cutters and keep them at a respectable length. If you get a hang nail, DO NOT tear it with your fingers. Get a proper nail manicure set. I never thought I would need a manicure set, but it's absolutely essential to your nail recovery.

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Congratulations to all those who have taken this important step to enhance their health, body image, and personal growth! Keep up the good work and don't let anyone discourage you... especially yourself.

 
December 30, 20170 found this helpful

I was bitting my nails since i was in primary school and i trid diffent tecnics to stop doing that now i'm at my last year of middle school and i finally found something that maybe will help me yesterday i bought a no bitting nail polish and i've put it on directly after i bought it it has a really discusting taste so today my nails started hrowing a little bit and i am very happy cause i wanted long naiks since firever and now my dream is finally coming true

 
January 2, 20220 found this helpful

I bit my nails for my entire life and I'm 57 years old!! I have for some reason stopped biting them but always play with them with my bottom teeth!

The color is gorgeous, they look like I've gotten a french manicure!!
My middle finger and ring finger grows same color but the are much larger than the others!

Should I get a regular manicure with just a top coat or should I get a gel manicure??

I want to say they are my REAL nails!!

Any thoughts or advice??

 
July 15, 20110 found this helpful

I am a nail biter also. When I haven't bitten them, they improve over time (where the white tip starts). Be patient.

 
Anonymous
April 1, 20160 found this helpful

Ive been bitting my nails over 10 years now.But my mum was my insperation.Ive stopped bitting my nails now.

 

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July 18, 20110 found this helpful

I don't know if you can speed up the process but eventually the nail bed will grow to the end of your fingers where it belonds.

 
July 18, 20110 found this helpful

Walk in a beauty shop and ask the lady doing nails. Do it in more than one place for the heck of it and see what their answer is and I'll bet you are normal for now but will get better the longer they grow. And I can't grow nails I dig in the dirt too much and hate gloves. Be proud of yourself I didn't quit till I was 60 and they grow out but still soft and breaky and white where the skin underneath ends.

 
July 22, 20170 found this helpful

Did they grow back normal? I am 59 and stopped 3 months ago. About half of them are curving down (clubbing?) The right pointer especially. I am wondering if this is permanant.

 
July 18, 20111 found this helpful

1. Take a multivitamin every day; prenatal vitamins are even better.

2. When you take a shower, put your fingertips close to the shower head and let the water massage your fingers. The increased blood flow will help them heal faster and grow stronger/faster because you are increasing the oxygen in them.

3. Use rubber gloves if you do any household cleaning or dishes where your hands will be in hot water or in chemicals.

 
July 20, 20110 found this helpful

Some people have short nail beds, others have longer ones. Yes, you may have damaged yours and the white line may move over time. However, you might just have short nail beds. Look at other people's nails. And, look at your toes. Do they have shorter nail beds than you notice on other people? Shorter is not bad, it's just different!

 

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July 23, 20111 found this helpful

Try horse hoof conditioner (look in the Wal-Mart pet aisle, or at a local tack, feed 'n seed store), it works a treat for strengthening and conditioning nails-apply a thin coat in the morning to the tops and unders, and a heavy coat at night. Use a Q-Tip cotton swab. You can also try a biotin supplement (available in most drug stores and yes, at Wal-Mart, too).

But don't be too upset about the white showing-Google 'French Manicure' and compare your nails to the ones people spend lot$ of money on-LOL, lots of white showing is something women pay good money to have artificially applied. Hopefully your nails look like a french manicure:)

 
Anonymous
December 1, 20150 found this helpful

Like many others replying to this question, I've been a nail bitter for more than 15 years. As I get older I see other people's nails and they are grown out and pretty. Also they don't have short nail beds like I do right now. It's been a week since I last decided to stop biting. And the number one thing that I've read online for growing out your nail beds is just not to put your nails in your mouth and scrape your teeth under the nail, which is exactly what I do. And same goes with picking at your nails. I'm trying my best to just let them be, even if it means that they have dirt under them. I'm very proud of the results and I hope this will help me and everyone else get pretty nails too!

 
February 8, 20160 found this helpful

I've been a nail biter for many years I seen to do it when im stressed or bored and I can't seem to grow out of it im only 20 and could really do with some help i tryed gloves but it never helped an it's rude to wear gloves in houses so that didn't work I just don't know and I have a boyfriend now and I seem so sad to have horrible nailes when he's got good health names anyone help

 
December 25, 20160 found this helpful

Ive been a nail biter since i was walking .im now 18 and just stopped biting my nails since Dec 2nd 2016 i have bitten a few here and there i just really want to have long nails and its a struggle each and everyday i try so hard not to bite them ive tried everything and i let them grow but once i feel the tips i want to bite them please any suggestion's

 
January 10, 20170 found this helpful

It helps the nail bed grow if you don't scrape under the nail much , like when you clean them . Be more gentle when cleaning

 
March 3, 20170 found this helpful

I have a habit of bitting my nails and now they are short ... CAN SOMEONE HELP ME STOP because I think its now a habit.

 
July 19, 20170 found this helpful

Hi I'm 56 been a nail biter from a very early childhood but for the last year I've been having jel overlay put on colour hides where the white tips grow from and now they are lovely and long and yes the pink bit did grow out. Well done x

 
April 26, 20190 found this helpful

wards ..what can I do

 
April 26, 20190 found this helpful

My nails is growing upwards..what can I do

 
August 13, 20200 found this helpful

I was the constant nail biter from last 19 years ...... I had damaged my nails so badly that some of them developed black lines over them and lost their shape ..... Really I felt very embarassing when my friends looked at my nails and laugh ..... They said m constantly to leave this habit .... But now in this lockdown I had took an initiative to get rid of my habit ..... Now it's almost 20 days that I had quit this habit .....
And one more thing ..... Nothing in this world can help uh to quit this habit .....but uh urself can ..... Uh have to be stronger with your decision that uh will not do that again ..... Now my nails look like this ..... I will post some more images after a month or so

 
 

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