How I have previously stopped biting my nails (and how I am doing it again)+ a mini haul!

Hello everyone!

This mornings form of entertainment is KathleenLights YouTube channel. I've been watching her videos for a few months now and she is just perfect. She uploads beauty tutorials, reviews, unboxings and also does a series called "Kat Chats", where she just talks about her life. That being said, I love her videos, she's so down to earth and not stuck up like a lot of other YouTubers after they became "YouTube famous".

Now to your previously scheduled blog.......


Let's start off with my background. I have been a nail biter for basically my entire life. I am now 21 years old and still have not kicked this disgusting habit. Consciously I know that there are a million kinds of germs and dirt under my nails, but my stressed/anxious/bored self just does not care and continues to wreck the beautiful manicure she gave herself the day before during her latest of countless number of attempts at quitting nail biting. Damn, writing in third person is hard! That's what makes nail biting so dangerous, it is an unconscious habit that your mind uses to soothe the stress or anxiety it is experiencing. I am also a picker, meaning I pick at my cuticles and the skin around my nails. Even when some of the damage I've done to my skin is healing I will pick at that. I know this post is gross and could offend some people, I also know that it could help a lot of people, so I'm doing it for them. Believe me, admitting that I bite my nails into oblivion is not something I would be stating on the internet for all to see unless I thought it would help at least one person.

I am posting this because I am currently back in nail biting rehab because I had a very stressful semester and fell of the wagon. I am going to explain what techniques I have used in the past to quit the habit and what techniques I am using now, even though they aren't that different. These techniques aren't for the occasional biter, they are for the biters that are so invested in the habit that no-bite polishes and rubber bands on their wrists don't help. 


Olive Oil:
I know this sounds crazy but to grow out my nails and strengthen them, I soak my nails for as long as I can in a small tupperware container filled halfway with olive oil. I do this as often as I can (usually when I'm relaxing in bed, being careful to not spill it!) because it produces really quick results and gives nails essential nutrients to strengthen them.


Nail Strengthening Polishes:
The main problem nail biters face when they try to grow out their nails is brittle, weak nails. Your nails are faced with extensive damage when bitten over a long period of time. Biters nail beds usually wind up ridged, bumpy and overall just warped looking. I find that when I use a strengthening polish as a base coat for my manicures, it helps heal some of the damage, promotes growth, and smooths out the look of the nail.

From left: Sally Hansen Hard as Nails Hardener, Rimmel London Base Coat and Top Coat Pro, and LA Colors Super strength

Frequent manicures:
The point I made on my previous point about my manicures reminded me to include this suggestion. When I am trying to grow out my nails, I make sure to give them frequent manicures to keep them looking healthy and attractive, so I won't ruin them by biting them. Even when I start out, when they're too short for color, I give them a basic manicure of cuticle care and a clear polish. As they grow, I start to feel more confident about using color, so I do. I usually start with a metallic/foil formula because they make my nails look longer and as they grow, I add some fun colors. My favorites are pastels like lilac and mint green and neon colors, especially neon pink! I usually try to give myself a manicure about twice a week, unless I'm feeling really restless and get the urge to bite, then I do more. Also, doing my own manicures gives me more pride in the look of my nails and saves money because I'm not going to a salon. If anyone wants to know my current manicure goal, it is to leave a manicure on long enough to see nail growth at the bottom of my nail. So far it hasn't happened but I feel like I could be getting close this time! Here is what I'm currently wearing on my nails:

Thick Hand Creams:

This serves double duty as moisturizer for your desperate cuticles and nutrients for your nails. I've used many thick hand creams/ body butters over the years and they've all produced good results. I don't look for anything particular when buying a new cream except that it's thick and absorbs quickly without leaving a greasy residue. Using hand creams on a daily (or multiple times daily) basis also helps get rid of dry skin that happens around the nail during this time of year (frigid winter temperatures). This especially helps nail biters who are also pickers, like myself, because the skin will heal quickly leaving nothing to pick at. The hand cream I am currently using is Burt's Bees Milk and Honey Body Lotion. The consistency of this "lotion" is much more like a butter! It doesn't take a lot of product to make my hands feel soft and smelling so good! If any of you ever ate those honey nut cheerio milk and cereal bars when you were kids, then the smell will be familiar to you (and probably make you hungry!)



Nail filing:
This is something I integrate into my nail routine once they are reaching my desired length. I file my nails  into a square shape, so as they grow more, the shape will be uniform and have a nice presentation. The main reason I file my nails is because once again it makes me take pride in the fact that they are long enough to actually file and filing them stimulates them to promote more growth. I don't use any kind of fancy nail file. I use files from a pack of emery boards I got from a dollar bargain store a few years back. I now a lot of people are going to be shocked at this, but I personally don't see the point in splurging on a nail file. I take amazing care of my nails and I feel that I can cut corners when it comes to what nail file I use. If I ever decide to try another method, I will definitely update you guys!


Eating protein and healthy fats:
This is something many people don't realize helps their nails grow is a healthy diet consisting of proteins (like eggs and tuna fish) and healthy fats (my favorite is avocados). This is a method that takes some time to work but it provides long term results if you continue to eat them. The great thing is this method doesn't just do good for your nails, but also your hair and body overall. 


Mini Haul!
Okay so all of you shopaholics out there know that there are amazing post holiday sales happening right now! I took my money saving skills to the next level and got a couple nail related things at Job Lot. Everything in the beauty aisle was 25% off, making their already rock bottom prices even more awesome! All of these products were under $2.00! 

Revlon Treat and Boost

The first thing I got was a Revlon nail treatment. It says its supposed to strengthen brittle nails. I have not tried this polish yet but I'm going to remove my current manicure and not apply anything but this treatment and do a review in about a week.

The other products I bought were two colors that I apparently buy at the same time! They are a Maybelline Color Show polish in Mint Mist and a Revlon Colorstay polish in (Insert name here). I bought two similar Sally Hansen colors (Mint Sorbet and Lacey Liliac) about a year ago but they've since changed the formula so I switched brands and as you can see, they were well loved so I hope the formulas of my new polishes are just as good. Below I compared my new mint polish with my old one, and I have to say I actually like this new polish better because it's more of a blue tone which works better with my winter skin tone (haha!)

Maybelline Mint Mist and SH Mint Sorbet

Revlon Colorstay in Provence

Maybelline Colorshow in Mint Mist

 

Thank you everyone for reading, and I hope this helps everyone out there who are still dealing with their nail biting habit. If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to comment below!

Xoxo,
Brig