Do You Bite Your Cuticles?

April 25, 2009

I have previously determined that the majority of you claim pimple picking as your worst beauty habit. While I'm uncertain of how many of you actually bite your nails, I've never explored the topic of biting your cuticles and/or skin around the nails. So, now it's time.

While having my iPhone checked out at the Apple store the other day, I noticed that the friendly gal who helped me out was guilty of a little cuticle nibbling. I thought, "I have been there myself, sister." It's a bad habit that's hard to break. Now it's your turn to dish. Do your cuticles not get the love they deserve?

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46 Comments

3 years 19 weeks

I've been biting my nails since pre-k up until a few years ago. I've been biting my cuticles since elementary and I still do. I stopped biting my nails for a little while in kindergarten, then went back to it. I think I totally stopped in 8th or 9th grade because I wanted my nails to grow. Now the thought of biting my nails seems beyond disgusting, but I love biting my cuticles. I really should stop. Biting your nails is a terrible habit. I remember I once ripped a part of my nail off of my pinky. Ughh and I hate blood, I almost passed out. Okay that's gross haha, the point is I bite my cuticles like crazy and I can't stop. I don't really do it in the summer though. I also have this really great cuticle cream which works great, so my cuticles look flawless during the summer...then when school starts it's back to nasty cuticles. school stress + dry skin = bloody cuticles

3 years 36 weeks

the reason why it becomes an addiction in my case is because ive bit my nails for a long time (16-24 most aggressively) and theyve started to look weird when they start growing back, so i try to make them look normal again and not attract the wrong sort of attention- ill start messing around with the cuticles down the side and try and file the nails to look longer instead of short but in this process i sometimes seek too much too soon or maybe more than is ever going to be possible due to permamnent changes in appearance of my nail length due to the years of aggressive biting and i end up messing them up again just because im tryin to remove excess dead skin from the side and then havin live skin try come off with it closer to the top of the nail, leaving it bludy where the live skin has slightly ripped, with extreme soreness sometimes and another hideous looking finger for like a month. its pathetic because theyll be comin along quite well really and then one little imperfection like the skin along side the edge of the nail running downwards hanging off slightly sets the cycle off ...but is that dead skin??? it feels as though it is because it comes off easily at first but as i peel up toward the top it obviously connected to innvervated flesh which doesnt want to go anywhere obviously....anyone have any answers would be really appreciated thanks. p.s. ive hoped this skin doesnt grow back down the side but it eventually all grows back down frustratingly

3 years 44 weeks

oh yes i bit my finernails. and my cuticles. and the skin ALL around my fingernails. the look like a raw ugly mess all the time.

lilacattack 4 years 1 week

I tried biting my nails once. I don't get how it becomes an addiction. I never had a problem.

AvaLaila 4 years 2 weeks

I didn't know other people did this. I wish i could stop my nails look horrid and i've been doing it for years. Its worse when i'm stressed

BCSJ22 4 years 3 weeks

I bite my cuticles and the skin around my nails so much that it is embarrassing. It is to the point that my hands are so chewed up it looks hideous. I have tried everything to stop and coming short of wearing gloves everywhere I go, nothing works.

mehollowell 4 years 3 weeks

Yes... it's a really hard habit to brake.

aimeeb 4 years 3 weeks

Nope.

aimeeb 4 years 3 weeks

Nope.

chocosugar 4 years 3 weeks

yes, my mom and i both do and it's a horrible habit. the skin around our cuticles peels and can't help but bite it..we have tried everything!

mocha7 4 years 3 weeks

Yeah I admit it, been doing it for years talk about a bad habit.

DecemberBaby 4 years 3 weeks

Yes but I'm putting all my effort into stopping

emalove 4 years 3 weeks

No...that sounds painful!

NurseKimberly 4 years 3 weeks

Unfortunately I do...

juliarose23 4 years 3 weeks

haha i used to pick my nails, but never my cuticles. wouldn't that taste really gross?

4 years 3 weeks

LOL I was doing it right now :) And what's worse is that I don't even know when I started

Gwen G 4 years 3 weeks

No, never!I think it's such an odd habit

blistered 4 years 3 weeks

this is definitely my nasty nervous vice.

doogirl 4 years 3 weeks

I don't bite my cuticles, but if there's a tear in one, I'll rip it off, often leaving a big bloody mess. And I do bite the skin around my nails. I've really been making a conscious effort to stop, it's hard because I'll find myself biting the skin without realizing it.

kelliegonzo 4 years 3 weeks

yeah i don't know how that's physically possible

itsme3683 4 years 3 weeks

I'm terrible. I didn't do it when I wore acrylics, but that's been one of the things to go since I've been cutting back. Eech..

KMattes 4 years 3 weeks

Like others have said, it's a nervous habit of mine. I also pick at my cuticles with the other fingernails. Gross, I know. But hey, I don't bite my nails, that's good right?! :)