So I'm chewing again...is that a surprise?

I may have to re-enact my "stop Melanie from chewing her fingernails" contest.  I need an intervention!  Think up some ideas...I'll post the official challenge in about 7-10 days!

Nail Fail

In case any of you were on the edge of your seat about whether or not I quit chewing and ever got my very first pedicure, be prepared to be enlightened.....

Did ya throw up a little in your mouth?  I did....

How am I Doing you Ask?

Since I originally started this blog to chronicle my quest to stop chewing my fingernails, I figured that I should update.

My goal was to get my nails to the point where I could get my first ever manicure and I think during my last update I was down to 8 good fingernails with 2 on their way.

*hanging head down* I've regressed.

If I were forced to get a manicure now, I'd have 1 fingernail that is not embarrassing,  5 that are borderline and 4 that are awful.  Sigh. 

One good thing to report about this is that I've made one of my triggers disappear.  My triggers are watching movies, surfing the web and riding in the car (passenger).  I've just about crushed the riding the car one.  I've replaced it with another manically obsessive habit instead.  Isn't that better?  Now I madly press my Blackberry's buttons on drives - reading Facebook updates, reading Twitter, reading emails and Google news.  My husband prefers this too because I read all of these to him and he gets entertainment while he is driving.

Now if I could just fix the chewing....

Maybe I could replace that with something else...like...hair chewing? Nose picking? Making lip razzberries? Hmm...it requires more analysis....

No more Chewing?

Still haven't gotten that manicure...still have the gift certificate on my desk staring at me.  I currently have 7 fingernails that would be ok to get a manicure, 1 that is...so-so and 2 that have issues.  I chew more than I did a couple of months ago but less than I did before I started this "quest" of mine.  The worst culprit is me watching any movie or TV.  Sigh. I'll keep at it...

Fingernail Chewing Update

It's been....how long?...since the last chewing update?  I don't remember either.

I have been off the fingernail painting wagon for some time.  Some of the good habits have stayed while others have been sliding.

If I had to walk into a spa now to get a manicure (something that I STILL haven't done before) I could hand over 6 fingernails with full confidence, 3 with some blushing/head ducking and 1 that would be covered in bandages so the staff couldn't see it.

New to this blog?  Click on the Label "Fingernails" to get caught up on my quest to someday stop chewing my nails and someday get my very first manicure.  :)

Fingernail Update

How long has it been?  It's been a month since I declared the winner of my "stop-the-biting" competition.  It's now one month later.   I have 9 unbitten nails.  Of those 9 - 7 of them 'could' have a manicure and 2 are still growing out damage from before I started this whole journey.  The one bitten one is also a damaged one which will still need another 1-2 months to grow out all the damage done.

I had a conversation over the weekend with a friend who has recommended some products for me to try for the skin around the nails and the cuticles so I'm going to make an effort to head to Chatters this week and try to find some.  I'd tell you what that product is but i don't remember.  LOL  I do remember that it was by Opi.

In general though, I find that I have broken many of the chewing habits that I had.  I still have a lot of trouble with riding in cars AND watching movies.  I think I need gloves for those two situations.  ;)

Day 21 - And the Winner Is...

Famous Lady Jane - who suggested painting my nails daily as a way to stop chewing them!  Today is day 21!  I haven't painted my nails in about 3 days and I need to.  I have broken a lot of my chewing habits since beginning this journey but I am still growing out the damage that was done to them before I started.  I hope to paint them tonight and finally post a picture of how they were doing.  After that I want to post a pic weekly until they get into nice shape.  Of the 10 nails - I have 3 that are nice, 3 that are questionable and 4 that are badly damaged but slowly growing out.

This is one of 3 blogs that I keep.  I have one for cooking, this one - for chewing and one private blog.  I've decided to begin changing this one into a public blog where I can post things that I like to talk about that aren't private - things like trips, scrapbooking, crafts, weird food, random thoughts etc.  My private blog will be used only seldom and only to post things more private and personal to me - thoughts, kids, husband etc.  I guess you could say that my 3 blogs will now be: my Public Blog (this one), My Private Blog and my Cooking Blog. 

Stay tuned in the coming days for more posts and random thoughts.  I have some storage pics to post and some trip pictures - we got back from Vegas 2 nights ago!!

Method 5 - Day 13 - Paint your nails everyday.

I like this method.  All those polishes that I bought for my toes are getting good use on my fingers.

This method is working well. 
It only failed once when I neglected to top up the fingernail polish for a couple of days.  That was last night.
Strike 1?

Anyway...If I were to walk into a spa right now and get a manicure I could confidently offer up 5 of my fingernails.  This is a huge improvement from the zero that it was when I start this process.  There are 3 more pending - damage done well before I start this process that is growing up along the nail.  I can't wait for it to disappear.

This method has the potential to make the 21 days that I challenged.  :)  Not a cure but progress.

I find that I pick at or feel for rough spots which leads to the chewing.  The polish evens out any rough spots on the nails but not the surrounding area.  I need to find something for my hands to do - especially in the car and in front of the TV - the 2 worst offenders.  Any suggestions?

Method 5 - day 8

It's been a while once again but I haven't given up.  I gave the gum method a few days but I just didn't seem to have gum on me all the time and my jaw was starting to click from all the chewing.  LOL

I am now on Day 8 of painting my nails.   The polish makes them smooth so they feel foreign when I bring them to my lips so I become aware of what I am doing.  I've painted them  twice in the last week and it seems to be working pretty well for now.  If I wasn't about to go to sleep I'd be more clever in this post.  LOL  Just the same - I was well overdue for an update!


1. artificial nails for while. - FAIL

2. have teeth removed - FAIL

3. wear gloves/think about gross things - FAIL

4. chewing gum - FAIL

5. paint the nails - IN PROGRESS

6. blog about your nails every day

7. hypotherapy

8. nail clipper often

9.get a petri dish and culture under your nails

10.. stop 2 nails at a time every 2 weeks

11. get a manicure first

12. have a competition with your DH (admittedly this is DH's suggestion as he would like to quit too)

13. incentive prize for nails - $ per finger for scrapbook stuff

14. bandaids or thumb feeet at education station

15. Google a new method.

16. nail poison

Method 4 - Day 1

1. artificial nails for while. - FAIL


2. have teeth removed - FAIL

3. wear gloves/think about gross things - FAIL

4. chewing gum - IN PROGRESS

5. paint the nails

6. blog about your nails every day

7. hypotherapy

8. nail clipper often

9. hypnotherapy

10. get a petri dish and culture under your nails

11. stop 2 nails at a time every 2 weeks

12. get a manicure first

13. have a competition with your DH (admittedly this is DH's suggestion as he would like to quit too)

14. incentive prize for nails - $ per finger for scrapbook stuff

15. bandaids or thumb feeet at education station

16. Google a new method.

17. nail poison

 
Chewing Gum.  I do like gum.  I keep some on my desk all the time.  I guess I need to eat more often.  Taking 2 pieces now.... Chew chew chew.... I do like gum.

Method 3: Day....Something...

Fail

The longer this glove method goes on, the more I am reverting to my old ways.  This morning alone - I've nipped into 2 of the nails.  I've yet to embark upon the complete desecration that I once did but the chewing is becoming worse.  Losing ground....

Typing with gloves is hard.  Who wants to go get gloves everytime they settle in to do something.  This method is NOT for the lazy at heart.  

I deem this method to be a failure for me....moving on....

Method 3 - Day 2

1. artificial nails for while. - FAIL

2. have teeth removed - FAIL
3. wear gloves/think about gross things - IN PROGRESS
4. chewing gum
5. paint the nails
6. blog about your nails every day
7. hypotherapy
8. nail clipper often
9. hypnotherapy
10. get a petri dish and culture under your nails
11. stop 2 nails at a time every 2 weeks
12. get a manicure first
13. have a competition with your DH (admittedly this is DH's suggestion as he would like to quit too)
14. incentive prize for nails - $ per finger for scrapbook stuff
15. bandaids or thumb feeet at education station
16. Google a new method.
17. nail poison
 
Ok, so I spent a little quality time researching under fingernails.
 
Did you know that artificial nails are dirtier than any other type of fingernail?  I was thinking about that when I had the nails on...there was just so much space under there - I could imagine what sorts of creepy things could grow there.  Did you know that people who chew their nails have very clean nails?  First, there is very little room under there for anything to hide.  On the downside, we nail biters are injesting anything that does manage to hide there.  Did you know that men's nails are dirtier than womens? Did you know the millions of creepy things can live under your nails?   I am not even going to mention them here.  The thought of germs really didn't phase me but when I started to read about eggs and things - I had to stop reading.
 
So temporarily thinking about gross things will work...and give my co-worker Mrs.Smith many laughs as I visibly shudder while recalling them.  Luckily I have a terrible memory and these things will likely fade away and leave me quite happily ignorant again.
 
I've noticed a couple duplicate about gross nail things in my list so I am going to condense the list.  I also removed petri dish nail cultures - I really don't have the resources to do that as interesting as it might be.  :)
 
In the meantime, I did bring my mini - gloves with me should the temptation become too much....

Method 3 - Day 1

1. artificial nails for while. - FAIL


2. have teeth removed - FAIL

3. wear gloves

4. chewing gum

5. paint the nails

6. think of the gross things

7. blog about your nails every day

8. hypotherapy

9. nail clipper often

10. hypnotherapy

11. get a petri dish and culture under your nails

12. stop 2 nails at a time every 2 weeks

13. get a manicure first

14. have a competition with your DH (admittedly this is DH's suggestion as he would like to quit too)




3. Think about the gross things under your nails and wear gloves often.

OK.  Tonight once the kids are in bed, I'll google all sorts of horrible under nail things and report back.  In the meantime, I'm going to search for my mini gloves so I can take them to work with me tomorrow.  I'm sure my co-workers Mrs. Smith and Sven will have a good laugh at me.  :)   That is worth it all by itself.

Method 2 - Day 1

Time to start a new method.  Here is the list again (I actually have 2 more to add but they are saved on my desktop at work so I'll add them later):

1. artificial nails for while. - FAIL


2. have teeth removed

3. wear gloves

4. chewing gum

5. paint the nails

6. think of the gross things

7. blog about your nails every day

8. hypotherapy

9. nail clipper often

10. hypnotherapy

11. get a petri dish and culture under your nails

12. stop 2 nails at a time every 2 weeks

13. get a manicure first

14. have a competition with your DH (admittedly this is DH's suggestion as he would like to quit too)

 
Ok...have all my teeth removed.  I suppose it has its benefits: the ability to eat Jello more often, save on money by not buying toothbrushes and certainly a valid method to weight loss.  However, I do prefer my lips in this position and NOT sunken it and I really couldn't give up eating apples as they do give a satisfying crunch.   So....going to have to give this one a fail.   Thanks Skye for the giggle...

More updates

Sorry again for the lack of updates.  3 times a year a deadline hits work and last week was one of those weeks.  I'm happy to say that I finished about 90% of what I needed to do and should be able to wrap it up on Monday.

So....well....umm...method 1 failed.  It worked for a while and has caused me to cut back my chewing but I'm slowly reverting back.  I think if I continued to add/remove nails this would work as i continued to break my habits and replace them with something else.  :)   Perhaps after I try all the other methods and fail - I'll start this one again.  Sorry Sheagatzi - gave it a go and great suggestion!!

Method 1: Day 9

I've been busy at work so let's catch up....

By Sunday night through various means I only had 2 fingernails left and I managed to remove them. I tried in vain to remove the remaining glue from my fingernails but some of the glue stubbornly remained - deciding to wait it out until it grows off.  LOL

I marvelled at the 1 millimetre that my real nails had grown during their week in hiding and snarled at their roughness. 

Sunday night my husband and I sat down to watch "The Stepfather".  Let me prefice that to say that the movie was terrible.  Really really horrible.  2 thumbs down.  I wasn't expecting much but the movie failed to rise even to my low expectations.  During the whole 15 minutes of suspense in the movie, I chewed my nails.  I chewed them like a thirsty desert dweller drinks water - deprived of the pleasure for so long.  Sigh.

I soon realized what I was doing and stopped.  I managed to notice after only 2.5 fingernails had met their demise.  Strike 1 for this method.

Fast forward to yesterday when I managed to nibble off another couple of nails while stressing about nothing in particular.

Then on the drive home today - I was picking!!!   Not strike 3.  Not yet.

In spite of these mishaps, I am chewing less.  I am paying more attention to what I'm doing.  I am becoming more aware.  The jury is still out on this one...for now.

Method 1: Day 6

Thursday started off to be a great day.  I woke up well before my alarm and reached blindly for my eyedrops to restore my vision.  Then I blinked happily and yawned a few times.  I noticed how much my new nails shone in the early morning light.  They looked like vampire's nails (if you like the Anne Rice description).  That amused me to no end since I've always had a little something for vampires...

Fast forward to  the days end when I was giggling and chattering to my husband and co-worker (let's call her Mrs. Smith).  I reached behind me to the desk drawer where I keep my purse and ....SNAP...off went the middle nail on my right hand.  I looked in vain all around me but alas...it was gone to that place where single socks go...    I warned my green faced co-worker that she may walk across it with a sickening crunch the next day.

I rode home slightly disgusted at my newly revealed old nail.  It wasn't smooth or even and certainly did not have the vampiric sheen that I so admired only a few hours before.  Despite that, I decided not to replace it since my 7 days with nails was coming to an end anyway.

Which brings us to Friday...
I was in my scrapbook room madly sorting through my kid's clothes & toys for an upcoming outgrown it sale.  Ummmm....well that's not entirely true.  I was actually staring transfixed at a taped Days of Our Lives episode (from Mid-Feb - I am behind. Melanie's been shot!) and reaching to move my wheeled chair to put an item in a rubbermaid bin.  SNAP!  Off came the little fingernail of my left hand.   I stared forlornly at the nail sitting on my desk before deciding it wasn't worth so much sympathy and chucking it into the trash.

Not even an hour later I bounded (yes, actually bounded) up the stairs to move a load from my washer to the dryer and rammed my hand into the dryer door.  You guessed it - SNAP!  Lost the nail next to the pinky on my left hand and it HURT.  Throbbed like nobody's business!  I know you are wondering if I am being this clumsy on purpose and I really wish I could agree with you.  Sadly, I really suck that much and coordination has never been one of my strong suites.  I blame it on being left handed.  Isn't there some research that says left handers are more prone to accidents?  [nodding]  I thought so.   I'll accept that since similar research says left handers are more creative.  :)   Anyway - that nail was angrily tossed away since I was mad about hurting myself. 

I was just finishing up in my scrapbook room by punching some circles out of some fun foam using my "I should have replaced this crappy punch with a quality one years ago" punch.  Par usual, the thing jammed and I tried all my usual methods to unjam it without success.  I resorted to banging it on the side of my table and when that didn't work I had to reach for a hammer.  Happily, that worked with a minimum of damage to the punch.  I cheerfully sat back down to resume punching and realized that I was now missing the thumbnail on my left hand.  I stared at it resentfully, watched it gleam at me in vampiric mockery.  Then, using a tiddly-wink-like fling,  shot it into my trash can with no other words other than "meh".

Here I am 4 nails down, 6 not-as-lovely as before left.  Tomorrow night I am going to attempt to remove them.  I should have kept the instructions as I'm not entirely sure how to do that.  LOL.  Tomorrow night will be 1 week through this method and then I will have 2 weeks left to not chew....or I'll be moving on to method 2.  I'm not quite sure which outcome to root for...

Method 1: Day 3

Ok...so they feel better today. I am getting used to using different parts of my finger besides the stubby ends.  Sigh.  I am soooo not a girl sometimes.  LOL!

I made the mistake of wearing button fly jeans today and I am having quite the time doing them up today.  Having no fingernails is better for this.

I have discovered an unexpected upside to having fingernails today besides having an excuse to flutter my fingernails around in everyone's faces.  Scratching.  Yep.  Not crazy itching that needs satisfying but almost massage like scratches.  Cheek, neck, arms...scratches without leaving angry red lines behind from my jagged half nails.  It's fun, it's hypnotizing, it's therapeutic....    Job/budget cutbacks?  Who has time to think of that when there is scratching....

Self Mutilating Melanie

Method 1 - Day 2

Here they are curtesy of Save-On foods.  I must have stared at their selection for about 10 minutes trying to figure out what the heck I was doing?  I know nothing about this!!  Finally decided on this brand with an "very short" length.  It took me an hour to put these things on!  LOL!  Then I decided that "very short" was still very clawlike and they were driving me crazy.  I took a nail clippers and trimmed them down to my "very short" which is still longer than I have ever had my nails.

Hee Hee!  Me with fingernails.  That can't be my hand.  LOL! 

I went to sleep fearing that I would slash myself unknowingly in the night.  Luckily I did survive until morning and even managed to dress myself with my alien-feeling hands.

My son declared that my nails looked weird and I agreed.

On the way to work I had an animated conversation with my husband and when we wondered what the weather was like in Las Vegas, I eagerly reached into my pocket to grab my phone and check the weather there.  Upon doing so, I stabbed my finger into my side and snapped a nail off.  Sigh. 

The other 9 stayed put until after work when I glued the 10th one back on.

These nails are supposed to be removed in 7-10 days.  It's been about 24 hours.  My thoughts?

They look nice.  My thumbnail looks weird and ill - fitting and a couple of them are a tad crooked...but it is fun NOT to have to hide my hands. 

The downside?  I can't stand them.  They feel heavy and pressured on my fingers.  I am not used to nails sticking out even a little and I'm finding it irritating to do basic things like go to the bathroom and type.  I can easily irritate my co-worker by tapping on my desk (hee hee Mrs. Smith).  They irk me and feel creepy.  Yes, it's pitiful.  How sad am I?  I will try to stick it out for 7 days before i remove them despite my squeamishness about them.

They have helped me learn some of my triggers though.  Driving to work I found myself feeling them for rough parts to pick at which would usually lead to my chewing.  At lunchtime while reading my book, I found my hands straying toward my mouth - stopping when I felt how foreign they felt.  Hopefully in the next 6 days I can recognize even more of my triggers and have this work!  On the other hand...can the first method really be the one that works?

Or am I going to have to pull out my teeth in method 2?  Time will tell....

Ahh Best Intentions...

I had every intention of going to a drug store today but I got home from spending part of the weekend with my parents to find DH down with a fever.  By the time I came back up for air, it was 9:30pm and I had nibbled off another fingernail.  :)

On the plus side, DH is feeling better and I'll be heading to Shopper's tomorrow to get some nails.  Thanks Tess.  I really couldn't have nails that long - I'd stab myself after having short nails for almost 30 years.  Hee Hee.....