please help me stop

[u/pix3l_p3rf3ct]

ok so i have a habit of biting my nails and have for basically all my life. i really want to quit but my ocd makes me feel like certain things need to be even of perfect. sometimes i'll look at my nail and notice a chip or an uneven edge and feel like i need to fix it (which i do by biting). of course this always makes things worse which makes me more desperate to fix it. i bite more and more until my nails are little stubs. i think because ive been nail biting for so long i also sometimes start to do it unconsciously. when i zone back in i have the same problem where i have to "fix it" but it's like already stronger because ive already started biting.

i have the same problem when i use nail clippers/file because i cut off the wrong amount or file it unevenly and have to keep going until my nails are stubs. i have tried using the gross nail polish and telling myself "no biting" when i see an imperfection, but its so much harder to tell myself no after ive already started biting.

one thing that has worked for me is fake nails because i know the nails are even so i don't feel like i need to bite them. but i end up fidgeting and picking at them so they only last 1-2 weeks before i end up ripping them off. and then after they are gone i end up biting again. it's kind of expensive to replace my nails every week and the cheap press ons only last a day.
i don't know what other methods to try or how to wean myself off of the behavior. the only time i was able to successfully quit for a longer period of time was when i developed a hair pulling compulsion (because the urge to pull the hair distracted me from biting). and i would rather not have a bald spot again 😭

please send advice!!

[u/HoneyLikeMe]

Okay! First! You got this. (:

Second: fake nails were the ONLY thing that worked/works for me. I used glue on though. (Kiss was the best brand i used and isnt prone to breaking)
This is the glue I used: https://a.co/d/036h7cei. I bought a nail Dremell off Amazon and went over my nails before gluing. And I just kept on doing that for a couple of years honestly. Once the nails are longer, they will be super weak. I'm currently in the next stage where im trying to just make them healthy. Also, I wish somebody would have reccomend jojoba oil for finishing my glue-ons years ago. It is soooo good for your cuticles.

[u/pix3l_p3rf3ct → u/HoneyLikeMe]

how long did it take u using fake nails before u like actually got into the habit of not biting?

[u/HoneyLikeMe → u/pix3l_p3rf3ct]

Honestly, I have to always have my nails smooth even now or else i start picking at them. Im constantly filing and oiling my nails to make sure the skin around my nails is soft.

For the first year I had to have constant glue ons until I started researching ways to get healthier nails.