Question:
For post-op nail biters: How has WLS affected this habit??

I am 50 years old. I am a professional woman. Certainly nail biting is not on the same health risk scale as obesity. There are times I feel more uncomfortable with my nail biting than I do with my obesity. Both have been life long. After a year long battle with insurance, WLS is finally on the horizon. What happens if I continue to bite my nails? Could it damage my new tummy?    — [Anonymous] (posted on July 5, 2001)

July 5, 2001
My nails are growing like crazy. I don't bite my nails anymore. I don't know if all the calcium I take is helping but I tell you that they are growing like crazy!
   — Dawn H.

July 5, 2001
I cannot believe this question...I thought it was just me..I have bit my nails for as long as I could get my hand to my mouth and I will be 40 this year..after surgery I had no desire to bite them..oddest thing..I kept thinking I might get one lodged in my new stomach !!..anywho they are long and beautiful for the first time ever..
   — [Anonymous]

July 5, 2001
I bit my nails till I was 30, and I had a friend suggest to me, after hearing of this awful habit, that whenever I felt like biting my nails to think of him smacking my hands. I said "yeah, sure, like that is going to work". I had tried everything from stop bite nail polish to acrylic nails (just more fun to chew on) and so I had nothing to lose. You know what? It worked, along with always having a nail file with me to fix those little tempting tears and splits. Now I have long strong nails, and my friend calls them "his nails". Just like WLS is a tool to weight loss, his help was a tool in stopping a life long nail biting habit. If you are needing to find something to do with your hands instead of eating, invest in a nice set of manicure tools and some fun nail polish to go with the fabulous new you!! Keep your nails done and watch the compliments come in!
   — Jenna B.

July 5, 2001
What a question! I should have thought to ask this one! I'm 43 and have ALWAYS chewed my nails. It hurts, looks bad, and I hate it but can't seem stop it. A friend of mine (if you can call him that- lol) told me to put chicken manure on them and that would cure it. I'm afraid he's right, but I'm still not going to do it. ;) I was never able to stop more than two weeks. Well I made up my mind after surgery (May 8th) that I was'nt going to do it as I was afraid it would hurt my new stomach. Well, I did well for six weeks!!! But my danged nails would'nt grow....????? Only just a tad. Finally I got discouraged and chewed them off... however I did'nt swallow them. (Nasty habit). So now I'm back to square one. I don't know if the stress of surgery caused them not to grow or what. But I'm patient only to a point and could'nt hold out forever. :( Maybe someone can answer our question.
   — Danmark

July 5, 2001
When I was very young I chewed my nails. My Mom had me clean my nails and put some of it on a slide and we looked at it under a microscope at her work, IT WAS GROSS. All sorts of bugs crawling around in there. I never put them in my mouth again......
   — Crystal B.