'After 20 years, this is how I finally broke my nail biting habit for good.'

Up until a few years ago, I'd been a nail biter for more than two decades.

I'd bite while watching TV. During a stressful work meeting. At the movies (can confirm, bitten nails and salty popcorn don't mix).

You'd even catch me biting through layers of foul-tasting polish specifically designed to stop nail biting. Ugh.

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No matter how many times someone reminded me about the filth I was ingesting by putting my grotty fingers in my mouth, I could not stop.

But 20 years and countless trips to the dentist later, I finally broke my nail biting habit.

And I've stuck at it. It's been around four years since I last bit my nails out of compulsion.

Not all of us are blessed with elongated nail beds — maybe in my next life — but I feel really proud when I look at photos of my nail progress.

The bitten nails of my youth could only dream of my current white tips! Image: Supplied.

From professional treatments to at-home nail care products, here is a step-by-step guide to exactly how to stop nail biting.

Well, this is what worked for me, at least.

1. I got an IBX nail treatment.

The first thing to know about how I stopped biting my nails is, I didn't do it on my own.

I had a lot of help, starting with my first ever nail appointment with Sydney-based nail artist @nails.by.jenna_.

Jenna suggested we do an IBX treatment, a nail treatment that uses conditioning monomers that can bond together and penetrate the nail plate to add a strengthening, protective shield.

Applied like regular gel polish and cured under an LED heat lamp, an IBX treatment can sit under your regular manicure to support your natural nails as they grow.

I made so much progress in those first six months! Image: Supplied

2. I started having regular BIAB manicures.

Put simply, BIAB nails have changed this former-nail biter's life.

For the first year or so, I committed to manicures involving applying and infilling BIAB nails every two to three weeks.

Now, I stretch out my BAIB nail appointments at Melbourne-based salon Trophy Wife to every three to four weeks.

Do I still find myself, on occasion, surrounded by little gel nails I may or may not have picked off?

Absolutely. I'm only human!

My first ever set of BIAB nails, plus just a few of the times they were picked off. Image: Supplied.

BIAB nials are a time-consuming investment, but it's probably the thing that's helped me break my nail biting habit the most.

BIAB stands for 'builder in a bottle' or 'builder gels', a type of gel polish (note: gel and shellac are the same) that cures hard under an LED light and is more durable than your regular shellac.

Anyone can have a BIAB manicure, no matter your nail length. As you can see, I started with very little surface area!

3. I experiment with nail art.

Choosing my nail art for the month has become one of my favourite pastimes.

From a neutral manicure with a single feature nail, to a full set of bright, bejewelled croc nails, I have so much fun with it and now look forward to getting my nails done.

Like any habit you're trying to break, having small glimmers baked into the process helps with motivation.

Screenshot this for nail art inspo. Image: Supplied.

4. I use at-home nail products.

Just like with professional skin treatments, one manicure isn't going to break your nail biting habit.

Even today, I'm not always able to resist picking off my lovely manicure. We've all been there: as soon as one nail starts to lift, they've all gotta come off.

When I succumb, I have a plan of attack to keep my natural nails in good shape until my next appointment.

Step one is nail strengthener, asap. Aside from the obvious strengthening benefit, they make your bare nails look more polished. Pun intended.

Essie's Hard to Resist sheer polishes in Pink Tint and Violet Tint are the best nail strengtheners I've tried. I also rate OPI Nail Envy in Bubble Bath if you prefer more colour.

I find nail strengthener way easier to use than regular nail polish, too. Image: Supplied.

Dry hands and dry cuticles can look scraggly, which is fine... except when you're looking for a bit of skin to bite or pick at.

So, I've also committed to applying an exfoliating hand cream and cuticle oil every night right before bed. My current favourites are Alpha-H In Good Hands Renewing Hand Treatment and Essie On a Roll Apricot Cuticle Oil.

Three other at-home nail care tips I've found useful in keeping my fragile nails from breaking are not letting them get too long, adding ingestible collagen into my routine and not pushing my cuticles too far down.

The latter prevents the nail bed and cuticle area from becoming inflamed or damaged, and the former stops any breakage or splitting.

Sometimes, my nails are so weak, I can practically bend them in half, so I file them as soon as they get long enough that I start thinking about biting them again.

And that is how I stopped biting my nails.

Your nail journey might look different, but if there's one thing to take away from this article, it's that it's never too late to form new habits.

Feature Images: Supplied

This article originally appeared on Adore Beauty's Beauty IQ and has been edited and republished with full permission.