I was a chronic nail biter for as long as I can remember. My Dad would always tell me a bedtime story of a boy who was walking to school, saw a dollar coin on the ground and couldn't pick it up because his nails were too short... I think I heard that story about 50 times. I don't know why in particular I chose to bite my nails; I think it was a combination of a nervous habit, a cure for boredom and just something I didn't think twice about.
I attended a high school that was very strict on dress code and we were never allowed to paint our nails. As a result, I never cared about what they looked like because everyone looked the same. It wasn't until 2012 at 18 years old that I tried to really curb the habit and grow them out.