8 Ways To Stop Yourself From Biting Nails

Did you know that about 33% of children and 45% of adolescents are nail biters (1)? Etiologies suggest it could result from stress, imitation of a family member, poorly manicured nails, or a transition from sucking thumb. Most people think it’s harmless, but wait till you hear this. Untreated and continued chronic nail-biting can lead to severe infections and hygiene issues. Not only does it cause gastric and digestion issues, but people with low immunity will also tend to fall severely sick due to bacterial infection. Covid 19 should be a reality check about the diseases around us. As this habit is a gateway for ingesting viruses, it is in your best interest to stop doing it. So if you were thinking of getting fake nails to cover it up, it does not solve the problem. Now, the real question is, what do you do to stop it? Here at Stylecraze, we’ve charted out some expert tricks that will help you get rid of the bad habit once and for all:

1. Identify Your Triggers

Most people bite nails as a result of subconscious behavior. They don’t even know when they are doing it. If you study a frequent nail biter, you will notice they will do it while scrolling through their phone, reading emails, or even watching a tense scene in movies. Stress does trigger your nail-biting, and the moment you are subjected to the anxiety of any kind, your brain will resort to biting nails to release the stress. By identifying the triggers, you will definitely come a step closer to stop biting your nails.

2. Monitor The Nail Biting

Most people bite nails when they are alone. That is when you have to protect yourself from your subconscious habit. Making yourself conscious about nail-biting can help you get rid of the practice. By noting all the times you bring your nails close to your mouth, you can alert your brain and stop yourself from nibbling on the nails. For example, when you are thinking hard, trying to make a decision, feeling nervous, or stressing too much over something.

Pro Tip: We know giving up on an old habit is not easy, so even if you bite your nail by mistake, make it a habit to go and wash your hand with soap instantly. This will distract you from biting them, and you can let them grow eventually.

3. Address The Real Problem

Nail-biting is not the primary illness; it is more like a symptom. You must have tried to stop the habit many times, but it comes back as it is. This happens when the leading cause is not corrected. It may be just a bad habit you got addicted to, but if it has a link with nervousness and anxiety, you need to perfect it to enjoy beautiful nails. Meditation and yoga may help in releasing your stress and hence keeping you away from biting them. Find other distractions like these to avoid all the germs and bacteria entering your body.

4. Keep Your Nails Short

Your nails don’t always have to be grown long to look pretty. You can maintain short nails and keep them manicured and hygienic. Short nails are ideal for nail biters as you won’t have much to gnaw on. Secondly, they are easy to maintain. You can paint them in dark colors, and they will look absolutely ravishing. Don’t substitute your teeth with a nail cutter. By doing that you are worsening your habits. Make it a habit to trim your nails at least once in two weeks to kill the urge of biting them off.

5. Get A Nice Manicure Done

Whoever said manicures are for long nails only. If you struggle to refrain from biting nails, get a really lovely manicure done on your nails. It will make your hands look really pretty, and you won’t feel like destroying the nails any sooner. Plus, you won’t feel like harming your smooth nail cuticles and freshly softened hands that you paid a fortune for. Even if you have long nails, a cute nail design would block the urge to rip your nails off with your teeth.

6. Coat Them With Something Bitter

If you have a habit of putting your fingers near your lips, apply bitter gourd juice on your nails and coat your fingers with it. Every time you bring your fingers near your mouth, the taste will keep you from biting into them. There are many products in the market that can help you curb the habit. Nail bite deterrent, which is basically a nail paint with bitter constituency especially designed for this purpose. Neem or tea tree oil can also help you to stop. Some other ways would be to purchase skinny gloves that will not only protect your hands from the sun rays but also obstruct you from biting.

7. Use Psychology To Your Advantage

Even if you have really short and uneven nails, get in the habit of painting them regularly. Humans tend to bite into natural nails more than painted ones.

Pro Tip: Instead of using a color like pink and red, use blue and black. Colors like blue and black signal your brain to keep away from it. Painting them will naturally keep you from putting them near your mouth.

8. Keep Them Covered

We all have one trick that won’t give away no matter what. Get yourself clinical rubber gloves and cut the tips to cover your nails. You can even tape the base to your finger to make sure they don’t come off. Use a spoon and fork to eat for a few days. Once you get into the habit of not biting your nails, you can take the covers off and pamper yourself with a nice manicure.

So, these were all the popular tricks recommended by people who have successfully given up on nail-biting. If you are struggling with the addiction, deciding to give up is the first and most crucial step. We hope these will help you grow lovely nails. Do you know any trick that has helped you grow healthier nails? Let us know in the comments below!

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Indrani KarmakarSenior Social Writer

 

Indrani is a writer and artist who likes to add a dash of humor to everything she does. She has two years of experience in writing articles across beauty, health, and lifestyle genres. After graduating in Political Science from Calcutta University, she took a detour into the world of creativity and discovered her knack for social writing, advertising, designing, and...more