Take Your Teeth Into Consideration
You may have your dental hygiene routine down but biting your nails could be setting your mouth health back, bigtime.
Biting your nails can cause problems down the line like cracked and chipped teeth. Use this as motivation to stop biting your nails unless you really do want to go and sit in that dentist chair.
How To Stop Kids From Biting Their Nails For Good
Just like adults mindlessly chew at their fingernails, so do kids. It might be a nervous habit or a grooming activity they turn to in moments of boredom. More often than not, they dont even realize when they are doing it.
It could be an unconscious go-to if they are worried about taking a test, thinking about a situation with a friend, or just watching a brain-numbing video on YouTube.
Generally speaking, nail-biting is no big deal and fairly harmless you might consider having some patience and wait to see if this phase passes. However, if finger-chomping hangs in for the long haul , youll want to take some simple steps to nip this habit in the bud. Heres what you can and should do.
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Day : Trim Your Nails
Ill be frank: I knew from experience that this method wouldnt work , and to quote Jeff Goldblum from Jurassic Park, Boy, do I hate being right all the time! Switching from my teeth to nail clippers did nothing but exacerbate the sorry state of my nails. Not only was I still biting my nails, but tying my shoes or peeling stickers off things became excruciatingly painful. It was clear by the end of the day that there was more to my nail-biting than routine.
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The Lesson: When It Comes To Nail Biting Mindfulness Helps
These hacks didnt help much more than my mom applying anti-biting polish when I was younger. Will I be rubbing salt or jalapeños on my nails again? No, definitely not. I might keep carrying a cuticle scissor around with me, though, so that if I find myself obsessing over some rough skin, I can take care of it without turning to my teeth. The best thing to come out of my testing was realizing that my nail biting is clearly a subconscious behavior I do when Im anxious and bored, so the best thing for me to do is notice and stop. Being mindful of the fact that I’m biting my nailsand when and where and how often I do itis step one in getting myself not to bite my nails. So that’s what I’m going to focus on. And when I do, thinking about all the gross germs on my fingers is motivation enough to keep them out of my mouth. At least for the moment.
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Bring Out The Vinegar
This bitter-tasting ingredient is probably ready and waiting in your kitchen cupboard to help put an end to your nail-biting woes!
Whether its malt, apple cider or wine vinegar, dilute a few drops into water and dip your fingernails into it .
Let it dry naturally on your nails and serve as a pongy reminder to stop biting your nails.
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Loccitane Amande Hand Cream
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The last item to make sure you add to your kit is a good hand cream. Once Im done filing, I rinse my hands and apply some of my favorite hand cream to top off the experience. Im a huge fan of the Amande hand cream from French beauty house LOccitane because, while its rich and hydrating, it never leaves my hands greasy, something vital for the next step.
How Can I Stop Biting The Skin On My Fingers
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Dont Present Confusing And Conflicting Messages
Katie hits Tommy. Katies mother quickly goes over and smacks Katie on the arm saying Mustnt hit. Are you as confused as Katie is right now? Have you ever been driven by embarrassment or anger to do something illogical? We all have. So plan in your mind ahead of time what you will do when your child hits someone.
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Use Art As A Driving Force To Stop Biting Your Nails Forever
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If youre anything like me, then you love a good DIY activity so what better way to encourage you to break your nail biting habit than with the possibility of a fun art project? Once my nails got long enough, I wanted to experiment with nail designs. For years, I had admired the scores of beautiful manicures I had seen across Pinterest, dreaming of the day I could recreate them on my own nails. It was always something in the back of my mind, acting as another driving force to stop biting my nails. So the minute I was able to, I picked up this nail dotting design set from Benemo. With 14 dual-sided instruments, some with a brush end and some with a ball end, I was finally able to turn my beautiful, new nails into the canvas of my dreams, officially recreating the magical feeling from that Sunday Night Spa Night long ago.
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Find Something The Nailbiter Loves As A Big Reward
My daughter is a hard-worker and a money-saver.
She loves to earn money, and her siblings know that.
If they want out of a responsibility, they call her over, offer her their job and payment.
Rarely does she turn a job down!
It didnt take me long to find a motivational reward for my daughter.
You guessed it money.
Keep Clippers Or A File Around At All Times
A Reddit thread titled tips to stop nail biting is filled with comments from biters who advocate keeping clippers or a file to hand.
‘The reason I bite my nails is because I hate the rough edges catching on to things, but that creates more rough edges. Vicious cycle. Now I just file them when I’m bored to make them nice and smooth.’
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Nailtiques Formula 2 Plus Protein Base
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Before you paint your nails, its important to apply a base coat to protect the nail bed and apply nutrients directly to the nails surface. My go-to from day one has been Formula 2 Plus from Nailtiques. Thanks to its hydrolyzed protein and keratin complexes, this polish strengthens nails, prevents splitting, and helps them grow in record time. If theres one product I recommend the most on this list, its this one.
Discover What Triggers Your Nail Biting
There are many reasons why people bite their nails, but people arent always conscious about why they do it.
One of the most important steps in overcoming this habit is to identify what triggers you to bite your nails.
Is it when youre feeling anxious? When youre bored? Or maybe you start nibbling when you want to forget a certain feeling e.g. anger?
A good way to do this is to keep a journal a notes app on your phone is ok too! Just try to jot down when you bite your nails and how youre feeling / what youre doing.
This will help you to identify any patterns so that you can try and change your reaction to any nail-biting triggers, e.g. filing your nails into a nice shape when youre worried instead of biting them all off.
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Do An Exercise To Convince Yourself
It consists of putting a finger to the mouth and stopping when it is a few centimeters from the lips.
Then you must move it away and repeat this action a few more times.
Finally, try putting your finger between your teeth without biting your nails.
This exercise can be done for a few minutes a day and little by little you will see how you are able to put your hands to your mouth without having to bite your nails.
Take Photos Of Attractive Nails
Keeping the new response going can be hard.
One method to make your progress to stop nail biting more obvious to yourself is to take pictures of your nails on your phone every few days .
When you see how far youve come , this should help push you on.
Remember that old habits do not die they lie in the unconscious waiting to be reactivated.
Go easy on yourself if you slip-up and start biting your nails again, but remember that a lot of the battle with bad habits is about self-awareness.
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Is It Bad To Bite Your Nails
This really depends on how far you take it. ‘There have been several articles written by orthodontists that reference nail-biting as being bad for the alignment of your teeth,’ says Ekta.
‘Whilst severe fingernail biting may produce root resorption of the teeth and lead to further dental problems or health complications.’
So, if you want to avoid a trip to the dentist then kicking the habit is a good start. Keep reading for how to stop biting your nails and the best ways to tackle your nail-biting habit once and for all…
Health & Wellnesscant Stop Biting Your Nails An Over
Dylan also kept track of the thoughts she had whenever she felt anxious, which Yip said can help change behavior. The cognitive component of habit replacement therapy focuses on positive self-talk, even after setbacks, and emphasizes identifying and recognizing tension and finding healthier ways to handle it instead of thinking about it negatively.
If youre thinking negatively, then youre going to feel negatively, and more importantly youre going to behave unproductively because what we do depends on what we think and how we feel, Yip explained. So in order to change the behaviors and to change the emotions we have to identify those thinking patterns you have that arent serving you. Were looking at solutions rather than problems.
Dylan also replaced the picking with a different behavior, fidgeting with a pen or jewelry whenever she had the urge to pick.
Later in the process, Dylan began getting gel manicures, which worked as a preventative measure to keep her from picking at her nails. Yip said that these replacements and diversions can vary from person to person.
Dylan said that as she continued her journey, she became more aware of her behaviors.
Ill notice, just mindlessly, if I was about to go do something but Im very aware of it, so now I actively stop it, she explained.
The awareness piece is the most important piece, said Yip. Half the battle is knowing that. When you do it, how youre doing it, what youre thinking of when youre doing it.
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What Causes You To Bite Your Nails In The First Place
Nail-biting is known in medical circles as ‘onychophagia,’ and the cause has been extensively studied.
‘Many studies have concluded that nail-biting arises from anxiety or being in a nervous state. Situations that cause fear, boredom, or pain are also correlated with fingernail biting,’ says Ekta.
‘Fingernail biting may give children a sense of relief in response to these types of internal emotional turmoil.’
The general consensus is that there is no one particular cause for nail-biting. Its something that tends to start in childhood, with some outgrowing the habit whilst others dont.
‘Many research authors believe that nail-biting is a learned habit rather than an emotional condition and many may learn it from their parents as we tend to mimic behaviours around us,’ adds Ekta. Thanks mum and dad.
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If theres one skin/hair/nail vitamin youre probably aware of, its this one. These vitamins became a viral sensation after getting scores of celebrity endorsements and seem to have a cult following for a reason. Made with over 10 of the most essential vitamins to a healthy diet, including 5000 micrograms of Biotin, these gummy vitamins might very well become your favorite part of your vitamin regimen.
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Does Wearing Gloves Help Nail Biting
Individual finger gloves yes, for all you anti-fake nails and polish folks thatll be definitely help your fingers take cover while you get over the nail-biting habit. Thesell be especially great for the initial stages of your anti-nail biting journey when youre simply trying to break yourself out of the habit.
What Are The Health Risks Associated With Biting Nails
Though nail-biting may seem like a harmless habit, there are a number of risks associated with the behavior mainly, but not limited to, various kinds of infections. “Nail biting can cause open or raw skin and those areas are exposed to bacteria in the mouth, potentially leading to skin infections,” says Joshua Zeichner, M.D., director of cosmetic and clinical research in dermatology at New York’s Mount Sinai Hospital. “These infections may become severe in some cases and can cause permanent nail disfiguration.”
Besides skin infections and nail deformities, other risks include damage to your teeth and even jaw problems in extreme cases. It’s also a major cleanliness issue, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic your hands and nailbeds can be a breeding ground for germs when you’re in public, and hand hygiene is crucial here. While it’s not believed that COVID-19 primarily spreads through inoculation , it’s always best to exercise caution while in public.
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Enlist The Help Of Friends
Dont be afraid to ask for help. Enlist the assistance of those you love to help get you through. Research shows that teaming up with a friend to reach a goal can increase your chances of succeeding by 95 percent.
Ask friends and family to call you out if they see you start to bite your nails, or encourage them to cheer you on. Better yet, find a friend who also wants to stop biting their own nails and make a pledge to help each other.
I once had a client who told her boyfriend she was struggling with nail-biting and wasnt even aware of it most of the time, Smerling said. When she was with him, he helped her pull her hand away from her mouth whenever she started to bite. Eventually, she became more aware of the behavior and didnt need his help. It all starts with awareness, a serious commitment to stop and constantly practicing every day to get better.
Is There A Cure For Nail Biting
To help patients stop nail biting, dermatologists traditionally recommend applying a bad-tasting nail polish, Friedman said. Behavior therapy is another standard approach: People learn how to be aware of what triggers their nail biting stress, for example and then divert the energy into a healthier behavior such as squeezing a stress ball, Grant added.
The reality, though, is that even with behavior therapy, we dont really have great data for any of it, he said.
Because most people who have the problem are embarrassed by it. They feel that they should have been able to stop it on their own. So people really dont come to see psychologists, psychiatrists or their primary doctors about their nail biting.
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A Cuccio Cuticle Oil To Soothe Torn Up Fingers And Get Them Back To A Healthier State It’ll Heal Cracked Cuticles And Prevent Additional Damage When You See How Pretty Your Fingers Are You’ll Want To Keep Them That Way Foreva
Promising review: “I love this. I really do. Ive been a nail-biter my entire life. Ive been embarrassed to show my hands and I would chew and chew until my fingers were bleeding and raw and just moving my hand hurt SO much. This oil healed my hands in just a few days after putting it on morning and night. In three weeks, youd never think I was a nail biter!” D
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Its A Seriously Gross Habit
When a parent contacted the Babyology Helpline for advice on her daughters nose-picking habit, other sympathetic mums and dads had plenty of helpful advice.
My almost three-year-old girl has a terrible habit of picking her nose and before you ask yes, yes she has been caught eating it! the frustrated mum began. #WeveAllBeenHere #Shudder
We have tried everything, from gentle redirection to explaining why its not nice, to being stern but nothing is working! Its a seriously gross habit please tell me theres something we can do, or that shell grow out of it?
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After You Break The Nail Biting Habit Then What
With my experience, both of my children chose not to go back to their bad habits.
Once they were broken, they felt relief.
No one pointed out their bad habits anymore and they knew they didnt have to have those props for comfort.
They had learned to use other things for comfort, and those comfort items could stay, while the bad habits had to leave.
This formula has worked for my kids every single time.
But, if there was a child who was the exception to the rule, I would probably try the same method again in a few weeks, and find a more motivating prize.
