Thursday, March 28, 2024
HomeMust ReadHow To Stop Biting Skin Around Nails

How To Stop Biting Skin Around Nails

Health & Wellnesscan’t Stop Biting Your Nails An Over

Ask Ana: How To Stop Biting The Skin Around Your Nails?

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 you’re thinking negatively, then you’re going to feel negatively, and more importantly you’re 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 aren’t serving you. … We’re 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.

“I’ll notice, just mindlessly, if I was about to go do something … but I’m 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 you’re doing it, what you’re thinking of when you’re doing it.”

Can I Use Lotion

Absolutely, keep using lotion! Just apply your oil first since the jojoba actually penetrates the skin.

The ingredients in your lotion dont penetrate, they just create a barrier that traps your bodys natural moisture and oil in your skin.

Since the first ingredient is usually water, this is why lotions rinse off so easily when you wash your hands.

I always look for a lotion or balm that doesnt contain water. Look for wonderful oils and butters in the ingredient list. They will keep your skin soft and create a water resistant barrier for a few hand washings.

Keep up the great work! It will pay off.

Dermatophagia Signs And Symptoms

The signs and symptoms of this type of anxiety disorder are obviously visible when the fingers are targeted. With some sites of dermatophagia being out of sight, there are non-prevalent signs to watch for such as:

  • Bleeding
  • Obsessive behavior
  • Compulsion

To understand the importance of the symptoms of dermatophagia, lets take a more in-depth look at the most common signs.

Recommended Reading: Remove Impress Nails

Or Simpler Reusable Press

These’ll be especially great for the initial stages of your anti-nail biting journey when you’re simply trying to break yourself out of the habit. If you do like the polish or the press-ons, then these could also help reinforce those protections.

Promising review: “I bought this to avoid biting my nails and it works perfectly. You can keep doing everything including using your phones screen. My daughter was also delighted with these since shes an esthetician and they are awesome for her while working on extractions and facials.”

Get them from Amazon for $5.29+ .

Find A Healthier Way To Keep Your Hands Busy

How to Stop Biting Skin Around Your Nails

For people who tend to pick mindlessly, and not necessarily as a result of obvious negative emotions, a good strategy is to “do something else that involves the same muscle as the skin-picking behavior,” says Chatzimanoli. For example, instead of moving your fingers toward your cuticles to pick, try clenching a specific object like a stress ball, digging your fingernails into Silly Putty or a piece of clay , or applying pressure gently on a specific part of your body to reduce the urge to pick. If you tend to bite your cuticles as well, try chewing gum or always having a drink to sip on.

Read Also: How To Get Impress Nail Glue Off

If Things Don’t Improve Consider Cognitive Behavioral Therapy

“If someone is maiming themselves, scarring themselves, having multiple bouts of infections, and still can’t stop picking, then that’s a problem. There’s a positive feedback loop in your brain that has to be broken,” says Wechsler. Severe picking can be considered a form of obsessive-compulsive disorder called excoriation or dermatillomania. In these cases, a more significant intervention may be needed, and all the experts I spoke with agreed that cognitive behavioral therapy was it.

In broad terms, CBT involves working with a practitioner to identify the thoughts you’re having while picking or engaging in any unwanted behavior and replacing them with healthier thoughts. “But it only works if you’re motivated,” says Wechsler. To find a therapist, search the TLC Foundation for Body-Focused Repetitive Behaviors’ database.

Create A Physical Barrier

Attempting to stop picking with sheer willpower alone is definitely not a good approach, and you’ll only set yourself up for disappointment. But there are some very practical things you can do to heal damaged tissue and help break the cyclelike wearing a bandage over the cuticles you tend to pick. “If something is covered, then it’s hard to access, and when you try to get to them but can’t, that’s enough time for you to think, Oh, I shouldn’t be doing this,” says Amy Wechsler, M.D., board-certified dermatologist and psychiatrist. “Sometimes my patients will be walking around with lots of Band-Aids, but it’s the only way to heal things.”

Read Also: Does Tineacide Work For Toenail Fungus

Causes Why Do I Bite My Nails

The main reasons include:

  • Anxiety and boredom are known to trigger nail biting in some people. The habit definitely seems to reduce anxiety in some people, whereas boredom and loneliness can be the factor in other people who are not stressed at all.
  • It is seen as a symptom of obsessive-compulsive disorder which is an extreme way of trying to deal with underlying anxiety.
  • In younger children, it could be as a symptom of more widespread behavioral issues such as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder , oppositional defiant disorder , separation anxiety disorder, and bed-wetting.

Note: Regularly biting them and cuticles can leave fingers red and sore, with the area of skin around the nails bleeding and occasionally becoming infected.

What Are The Risks Of Chronically Picking Your Cuticles

BITING THE SKIN AROUND YOUR FINGER NAILS – ITS A REAL THING! | HEIDI LAVON

In addition to your fingers looking pretty nasty, chronic cuticle picking, especially at the base of the nail, “can damage the nail beds, which causes permanent indentations in the middle of your fingernails,” says Dr. Wechsler. There’s also the risk of an infection called paronychia, which causes your cuticle and the surrounding area to become red, hot, sore, swollen, and filled with pus. You may even end up with a fever and need antibiotics.

If you are pregnant, breastfeeding, or taking medications, consult with your doctor before starting a supplement routine. It is always optimal to consult with a health care provider when considering what supplements are right for you.

You May Like: How Do You Get Nail Polish Out Of Carpet

Is Nail Biting A Symptom Of Ocd

A: Doctors classify chronic nail biting as a type of obsessive-compulsive disorder since the person has difficulty stopping. People often want to stop and make multiple attempts to quit without success. People with onychophagia cannot stop the behavior on their own, so its not effective to tell a loved one to stop.

Q: How Do People Stop Biting Nails

A: Doctors classify chronic nail biting as a type of obsessive-compulsive disorder since the person has difficulty stopping. People often want to stop and make multiple attempts to quit without success. People with onychophagia cannot stop the behavior on their own, so its not effective to tell a loved one to stop. While you want whats best for them, reprimanding only reinforces their feelings of being flawed. It can make someone feel worse and further fuel the behavior. With repeated effort and self-care, people can get closer to recovery. We usually recommend a combination treatment approach that includes:

Also Check: How To Remove Contact Lenses With Nails

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

Get it from Amazon for $4.49+ .

It Makes You Seem Insecure

Looking for Advice on How to Stop Pulling and Biting Skin ...

Whether or not the stereotype of the anxious nail biter is true, nail biters do unintentionally send out a self-consious vibe. This is because most people seek comfort from a negative emotional state through nail biting, such as distress, shame, anxiety, or boredom, and by biting your nails you are publically hinting that this is how you feel about yourself.

Recommended Reading: Proclearz Para Que Sirve

Talking Therapy For Skin Picking Disorder

Talking therapy is currently thought to be an effective treatment to help change skin picking behaviour.

If you’re offered this, it’ll usually be given through community mental health services.

The most common type of talking therapy offered for skin picking disorder is cognitive behavioural therapy, and may include a technique called habit reversal training.

Habit reversal training works by helping you:

  • recognise and be more aware of your skin picking and what’s triggering it
  • replace skin picking with a less harmful behaviour

Heres What Happened When Emily Rekstis Tried To Break Her Nail

Biting your nails is a terrible habit, one that I cant seem to knock. I turned to the internet and talked to experts to find the best hacks that will hopefully help me break my habit. Here’s how my little experiment went:

Ive used anti-biting polish like Maval Stop Polish in the past, so I didnt want to try that this time around. Instead, I went for a DIY solution that served the same purpose. This hack I found while scrolling through the many threads on Reddit about nail biting: First, you dip your nails in water. Then you dip them in salt and dust off some of the excess .

Like the anti-biting polish, the salt is meant to leave a gross taste in your mouth when you bite your nails. This unappealing taste is worth a try if you are looking for a DIY solution, dermatologist Melanie D. Palm, M.D., explains. But some may not find this is enough of a deterrent, and the salt granules may cause a mess. She also points out that if you rub your eye with salt-covered fingers, it can really sting and hurt. Keeping that in mind, I decided to give it a try.

Did it work?

Did it work?

Did it work?

The scissors did keep my hands out of my mouth. But it did not help with my quest for stronger, longer, healthier nails and cuticles. In fact, my cuticles looked even worse after this hack.

Did it work?

Even though I know that nail biting and tonsillitis arent directly associated, I could use my distinct memories of the sore throat and fevers as an easy tool to use to break my habit.

Also Check: How To Remove Dashing Diva Nail Guards

How Can I Make My Finger Nail Stop Hurting

Methods Soaking. Soaking the finger may help the nail grow outward on its own. This works well for mild ingrown nails that are Using cotton or gauze. If soaking alone does not bring relief within a day or two, a person can try gently encouraging Using dental floss. Sometimes, it is too difficult to insert a piece of cotton under the nail. In these cases, it may be More

Make The Most Of Technology

How to stop biting your nails

A suite of mobile apps is available for free that can help you stop nailbiting. This includes top-rated apps like Quit That! & Nomo. Some apps can be used with technology, such as smartwatches and standalone devices. For example, McMackin’s patients love the HabitAware bracelet. This wearable device vibrates every time you touch your lips with your nails.

“Users train their bracelet to recognize the motions that indicate the behavior they want to change. McMackin explains that the bracelet alerts the user when it senses engaging in the behavior. This method is popular because it removes much of the effort involved in self-monitoring.

Don’t Miss: How To Take Off Contacts With Nails

Q: Whats Behind Chewed

A: For most people, nail biting is an occasional thing. When people cant stop the behavior on their own, doctors consider it a type of body-focused repetitive behavior . We refer to chronic nail biting as onychophagia and we dont fully understand the cause . We do know that people with these conditions often have onychophagia as well:

  • Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder : Hyperactivity and impulsiveness, plus difficulty paying attention.
  • Oppositional defiant disorder: Defiance and disobedience toward people of authority.
  • Excessive anxiety when separated from particular people or pets.
  • Tourette syndrome: Involuntary movements and sounds.
  • Other BFRBs: Chronic skin picking, hair pulling, cheek biting and grinding teeth.

Take Care Of The Emotions Below

Sometimes the trigger that causes you to stick your finger in your mouth is not physical. Heather Edwards, LMHC, is a New York-based psychotherapist who says that changing your environment won’t make a difference. For example, you can identify a physical prompt to bite your nails but not the thoughts or feelings you had just before.

“What was your inner monologue at this moment?” Edwards says that sometimes we use unhealthy coping strategies to cope with life. What did you think about the situation? Are you able to challenge your self-talk or train of thought? For example, you may find yourself anxiously reacting or grabbing your nails to cope with feelings and thoughts. What would be a better solution? Keeping your hands busy while dealing with anxiety and stress-related emotions can be challenging. However, it is possible to make things easier by being aware of these emotions in advance.

Read Also: How Do You Get Dip Nails Off

Ways To Stop Nail Biting And Skin Picking

  • Keep nails short and have a regular manicure if you think you are developing a bad habit.
  • Habit reversal training. This is about learning new behaviours.
  • Cognitive Behavioural Therapy . CBT helps you understand the thought processes, emotions and behaviours that drive the habit. Its a type of counselling that has the additional benefit that it often helps with anxiety and depression, and OCD.
  • Hypnotherapy. Hypnosis helps to reduce anxiety, reframe any negative thoughts and help you to relax. CBT can be used with hypnosis as it gives a better success rate.
  • Medication. For some people, antidepressants help.
  • Learn to relax. Try deep breathing, yoga, mindfulness and meditation.
  • Exercise.
  • Eat a healthy balanced diet.
  • Take up a new hobby, mix with friends or have a laugh as these can reduce anxiety.

If you have already got terrible nails and sore areas, then keep your hands clean and cover bleeding areas. You can also apply an antiseptic cream to help in the healing. Ask your pharmacist or doctor for advice.

It Can Seriously Damage Your Nails Over Time

Why You Shouldn

If you only bite your nails every now and then and you’re able to stop, you’re in luckthe long-term structure of your nails should be in good shape. But Dr. Lipner says that if you’ve been biting your nails for years, some health conditions could develop as a result. “The length of the nail may be permanently shortened and they may develop brown lines. You can also contract bacterial and viral infections,” she says. Dr. Bhuyan adds that “disrupting the skin around the nails can increase the risk of fungal infection of the nail plate or skin.” Plus, other conditions can pop up in other areas of the body. “People may also suffer from dental issues, like crowding or malpositioning of their teeth or protrusion of the upper front teeth,” she says. “Swallowing nails can also cause gastrointestinal issues.”

Recommended Reading: How To Get Nail Polish Off Without Remover

How Do I Stop Picking The Skin Around My Nails

Things you can try if you have skin picking disorder

  • keep your hands busy try squeezing a soft ball or putting on gloves.
  • identify when and where you most commonly pick your skin and try to avoid these triggers.
  • try to resist for longer and longer each time you feel the urge to pick.
  • Keep Your Fingers Busy

    One study shows that manipulating objects is somehow effective in preventing people from biting their nails. So, find an object of some sort to fiddle with. This could be a stress ball, a fidget spinner, or simply a pen to click. If your hands are occupied doing something else, you will be less likely to start biting your nails. If you feel nervous, try things such as:

    • Keeping your hands in your pockets
    • Playing with rubber bands
    • Twiddling your thumbs
    • Clasping your hands

    All of these things will keep your hands occupied if you are stressed, and they will also keep your fingers away from your mouth. Make sure to always have something within reach for when you need it. Whatever you choose, make sure that you are replacing your nail biting habit with a less destructive one.

    In addition to keeping your fingers busy, you probably want to also keep your mouth busy. You can do this by chewing gum or sucking on candies throughout the day. It will be difficult to bite your nails if you have gum in your mouth or you are snacking on something a bit more palatable. Also, the texture of your bitten nails in addition to the flavor of your gum or a piece of candy is certain to be gross.

    Eat small snacks throughout the day. You of course don’t want to eat so much that you are gaining weight, but you can carry around some healthy and crunchy snacks such as carrots or celery so you can chew on them throughout the day.

    Also Check: How To Take Out Contacts With Nails

    RELATED ARTICLES

    Popular Articles