Stopped Biting Nails but Started Again

Dreaming of pretty fingers but can't stop biting your nails? Like whatsoever bad habit, nail-biting tin can exist tough to kick. And then, allow united states of america help you with our 10 peak tips on how to stop bitter nails!

Why is biting nails bad for us?

In the long term it's unlikely that nail biting volition cause whatever long-term damage.

Your nails are formed just beneath where the circular cuticles begin, known as the 'nail bed' and so every bit long as that stays intact, information technology'south unlikely that y'all'll cause too many issues.

However, there is notwithstanding run a risk when information technology comes to biting your nails. These include:

• Y'all may increment the risk of infection by damaging the pare around the nail
• There is an increased take a chance of catching colds and other infections as you spread germs from your fingers to your mouth
• You lot can harm your teeth

What causes you to bite your nails?

At that place'due south no articulate reason as to why y'all might bite your nails. Nevertheless, in that location are a few ideas backside why you might seize with teeth your nails – which include:

• Inheriting habits from parents - Information technology is thought that kids whose parents bite their nails are more likely to follow accommodate - fifty-fifty if the parent stops the behaviour before the child is born.
• Anxiety - Nail biting may be a sign of anxiety or stress. The repetitive behaviour seems to help some people cope with challenging emotions.
• Boredom - It may but be that your need to go along your easily busy. Habits such as blast biting or hair twirling can be common when you lot're bored or hungry too.

For many, nail bitter merely happens automatically rather than it being a conscious matter.

Although in some cases information technology may be related to ADHD, separation anxiety or other areas concerning mental health.ⁱ

Why can't I stop bitter my nails?

As in a higher place, many people only flake their nails every bit an automatic reaction.

Nonetheless, sometimes nail bitter may be a sign of emotional or mental stress. Nail biting can be common in people who hare nervous, anxious or feeling downwardly.

It may be used every bit a way to cope with these feelings – amongst many other things.

How to stop bitter nails – 10 acme tips

1. Notice what triggers your smash bitter

In that location are many reasons why people bite their nails, merely people aren't always conscious almost why they do it.

Ane of the most of import steps in overcoming this habit is to place what triggers yous to seize with teeth your nails.

Is it when you're feeling anxious? When yous're bored? Or perchance yous beginning nibbling when you lot want to forget a certain feeling e.thousand. anger?

A proficient way to do this is to keep a journal – a notes app on your phone is ok too! Just endeavour to jot down when you bite your nails and how you're feeling / what you lot're doing.

This will assistance y'all to identify any patterns so that you tin try and alter your reaction to whatever smash-biting triggers, e.g. filing your nails into a overnice shape when you're worried instead of biting them all off.

2. Think of all those germs…

You put what in where!?

When you lot call back nigh information technology, blast biting is pretty unhygienic.

It's highly unlikely that you volition launder your hands every time before you showtime nibbling your nails, meaning you're transferring germs from everything you've touched into your mouth.

This can expose you to illnesses.

And so next time y'all're tempted to bite your nails, take a second to think near all those potential germs lurking on your fingers and maybe merely go and launder your hands instead!

3. Ask your friends and family to help

You may not notice you're biting your nails every bit oft as you are, and once you exercise the impairment is frequently already done.

1 thing you can do is ask the people effectually you to remind you not to bite your nails – y'all choose how roughshod or kind you desire them to exist.

This not only gives y'all accountability and a better visibility of your nail-biting addiction, but it also gives you the back up to assist you stop.

4. Accept your teeth into consideration

You may have your dental hygiene routine down only biting your nails could be setting your oral fissure wellness back, bigtime.

Biting your nails tin cause problems down the line like cracked and chipped teeth. Use this as motivation to cease biting your nails – unless you really practice want to go and sit in that dentist chair….

5. Get your nails done

When you spend your hard-earned money on a fresh manicure or paint your nails with a nice new nail varnish, you lot are less likely to bit them.

Why? It's money down the bleed isn't it.

Not just that, but you took time out of your mean solar day to get get them done, and so that'due south a double-whammy of waste if you get and ruin information technology past biting your nails.

Continue, care for yourself and see if information technology can help you kick nail-biting to the curb!

6. Make your nails gustation bad

If something tastes bad, you're not going to want to put information technology in your mouth, right? Endeavour applying this to your fingernails.

Not merely can it help yous associate the habit with something negative, it tin also put a stop to absent-minded-minded nail bitter – because sometimes you won't even realise you lot're biting your nails until it's too late.

At that place are many nasty-tasting formulas on the market place already that you can paint onto your nails, but here's some natural ways to aid brand those nails un-bitable:

Bring out the vinegar

This bitter-tasting ingredient is probably ready and waiting in your kitchen cupboard to help put an end to your blast-biting woes!

Whether it's malt, apple cider or wine vinegar, dilute a few drops into water and dip your fingernails into it (perhaps non if you have broken pare).

Allow it dry naturally on your nails and serve as a pongy reminder to stop biting your nails.

Garlic breath for your nails

It'south no fun getting close to somebody who has just eaten what seems like a bulb's worth of garlic in 1 sitting.

Use the same garlic overload to your nails and yous may only steer articulate of them likewise!

Garlic breath for your nails

All you need to practice is chop up some garlic (a few cloves will do) and add it to some olive oil, leaving it to infuse for at least a day.

In one case it'south nice and pungent, apply the mixture to your fingernails and let information technology dry. The olive oil volition attend them and the bad garlic smell will remind you not to bite your nails.

Nip nail biting in the bud with neem oil

Neem oil is made by pressing the seeds and fruit of the neem plant.

It is naturally extremely bitter and serves as a great reminder to stop biting your nails. Simply apply some to your nails and let it dry out.

Try a bit of bitter gourd

Bitter gourd is a vegetable commonly used in Asian cuisine hailed for its naturally bitter taste.

Also known as bitter squash or bitter melon, this vegetable is very potent when used on its own.

Its bitter gustation is certain to put yous off biting your nails, leaving a gag-worthy taste in your mouth if yous choose to become nibbling.

You can either crush biting gourd, employ the juices on your nails and leave to dry, or discover a pre-prepared bitter gourd boom-bitter treatment in the shops.

Give aloe vera a go

Although aloe vera gel isn't the most offensive smelling thing on the planet, information technology all the same doesn't taste too expert.

Try dipping your fingertips into some aloe gel and leaving information technology to try and see if information technology puts you off biting your nails.

Give aloe vera a go

There is no guarantee that whatever of these natural nail-biting treatment ideas volition work for y'all, simply hopefully you feel inspired to effort some of these at abode.

If they work then you take yourself a low-cost way to keep your blast biting at bay – winning!

7. Reward every little victory

Whether y'all've managed to get through a whole twenty-four hours without biting your nails or made information technology through your first month of no-nail biting make sure you lot gloat!

Plan some rewards for these milestones, like treating yourself to a squeamish manicure or a buying yourself a nice slice of clothing you've had your centre on for a while.

This positive reinforcement should help y'all kick the habit for good.

And recall if yous observe yourself biting your nails, don't be too difficult on yourself, simply acknowledge that everyone makes mistakes and first again – yous've got this!

8. Trim them short

If you keep your nails short past trimming or filing them, then you're less likely to bite them.

Sounds pretty obvious, but by having less boom there is less to seize with teeth and by default, less tempting.

9. Go on yourself occupied

When you lot feel like biting your nails, try keeping your hands decorated. Play with a stress ball or something that will keep your mind off it.

10. Try stopping gradually

It may exist worth considering a gradual approach to intermission your habit. Try by first stopping to bite one ready of nails, such as your thumbnails.

Then when you lot've been successful begin to eliminate other nails, with the eventual goal of stopping all together.

How to stop blast biting in children

Nail biting in children is a tale as old as time, but it doesn't mean you should just accept it.

Nibbling on those nails can be dissentious to wellness and wellbeing, likewise as indicate to underlying problems.

Decided it's time to nip it in the bud? Here'south some tips on how to stop blast biting in children.

Why do children bite their nails?

First things first, information technology's useful to know why our children end upward nibbling on their nails.

Like thumb-sucking, hair twisting and olfactory organ picking, smash bitter is a common habit for children.

These behaviours are known as 'nervous habits' – although, confusingly, that doesn't really mean your child is nervous.

Most children bite their nails when they are feeling bored or curious, to pass the fourth dimension, to relieve stress or but as a force of habit.

So, nail biting can exist caused by a multitude of bug, and the virtually important thing is encouraging them to stop without it turning into an unhelpful nag-fest.

Here's our pinnacle tips on how to stop nail biting in children:

1. Give those nails a daily trim

Clay, bacteria and all sorts of other nasties love long nails.

These particles beloved to hide under the nails in wait for your kid to go nibbling and pass them into the mouth.

And so the best thing to practise is trim your child's nails every twenty-four hour period, so if they exercise bite them the damage is minimal.

2. Create a new, healthier habit

Like every habit, nail bitter is a tough ane to quit, then replacing it with a healthy one can be a good tactic!

Attempt introducing regular snacks of crunchy carrot, cucumber and apple sticks (keep it healthy) equally they tin can replicate the 'crunch' they get when bitter their nails.

A small stress ball or some giddy putty can work in the aforementioned fashion, giving your child something else to focus on when they're feeling fidgety or worried.

3. Detect a 'surreptitious' signal to stop them biting

Nail biting can ofttimes be subconscious, so coming up with a manner to brand your kid enlightened of their biting tin can be useful.

Try lightly tapping your kid'southward arm or leg when they are biting their nails without telling anybody else.

Keep it friendly and avert scolding them, this is only to brand them more aware of their biting.

4. Advantage each little victory

Who doesn't love a good sticker nautical chart? They tin can exist a fun and useful fashion to reward your child for non bitter their nails.

Choose a time marker, e.g. twenty-four hour period, half a mean solar day and give your kid a sticker if they manage non to bite their nails during this time.

In one case they accept earned a specific number of stickers, give them an honor similar a trip to the movie house or a toy they've had their eye on for a while.

5. Book them in for a manicure

This won't work for all children, only some piffling ones would jump at the chance to go a 'grown-upwardly' manicure.

Whether you lot book them into a kid-friendly salon or get DIY at home, see if your kid would be upwards for a manicure and use it equally a reward. Information technology's a swell opportunity to bond, too!

6. Try an anti-nail-biting treatment

We're sure you've heard of those gross-tasting nail varnishes that assist people to stop biting their nails.

They piece of work by 'punishing' the boom biter when they get nibbling with a horrible gustation – not only stopping the biter in their tracks but besides forming a negative association with the act over time.

It's normal to be hesitant about using this with children, though, as it'south not them choosing to do it themselves.

Peradventure you'd prefer a more natural accept on anti-nail biting treatments?

Take a look at our DIY blast-biting treatments and try some out with your kids.

Please be careful though, and avoid if your child has cleaved peel as the ingredients could aggravate it. Also, avoid the spicy ingredients every bit kids could bear upon their eyes and hurt themselves.

7. Virtually chiefly, exist positive

Making a large bargain out of your kid'south nail biting, shouting at them or punishing them might crusade your child to bite their nails even more.

Skip the 'it's gross' lecture - shaming them won't make it better. Instead, endeavor and get your child on board using rewards, an encouraging attitude, etc. and be patient.

It's hard plenty for adults to kick a addiction, then a child may find it fifty-fifty harder.

But keep at it and find a way that suits you and your kid in helping them surrender blast biting once and for all!

When to seek medical advice

For some people, nail biting may exist a sign of a more than serious psychological or emotional trouble.

If you have tried to stop biting your nails and the problem persists, or if you begin to develop skin or nail infections, yous may want to consult a medico.

The advice in this article is for information only and should non replace medical care. Please check with your GP or healthcare professional before trying whatever supplements, treatments or remedies. Food supplements must not be used as a substitute for a varied and balanced diet and a healthy lifestyle.

Terminal updated: 25 August 2021

Joined Holland & Barrett: April 2019

Masters Degree in Toxicology and BSc Hons in Medical Biochemistry

Bhupesh started his career as a Clinical Toxicologist for Public Wellness England, advising healthcare professionals all effectually the land on how to manage clinical cases of adverse exposure to supplements, pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, industrial chemicals and agricultural products.

After 7 years in this part and a further year working as a drug safe officer in the pharmaceutical industry, Bhupesh joined Holland & Barrett every bit a Senior Regulatory Affairs Associate in 2019.

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Source: https://www.hollandandbarrett.com/the-health-hub/natural-beauty/skincare/hand-nail-care/stop-biting-nails/

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