No bad habits: how to stop biting your nails

The habit of involuntarily biting the tips of the nail plate annoys both children and adults. Attempts to abandon it by willpower cause psychological discomfort, and most often remain ineffectual. Well-groomed magazine has collected the most effective methods for you, and is ready to tell you how to stop biting your nails once and for all.

Think about the consequences: why you should work on yourself

The problem of nail biting is quite common in the population, and has been awarded the special term "onychophagy". Physicians are concerned not so much with the fact of the habit or the cosmetic defects caused by it, but with the causes and consequences of such actions. The bad habit of nail biting is a direct threat to health, as it is associated with the following risks:

• bacterial infection. Statistically, it is the hands that most often serve as a source of penetration into the body of various bacteria. Salmonellosis, dysentery and even cholera can lurk under the nails if you live in an endemic area.
• Viral diseases. In the process of biting, both the mucous membrane of the oral cavity and the epidermis of the fingers are injured. Open wounds are a direct path to the penetration of hepatitis A viruses, entero- and rotavirus, as well as papillomavirus. And if the first three immediately manifest themselves as an infectious disease, papillomavirus will lead to the formation of polyps on the mucous membranes of the gastrointestinal tract. These harmless formations can become malignant, leading to the development of oncological pathology.
• Worm infestations. Worm eggs can get under the nails through contact with pets or gardening. Because adult nail biting is not consciously controlled, you can't be sure you won't involuntarily put your fingers in your mouth before washing your hands.
• fungal infection. Oral candidiasis is one of the diseases of dirty hands, but this is not the only type of fungus that you are at risk of contracting. A constantly injured area of ​​​​the epidermis loses its protective functions and easily becomes a platform for the development of fungal flora, if not how to stop biting the skin around the nails.
• Deformation of the nail plate. Over time, the nail loses its shape, becomes curved or concave. Grooves and bumps appear on it, along which the plate breaks, so it is impossible to grow nails if you bite them even after giving up the habit.

Psychologists know that with sufficient motivation, a person is able to move mountains. The desire to stay healthy is a good enough reason to overcome yourself, and often only awareness of the risks helps to take control of the habit. The tips below will make the process of deliverance easier and less painful.

How to stop biting your nails: physical measures

Our grandmothers also knew that in order to stop biting nails, you need to make it the most unpleasant procedure. Today you can use both ancient folk techniques and modern achievements:

• The bitter taste, suddenly appearing on the tongue, instantly brings to life and helps to realize that you again pulled your fingers into your mouth. Scratch a bar of laundry soap with your nails, cover them with iodine or rub with mustard, and the process will cease to be enjoyable.
• Aloe juice works great, which has a pronounced bitterness. Rub the cut of the plant on the nail plate and the skin around it, so you can not only stop biting your nails on your hands, but also take care of them. Aloe perfectly nourishes and restores the skin, eliminating annoying burrs and cracks that you just want to bite.
• Unpleasant-tasting wormwood is also your reliable ally in the fight against yourself. Rub the juice of the plant on your nails, or make a bath from its decoction. This technique will also help get rid of the fungus if it hit your nails.
• If you smear your fingers with onion juice, then its pungent aroma will stop you when you bring your hands to your mouth. Well, for those to whom the smell is not a hindrance, a bitter aftertaste will help, which will spoil all the pleasure of gnawing. Naturally, when going out, you will have to find another way to stop biting your nails; it’s not entirely decent for an adult to exude onion amber.
• The cosmetic industry has also tried for girls who are not inspired by folk remedies. Buy a special varnish in the pharmacy, which cover the nails. It is very unpleasant in taste, but it looks quite attractive. In addition, these varnishes contain vitamins and minerals that strengthen the nail plate and help release beautiful healthy nails. Over time, the varnish loses its taste, and it must be updated periodically.
• The most pleasant way to get rid of the habit of biting your nails is to sign up for an extension procedure with a master. Girls love long nails, and by building them up with gel or acrylic, you will not only realize your dream. Gnawing on a strong, thick coating does not give any pleasure, unlike soft and pliable natural nails. And if acrylic is used as the material, then it is also tasteless.

Don't torture yourself

The bitter taste after biting the treated nail plate can persist for a long time. To get rid of it, make it a rule to always carry a bottle of water with you, rinsing your mouth when necessary.

The choice of means is quite large, and you have probably outlined the ones you like. It makes sense to use bitterness at the first stage, when you have not yet mastered the psychological techniques that we will discuss below.

Psychological tricks: how not to bite your nails

Using the above tips, you will no longer be able to selflessly bite into your nails while thinking or in a stressful situation. Losing your favorite activity is a serious stress, and can lead to nervousness, sleep disturbances and depressive states. To avoid this, psychologists advise giving yourself an alternative that makes it easier to survive the transition period.

• Always keep a pencil or pen in hand during brainstorming sessions, pre-session, or work battles. Gnawing on foreign objects is not the best option, but in the process of getting rid of the habit, it will help. Nevertheless, slightly biting the tip of a pencil will make you look better at a meeting or interview than biting your nails and burrs.
• When your hands are free, get in the habit of holding a small ball, expander, or toy in the palm of your hand. It is impossible to pull fingers into the mouth that are squeezing an object, and the ability to crush and squeeze it will serve as a substitute for involuntary actions.
• Cut carrots into cubes and carry them with you. Catching yourself on an irresistible craving to gnaw something, do not hold back, but crunch on a healthy vegetable.
• Often, fingers reach into the mouth when watching TV, so they need something to do. Learn knitting, embroidery or any other kind of hand-made. Alternatively, click seeds, eat straws, and buy popcorn at the cinema. Monotonous actions have a calming effect on the nervous system, solving the problem of how not to bite your nails in thought.

Stock up on patience

Get ready for the process to be quite long. The well-known axiom about a 21-day interval for giving up any habit works here too, but in practice it will take longer, since it is very difficult to stop biting your nails at once. From time to time you will catch yourself in this lesson, but over time everything will definitely work out.

In psychotherapeutic practice, patients with onygophagia are not uncommon. Doctors recommend that they combine various techniques so that the treatment process goes as quickly as possible. Among the useful tips, positive reviews receive such tricks:

• Shorten your nails. Give them a neat shape, but do not leave a single millimeter of free nail plate. Always file the growing part in a timely manner, and carry a nail file with you to quickly respond to cracks and creases.
• Speak up your actions. When no one is around, always comment on what you are doing. Speak clearly "I drink water, I brush my teeth, I cut the salad." Catching yourself on the intention of biting your nails, you will say it and be able to stop in time.
• Wear bright jewelry on your hand. A large, bright red bracelet in front of your eyes will immediately attract attention and become a kind of stop signal for your subconscious.
• Restore psychological comfort. Drink a course of sedatives, be outdoors more often and start getting enough sleep so that the nervous system does not need to relieve stress.
• Feel free to involve others. Ask relatives and work colleagues to reprimand you whenever they catch you doing a harmful activity. Even if they speak about it in a harsh manner, just do not take offense.

Any advice will be powerless to help if you yourself do not want it. Don't put off getting rid of the habit until tomorrow or Monday. Right now, start applying the selected recommendations, and with due diligence, in a month you will forget about the bad habit. If you have proven ways to get rid of the bad habit of biting your nails, be sure to describe them in the comments to the article, they will be useful to many people!