How To Stop Chewing My Nails

Dreaming of pretty fingers merely tin can't stop biting your nails? Like any bad habit, nail-biting can be tough to kicking. And so, permit united states of america help y'all with our x top tips on how to finish biting nails!

Why is biting nails bad for us?

In the long term it'due south unlikely that nail biting will cause any long-term damage.

Your nails are formed just beneath where the circular cuticles begin, known as the 'boom bed' so as long as that stays intact, information technology'due south unlikely that yous'll cause too many problems.

However, in that location is still adventure when it comes to bitter your nails. These include:

• Y'all may increase the run a risk of infection past damaging the skin around the nail
• There is an increased take chances of catching colds and other infections every bit you spread germs from your fingers to your rima oris
• You tin can harm your teeth

What causes you to seize with teeth your nails?

There's no articulate reason as to why y'all might seize with teeth your nails. However, there are a few ideas behind why you might bite your nails – which include:

• Inheriting habits from parents - It is thought that kids whose parents bite their nails are more likely to follow suit - even 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 aid some people cope with challenging emotions.
• Colorlessness - It may simply be that your need to keep your hands decorated. Habits such equally smash bitter or hair twirling can exist common when you're bored or hungry also.

For many, boom biting just happens automatically rather than it being a conscious thing.

Although in some cases it may be related to ADHD, separation feet or other areas concerning mental wellness.¹

Why can't I stop biting my nails?

As to a higher place, many people just bit their nails as an automated reaction.

Still, sometimes smash biting may be a sign of emotional or mental stress. Nail biting tin be common in people who hare nervous, anxious or feeling down.

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

How to stop biting nails – 10 top tips

1. Detect what triggers your blast biting

There are many reasons why people bite their nails, but people aren't always conscious about why they do it.

Ane of the most important steps in overcoming this habit is to identify what triggers you to bite your nails.

Is it when you're feeling anxious? When you lot're bored? Or maybe you offset nibbling when you want to forget a certain feeling e.yard. acrimony?

A good way to do this is to keep a periodical – a notes app on your phone is ok besides! Merely endeavour to jot downward when you lot seize with teeth your nails and how you're feeling / what yous're doing.

This will aid y'all to identify whatever patterns and so that y'all can try and change your reaction to any boom-bitter triggers, eastward.g. filing your nails into a nice shape when you lot're worried instead of biting them all off.

2. Recall of all those germs…

You put what in where!?

When you call up about it, boom bitter is pretty unhygienic.

It's highly unlikely that you will wash your easily every time earlier you lot start nibbling your nails, significant you're transferring germs from everything you've touched into your oral fissure.

This can expose you to illnesses.

So next time you're tempted to bite your nails, have a 2nd to call back well-nigh all those potential germs lurking on your fingers and possibly just go and wash your easily instead!

3. Inquire your friends and family to assist

You may not notice you're biting your nails as oft as yous are, and one time you do the damage is often already washed.

One thing you can exercise is enquire the people around yous to remind you not to seize with teeth your nails – you choose how brutal or kind you want them to be.

This non just gives you accountability and a better visibility of your nail-bitter habit, but it as well gives you the support to help yous stop.

4. Take your teeth into consideration

You may have your dental hygiene routine downwards only biting your nails could be setting your mouth health dorsum, 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 exercise want to go and sit in that dentist chair….

5. Get your nails washed

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

Why? Information technology's money down the drain isn't it.

Not but that, but y'all took time out of your mean solar day to go become them done, so that's a double-whammy of waste if you go and ruin information technology past bitter your nails.

Go on, treat yourself and see if information technology can help you kicking boom-biting to the curb!

6. Make your nails gustatory modality bad

If something tastes bad, y'all're non going to want to put it in your oral cavity, correct? Try applying this to your fingernails.

Non just can it help you associate the addiction with something negative, it can as well put a terminate to absent-minded nail biting – because sometimes you won't fifty-fifty realise you lot're biting your nails until it'south too late.

There are many nasty-tasting formulas on the market already that you tin paint onto your nails, just hither's some natural ways to assist brand those nails united nations-bitable:

Bring out the vinegar

This bitter-tasting ingredient is probably set and waiting in your kitchen cupboard to help put an finish to your nail-biting woes!

Whether information technology's malt, apple cider or wine vinegar, dilute a few drops into h2o and dip your fingernails into it (maybe non if you lot accept broken skin).

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

Garlic breath for your nails

Information technology's no fun getting close to somebody who has just eaten what seems like a seedling'south worth of garlic in one sitting.

Apply the same garlic overload to your nails and you may just steer articulate of them too!

Garlic breath for your nails

All you need to do is chop upward some garlic (a few cloves volition exercise) and add information technology to some olive oil, leaving it to infuse for at to the lowest degree a solar day.

Once it's nice and pungent, apply the mixture to your fingernails and permit it dry. The olive oil will nourish them and the bad garlic odour volition remind you not to seize with teeth your nails.

Nip smash biting in the bud with neem oil

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

Information technology is naturally extremely bitter and serves as a great reminder to stop biting your nails. But employ some to your nails and let it dry out.

Endeavor a bit of bitter gourd

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

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

Its bitter taste is sure to put you off biting your nails, leaving a gag-worthy taste in your mouth if you lot choose to get nibbling.

You tin either vanquish bitter gourd, employ the juices on your nails and leave to dry out, or find a pre-prepared biting gourd nail-biting handling in the shops.

Give aloe vera a become

Although aloe vera gel isn't the most offensive smelling thing on the planet, it however doesn't gustatory modality as well skillful.

Endeavour dipping your fingertips into some aloe gel and leaving information technology to endeavour and come across if it puts you off biting your nails.

Give aloe vera a go

There is no guarantee that whatever of these natural smash-biting treatment ideas volition work for you, but hopefully you lot feel inspired to try some of these at domicile.

If they work then you have yourself a depression-cost way to keep your blast bitter at bay – winning!

7. Advantage every little victory

Whether you've managed to get through a whole twenty-four hours without biting your nails or made it through your first month of no-nail biting make sure you celebrate!

Program some rewards for these milestones, similar treating yourself to a nice manicure or a buying yourself a nice piece of clothing you've had your middle on for a while.

This positive reinforcement should help you boot the addiction for adept.

And remember if you observe yourself biting your nails, don't be too hard on yourself, simply acknowledge that everyone makes mistakes and start again – you lot've got this!

8. Trim them curt

If you continue your nails brusque past trimming or filing them, and so you're less likely to bite them.

Sounds pretty obvious, just by having less blast there is less to bite and by default, less tempting.

9. Keep yourself occupied

When you experience similar biting your nails, endeavour keeping your hands decorated. Play with a stress ball or something that will keep your mind off it.

10. Try stopping gradually

It may be worth because a gradual approach to break your habit. Try by first stopping to seize with teeth i set of nails, such as your thumbnails.

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

How to stop nail biting in children

Blast biting in children is a tale as former as time, but it doesn't hateful you should just take information technology.

Nibbling on those nails tin can be damaging to health and wellbeing, besides as point to underlying problems.

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

Why do children seize with teeth their nails?

Commencement things first, it's useful to know why our children end up nibbling on their nails.

Similar thumb-sucking, hair twisting and nose picking, nail biting is a common habit for children.

These behaviours are known as 'nervous habits' – although, confusingly, that doesn't actually hateful your kid is nervous.

Most children seize with teeth their nails when they are feeling bored or curious, to pass the time, to save stress or simply as a forcefulness of addiction.

So, blast bitter can be caused by a multitude of bug, and the nearly of import matter is encouraging them to stop without it turning into an unhelpful nag-fest.

Hither'south our superlative tips on how to end nail bitter in children:

1. Give those nails a daily trim

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

These particles dearest to hide under the nails in expect for your kid to get nibbling and pass them into the mouth.

So the best matter to exercise is trim your child'due south nails every twenty-four hour period, so if they do bite them the impairment is minimal.

2. Create a new, healthier habit

Similar every addiction, nail biting is a tough one to quit, so replacing it with a healthy one can be a practiced tactic!

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

A small stress ball or some empty-headed putty can piece of work in the aforementioned mode, giving your child something else to focus on when they're feeling antsy or worried.

3. Find a 'undercover' bespeak to end them bitter

Blast bitter tin often be subconscious, and so coming up with a way to make your child aware of their bitter can exist useful.

Try lightly tapping your child's arm or leg when they are bitter their nails without telling everyone else.

Proceed information technology friendly and avoid scolding them, this is only to make them more than aware of their bitter.

4. Reward each little victory

Who doesn't love a skillful sticker chart? They can be a fun and useful style to reward your child for not biting their nails.

Cull a time marking, due east.g. day, half a twenty-four hours and give your child a sticker if they manage not to bite their nails during this time.

One time they have earned a specific number of stickers, requite them an honour similar a trip to the cinema or a toy they've had their eye on for a while.

5. Book them in for a manicure

This won't piece of work for all children, simply some niggling ones would jump at the chance to go a 'grown-up' manicure.

Whether you book them into a kid-friendly salon or go DIY at home, encounter if your child would be upward for a manicure and utilise it as a reward. It's a great opportunity to bond, too!

6. Try an anti-boom-biting treatment

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

They work by 'punishing' the nail biter when they go nibbling with a horrible gustation – not only stopping the biter in their tracks only also forming a negative association with the act over fourth dimension.

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

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

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

Delight be careful though, and avoid if your kid has broken peel as the ingredients could beal information technology. Also, avoid the spicy ingredients equally kids could impact their optics and hurt themselves.

7. Most importantly, exist positive

Making a big deal out of your child's nail biting, shouting at them or punishing them might cause your child to seize with teeth their nails even more.

Skip the 'information technology'southward gross' lecture - shaming them won't brand it better. Instead, try and go your child on board using rewards, an encouraging attitude, etc. and be patient.

It's hard plenty for adults to boot a habit, then a kid may find it even harder.

Just go along at it and find a style that suits you and your child in helping them give upwardly smash biting in one case and for all!

When to seek medical advice

For some people, nail bitter may be a sign of a more serious psychological or emotional problem.

If y'all have tried to stop bitter your nails and the problem persists, or if you begin to develop skin or nail infections, you may want to consult a doctor.

The communication in this article is for information only and should non supervene upon medical intendance. Please check with your GP or healthcare professional before trying any supplements, treatments or remedies. Food supplements must not be used equally a substitute for a varied and counterbalanced diet and a healthy lifestyle.

Last updated: 25 August 2021

Joined The netherlands & Barrett: Apr 2019

Masters Degree in Toxicology and BSc Hons in Medical Biochemistry

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

Afterward 7 years in this role and a further year working as a drug rubber officer in the pharmaceutical manufacture, Bhupesh joined Kingdom of the netherlands & Barrett every bit a Senior Regulatory Affairs Acquaintance in 2019.

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

Posted by: slaytonopeashom.blogspot.com

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