Biting your nails is a bad habit that not only makes your hands look unsightly, but if the habit is severe it can permanently damage your nails, teeth, and even gums. If you are tired of nail clippings and bleeding nails, try this simple therapy to promote normal and beautiful nail growth.
Step
Step 1. Face your problem
It's time you realized that your nail-biting habit is getting out of hand and you feel you can't stop it. Before you try to stop biting your nails, you should be aware that you have already practiced this habit in your classroom, office, or other public places. This custom is unacceptable in society. Tell yourself that you want to have healthy and beautiful nails and want to stop this bad habit forever.
- Take a photo of your nails and take a look. Are those nails what you want forever?
- Tell yourself that when you have long, beautiful nails, then you can paint them a pretty color that you like for certain occasions. This will motivate you: “I can't paint my nails until I stop biting my nails.”
- Pay attention to other people's uncurled nails for added motivation.
- Keep in mind that severe nail-biting can also cause health problems. When you bite your nails, you are constantly transferring bacteria from your hands to your mouth.
- Tell your friends about this problem. You don't have to face this problem alone.
Step 2. Imagine yourself having strong, healthy nails
Find pictures of healthy nails and hang them on the wall or take them with you wherever you go.
- Every night before bed, imagine yourself having healthy nails.
- Imagine yourself having healthy nails every time you are tempted to nibble.
Step 3. Make a plan
Plan a time of day when you intend to stop biting your nails. This doesn't mean you have to completely stop biting your nails that day, but you have to commit to starting the process of quitting this habit on that day.
- Mark the day on the calendar.
- If you're really focused, write down the ideal date to stop biting your nails.
Step 4. Know when you need help
If biting your nails is the kind of problem that causes your cuticles to bleed or fall off, you may not be able to break this habit alone. If that's the case, talk to your doctor right away to see if your problem is a symptom of a bigger problem such as Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) or an excessive anxiety disorder.
If you've tried various ways to stop biting your nails and nothing works, then it might be time to see a doctor
Method 1 of 6: Covering Nails with Plaster
Step 1. Apply the tape to the nail
Cover the nails with plaster.
Step 2. Apply a plaster to your nails every day
You can use a fresh plaster after a shower or every few days.
- You can take the tape off for a special occasion or keep it on so you look silly during the event, which will motivate you to stop biting your nails.
- If this process starts to hurt your nails, you can remove the tape at night.
Step 3. After a week, remove the plaster
Step 4. Pay attention to the condition of the nails which are now better
If you start biting your nails again, put the tape back on the nail.
Method 2 of 6: Define One Nail During a Specific Time
Step 1. Choose at least one nail to “protect” for a certain amount of time
Step 2. Take a few days without biting the nail
Step 3. Note the appearance of the nail that looks better than the other nails
After a few days, nails that are not clipped will grow well and satisfy you.
Don't bite the nails. If you feel you have to nibble at it, then clip one of the unprotected nails. Sometimes it's helpful to know that you have other nails that you can nibble on, even if you're not actually biting any nails that aren't protected
Step 4. Choose another nail to stop biting
Once the unfinished nail has grown, start protecting the other nail, and so on.
Step 5. Continue this process until you have managed to stop all biting nails
If you really feel like biting your nails, just focus on one nail to nibble on.
Method 3 of 6: Busy Hands and Mouth
Step 1. Find another habit to replace the habit of biting your nails
Whenever you feel like biting your nails, do something else. There are people who like to tap their fingers, twiddle their thumbs, clasp their hands, put their hands in their pockets, or just look at their hands. Make sure the replacement habit is not a bad habit. Pick a habit or whatever that can help.
- Bring rubber bands, coins, or other objects to hold. Play with them as a substitute for biting your nails.
- Switch your hands occasionally when you're biting your nails, such as when you're in the car or when you're sitting in class. Find new ways to replace habits that depend on where you are. If you are in class, focus on writing earnestly in a notebook. If you are in the passenger seat in the car, play with the keys.
- Bring a toy that can keep your hands busy. Choose toys that are fun and hold your hand during those vulnerable times when you feel like biting your nails.
- Try to keep coins in your pocket and play when you feel like biting your nails.
- The activity of eating or chewing something is not included in these ways so that it can help break this habit associated with the mouth.
Step 2. Get your hands on a hobby
A new hobby will not only keep you from biting your nails, but at the same time, you can also find new interests.
- Hobbies to divert hands can be by modeling objects or caring for the house, knitting, running, doing various outdoor activities, or beautifying and caring for nails.
- If you're an artistic person, try making things out of clay or gypsum dough. The clay and gypsum will cover your hands and the aroma will stick to your nails after you wash your hands of any remaining dirt. It doesn't taste good either. Clay tastes salty and leaves a mud-like texture, while gypsum tastes chalky. Making these things will also keep your hands busy.
Step 3. Keep your mouth busy
While you should avoid this serious mouth-related addiction from developing, a few little tricks can keep your mouth busy and will cut the amount of time you spend biting your nails. Here are some things you can do:
- Chew gum or suck on mints throughout the day. You'll have a hard time biting your nails if you're busy chewing gum or tasting sucked candy. The sensation of criss-crossing your fingernails mixed with the taste of mint gum or orange-flavored candy is definitely not good.
- Eat small snacks throughout the day. While you should avoid lots of snacks to keep the weight off, you should bring healthy snacks like carrot chunks with you so you can eat them throughout the day.
- Bring a bottle of drinking water. Carry drinking water with you wherever you go so you can always drink it when you're having a time when you're prone to biting your nails.
Method 4 of 6: Use Nibble Inhibitor Solution
Step 1. Apply a nibble inhibitor (a solution that prevents nail gnawing) on your nails to prevent your urge to scratch your nails
Bitrex is a chemical contained in this product to create a bad taste in nibble inhibitors. Bitrex can be obtained at the nearest pharmacy.
Step 2. Apply the solution on your nails every few days
Step 3. Always carry the solution with you
Step 4. If you are familiar with the taste of the solution, try using a different solution
Step 5. Continue applying the solution when you stop biting your nails
If you have stopped biting your nails, you can keep the solution as a keepsake.
If you're tempted to bite your nails again, you can smell the solution to remind you how bad it tasted
Method 5 of 6: Protect Your Nails
Step 1. Coat your nails with nail polish
Try using a bold color like red or black, which will look ridiculous if it's peeling off because you've bitten your fingernails. If you don't like the color of the nail polish, coat your nails with a polishing solution and apply nail growth solution or petroleum jelly. You will find it more difficult to nibble on nails that are already beautiful.
Step 2. Use fake nails
This is another way to keep your nails protected. Get a manicure at the salon. Here the nails are also given acrylic glue. This will make the nails last longer, and when the fake nails are removed, you will have natural, natural nails.
If you're really in the mood, you can do an expensive manicure with fake nails. This method will make you feel more uncomfortable when biting your nails and ruin the appearance of those expensive nails
Step 3. Protect nails with gloves
Keep gloves in your back pocket and wear them when you want to scrape your nails. This method will motivate you even if you have to wear it when the weather is hot and looks silly.
If you're writing or doing something that's difficult to do with gloves on, you'll be more motivated to stop biting your nails. Remind yourself, if you have no problem biting your nails, you don't need to wear gloves
Method 6 of 6: Maintaining Healthy Nails
Step 1. Do manicures as often as possible
You've done a manicure to achieve your goal of stopping biting your nails. Once your nails are in good shape, you need to focus on keeping them in good shape and the best way to show off your new, shiny nails is with a manicure.
Have a conversation with a manicure therapist about how you feel about having beautiful nails. You can show off, really
Step 2. Keep your nails short
A simple manicure can help maintain healthy nails, keep them short, and prevent you from biting them again.
If the nails grow too long, trim them. Always carry nail clippers with you. You can't bite your nails if they're short
Step 3. Every now and then, push the cuticles toward the back of the nail
Many nail clippers don't have a "crescent" shaped area under the nail because the cuticle isn't pushed back. To do this, gently push the cuticles toward your fingers to make your nails more visible. This is easier to do after a shower when your hands and nails are still wet.
This will make your nails appear longer and give them a more attractive shape, thereby motivating you to stop biting your nails
Step 4. Adopt a healthy diet
A healthy diet will help you feel healthier overall and will help your nails to heal and grow properly. Eat foods rich in calcium and magnesium so your nails will recover and grow properly. Not only that, most of the reasons why people want to bite their nails are due to a lack of calcium and magnesium in the body. The body needs these substances back.
- Eggs, soybeans, whole grains, and liver can all help with nail growth. The sulfur minerals found in apples, cucumbers, grapes, garlic, asparagus, and onions also aid in consistent nail growth.
- Essential fatty acids are found in tuna, salmon, shellfish, leafy vegetables, nuts, and seeds. These foods are needed for human metabolic processes and help keep nails shiny and soft.
Step 5. Celebrate the new nails
Don't be afraid to show your new nails to friends, or people you're not very familiar with. Show them your hand and say, “Believe it or not, I used to have a habit of biting my nails?”
Take a photo of your hands and enjoy the new nail look. It can also be hung on the wall or next to a "previous" photo of your poor nails, to show that you are capable of making big changes in your life
Step 6. Keep your nails healthy
Wash your hands regularly, use cuticle oil and a solution for nail growth.
Tips
- Look at other people's nails and think, "Why aren't mine like that?" Try to feel guilty.
- Wear rubber bands on wrists. Whenever you notice you've bitten your nails, tug on the rubber and release it. The pain you feel due to the jolt of the rubber will form a strong memory to stop biting your nails.
- If you have a special event like a party, try to set this as motivation to help you stop biting your nails.
- Think about how you look when other people see you. People tend to view short, ugly or bloody nails as extremely disgusting. This is often seen as a sign that the person is not keeping clean.
- Clean your nails. Part of the reason you're biting your nails is that they're dirty. Scrub your nails to make them shiny, then clean. This will make you appreciate your nails more.
- See if you can notice how or when you decide to stop biting your nails. There may be underlying reasons such as stress, tension, or boredom. Addressing a real, underlying problem can break the habit of biting your nails.
- Don't start thinking there is a short term solution. To stop biting one's nails, one needs patience and attention.
- To keep you motivated or remind you how bad your nails look, you can jot down your progress in a notebook or photo album. Take “before and after” nail photos and keep them in a book to keep you motivated. Knowing that it takes three weeks for your nails to grow to half an inch long, jot down in a notebook how long you want your nails to be by a specific date.
- Forget your nails. Imagine that you are going to the salon with long, beautiful nails to paint.
Warning
- Don't be stupid and replace your nail-biting habit with a worse one. While short, fat fingers are unhealthy and painful, there are other habits that can be even worse.
- Biting your nails can lead to infection.
- Brittle nails can be caused by harsh detergents and chemicals, sun exposure, an unhealthy diet, or long-term use of nail strengthening products. Avoid using nail polishers that contain formaldehyde, which can dry out your nails.
- Don't keep your nails covered. Nails also need sun exposure.
