- 1. Keep your nails well cut and sanded
- 2. Paint your nails with special enamel
- 3. Apply fake nails or gel nails
- 4. Get distracted by an anti-stress ball
- 5. Chewing gum
- 6. Invest in a hobby
- 7. Do psychotherapy
- Why you should stop biting nails
Nail biting, known scientifically as onychophagy, is a habit that affects men and women, which can start from childhood and persist into adulthood, and is closely associated with anxiety and feelings of insecurity.
To stop biting your nails, it is recommended to follow up with a psychotherapist, psychologist or psychiatrist, so that anxiety is effectively controlled and addiction decreases. However, there are some tips that can be followed to avoid this habit, such as:
1. Keep your nails well cut and sanded
Short nails avoid tempting tips, avoiding the habit. In addition, keeping your nails well done and painted weekly with a manicure is also an extra incentive to want to keep your nails beautiful and avoid nibbling your fingers.
2. Paint your nails with special enamel
These enamels have a very bitter taste, which makes the person avoid putting fingers in the mouth. They are colorless, suitable for men, women and children over 4 years, and can be purchased ready-made in pharmacies.
There are several brands, such as Derma nail, Avon or Mavala, for example.
3. Apply fake nails or gel nails
Covering nails with false nails or gel nails, in addition to improving aesthetics, reduces the urge to bite them. Find out how gel nails are applied.
Another tip is to cover one or some of them with a dressing, and after a week, the person can remove and see how the nail has become more beautiful and healthier compared to the others.
4. Get distracted by an anti-stress ball
Adopting a new habit that replaces nail biting, such as playing with an anti-stress ball, a rubber band or a coin, for example, are ways to occupy your head with new activities instead of biting your nails.
5. Chewing gum
Especially in times of greater anxiety or boredom, chewing gum is also a good option to prevent addiction.
6. Invest in a hobby
Finding ways to relieve anxiety, such as listening to music, talking to someone, or engaging in physical activities after work, for example, can relieve anxiety and cause the person to have less mania and addictive habits, such as biting their nails.
7. Do psychotherapy
In more severe cases, psychotherapy or follow-up with a psychiatrist is indicated to help relieve psychological issues, such as persistent stress and anxiety, which lead to this habit.
Why you should stop biting nails
Some of the main consequences of nail biting, which make it important to quit this habit, are:
- Wounds on the skin of the finger and cuticles, which facilitates infection by bacteria and fungi; Deformations in the nails, fingers and the surrounding skin, which causes constraints due to aesthetic effects; Increased chances of developing gastrointestinal problems, such as gastroenteritis and gastritis; Difficult to perform some activities, such as playing a musical instrument, drawing and writing.
In addition, nails serve to protect the upper part of the fingers and as a barrier to the entry of microbes into the body and into the bloodstream, and must be kept well maintained to prevent illness from contact with microorganisms. Know what to do to strengthen weak nails.
