10 Simple Ways to Eliminate Nail Biting Habit

Nail biting habit tends to show up in majority of people who are feeling nervous, stress, or anxious. This habit is not a good habit because it makes your nails do not look good and unhealthy.

Getting rid of nail biting habit, which is something that most of people do unconsciously, is not easy because they think nail biting is not a problem at all. In fact, there are some negative effects if you keep biting your nail.

More often, this kind of habits happens to children while they are feeling tense, afraid, or worried. Nail biting habit essentially could be stopped easily but it takes different approaches depends on the children’s age. As good parents, you would not want your kids to have this habit until they grow up, right?

To solve this problem, you need to consult with your doctor and use an approachable way to tell your kids the side effects of nail biting and slowly but surely, make them stop biting their nail. Read more about Negative Effects of Sleeping While Wearing Bra

Other than having risk of being called ‘dirty’ for biting nail, this habit has a bad effect for the health. Our hands, especially fingertips, are home for various kinds of bacteria, and so does our nail. Nails are hive of nastiness and full of germs which of course will give bad effects for our body health if we don’t take care of it well and we will have risk of getting nail fungus.

These are some natural and most effective remedies to get rid of nail biting habit that you can try:

Willingness to Get Rid of Nail Biting Habit

People say, if we want to accomplish something, saying it out loud would not enough. Every wishes and goals, including stopping a bad habit, must be accompanied with willingness and focus so that we can achieve what we aim for. To start getting rid of nail biting habit, you need to have strong will to stop and try not to lose your motivation to stop this bad addiction.

Looking at the Mirror

Another mental therapy you can do is looking at the mirror. Looking at your reflection on the mirror while you are biting your nail could remind you that nail biting is an unpleasant thing to see. It will also give you a different perspective; you might have an idea that that is what people around you or your friend see you, when you are biting your nail in front of them. Because of this, there is a chance that people around you might have bad impression about you. Read more about List of Foods to Eat for Healthy Hair

Find your Triggers

Every so often, people who have nail biting habit are defensive about their damaging routine. Instead of doing something healthier to get rid of stress or anxiety, you demand your friends or family to understand your habit and to leave you alone. In fact, you should find a solution of your problem, not just stay still while eating your nail. This is why finding out your problem and something that is triggering you matter, so that you are aware that biting your nail won’t solve the problem.

Eat Chewing Gum

Eating chewing gum can distract your mind, mouth, and teeth from inserting your finger nail in your mouth. Chewing gum is obviously tastier than nail. Other than that, chewing gum can help you lessen your stress and it is a tool for face and jaw exercise. Eventually, it will lower your anxiety or nervousness which is usually the cause of nail biting.

Cut Your Nail Short

Another effective way to stop eating your nail is cutting your nail short. Thus, you do not have any more part of the nail to bite or nibble on.

Use Nail Polish

People, mostly female, use nail polish to make their nails look more pretty and attractive. For those who have nail-biting habit, nail polish not only will make your nail look good, it will also stop you from eating your finger. Nail polish contains chemical substance that is very bitter and it will automatically make you stop putting your nail on your mouth.

Hand Lotion

Hand lotion can also be a good tool to get rid of the unhealthy habit of nail biting. The bitter taste and the strong fragrance smell of hand lotion will make you think twice or more to bite your nail. As a result, slowly but sure, this kinds of bad habit will stop.

Use Rubber Band

Another simple and easy remedy that you can try to stop eating your finger nail is by putting on rubber band. Just like nail polish and hand lotion, rubber band have the same effect way to make you stop chewing your nail, which is bitter taste that could spread on your whole hands. Read more about Negative Effects of Drinking Coffee on an Empty Stomach

Distract Your Attention

Eating some snack or doing other thing that can help you from feeling stress or nervous is a good distraction to stop you from chewing your nail. Try to get rid of your stress by listening to music or talking it out with someone you trust so that you won’t have the urge to bite your nail.

Manicure

Fingernails which are well taken care of, uniquely colorful, and pretty-looking will make you hesitate to ruin it by biting on it. If you have free time, try to do manicure in order to make your fingernails and hands healthier and prettier. This remedies is also good as a stress reliever.

In general, eating your nail is a bad and unhealthy addiction. From medical point of view, a lot of diseases can happen if we keep nail biting habit going on. Some of them are:

May cause a rash on the fingers. If it starts to bleed, the rash would be the cause of infection and fester on the nail.
Nail is the hives of germs and bacteria, constant biting will make you ill especially on your alimentary tract.
The germs that enter the body through our mouth will make our immune system weaken, this will make you get sick easily.
Ripping your nail using your teeth, instead of nail cutter, have a risk of getting you a skin infection around the nail.
Studies has shown that cutting your nail using your teeth will ruin your teeth enamel.

Those are some natural remedies to get rid of biting nail habit that you could try to do. Make sure to take care of your nail, be aware if you start to put on your fingernail on your mouth and stop right away, and find another way to relieve your stress.