Biting your nails makes your nails look unsightly, but it can cause an infection. When you bite your nails, you break the skin on your fingers, which may allow bacteria to enter the body. If you are unable to stop biting your nails on your own, consult a doctor to help determine the psychological reason behind the problem.
Hot Pepper Coating
Coat your nails in a substance you wouldn't want in your mouth, says Lia Schorr, a skincare specialist in New York City. Schorr recommends brushing the nails with hot pepper sauce to keep you from sticking your fingernails in your mouth. Hot pepper sauce may burn or irritate the eyes and skin, so keep your hands away from your face altogether. If you don't have hot pepper sauce available, use any bitter, nontoxic substance you have on hand, like lemon juice.
File Your Nails Short
Keeping your nails trimmed or filed to a shorter length may help deter you from biting them, advises the medical website, KidsHealth.org. If your nails are short, you may be able to resist the urge to bite nails in order to even them out. Keep a pair of nail clippers or a nail file handy throughout the day in case a nail snags. This way, you can cut it away evenly and won't be tempted to bite it off.
Keep a Biting Diary
Each time you catch yourself biting your nails, write down the time of day that you started biting and the event that was occurring in a small notebook. While flipping back through the notebook, you may notice that you always have an urge to bite your nails before lunch, or during a particularly stressful business meetings. Knowing what triggers your desire to bite your nails can help you curb your urges before your fingers get to your mouth.
Enlist Friends
Tell friends and family members about your problem and ask them to remind you to stop biting, recommends KidsHealth.org. Instead of suffering through the problem alone, tell your friends to call your name or gesture to you if they catch you biting your nails. Eventually, you will be able to stop yourself from biting your nails before your friends stop you.
Wear Gloves
When you're not in public, you may be more apt to bite your nails because no one is watching. If you're having trouble resisting the urge to bite your nails at home, wear cotton gloves, says Schorr. Wearing gloves will hide your nails from view, making them less tempting to bite. If you bite your nails subconsciously, the only thing that will end up in your mouth is the finger of a glove.
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