The medical term for nail biting is onychophagia. Nail biting is a habit that many people participate in on a subconscious level. They often do not even realize that they are biting their nails. Habits that are practiced subconsciously are difficult to break. Treatment involves using techniques to distract the person from nail biting and to deter nail biting. Successful treatment requires repetitive use of these techniques to break the habit. Severe nail biting that interferes with a person's life, causes the person anxiety or that results in bleeding and injury to the nails and skin may be a symptom of a mental disorder, according to an article by Shelley A. Sekula in the Dermatology Online Journal, Vol. 6, Issue 1. Mental disorders that can accompany nail biting include obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) and depression. Nail biting that is caused by a mental disorder should be treated by a psychiatrist who can prescribe anti-anxiety medications, anti-depressant medications and who can offer cognitive behavioral therapy.
Step 1
Trim your nails short enough to make them difficult to bite.
Step 2
Paint your nails with nail polish to make your nails taste bad, which might deter nail biting.
Step 3
Wear artificial acrylic nails to cover your natural nails.
Step 4
Dip your fingers in vinegar to make the nails and skin taste bad.
Step 5
Cover the nails by wearing gloves or placing bandages over them.
Step 6
Fiddle with an object in your hands to distract yourself from nail biting. Some ideas are rolling a small ball around in your hands, playing with Silly Putty and popping bubble wrap.
Step 7
Keep your hands busy by taking up a hobby that uses your hands. You can crochet, knit, sew, carve wooden figurines, paint, draw or do anything else you enjoy.
Step 8
Keep your mouth busy by chewing gum. If your mouth is busy, you are less likely to bite your nails.
Step 9
Wear a rubber band around your wrist and snap it against your wrist anytime you catch yourself biting your nails. The idea of rubber-band snapping is to train your subconscious to think of nail biting negatively.
Things You'll Need
- Nail polish
- Acrylic nails
- Vinegar
- Gloves or bandages
- Small hand toys (Silly Putty, small ball, bubble wrap)
- Chewing gum
- Rubber band
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