Biting and chewing on your nails can lead to an unflattering appearance. Biting nails is a habit that some people develop to relieve stress. Boredom might also be a factor that causes a person to chew on her nails. Complications from biting and chewing on your nails include infections, bleeding and soreness. If left untreated, the nails might grow misshapen. There are several home remedies you can use to stop chewing your nails.
Step 1
Get your nails done. Receiving a manicure or applying nail polish can encourage you to stop biting your nails. Certain types of nail polish have a bitter taste and can serve as a reminder to not bite your nails. An example would be Mavala Stop, which discourages nail biting and thumb sucking. Trim and file your nails regularly to inspire you to keep them well maintained and not chew on them.
Step 2
Apply artificial nails. This can protect your nails and allow you to grow them out if you ravaged them by your chewing.
Step 3
Distract yourself from chewing on your nails. When you feel the urge to chew on your nails, keep yourself busy by playing with small hand-held toys, such as stress reliever balls, Play-Doh and Bendables.
Step 4
Try snapping a rubber band against your wrist when thoughts of chewing on your nails occur. This is a form of behavior modification therapy that encourages you to lose the desire to bite your nails. A small rubber band can suffice so that you only feel minor discomfort.
Step 5
Hide your hands. While trying to stop chewing your nails, you might benefit from wearing gloves as often as possible. This makes the nails harder to access and could deter you from chewing on them.
Tips and Warnings
- If a child has recently starting chewing on his nails, you should talk with him to see if an emotional cause is behind the behavior.
Things You'll Need
- Rubber band
- Nail polish
- Artificial nails
- Hand-held toy
- Gloves
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