If you are an overthinker, you must have done a crash course in nail-biting. Before 2020, we all thought that we were using and handling our hands pretty well. Well, the virus did make us all follow the habit of handwashing and made us conscious of the fact that we touch our hands and faces every two minutes.
But there must be people who tried and failed in controlling themselves from biting their nails. If you have a bad habit of biting nails, you must know that this habit doesn’t just stop when you want it to. So, a lot of people struggle with the question of ‘how to stop biting nails’ on a daily basis. The sad part is that people think that the pandemic even couldn’t help them leave biting nails.
But here’s the good news guys! There are a number of ways that can be tried in order to stop yourself from biting nails.
Table of Contents
Why Do People Indulge in Nail-Biting?
A lot of people don’t know about this, but this habit of biting nails can be due to a behavioral issue. These behavioral disorders are also called BFRDs (Body-focused repetitive disorders). Well, there are no specific reasons behind people suffering from BFRD but there might be some triggers that you need to find yourself.
There might be certain beliefs and thoughts that may evoke your senses. You might start biting nails when you face motor triggers, these can be movements and posture that you make unaware.
In some cases, people start nibbling their nails at some specific place, this is called a setting trigger.
Home Remedies to Stop Nail-Biting
There are some viruses that sit on the tips of the fingers and can easily get stuck in the nails. To avoid getting infected by different viruses make sure you try everything in your control to stop biting nails. Some of the best home remedies and hacks that are often used and show great results are mentioned below. Feel free to have a look and try.
1. Carry a Cuticle Scissors Around
Being someone who loves biting nails, I can tell you that when I bite, I don’t just bite my nails. There is a good chunk of cuticles that goes down my stomach. This leaves my fingertips sore and I often end up bleeding. So, the best way to avoid that is by using a cuticle scissor. It is best to cut the cuticles before you give yourself a chance to bite on them and then you end up biting more nails.
The scissors can help a lot in keeping your hands away from your mouth. It obviously cannot make the nails get healthier as it is not a hack used for fixing nails. But it can help with nail-biting for sure.
2. Coat your Nails with a Bad Taste
One of the most common home remedies to stop nail-biting used by people is coating their nails with something that tastes bad.
Now, what does that mean? This means that the food you don’t like or the taste of anything that comes unpleasant to your taste buds, just put on your fingertips.
Another great way of doing that is by using nail polishes that are made especially for those people who like biting nails. If you try to bite your nail with the nail polish on, it gives a pretty bad bitter taste. This can prevent you from biting the nails in a very efficient manner.
This is great, especially for kids who indulge in this habit. It works wonders as the terrible taste of the nail polish makes the kid think twice next time he/she tries to bite or nibble on nails.
3. Keep Them Short
Some people tend to go nail-biting more when they are long. Now, to help yourself here, the best practice is to cut them short. Try and keep them at a length that is difficult to chew or bite on.
It is understood that if the nail is not long enough to be grabbed by the teeth, then it will not be a satisfactory act to bite on them. Also, another plus point here is that short nails are usually easy to maintain and keep clean. On the other hand, long nails are more likely to get bacteria or viruses in them.
4. Know Your Triggers
If you are someone who struggles with nail-biting then the first thing that you must know is to focus on what basically triggers this habit. Notice the time and place where you start nibbling. This might be the time when you are scrolling down your phone, or maybe while you are watching TV.
It all depends on the people that you surround yourself with, what you are doing, and how it impacts you. There are chances that your trigger might be boredom, anxiety, or even depression.
Once you are familiar with what triggers your habit of biting nails. If you think you are more likely to chew your fingertips while you are alone the best way is to surround yourself with people. And if you think that you indulge in biting nails when you sit in a specific room, then start sitting in another room. Small steps like these help a lot in keeping your hands away from your mouth.
Wrapping it Up!
Nail-biting is a very common habit that is usually picked up by people at a very young age. Other times, it can be opted by people of old age too. It all depends on how early you control it before it gets too bad. There are some home remedies to stop nail-biting that can be used by anyone who is in need of help. Make sure you try and find the triggers and work on them. It is very much understood that not every hack is going to work for everyone. So, keep on trying and figure out what works for you.
In case of any emergency, or repeated behaviors make sure you visit the best psychologist near you by visiting healthwire.pk.
