The ramifications of nail-biting, which frequently start in infancy and can last until adulthood, can go beyond the aesthetic ones. Repeatedly biting your nails can lead to soreness in the skin surrounding them as well as damage to the tissue that causes nails to develop, giving your nails an odd appearance.
Dermatologists advise you to heed these recommendations if you want to quit chewing your nails. The good news is that most of the time, harm from chewing one’s nails is minimal.
However, it is unhygienic and might result in skin or nail infections as well as more frequent illnesses. To avoid these issues, it’s a good idea to find out how to stop biting nails.
What are the reasons for people biting their nails?
Before you find out how to stop biting nails, you should know why people do it.
You may not be fully aware of its impact but biting your nails is one of the most common body-focused repetitive disorders. BFRDs are those small routines we all have, like picking at our skin or pulling out our hair, that, if practised frequently enough, may be harmful.
Although there are recognised causes, some people suffer BFRDs for unknown reasons. These triggers may be grouped into five groups. The term “sensory trigger” refers to anything that arouses the senses (taste, touch, sight, smell, or hearing).
You could be set off by particular ideas or opinions, which are called cognitive triggers. When you encounter a motor trigger, which entails postures and motions that you perform, you can bite your nails and might not even be aware of it. Even certain locations might increase the likelihood of you biting your nails, which are called setting triggers.
How to stop biting nails?
- If you want to know how to stop biting nails, keep your nails short at all times. A smaller nail is less appealing and offers less to bite.
- Paint your nails with nail paint that has a bitter taste. This harmless but repulsive-tasting remedy, which is over-the-counter, deters many individuals from chewing their nails.
- Get manicures often. You might be less prone to bite your nails if you spend money on keeping them appealing. To stop biting, you can either tape or paste stickers on your nails or wear gloves.
- Change your nail-biting behaviour to a positive one. Instead of biting your nails when you feel like it, try playing with a stress ball or some silly putty. Your hands will be kept occupied and out of your mouth as a result.
- Find out what triggers you. These may be psychological triggers like boredom, tension, or worry, or they may be physical triggers like having hangnails. You may establish a strategy to quit biting your nails by identifying the events that trigger them and learning how to avoid them. Just being aware of when you’re likely to bite might help.
- Try to quit chewing your nails gradually. A gradual approach is advised by some doctors when trying to stop the habit. Try to quit chewing one set of nails initially, such as the ones on your thumbs. Eliminate your pinky nails, pointer nails, or perhaps a whole hand once that is achieved to the point when you stop biting any of your nails.
What’s the best way to stop biting your nails?
When we were younger, our mothers’ anti-biting polish application sufficed to provide some further assistance. Will we ever again apply salt or jalapenos to our nails?
Definitely not, no.
However, we might continue to carry cuticle scissors with us so that we can take care of any tough skin without resorting to using our teeth. The nicest thing that came out of our testing was discovering that our habit of biting our nails is undoubtedly something we do subconsciously when we are stressed out or bored, therefore the best thing for us to do is to become aware of it and stop.
The first step in helping myself stop biting my nails is becoming aware of what we are doing, when, where, and how often we do it. So we are going to concentrate on it. When we do, the disgusting germs on my hands are enough to deter me from putting them in our mouths at least for the time being.
Hence, mindfulness is probably the best tactic if you want to know how to stop biting your nails. It’s because people mostly bite their nails subconsciously and mindfulness lets you stay present in the moment, which will stop this disgusting habit.
Can Chewelery help?
Yes, you read that properly. Anyone aged 5 and older who needs to chew can wear a silicone Tooth necklace made by the firm ‘Ark.’ On a range from mild to extra-extra tough, you may select your colour and level of hardness. If you are conscious of your nail biting, this sort of device would work best for you.
You may use the necklace in place of gnawing your nails to help yourself focus or relax.
You might want to talk with your dentist about using chewing gum. Chewing on anything, including nails, can injure your teeth and jaw.
Make an appointment with your doctor if you have tried all of these DIY remedies without success. Nail biting may be a symptom of more significant psychological or emotional problems for certain people.
You may benefit from choosing behaviour therapy as another alternative. You can talk to your doctor about your habit of biting your nails during your session and get a recommendation for therapy.
If you see any infections on your fingers or nails, you should also call your doctor. With prescription or topical treatments, a dermatologist can assist you in healing your nails and battling any infection.
Conclusion
When we touch an area where a virus is present and then contact our noses, eyes, or mouths, we become prone to be affected by the virus as it gets a scope to enter our body. Though putting your fingers in your mouth is bad for your immune system, it is not a guarantee that chewing your nails will get you sick more frequently than those who don’t.
Biting your fingernails might harm your nail bed even if you aren’t concerned about germs. As a result, you run the danger of developing small incisions where germs and fungi may grow and infect you.
Additionally, biting your fingernails runs the risk of harming your teeth. Therefore, it is important to avoid sticking your nails in your mouth.
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