Content

• Steps
• Method 1 of 6: Keeping Your Nails Healthy
• Method 2 of 6: How to keep your hands and mouth occupied
• Method 3 of 6: How to Use a Habit Relief
• Method 4 of 6: How to hide your nails
• Method 5 of 6: How to overcome the habit of one nail at a time
• Method 6 of 6: How to hide your nails with a patch
• Tips
• Warnings

The habit of biting your nails makes your hands look untidy. In addition, it can sometimes cause injury to nails, teeth or gums. Fortunately, there are ways to combat this habit that will help you stop biting your nails.

Steps

Method 1 of 6: Keeping Your Nails Healthy

1. 1 Try to get your nails done as often as possible. If you have a fresh manicure, you will feel sorry for biting your nails. Plus, you don't want to chew on the nail polish. When your nails grow back, try to keep them that way. The best way to keep your nails in shape is to do a new manicure.

   Health benefits of manicure
   Removal of dead skin particles.Much more dirt gets on the hands than on other parts of the body, so the skin on the hands is constantly regenerating, and dead particles fall off. A manicure usually involves cleansing and moisturizing the skin of the hands. This makes your hands look smoother and wrinkles become less noticeable over time.
   Improving blood circulation. During a manicure, moisturizer and cuticle products are rubbed into the skin, which improves blood circulation. This allows the body to ease pain and distribute heat more evenly throughout the body.
   Relaxation. A manicure is a great way to pause and pamper yourself. You deserve it!

   
   
2. 2 Try to walk with relatively short nails. A simple manicure will keep your nails healthy. However, you should strive to keep your nails short and control the urge to bite them.
   • If your nails grow back, trim them. Always carry your nail clippers with you. You cannot bite your nails if you have nothing to bite.
3. 3 Pull back the cuticle from time to time. For many people who bite their nails, a white semicircle is not visible at the base of the nail, since it is covered by an overgrown cuticle. Move the cuticle slightly towards the base of the nail to free up that space. The easiest way to do this is after a shower, while your hands and nails are still damp.
   • This will make the nails appear longer and the shape will be more beautiful. All this can also become a motivation to give up a bad habit.
4. 4 Monitor your diet. Proper nutrition will improve overall well-being and accelerate nail growth and repair. Eat foods high in calcium and magnesium to help your nails grow and regenerate. Often a person has a desire to bite his nails, because the body lacks calcium and magnesium, so he seeks to regain these substances.

   Products for nail growth
   High protein foods: lean meats (chicken, tenderloin), nuts, spinach, chickpeas, soybeans, whole grains
   Foods high in zinc: oysters, legumes, red meat (in small amounts)
   Foods high in calcium: chia seeds, white beans, leafy vegetables, nuts
   Foods high in magnesium: pumpkin seeds, dark chocolate
   Foods high in biotin: bananas, peanuts, lentils, almonds (or almond oil)
   Essential fatty acid foods: tuna, salmon, shellfish and crustaceans, leafy vegetables

   
   
5. 5 Show off your success. Feel free to show your nails to friends or even just acquaintances. Show your hands and say, "I can't believe that I used to bite my nails before."
   • Take a picture of your hands and enjoy how good they look now. You can even hang your photos on the wall or place them next to your photo nails before you start following them. It will remind you that you are capable of big changes in your life.

Method 2 of 6: How to keep your hands and mouth occupied

1. 1 Get yourself into a new habit that you can replace your nail biting habit. Whenever you feel like biting your nails, do something else.Some people enjoy tapping their fingers, spinning their thumbs, crossing their fingers, tucking their hands in their pockets, or just looking at them. The most important thing is not to replace one bad habit with another. Find something useful or at least harmless.

   Substitution habits
   Roll a small object in your hands. Carry a rubber band, a coin, or anything else that you can keep your hands busy with.
   Distract your hands when you bite your nails most of the time. Find out when you feel the urge to bite your nails (for example, in the car or in class), and find something that you can focus on in the current environment. If you're in class, try writing a detailed summary. If you are sitting in the passenger seat in the car, turn the keys in your hands.
   Crumple clever plasticine or clay. Try carrying polymer clay or a piece of clay with you. These substances are pleasant to wrinkle and can distract you from your nails.
   Keep a coin in your pocket. Try carrying a coin in your pocket and twisting it in your hands when you feel like biting your nails.

   
   
2. 2 Distract your hands with a new hobby. The hobby will not only prevent you from biting your nails, but will also allow you to reveal yourself from a new side.

   Hobby options
   Cleaning the house. This passion will make your home cleaner and more enjoyable for you.
   Crochet or knitting. Knitting or crocheting skills allow you to create beautiful scarves, hats and sweaters. These items can make great gifts for your family.
   Run. Sports stimulate the production of endorphins, which can help you feel more relaxed. This will be especially helpful if you bite your nails when you're nervous.
   Nail art. Try to paint your nails and do nail designs. This creative passion will help you overcome a bad habit.
   Working with clay or plaster. This activity is ideal for people who bite their nails, because the smell of substances persists on the fingers for a long time, which repels a person from the habit of biting nails.

3. 3 Keep your mouth busy. A few simple tricks will keep your mouth busy and less likely to bite your nails, although it is important to try to avoid the new bad habit associated with oral fixation.

   How to occupy your mouth
   Chew gum or hard candy throughout the day. It will be difficult for you to bite your nails if you are busy with chewing or delicious candy. Plus, you're unlikely to enjoy the flavor combination of peppermint gum or orange candy and nails.
   Snack on a small snack throughout the day. Eating too often and not worth it, or you can gain excess weight, but it will be useful for you to carry carrot sticks or pieces of celery with you and nibble them from time to time.
   Carry a bottle of water with you. Bring water with you everywhere and drink it whenever you feel like biting your nails.

4. 4 Paint your nails. Nail polish can discourage you from biting your nails, as the bright color will delight you. In addition, you will have additional motivation not to bite your nails, as you are unlikely to want to ruin a beautiful manicure.
   • Choose a color that you like so that you do not have the desire to remove the varnish.
   • Design your nails. You don't want to get rid of the varnish if you like the design.
   • Make nail art your hobby. If you walk around with varnish for a long time, your nails will have time to grow back.

Method 3 of 6: How to Use a Habit Relief

1. 1 Apply an anti-bite coating to your nails to prevent chewing. There are many different tools (Mavala Stop, "I don't want to gnaw", "Nekusayka" and others) that can be used to make it easier to unlearn the habit. Look for them at a pharmacy, large hypermarket, or online.
   • All of these varnishes are safe and non-toxic. They allow you to fight nail biting due to an unpleasant taste.
   • Before using this or that tool, read the instructions for it.Typically, these products are applied in the same way as regular nail polish. When you automatically start biting your nails, you will feel an unpleasant taste of the enamel, which will make it easier for you to remember not to bite your nails.
2. 2 Apply the product to your nails several times a day. Try applying a layer of clear polish on top of the enamel first to keep the product lasting longer and to make the surface of your nails smoother. The smooth surface will also remind you not to bite your nails (you may find that just one coat will be enough).
3. 3 Carry the product with you at all times. Put the jar in your bag, leave it in the car or on your work bench, and when one coat has worn off, apply a new one. The most important thing here is consistency.
4. 4 Try a different brand of product. As mentioned above, there are quite a few remedies for nail biting. If one doesn't work for you, or if you get used to the smell, simply replace it with another and keep trying.
5. 5 Continue applying the product when you stop biting your nails. Even if you've managed to stop biting your nails, you can keep the product as a reminder of your achievement.
   • If you ever feel the urge to bite your nails in the future, you can sniff the product to remind yourself how frustrating the experience was.

Method 4 of 6: How to hide your nails

1. 1 Cover your nails with nail polish. Try using a bright color (like red) or an expressive color (like black) that won't look good if your nails are damaged. If you don't like colored polishes, polish your nails and apply glitter, nail growth, or petroleum jelly. You will feel sorry for biting your nails if they are in good condition.
2. 2 Wear extended nails. This is another good way to hide your nails. Sign up at a salon for acrylic nail extensions - this substance will be applied over your nail plates. With extended nails, you can walk for a long time, and when you remove them, your grown natural nails will be from below.
   • If you're serious about it, sign up for a very expensive extension manicure. If the manicure is expensive, it will be much more difficult for you to decide to bite your nails.
3. 3 Wear gloves. Keep gloves in your back pocket and wear them whenever you feel like biting your nails. This will motivate you especially if it's summer outside, since you will look ridiculous with gloves.
   • If you are writing or doing something that is very difficult to do with gloves, you will have another reason not to bite your nails. Remind yourself that if you didn't have a bad habit, you wouldn't have to wear gloves.

Method 5 of 6: How to overcome the habit of one nail at a time

1. 1 Choose one nail for protection. If you have a nail that is more damaged than others, it is best to start with that nail. But if all nails look the same, start with any.
   • If you find it difficult to break the habit at once, try working with one nail at a time in order to gradually arrive at the desired goal and not ask too much of yourself at once.
2. 2 Try not to bite this nail for several days. You may be able to do this on your own, but if not, wrap the tip of your chosen finger with a tape. This will prevent you from reaching the nail, making it harder for you to chew on it.
3. 3 Pay attention to how much better this nail looks compared to others. After a couple of days, the grown nail will be noticeably different from others.
   • Do not chew on the selected nail. If you really want to bite your nails, bite others, but do not touch this one. Sometimes it’s enough to know that you can bite other nails even if you don’t.
4. 4 Pick another nail. When the nail covered with the plaster grows back a little, start protecting another nail. At this point, it will be important not to touch both nails. You do not want to lose the result that you were able to achieve with the first nail!
5. 5 Repeat the process until you stop chewing. all nails. If you ever feel the urge to bite your nails, do the same and allow yourself to bite just one nail. This will reduce the damage to your nails.

Method 6 of 6: How to hide your nails with a patch

1. 1 Place the plaster on your nails. Cover the nail with a strip of adhesive and glue the edges to the pad of your finger.
2. 2 Wear the patch every day until you stop biting your nails. You can change the patch after a shower, when it gets dirty, or every few days.
   • If you have an important event ahead of you, you can remove the patch or leave it and look stupid so that you have additional motivation to stop biting your nails.
   • Unless you bite your nails in your sleep, remove the patch at night. This will allow your skin to breathe. Be sure to replace a very wet or dirty patch.
3. 3 Remove the patch after a few weeks.It takes at least 21 days to break the habit, so be prepared to wear the patch for three weeks. Then you can refuse it.
   • But if you are serious, you should replace your bad habit with a good one. For example, start chewing sugar-free gum or playing with a stress ball while wearing the patch. It is usually easier to get rid of a bad habit by replacing it with a good one.
4. 4 Pay attention to how much better your nails look. If you start biting your nails again, stick the patch on your nails again and wear it longer, or try another way to wean yourself off the habit.
   • Some studies indicate that it takes up to three months to get rid of the habit completely, so don't expect quick success. Continue to control your habit and remind yourself to fight it even after you remove the patch.
   • To make the process easier, try painting your nails, getting a manicure at the salon, or using a nail bite remover when you remove the patch.

Tips

• Remember that this bad habit can be hazardous to your health. When you bite your nails, you are constantly transferring bacteria from your hands to your mouth.
• If you have the urge to bite your nails, wash your hands with soap or hand sanitizer. If you start biting your nails, you will taste the soap.
• Try to understand why and when you have this desire. This may be due to stress, anxiety, or boredom. To solve the problem, it is important to eliminate the root cause.
• If your friend is facing the same problem, set a goal for two and start fighting the habit together.
• Try wearing gloves or mittens at home.
• Mark each day you didn’t bite your nails on a calendar. Try to hold out for as many days in a row as possible. As a result, you can look back and feel proud that you managed to overcome the habit.
• If you absolutely need to keep your hands busy, just sit in the palm of your hand or put your hands in your pockets.
• Try carrying a coin with you. When you feel the urge to bite your nails, twirl the coin in your hands.
• You can keep track of your progress in a diary to stay motivated or to remind yourself of how bad your nails used to look. Take before and after pictures of your nails and keep them in your journal.
• Typically, 5 millimeters of a nail will grow back in three weeks. Mark your desired nail length on the calendar for a specific date.
• Wrap your nails with something and glue something to them. Gradually the nails will grow back. The longer the nails are wrapped with something, the longer they will become.

Warnings

• Know when to seek help. If the problem becomes so severe that you bite your nails all the time, because of which the cuticle begins to bleed or the nails fall off, there is a chance that you will not be able to overcome the habit yourself.If this is the case, see your doctor as soon as possible to see if the habit is a manifestation of a more serious problem (such as obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD)).