How To Stop Biting Nails - Tips And Tricks

Nail biting is an immensely common behavioral trait among kids and teens that can lead to a number of undesirable aesthetic and health problems if left unchecked. Fortunately for us, while a notoriously difficult habit to cast away, there are a number of cheap, efficient and simple tricks we can use right away.

My goal with this article is both to inform and to outline a number of simple tips and tactics that will help you resist the urge to bite your nails both consciously and subconsciously, and pave the way to successfully shedding the habit -- for good! Not every method will work for every given individual, so I urge readers to try more than one before throwing in the towel.

Being fully informed about the potential side-effects of nail biting is a solid way to (or at least it was in my case) transform a mindset of "I should probably do something about this" to "I should definitely do something about this" in fairly short order.

Consider this section of the article the act of laying the foundations, since I'm aware it can be very difficult to reason your way to the other side (primarily because it is unconscious). Stay tuned for practical ways to go about shedding the habit, right after the following set of quick facts:

• Red, sore and generally painful fingertips are a common and often mildly debilitating side-effect of chronic nail biting. Bleeding can occur if you've bitten too far in, leading to broken skin which is vulnerable to infection.
• Germs are easily collected under the nails (fungi, bacteria and viruses) and are then transported frequently to the mouth, causing nail biters to be more susceptible to illness and infection.
• Infection can spread to the teeth and gums (gingivitis), and damage to the front of the teeth from biting can facilitate the onset of caries.
• Nail biting can spark social anxiety because of aesthetic considerations, even if no health hazards are evident.

This section will outline a number of practical tips and strategies which are commonly used to stop biting nails.

• Keeping your nails trimmed - Keeping your nails short is not only a great way to make damaged nails look better, it will also help you resist the urge to fix discrepancies by biting your nails until they "level off".
• Using foul tasting nail varnish - Perhaps one of the most popular ways to stop unconscious nail biting is that of a pungent and foul disincentive! Using a non-toxic varnish (there are quite a few cheap solutions out there) will allow you become conscious about your nail biting. If you don't feel like finding a commercial solution you could get creative by applying some spicy sauce!
• Putting band-aids on your nails - Protecting the tip of the nail with a band aid may be a little more conspicuous, but it is another solid way of becoming conscious about your nail biting without the foul tasting disincentive.
• Keep your hands and mouth busy - To quell the compulsive nature of nail biting, try and keep your mouth (sugar free sweets) and hands (stress balls, rubber bands) as busy as possible.
• Tackle the triggers - The most common triggers of nail biting are anxiety, boredom and occasionally even nutritional deficiencies (such as calcium). Identifying the root cause of your nail biting habit and facing it head-on can not only help you shed the habit, it also helps your health in general.
• Decide that you want to - While it may sound a little superfluous, occasionally simply deciding it's time to stop and steeling your will is enough to stop. The bottom-line is that, as with many habits and addictions, unless you want to stop, there is no tip or technique that will stand the test of time.
• Hypnosis - When all else fails consider the increasing popularity and value of neurolinguistics which have proven to be a fantastic way to unconsciously correct undesired behavioral traits such as phobias, stress and nail biting!