Ways to Cure Nail Biting

Nail biting is often done unknowingly, while an individual is otherwise distracted. It can therefore be a difficult behavior to stop. There are some techniques that can be used to stop the nail biting habit, from placing a barrier between the nails and your mouth to engaging in relaxation techniques to eliminate the underlying stress.

Keep Your Nails Trimmed

• An easy way to cure nail biting is to make sure there's no nail to bite; more specifically, trim your nails short. Make filing your nails a daily habit so the nails will never have the opportunity to get long enough for you to trim them with your teeth instead of with a clipper.

Wear False Nails

• Nails in their natural state often have no unpleasant taste. Changing this fact by wearing false nails or clear nail polish can be enough of a deterrent for you to get your fingers away from your taste buds. If you get a set of false nails you are particularly fond of, the financial risk of damage may be enough in and of itself for you to stop biting.

Keep Your Hands Busy

• Carry around a stress ball, silly putty or otherwise give your hands something to do. If you tend to bite while watching television, keep a ball of yarn by the couch. Knitting a scarf can save your nails and get you ahead on your Christmas gifts.

Wear Gloves

• Pharmacies will often sell cotton gloves that can be placed under a winter glove or on their own. Gloves will save your nails by not allowing your teeth to reach the fingertip. The feel of the glove in your mouth will also stop you from biting your nails unknowingly.

Decide to Break the Habit

• Set goals for yourself that get progressively more difficult until you are able to go for long stretches without nail biting. Start with three hours at a time. For example, plan to refrain from nail biting every day from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.. Then increase that time to 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. and so on, until you are going without for your entire workday. Like all subconscious habits, it may be easier to stick to a quitting regimen if you ease yourself off the action.

De-stress

• Most nail biting is caused by underlying stress. Instead of dealing with the nail biting directly, address its cause. Do meditation, yoga, deep breathing, regular exercise and other activities that allow you to calm down and release your stress in ways other than by creating a jagged edge on the end of your finger. At the end of the day, a few moments of peace may be enough to stop you from biting your nails forever.