Nail-biting typically begins in childhood and continues until it becomes a stubborn habit! Changing this terrible habit becomes difficult and can affect your natural nails severely.
Nail-biting habits can cause you much physical damage such as skin infections, damage skin cells, and tissues, and affect your nails’ overall health and growth.
You must be thinking about how to stop biting nails? To help you get away with this situation, in this article, we have mentioned the reasons and preventive ways to stop nail-biting.
Let’s first understand the reasons that make you bite your nails so often!
Why Do You Bite Your Nails So Often?
You must be wondering why you bite your nails so often? Let us tell you the truth that you are not the only one facing this situation. We all might have gone through it!
It begins from an early age, and if once it becomes your habit, it’s hard to pinpoint this terrible situation. The most common triggers of nail-biting are boredom and anxiety issues.
Doctors have proved that nail-biting can offer you instant relief or comfort when you are incredibly stressed out with the workload or personal problems.
It is believed that people bite their nails so often due to excessive stress issues. But some people also bite their nails when they feel hungry, tired, or insecure.
Try to change this terrible habit for many unhealthy reasons. Here we have listed some significant reasons to stop nail-biting. Scroll down to get more information.
Reasons to Stop Biting your Nails
Nail-biting may not cause you a severe problem, but it is harmful to your overall health. Here we have listed some of the primary reasons you have to stop nail biting from now on. It includes –
Weird growth of your nails
If you regularly bite your nails, notice the shape of your cuticle and nails. Nail-biting damages tissues and growth of your nails. It makes your nails grow weird and in different directions. Nail-biting may make your nails look abnormal.
Can cause you further jaw problems
If you often bite your nails, please stop it for maintaining that beautiful smile. You can creak, chip, or break your teeth while biting your nails. It can also cause further jaw problems.
It can cause skin infections
If you bite your nails often, it may cause further skin problems, such as cuticle damage, dead skin cells, redness around your nails, and nail infections.
It can make you sick
Your mother might have scolded you for nail-biting, it is because your nails are not fully hygienic! It may consist of a tiny organism that you cannot see even with naked eyes.
If you possess a habit of sucking your nails and fingers, then it may make you sick.
Additionally, it may cause other diseases, such as digestive problems, headaches, common cold, and other harmful conditions. Try not to put fingers inside your mouth to avoid skin damage and other diseases.
Prevention of Nail-Biting
Nail-biting habits cannot be changed overnight, but you can make a little difference by starting it today! You can stop yourself from biting your nails by following these below mentioned preventive tips to combat this situation.
Try these tips:
Trim your nails
You can easily change this nail-biting habit by merely trimming your nails. If there is not enough nail to bite or clip, you won’t crave for nail-biting!
Apply a bad taste nail paints
You can stop nail biting by applying bad taste nail paint. If your nail tastes bitter, you won’t think of clipping it. The terrible taste will make you feel thrice before nail-biting.
Regular natural nail manicures
If you spend time, money, and efforts to keep your nails in good and healthy shape, you won’t think of chewing it. The efforts you spend on taking care of your natural nails will keep you away from the nail-biting habit.
Wear gloves
If it becomes difficult for you to come out of this terrible situation, you can make it possible by wearing gloves. Yes, it may sound silly, but if you want your nails healthy, you have to get away with nail-biting thoughts. Gloves will cover your nails and fingers; works as a reminder to not to bite nails.
Keep your mouth and hands busy
If you are craving for your nails badly, try to keep your mouth and hands busy. You can use stress ball, worry stone, or chewing gum to make your mouth and hands active.
Replace the nail-biting habit with a good habit
If you find difficulties in changing this challenging habit, you can adopt something new to replace this bad habit.
People do meditate to make their mind free and focus at one point. You can replace this habit by doing simple meditation or breathing exercises that will keep you away from nail-biting thoughts.
Know your triggers
You can quickly stop nail-biting once you get to know its triggers. Identify what makes you bite your nails so often? There can be many triggers, such as boredom, stress, anxiety issues, and dead skin around nails, hangnails, etc.
Once you get to know your trigger, you will quickly figure out how to come out of these situations. Prepare a plan to avoid triggers and stop nail-biting.
Follow a gradual approach
Habit can never be changed overnight, so doctors recommend taking progressive and baby steps towards any strong habit.
You can stop nail-biting, by starting it from one nail, then thumb, and then one set of nails followed by another set of nails.
If it’s become successful, you will gradually forget the nail-biting habit. The ultimate goal is to achieve the point where you no longer bite any of your nails.
Final Words
Nail-biting habits can be changed with the patience and right attitude; if you are dedicated enough, you can easily fight against this terrible habit.
If nail biting has affected your natural nails drastically, you must visit the dermatologist to seek professional advice. Nail-biting can cause a dead, swollen red skin around your nails that may ruin your expensive manicure.
Get ready to change a nail-biting habit with the above-mentioned tips and measures!
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