Six Effective Hacks To Eliminate Your Nail-Biting Habit

Typically the habit of nail-biting begins in childhood and may continue through adulthood. But the side effects of nail biting are more than cosmetic.

Constant nail biting can cause the skin around the nails to swell up and damage the tissues that help in the growth of nails, often resulting in peculiar-looking nails. This odd habit is hard to get rid of, but you don't have to fret, as we are here to help you give up nibbling on your fingernails with some easy hacks mentioned below.

Dip your nails in salt

First, you need to immerse your fingers in the water. Then dip your nails in salt and dust off the excess. The salt will leave an unpleasant taste in your mouth every time you nibble on your nails.

Apply a nail paint that tastes bitter.

Get a bitter-tasting over-the-counter nail paint that is safe but has a gross-tasting formula to deter people from nibbling on their nails.

Find out what triggers this habit.

If you are determined to quit this habit, your first step should be paying a closer look at where and when in your day you often engage in this activity. For instance, you may realize that you often bite your nails when stressed or anxious at work. Self-monitoring can help curb this behavior.

Keep your nails trimmed at all times.

If your nails grow too long, your chompers may get tempted to feast on them. By keeping them short and trimmed, you will have less or nothing to bite on.

Get pretty nails to discourage biting.

Try a dope DIY manicure at home, or get professionally done beautiful nails from your nearest salon. The moment your nails start looking too pretty, you will probably be less interested in biting them. For a more effective remedy, opt for acrylic or gel manicure, as artificial nails are more difficult to bite through than your natural nails.

Keep yourself distracted

If you keep your hands engaged, you can trick your mind to remain distracted from chomping on your nails. Every time you get an urge to nibble on your nails, try keeping your hands busy doing something else. Maybe you should try your hand at sewing, journaling or engaging yourself in gardening. Any distraction will work for as long as it is healthy and useful.

Try out the hacks mentioned above to see which works best for your nails and gut health.