Let”s try! How to get rid of the habit of gnawing your nails

Biting one’s nails is a habit that many find difficult to end. It can persist for years after beginning in childhood and develop into a reflex in stressful circumstances.

Nail biting, despite its seemingly insignificant nature, can result in infections, damaged nails, and even social embarrassment. The good news is that you can kick this habit if you put in a little work and use the right techniques.

We’ll look at useful advice and techniques in this post to help you permanently quit biting your nails. These steps have the potential to significantly impact your experience, regardless of your level of experience.

Although it can be difficult to break the habit of biting your nails, there are techniques that can help you stop permanently. This post will walk you through a series of easy, doable actions that will help you take back control, save your nails, and feel more confident.

Why does a bad habit of gnawing nails appear?

It is astounding that psychologists focus on the typical unhealthy behavior. It is referred to as "onychophagia" and is one of the psychological forms of obsessive-compulsive disorder. You are not alone if you started to bite your nails out of stress. Feel free to admit it. Examining a group of individuals over 27, the scientists found that 100% of the subjects had high levels of anxiety.

Are you sure that chewing your nails is a good way to improve your cognitive function? This mechanical motion frequently accompanies thought and is thought to aid in concentration by some.

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This behavior is frequently likened to someone "gnawing at themselves" subliminally as a result of insecurities, discontent, or low self-worth. According to experts, when someone sees their nails bitten, it makes them want to bite them even more because it shows aggression and anger toward themselves.

If your nails are weak and break easily, you might feel ashamed of the way they naturally are rather than yourself. Understanding the origins of this habit will help you address half of the problem when it comes to how to stop biting your nails as an adult.

How to stop biting nails: getting rid of the habit

Yes, it’s not a good habit to have, but Britney Spears did it and Alexander Pushkin bit his nails even with a nanny’s hands tied, so you don’t have to think that this is just your issue. However, since Pushkin, more pleasant alternatives to handcuffing have been developed that are also quite effective.

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• In the question of "how not to bite your nails", a proven method that our parents and grandmothers used: laundry soap, mustard, iodine or salted water, will come to the rescue. But so that you do not even think about how to put your fingers in your mouth, you need to constantly cover the nail plate with these products.

• Aloe, which has been growing in your home since time immemorial, can also come in handy. It has such an unpleasant taste that it will quickly wean you off biting your nails. Its pulp should be applied to the fingertips and do this more often, renewing the coating after washing your hands. The beneficial properties of tree aloe will remove hangnails and small wounds from the skin, will help you in how to stop biting the skin around your nails. There was no aloe flower at home? There will definitely be no problems with onions. Use its juice to stop biting your nails.

• Treat the habit with using herbs is a good way. Wormwood is bitter and you just need to rub your nails with its juice. When there is a fungus on the skin, wormwood will help to get rid of it faster: make a bath for nails. For 1 liter of hot water, prepare about 200 grams of wormwood, boil it in boiling water for 10-15 minutes, leave for 30 minutes, then the decoction will be ready.

• If you are not ready to sacrifice going out for the sake of a beautiful manicure, use modern medicine. While it has not become fashionable to walk around with laundry soap on your nails, it is better to buy a special varnish. This convenient product will last on your nails for a long time. It tastes so bitter that you will quickly wean yourself off the habit. The varnish consists of useful vitamins and microelements that will strengthen your nails well and accelerate their growth. Do not let it "peel off", because you will not notice how the bad habit will return again. When you notice that the coating on your nails is no longer disgusting to taste, use the varnish again.

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• Nail biters are offered to replace their nails with something else, this will help in how to stop biting your fingernails. You shouldn"t carry carrots like a rabbit, but make sure you always have something to "sharpen". The nail plate grows back completely in 3-5 months, so remember how many nails you"ve already "eaten". It would be healthier to replace them with vitamins for the body: apples, tomatoes, and other. vegetables or fruits.

Statisticians show that artificial nails are chewed less than natural nails because acrylic and gel are too hard and do not feel as natural as nail plates. If women can strengthen them, the negative habit will vanish.

• A manicure will give an answer to an additional question: how to grow nails if you bite them. If you are bothered by the appearance and condition of your nails, get a manicure at home or in a salon: your nails will stop peeling, and their length will be comfortable for you. Cover them with varnish, and you will regret the effort or money spent: this will become additional motivation, and your nails will be well-groomed and beautiful.

• You are unlucky, your nails often break, and you straighten their shape with your teeth? It will be more convenient to carry a small nail file in your wallet to trim them at any time.

• Another old-fashioned method is to wrap your fingertips with adhesive tape. If you decide to use it, choose perforated plasters that allow air to pass through. This will prevent maceration from poor ventilation and will help keep your nails healthy.

How to stop biting your nails: taking urgent psychological measures

Individuals of both sexes experience onychophagia. Psychologists link this to stress that individuals and their surroundings emit. Many techniques have been developed; some will divert your attention from biting your nails, while others will treat the underlying issue. If your worries are the source of the habit, try managing your stress either on your own or with professional assistance.

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From the suggested list, pick a few of the most practical methods for you and use them all at once.

• Pay more attention to the good things in life, make them memorable: talk more about the positive and less about the negative, take pictures of memorable moments, praise yourself, start a diary and write down everything good that happened during the day, etc.p.

• Get rid of anxiety by clearly pronouncing your actions in private. A lot of thoughts appear in your head and it is difficult to follow their progress, and simple sentences: “I went into the kitchen. I drank some water. I’m going to watch a movie” calm you down. Having mentioned that you bite your nails, you will pull yourself up before you have time to say it.

• Take a course of vitamins to make your nervous system less susceptible to stress. They are interchangeable with healthy sleep and nutrition: buy more healthy foods. To avoid worrying too much, drink decoctions of valerian and motherwort. In addition, a charge of vitamins will make the nail plate stronger, which is important for people whose bad habit is associated with thinning and brittle nails.

• You should let yourself go and relax both spiritually and physically in order to understand how to get rid of the bad habit of biting your nails. Periodically take a soothing bath, go for a massage or spend time on spa treatments or aromatherapy. To make sure that the method works and to feel relaxed, start with a soothing tea at night or yoga at home. The more often you do something like this, the faster you will see the result.

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• To get rid of worries, write them down on a piece of paper. Write down everything that worries you, analyze where this feeling came from. When you have a problem in front of you, you can start solving it directly, and not worry about it.

• Use your hobby to throw a bad habit out of your head. Dancing or playing in a band, you will not remember about your nails during rehearsal.

• You need to concentrate? Instead of nails, gnaw on straws or corn sticks. The monotony of the actions will distract from the unpleasant habit and create a feeling of concentration.

• Let"s be honest, not everyone is able to give up the habit forever the first time. When deciding to get rid of something, it is convenient to create a reminder that is in a visible place: draw a cross on your finger, put on a brightly colored thread or a rubber band. Looking at this thing, you will associate it with the thought of a negative habit, and pull yourself back when your fingers reach for your mouth.

• Ask your friends to keep you in sight and react to attempts to bite your nails. Ten reminders a day will not allow you to forget about self-control.

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Although it may seem difficult to break the nail-biting habit, it is completely doable with the correct attitude and a few doable steps. Recall that perseverance and patience are essential. Begin by recognizing your triggers and substituting better habits for the impulse to bite.

Even small changes, like applying bitter-tasting nail polish, maintaining neat nails, or engaging in a hobby to keep your hands occupied, can have a significant impact. Setting modest objectives and rewarding yourself when you reach them are also beneficial.

Be kind to yourself above all else. Errors may occur, but each day presents a fresh chance for growth. You can break free from this habit and have healthier, more attractive nails with some time and effort.

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