From this material you can find out where the irresistible desire to spoil with your teeth comes from and why this process is dangerous. We will talk about how to stop biting your nails once and for all, resorting to various tricks or using special tools.

Why does the urge to bite your nails arise?

Before finding a solution to a problem, it is important to understand its essence. Therefore, it is worth understanding why people of different ages bite their nails and what this can lead to.

In an adult

People who bite their nails not only spoil the appearance of their hands, but often repel those around them. Few people will like an interlocutor who now and then nibbles on the nail plate or barbs on the skin of the fingers. A person rarely notices what he is doing at the moment, but he knows about the habit. What is the reason for this problem?

There are several reasons for biting your nails:

1. stressful or conflict situation. Small children are more susceptible to them, although adults can be nervous.
2. A kind of masochism. A psychological disorder in which a person enjoys hurting himself. In this case, the risk of injury is increased.
3. The person is unsure of himself. Most often these are small children whose parents take care of them too much or, on the contrary, suppress any manifestation of independence.
4. genetic predisposition. This factor has not been proven, but scientists' assumptions about this exist.
5. Self-flagellation. It differs from masochism in that a person is aware of his actions, but does not enjoy them.
6. Brittle nails. When they are constantly peeling and breaking, you may want to shorten them altogether, but without scissors.
7. Simple boredom. A person suffering from idleness simply does not know what to do with himself.

The child has

Nail biting is more common in young children than in adults. This is usually associated with a less stable psyche and in most cases boys face a problem. Toddlers, like adults, tend to be nervous for various reasons, and stressful situations are also possible.

Also, the child may begin to bite his nails due to the fact that he previously had another habit - sucking his thumb on his hand. A problem arises when parents do not pay enough attention to their child. But here we are talking not only about the mental state, but also the appearance of the child's fingers. The appearance of burrs must be monitored, otherwise the baby will try to get rid of them and start biting his nails. Sometimes the cause of neurosis is a lack of vitamins in the body.

Other reasons can also influence the emergence of such a habit - self-masochism, idleness or brittle nails. Attentive parents usually easily determine the cause, but sometimes you have to seek help from a child psychologist.

How dangerous is this habit?

If for some reason the aesthetic side of the problem does not bother, this does not mean at all that you can ignore it. What happens if you bite your nails, and is it dangerous? There are many negative factors:

• the risk of swallowing harmful microorganisms that are under the nails and getting an intestinal infection;
• the likelihood of damage to tooth enamel in the process of biting off parts of the nail or skin;
• all the same microbes can lead to stomatitis in the mouth, which occurs after damage to the mucosa;
• it makes no sense to talk about damage to a beautiful manicure, but the varnish itself can harm human health, and its smallest particles can easily enter the body;
• if you do not stop biting your nails, their condition will only worsen over time;
• the infection can also be introduced through the skin of the fingers, which will lead to various problems with it;
• in cases where the habit of biting nails is associated with an emotional state, there is a risk of only complicating it.

How to solve a problem in an adult?

Although this problem is most common in young children, adults also need to know how to stop biting their nails. This can be done both with the help of various means, and resorting to all sorts of tricks.

Psychological tricks

Given the fact that the habit of biting nails is most often a consequence of nervous breakdowns or disorders, it makes sense to look for options to get rid of it in psychology. There are many clever tricks that actually turn out to be very effective. Here is some of them:

1. Spending a large amount of money on a manicure. This technique has only one drawback - it is not suitable for men. Not a single woman in the world will spoil a beautiful and expensive manicure with her teeth. It will also help them finally find long nails, because previously they were constantly shortened in the wrong way. In addition, extended nails have a denser structure, due to which they are much more difficult to bite.
2. "Manual" hobby. It can be any kind of needlework - knitting or embroidery, and for men, burning or woodcarving is perfect. This technique is also useful because a person is forced to learn something new and will no longer be able to waste time.
3. Dispute. This will require close friends or relatives, i.e. people who genuinely want to help. The wager does not have to be very valuable financially, but the winnings must be important for a person suffering from nail biting.
4. Penalties. Close people who will inspect the nails daily will again be able to help in this. It is necessary to determine in advance the sums of money that the offender will pay to his "guard". You should not make fines symbolic, otherwise there will be no particular fear of giving money away.

The last 2 tricks work, as does the encoding for alcohol or other addiction. The bottom line is that a person must decide for himself and completely want it. Otherwise, there is a risk of losing friends or seriously quarreling with relatives.

Some experts advise putting something edible (candy or an apple) into your mouth when you want to bite your nails. But you should be careful with this method, because a new habit will appear - seizing stress, which will lead to excess weight.

Cosmetic approach

Modern cosmetology allows you to get rid of the habit of biting your nails with the help of special tools that are applied to the nail plate. In addition, such tools also allow you to restore the surface of the nail, for which they include strengthening elements.

These coatings are divided into the following types:

• Special varnishes. Their whole secret is in a bitter and unpleasant taste, which will immediately let the brain know that a person has begun to bite his nails, even if he does it unconsciously. Due to the lack of color, such a varnish can be used so as not to bite the nails of men.
• Oils. In addition to an unpleasant aftertaste, they also have a nasty smell, so they are recommended to be applied at night. By morning, the aroma will fade a little, but the desire to bite tasteless nails will not arise.
• Cosmetic wax. An unusual texture is added to the already indicated smell and taste. A person who tries to bite his nails will feel sand or oil on his teeth for a long time.

Cosmetic oils and waxes are best used at night, but not only because of the smell. The problem is that after washing your hands, they lose all the effect.

Table "Varnishes so as not to bite your nails"

There are a huge number of varnishes from various companies, some of which are presented in the table.

Name	approximate cost	Short description	Image
Mesauda Milano Anti-Biting Care 108	400-450 rub.	Dries quickly, gives a bitter taste to the nails. Must be applied every 2 days
Orly No Bite Nail	500 rub.	Gives nails a taste of hot pepper, not suitable for children under 5 years old
Divage So Bitter	400 rub.	It has a bitter-sour taste, a burning sensation appears on the tongue
Mavala Stop	450-500 rub.	Safe composition, bitter taste. Not suitable for children under 3 years old

Folk remedies

This is not the most effective way to stop biting your nails, although it often works with children. Its whole point is to smear the surface of the nails and the skin around them with mustard or horseradish. In general, it can be any product whose taste seems unpleasant to a person.

How to stop biting your child's nails?

If an adult still understands the danger of the situation, then it is not always easy to deal with kids. What to do if the child bites his nails? In such a situation, you can also use both psychology and special coatings.

Psychological approach

In this case, all the impact on the child's psyche comes from his parents, and therefore it is they who must develop the following habits for themselves and their baby:

• In no case should you express your dissatisfaction with his behavior in an aggressive form, i.e. shout and beat on the hands.
• Talk to your daughter or son more often, gently learning about his problems and worries, thereby calming him and giving him a sense of security.
• Parents themselves are obliged to take care of their hands, while simultaneously teaching the child the basic skills of caring for them.
• Children, too, can be distracted from the habit of biting their nails during all kinds of activities that require hands (needlework, drawing, playing constructor).
• An excellent option would be a fairy tale of your own composition, in which 2 opposite characters are compared. Their difference is precisely in the state of the nails, and the result is the presence or absence of friends.

In the most difficult case, a visit to a professional psychologist will be mandatory.

The use of cosmetics

Children are also well suited for the nail coatings already indicated in the material - varnishes, oils and wax. But you can't limit yourself to just them. As already mentioned, often the problem is vitamin deficiency, therefore it will not be superfluous to take vitamins and minerals, especially in the winter-spring period. To make it easier for the baby to control himself, you can give him soothing herbal teas or preparations of natural origin.

Video "How to wean a child to bite his nails"

The video presents the most effective ways to solve this problem in children, according to experts.

According to Dr. Komarovsky, a child bites his nails without even thinking about what he is doing and the consequences. The process develops into a habit gradually and does not go away at all over the years. That is why the problem must be taken seriously.

The child needs to know and understand why his mom and dad are so worried about him biting his nails. Therefore, it is necessary to explain this to him, but only in a calm form. If you shout at him, then he will stop doing it, but only with his parents. According to the same Komarovsky, there is no point in smearing your nails with tasteless mustard or intimidating the baby with scary stories. Sometimes such actions lead to the fact that he begins, for example, to bite his lips instead of nails.

The best solution would be to review the child's daily routine. It is necessary to devote as much time as possible to him, communicate with him, spend more time in the fresh air, do a soothing massage and limit the use of a computer and other equipment to a minimum. At the same time, it will be useful to conduct games and classes on concentration.

Constant nail biting will not kill you, of course, but it can cause a lot of trouble. Here are the main dangers that lie in wait for those who like to put their fingers in their mouths:

1. The shape of the nails and the condition of the skin around them deteriorate. They appear, and if you also accidentally damage the top layer of the skin, an infection can get into the wound and cause severe inflammation.
2. The condition of the teeth worsens: chips and cracks in the enamel are possible. But teeth, as you know, are not nails and will not grow back on their own. In addition, the front teeth are under threat, the condition of which is striking to others. You can also earn inflammation of the gums and oral cavity.
3. The risk of digestive disorders increases. On the hands, especially under the nails, a huge number of microbes live. If you drag your hands into your mouth again and again, sooner or later, harmful microorganisms from under your nails will attack you from the inside.

How to get rid of a bad habit

1. Trim your nails regularly

The shorter the nail, the harder it is to bite.

You will be sorry to spoil it. Firstly, because it is beautiful, and secondly, because it is expensive. For the sake of parting with a nasty habit, you can cover your nails with gel or acrylic: it is quite difficult to bite off this.

3. Start saving one nail

Give up the habit gradually: first, forbid yourself to bite a nail, for example, on the thumb of your right hand. At first it will be difficult to remember the ban, but in the end you will be able to remove one finger from among the nibbled ones, and the appearance of the nail on it will surely please you. After that, add the nail of the index finger to the number of guarded objects, and so on, until the habit disappears completely.

4. Use Special Bitter Tasting Coatings

There are varnishes and enamels against nail biting. These funds are sold both in pharmacies and in cosmetic stores.

5. Wear gloves or plaster your nails

Cardinally, but effectively: in this case, you will not physically be able to get to the nails.

Try to understand in what situations or in what emotional state you put your hands in your mouth. Perhaps you are provoked by an uneven edge of the nail or a hangnail, or maybe you are just bored or anxious. Find out the reason, and it will be much easier for you to control yourself.

7. Swap one habit for another

Hold something in your hands more often - squeeze, twist the spinner, drive a coin between the phalanges of your fingers, or just click with a fountain pen. Instead of nails, chew an apple or chew gum. In a word, occupy your mouth and hands with something less harmful.

8. Go to the doctor

Sometimes nail biting signals mental or emotional overload. If you have already tried everything, but the habit turned out to be stronger than you, consult a doctor.

It seems that it’s okay - an attractive girl sits on a bench in the park and manipulates her finger in thought near her mouth. Even some touching picture... Or a broad-shouldered modern teenager in the decisive minutes of a football match fiercely bites something on his finger! Well, okay - he doesn’t break windows ...

But it turns out that this habit, which, in general, does not interfere with anyone except its owner, is very difficult to eliminate! And this charmer on the bench, perhaps, diligently hides her hands from everyone, and cries at night because the face of her beloved twitched unpleasantly at the sight of her nails bitten to the ground ... And she can’t do anything - suddenly, after all the oaths to herself, from the thought of tomorrow's meeting with HIM, the hand itself reaches for the mouth, and - gnaw, gnaw, gnaw ...

Many of us have our own bad habits. Nervous, dragged on a cigarette - it seemed to feel better; an obsessive thought does not give rest - and went in circles to wind around the house; the problem is not solved or it just got boring - and sweets go one after another after cakes or seeds ... And some people start biting their nails ...

Even the name of this unpleasant habit is - onychophagy! And after all, what is interesting: this seemingly meaningless activity begins most often at the age of three or four, and already at seven or ten years, about a third of children bite their nails (some on their hands, and some on their feet at the same time ...). And by the age of 14-15, exactly half of the teenagers walk with gnawed, untidy nails, they themselves are terribly embarrassed about this, but it’s very difficult to get rid of this activity ... And many live with this bad habit to gray hair ...

It is believed that the main cause of onychophagia is stress. Either positive or negative. But this question is not completely closed: there is an opinion that the habit is often transmitted from parents who themselves loved to bite their nails in childhood (and even now sometimes - they just don’t admit it ...). Or that children who sucked their fingers in infancy later switched to biting their nails.

Psychologists suggest that this habit is an external expression of internal "remorse" for some reason. Maybe you are extremely dissatisfied with yourself in your soul, and you don’t realize it, but your self-esteem goes down. A vicious circle is created - after looking at his bitten nails, a person additionally loses his self-esteem points - and bites his nails with even more bitterness! Studies have also shown that ALL people who fell under the influence of this habit (a group of 1200 people between the ages of five and twenty-seven) experienced an increased constant feeling of anxiety. And for many adults, nail biting also indicates a state of sexual dissatisfaction ...

But how to get rid of this unpleasant habit?

1. First - try to understand and eliminate the cause of its occurrence

2. Always have a nail file with you to trim the corners that often remain after accidentally breaking off the nail. This will eliminate the excuse of "nibbling" ...

3. Imagine WHAT germs can be under your nails! And dysentery, and in general - anything ... Another disgusting option - squeeze out a pimple, if there is one. It is unlikely that you will pull these fingers into your mouth ...

4. Scratch with your nails, preferably household or tar. And the mouth is disgusting, and the nails are clean after that ...

5. Lubricate your fingertips (and nails ...) with something like adjika, pepper, mustard, etc. at the first urge to chew. Helps…

6. Pinch your wrist tendon whenever you try to bite your nails - this will develop a certain negative reflex.

7. Often they bite their nails to calm down: gnaw on a wooden toothpick (at worst, a match ...) or an apple. Very strong clenching and unclenching of fists often also helps ... A walk with a good person works wonderfully with disheveled nerves ... Or - take a sedative and sleep! It'll all be over by morning...

8. For women - visit the salon and grow your nails. It’s not easy to bite off an acrylic or helium nail, and the thought of the price will stop ...

9. Buy a special varnish in a pharmacy, bitter. Its terrifying taste will discourage even touching lips with a painted fingernail. But! To achieve the maximum effect, it is necessary to remove the old one and apply a new layer of varnish at least twice a week. If the varnish is chipped along the edge, the bitterness will go away, and the habit does not doze off ...

10. Bet someone on a monetary interest (dinner at a restaurant or cafe, for example, or going to the theater with a visit to the buffet) that you will not bite your nails for a week. Maybe greed will help you...

There are still a lot of national councils, but they are more exotic. For example, Italian - to put plaster on the fingers, or Indian - to dip the fingers in a strong solution of quinine. The most radical is the old Russian method of Malyuta Skuratov: remove the nails from the root, thereby eliminating the object of gnawing ...

Do you know why a habit fades with advancing age? That's right - the reason is in the gnawing tool. With false teeth, you don’t really get around ...

So - the last, trouble-free advice!

If none of the above recommendations helped you: trust nature and caries! Stop brushing your teeth, rinsing your mouth after eating and filling holes! The teeth will disappear - but then you will surely have impeccably beautiful, even and wonderful nails!

If you are reading this article, it means that you, like me once, got the habit of biting your fingernails. It is not easy to unlearn any bad habit, especially if you have been biting your nails since childhood for yourself and even others. I hope my practical tips on how to stop biting your nails help you get rid of this bad habit.

A little preface, I've been biting my nails for as long as I can remember, why can't I remember. But these were certainly not nervous experiences, as many “experts” write in their advice. In my opinion, it was that the kindergarten teacher deftly bit off, then “from nothing to do” during a quiet hour in the same kindergarten, I continued to bite my nails, then the desire that the nails looked neat - the scissors did not yet trust the parent.

And most importantly, no one stopped and did not say that biting your nails is harmful, although, in my opinion, they said, but biting your nails has become a habit. Then there was school and falling in love, there were definitely experiences here, I didn’t notice that sometimes I bit my nails until they bled.

At that time, probably, it was already possible to agree that an almost “adult” person bites his nails at the moment of strong emotional experiences, because of self-doubt. Did I then try to get rid of the habit of biting my nails - I tried, because they crumbled, and the skin on my fingers got it, she suffered from burrs, peeled off. It is terrible to remember this red, thin, crusted, constantly bursting skin, especially in the cold.

My mother and I treated the skin with creams, thank you very much for her help and support, they helped me very well after the massage, and sea ​​salt baths. Tried a nail polish with an unpleasant taste, it helped, but not for long. Then nuts and dried fruits were used, you know, they sell them in supermarkets, in bags. So I acquired another habit of chewing and became, I am ashamed to remember, “pampushka”.

Then there was another inflection in my life, when I accidentally heard my lover in a conversation with friends call me “ham”, I stopped eating altogether. And the habit of biting the nails on the hands did not pass. So I almost got to anorexia, maybe even got there, because I vomited when I tried to eat something. The return to normal life was difficult, I won’t describe it, it’s not about him, but about the ill-fated nails, or rather about how i learned to bite my nails on hands.

How I got rid of the habit of biting my nails.

Saved me, as I think the same love, or rather sent to me by fate or God's beloved, though at first sight he did not like me, not my type. At that time I liked boys similar to Yura Shatunov, and he had nothing more from Yura besides his name. He brought me almost by force to the gym, then there were long conversations about nothing, walks in the fresh air.

It was he who helped me, I loved to draw since childhood, but I didn’t know that I would open myself in. Of course, having fallen in love with my nails, I stopped biting them, so my love for drawing first turned into a hobby for me, having completely weaned biting my nails on my hands, and then became my specialty.

Where is the promised tips on how to stop biting your nails, you ask. In my short life, I tried everything that the "experts" advise, try you too, with each your way to get rid of the bad habit of biting your nails, the main desire, self-control and you are also lucky. After all, it’s not the gods who burn the pots!

Many parents face the problem of bitten nails. At first glance, this is a harmless bad habit. Not everyone is struggling with this problem. It is believed that in time their child will outgrow this. It is not uncommon for an adult to bite his fingernails. It is very difficult to get rid of an inveterate manner. It is necessary to eradicate the problem in childhood.

The reasons

If your baby bites her nails, people call it a "bad habit." In psychology, it is recognized as a mental illness - onychophagia. This is a mental disorder that causes an uncontrollable desire to gnaw on the nail plate.

Psychosomatics identifies two reasons why a child bites his nails - psychological and physiological.

In the first place, experts put psychological factors:

• problems in the family (thus, the baby is struggling with stress);
• auto-aggression (children are afraid of conflicts, and “drive away anger” on themselves);
• adaptation to kindergarten or school;
• weaning (children compensate for the sucking reflex);
• behavior model (copies a harmful manner from friends, acquaintances, adults);
• children bite their nails to distract themselves from another harmful habit;
• high demands of parents (adults scold their child for the slightest misconduct, punish; a small person is afraid to disappoint mom and dad, as a result of which a stressful situation arises).

Physiological reasons:

Many psychologists have been searching for the causes of onychophagia. In his book “Love your disease,” Dr. Sinelnikov wrote that this is how a child shows a defensive reaction.

Dr. Natalia Volkova also paid attention to psychosomatics. In her article, she brought statistics. In her opinion, most psychosomatic diseases are the result of stress.

How to wean a child to bite his nails

Not all parents can cope with the habit of their child on their own. For help, see a doctor. The advice of a psychologist helps to answer the question of what to do.

A teenager can explain the negative consequences of bitten nails. Yevgeny Komarovsky highlights the main consequences of a bad habit:

• short, unevenly cut nails are ugly;
• you can become infected with worms, dirt infected with helminth eggs collects under the nail plate;
• if you constantly bite your nails, they will grow slowly;
• gum problems begin, teeth loosen;
• the nail plate is deformed;
• high risk of contracting viral, stomach infections.

For girls, a beautiful manicure can be an incentive not to bite your nails. Young ladies imitate adults. Nail polish will become an obstacle, because then the beautiful effect will deteriorate.

When the baby starts biting his nails, you can distract him with something. Parents come up with educational games, you can make homemade together. This will not only keep your son or daughter occupied, but will strengthen the psychological connection. For children, the attention of parents is important.

Since this is not just a bad behavior, but a psychological illness, an experienced psychologist will help find the cause of the behavior.

Psychologists advise that in order to get rid of the habit, you need to eliminate the factor that causes stress in the child.

The habit often manifests itself at an early age. Psychologists say that weaning should not be delayed, since children are easier to refuse classes than adults.

With the manifestation of aggressive behavior, experts advise bringing him to the active sports section. For example, to fight. It will help to get rid of excess aggression, negative emotions.

You can not scold and punish the baby for misconduct. He will become even more nervous and will look for a way to calm down.

Another stress will be added to the main reason. At the age of 3, children learn the measures of what is permitted, they want to realize themselves. They often go against the elders. This period forms sociality.

At 2 years old, the "explorer" period begins. They carefully observe those around them, trying to copy the behavior of their elders. It is important to monitor your behavior so that the baby does not copy adults. Pay more attention to the household, occupy it with something interesting.

Be sure to teach children to be independent. A common cause of stress occurs when parents take their baby to kindergarten. He is left in an unfamiliar place, with strangers. Forced to follow the rules.

Children should understand that parents have their own affairs, that going to kindergarten is not only necessary, but interesting. To go to the kindergarten kids need to prepare in advance.

Folk methods

Onychophagia is not a new disease. How to deal with this advised your grandmothers. The most popular folk remedies are brilliant green or blue. Ugly looking fingers can discourage biting. If the baby is 2 years old, the bright color of the fingers will only attract their attention. If ingested, these products can cause diarrhea, irritation, and other reactions.

The second method is to smear your fingers with hot spices. Small children do not like spicy and bitter. But there is a risk of an allergic reaction on the skin. Also, your little one may inadvertently rub their eyes. This will cause irritation of the mucous membrane, severe discomfort and another stress factor.

Another way to wean nail biting is to cut the nail platinum at the root. The baby can switch to the skin of the fingers, injuring himself or start chewing on foreign objects, such as pencils.

Conclusion

Before weaning a child to bite his nails, you need to understand the reason. If stressful situations provoke harmful habits, you need to help deal with the problem. The kid needs to pay a lot of attention, at the same time to teach to independence.

You can not scold children for the things they do subconsciously. The best prevention from a bad habit is love and mutual understanding in the family.

The material was provided by our partner, the leading clinic of plastic surgery and cosmetology GrandMed. The clinic performs the whole range of plastic surgeries on the face and body using modern techniques and advanced technologies.