How To Stop Biting Nails - Tips To Stop Biting Your Nails
Nail biting is a very common habit that usually starts during childhood and may continue until adulthood. As stated by psychologists, stress, anxiety, and boredom are the three main reasons behind the nail biting habit. Most nail biters say that their nail biting is a subconscious behaviour i.e., it is driven by their subconscious mind and their conscious mind is usually unaware about it.
Estimates suggest that around 25% of young adults bite their nails. If you are a nail biter who has tried every trick in the book to quit this habit, don't worry! We are here to help you out with 9 tips that will tell you how to stop biting nails! Read on to know more!
How To Stop Biting Nails
1. Identify Why You Bite Your Nails!
As we mentioned above, most people either bite their nails out of boredom or due to anxiety/stress. In some cases, people also bite their nails whenever they are feeling hungry!
Identifying the main reason behind this habit of yours should be the first step to plan out how you can stop it! If you are used to biting your nails out of boredom, you should try not to keep your hands idle for long.
You are most likely to "unconsciously" start biting on your nails when your hands are idle. Fiddle with a coin or a rubber band so that your hands stay busy when you are watching T.V or performing any other such activity where you have to sit with idle hands. If you bite your nails due to anxiety, you can try using a stress ball! Psychology professor Dr. Jane Ogden working at the University of Surrey, says that stress balls can significantly reduce anxiety, particularly for those who are in high-stress situations.
2. Commit To Yourself!
Researchers suggest that it takes only 21 days to make or break a good or a bad habit. So if you want to quit this bad habit of yours, just commit to yourself that you are going to quit it anyhow! You can use a habit tracking app like 21 Days to track your progress, it will motivate you to stay committed. Don't forget to reward yourself after each milestone!
3. Ask Your Friends Or Family Members To Help You
All you have to do is just tell your friends, family members or your roommate to stop you whenever they catch you with your nails in your mouth! Being told (or nagged) about something repeatedly may annoy you in the beginning, but it will eventually help you to stop nail biting.
4. Paint Your Nails In Bright Colours
A manicure with bright nail shade would look and feel so fabulous on your nails that you would not feel like biting them and ruining your pretty nails! Furthermore, nail lacquers taste very chemical-ish, which is another reason why you would not want to nibble on your nails.
We would suggest you to apply a nail lacquer in a bright red shade, something like French Affair from our gel nail lacquers collection! Since red is a quite bold colour, whenever you would put your nails closer to your mouth, your brain will take a mental note to stop and push back the urge to bite nails.
Also read: How To Maintain Healthy Nails
5. Use A Nail Hardener Polish
If you are a man - or a woman who doesn't like painting their nails, you can try using a nail hardener! It will not only help your nails to heal but may also help you to quit your nail biting habit. Just like normal nail lacquers, a nail hardener also tastes bad due to the chemicals present in it, hence it too can keep you from biting your nails.
Nail hardener looks like a clear coat of nail lacquer and gives your nails a glossy finish, while also nourishing your nails and promoting their healthy growth. Our DeBelle Nail Hardener comes with additional benefits of hydrating Argan Oil aka the "liquid gold" that everyone raves about!
This remedy can also be used on kids! If you are a parent of a kid who bites their nails regularly, apply a coat of Nail Hardener on their nails and see if it helps them stop.
6. Clip Your Nails Short
If you would clip your nails short as soon as they start growing out, you won't have anything to bite on - unless you are a chronic nail biter who bites the skin around the nails too. Otherwise, this technique will definitely work for you!
7. Put On Gloves
Gloves will block you from having direct access to your nails. Your brain will eventually forget about your habit since there will be a constant barrier between your hand and your mouth. Wearing gloves all the time may not seem that convenient, but this remedy is quite efficient and it can surely help you to quit biting nails fast.
8. Chew Gums Instead 
Do you bite your nails because you like to keep your mouth busy? Then try chewing gum instead! While you would chew a piece of gum, your concentration will be diverted from your nails as your mouth will already be busy!
9. Replace Your Bad Habit With A Good One
Whenever you get the urge to bite and ruin your nails, think about how you can nurture them! You can use a hydrating oil or lotion to pamper your nails and hands, instead of indulging in your bad habit!