Avoid biting your nails. How to get rid of the habit of biting your nails. How to solve a problem in an adult

“I also bit my nails for many years, now I have beautiful, well-groomed hands, I overcame myself, But: I developed the habit of biting the inside of my cheeks and biting my lips. that is, habits replace themselves, apparently you need to seek inner peace, then the habits themselves will disappear.” Olga Barteneva, housewife.

“I’ve been gnawing since childhood, for many years... and I didn’t just gnab, but simply ate... this is such a habit... I forced myself to grow it several times, but I could hold out for a month at most... I developed the habit of clenching my hands into fists and hiding my fingers ..and nothing helped either..then I once saw a girl on the subway with the same hands and was horrified..in the end I forced myself not to put my fingers to my mouth and started taking care of my nails (it’s nice when my hands are well-groomed) , paint with bright varnish, gradually regained my shape and forced myself not to hide my fingers... and I finally stopped this habit) so the main thing is to get over it for the first few months, just honestly get over it) and then you won’t even want to…” Svetlana Grishchenko, office manager.

“I am 16 years old, and the habit of biting my nails began at the age of 6, when my parents divorced (stress), I bit my nails for 5 years!!! I want to say that bitter varnish is nonsense... I judge by myself... when I got older (9-10 years old) I was ashamed, but I couldn’t do anything. I stopped biting at the age of 12. Once I saw a woman’s nails and asked my mother, “What’s wrong with them?” Mom replied, “The woman also bit her nails and this is the result!” and I thought! In general, until the child himself understands that biting his nails is terribly ugly, it is useless to wean him!!! I stopped biting my nails in time, because the shape of my nails is constantly deformed, now I have very good and beautiful nails, and I no longer have this habit!” Tatyana Oborina, student.

Useful video

What happens if you bite your nails:

Why you really shouldn't bite your nails:

How to stop biting your nails

To forget about the problem and stop biting your nails, follow these simple tips:

• avoid stress or change your attitude towards problems;
• make sure that your fingers are well-groomed and beautiful, so that it would be a pity to spoil them;
• you need to stop every attempt at onychophobia on your own;
• Carry scissors and a nail file with you. If a hangnail appears or a nail breaks, it will be easy to fix without gnawing;

As a last resort, use bitter varnish, garlic or another method described in our article. The main thing is not to give up, try, try and try again and remember that it will take some time. Good luck!

The habit of biting nails is not limited to small children.

Often she remains both in adolescence and in adulthood - recently photographs of the British queen herself, caught by the paparazzi doing something inappropriate for a royal person, went viral.

The luminary of Russian poetry A.S. committed similar sins. Pushkin - Arina Rodionovna tied his hands.

And the queen of American pop, Britney Spears, is a singer with a gnawed face that we see regularly.

And if at 10 or 11 years old you can still somehow justify this and wean the child from a bad activity, then at 30 it can significantly spoil life.

Just imagine going to work and handing over your resume with a hand with bitten nails.

It is unlikely that the employer will rush to the HR department with him, even considering the impressive list of your achievements.

Let's figure out what causes this habit and how to stop biting your fingernails at home.

Why do children and adults bite their nails?

What's interesting is that most children under six years of age never bite their nails.

This habit is formed between the ages of seven and ten and, if not overcome in time, haunts a person throughout his life.

Moreover, according to the observations of scientists, boys are guilty of self-criticism more often than girls.

The reason for this is not at all the love for a beautiful manicure of the fairer sex, but nervous and physical stress, aggression, anger.

Professional psychologists called this habit “onychophagy” and consider it a symptom of obsessive-compulsive mental disorder - increased anxiety was found in 100% of people over 27 years of age.

Let's also add a tendency to self-examination.

Moreover, the more a person bites his nails, the more he wants to do it - the sight of an unaesthetic manicure makes him scold and hate himself for his impossibility.

Let's add physical harm to psychological harm:

1. Bacteria accumulate under overgrown nail plates. The more often you put your fingers in your mouth, the more likely you are to develop an intestinal disorder.
2. If you regularly chew on the beautiful shape of your nails, you can’t dream of it; burrs endlessly form around the plates, and biting them ends in inflammation.
3. A terrible habit results in problems with teeth - cracked enamel, inflammation of the gums and oral cavity, and actual loss of teeth (need I remind you that, unlike hair, they do not grow back on their own?).

Well, it’s not worth talking about how terrible nail biting looks from the outside and offends those around you.

Therefore, we begin to fight the deficiency in all possible ways.

How to stop biting fingernails as an adult - psychological tricks

Before smearing your nails with agave or sprinkling mustard, let’s figure out how psychology can be useful.

And if you are still confident that creating a manicure using your own teeth helps you concentrate and make the right decision in a difficult situation, then in fact you are simply in a state of permanent stress.

You need to fight not so much the habit as the cause - worries, bad mood, nervous breakdowns. Ideally, the right solution would be to see a psychotherapist.

You can arrange “home therapy” for yourself in the following ways:

"No" to negativity

Learn to drive away bad thoughts and - do not replay the mistakes of the past day, week or year in your memory, concentrate on the good, praise yourself, keep a diary of joyful memories, add even small pluses there.

"No" to anxiety

When bad thoughts begin to overwhelm you, say out loud all your actions: now I’ll make myself some tea, watch my favorite show, go for a walk, bite my nails.

As soon as you say this out loud, you will immediately stop yourself. After 7-10 times of regular practice, a conditioned reflex will begin to develop.

"Yes" to vitamins

To strengthen the nervous system, take care of not only psychological, but also physical health -

Eat more vegetables and fruits, take a course of vitamins. The latter quickly strengthen the nail plates and accelerate their growth.

“Yes” to what you love

Pay more attention - when you draw, dance, embroider or bake cupcakes, the desire to bite your nails disappears by itself, because your head is occupied with other thoughts.

Supplement psychological techniques with physiological ones:

1. Get a beautiful expensive manicure, and the desire to spoil it will disappear along with the desire to bite the nail plates; if you are a girl, cover the plates with gel polish or strengthen/build them up.
2. Find an adequate replacement and try chewing something else - such as a toothpick, chew gum, or buy candy. As a last resort, use a pencil.
3. H To avoid relapse, scrub the soap- the unpleasant aftertaste will discourage you from touching your nails with your teeth for a while.
4. If your main problem is hangnails, Carry nail scissors with you to carefully cut skin if necessary.
5. Let yourself be a kid and put something bitter/spicy on your nails- aloe juice, red hot pepper, dry mustard, onion juice, wormwood tincture are suitable.
6. Coat the plates with a special strengthening varnish(these have been sold in pharmacies for a long time, since pharmacology has also taken care of those who like to do manicures with their teeth) - its unpleasant taste will discourage the desire to bite nails.
7. Don’t forget to motivate yourself and pay attention to the beautiful manicures of those around you. The desire to have one will definitely one day overcome the passion for gnawing.
8. As a last resort, trim your nails as short as possible.- the shorter they are, the more difficult it is to chew them.

Advice: psychologists say that a bad habit can indicate unfulfilled sexual desires. Work on this side of the issue.

The process of eating nails is especially active while watching TV, so find a more edible replacement for them - popcorn, seeds, straws.

And start working on your consciousness - that’s where you will discover the roots of the problem.

How to stop children from biting their fingernails at home

At the age of three years, the habit of biting nails can be an elementary manifestation of the sucking reflex; the baby may be bothered by a hangnail or an overgrown piece of the nail.

In rare cases, this behavior signals a lack of vitamins in the body.

That is why it is especially important for parents to monitor the condition of their child’s hands, so as not to later struggle with the question of how to find an approach and make their child stop biting his fingernails at the age of 7 to 11 years.

Such a bad habit can negatively affect not only health, but also the developing one, so you need to start fighting it as early as possible.

According to the favorite pediatrician of all mothers, Dr. Komarovsky, the parental manner of scolding for everything pushes them to a bad activity - the kids feel irritated and...

Of course, there is no point in doing nothing either.

Here's what might help you:

At 4 years old- it is better to distract the child from a harmful activity, read a book with him, play his favorite game, let him chew a carrot or an apple.

At 5 years old- organize a joint procedure for cutting nails, calmly and confidentially tell how this activity may turn out in the future.

Tell a fairy tale where a negative character will be endowed with a bad habit, etc.

Advice: under no circumstances hit your child’s hands or punish him, this will only increase his desire to relieve stress in an ineffective way.

At 6-10 years old- if you cannot wean your child from a harmful activity, contact a psychologist, since solving the problem on your own will be problematic.

If you are going to use “proven old-fashioned methods” like agave juice or mustard, remember that they can damage the mucous membranes of the nasopharynx.

Gentle educational measures along with praise for even minimal success will yield positive results much faster.

How to stop biting fingernails at home for a teenager

If the problem started in infancy, it will be more difficult to find ways to stop biting nails for a teenager aged 12-14 years, and even more so to grow beautiful and healthy plates.

Let's start with the fact that the transition period is not easy for everyone - remember yourself at 13 years old.

It is at this time that a lot of complexes appear that often accompany us throughout the rest of our lives.

Let's add seasoning from youthful maximalism to the dish.

In order for a child to listen to your opinion, you need to be an unconditional authority for him.

It is on this aspect of the issue that you will have to work hard, since nails are only a consequence.

Screaming, forcing someone to quit a bad habit, making fun of them - doing the opposite.

In order for a child to open up and speak out, you need to become closer to him - find common interests and hobbies.

This way you will understand the main reason that causes your child to spoil his fingers.

Advice: stressful situations in a teenager’s life can be associated with social problems, lack of friends, problems with learning, changing place of residence and school, and the process of growing up itself.

It's easier to wean girls off a bad habit - take your daughter to a salon, get a beautiful manicure, and she can show it off to her friends.

With boys, you should try covering the plates with special pharmaceutical varnishes with a transparent matte finish or lubricating them with bitter essential oils.

When a teenager himself realizes the problem while at home, he can cover his nails with adhesive tape to make it more difficult to get to them.

Active sports, hobby groups that develop fine motor skills - everything that distracts from negative thoughts and... - do an excellent job of this task.

If the remedies described above do not work and you cannot deal with the problem at home, take your child to a psychologist so as not to let the situation worse.

You will also learn how to stop biting your nails as a 13-14 year old teenager from this video:

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

Why do you want to bite your nails?

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 ruin the appearance of their hands, but often alienate those around them. Few people will like an interlocutor who constantly gnaws the nail plate or hangnails 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. Young children are more susceptible to them, although adults can also become 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 man is not confident in himself. Most often, these are young children whose parents are too protective of them or, conversely, suppress any manifestation of independence.
4. Genetic predisposition. This factor has not been proven, but scientists have assumptions about this.
5. Self-flagellation. It differs from masochism in that a person is aware of his actions, but does not receive pleasure from them.
6. Brittle nails. When they constantly flake and break, 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

The habit of biting nails is more common in young children than in adults. This is usually associated with a less stable psyche and in most cases boys face the problem. Children, like adults, tend to be nervous about various things, and stressful situations are also possible.

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

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

Why is this habit dangerous?

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

• the risk of swallowing harmful microorganisms that are located under the nails and getting an intestinal infection;
• the likelihood of damage to tooth enamel in the process of biting parts of the nail or skin;
• all the same microbes can lead to stomatitis in the mouth, which occurs after damage to the mucous membrane;
• there is no point in talking about damaging a beautiful manicure, but the varnish itself can harm a person’s health, and yet its smallest particles can easily enter the body;
• if you continue to bite 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?

Despite the fact that this problem most often occurs in young children, it also wouldn’t hurt for adults to know how to wean themselves from the habit of biting their nails. This can be done using various means and resorting to all sorts of tricks.

Psychological techniques

Considering that the habit of biting nails is most often a consequence of nervous breakdowns or disorders, it makes sense to look for ways to get rid of it in psychology. There are many clever tricks that actually turn out to be very effective. Here are 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. This will also help them finally gain long nails, because previously they were constantly shortened in the wrong way. In addition, extended nails have a denser structure, making them much more difficult to chew.
2. "Manual" hobby. This can be any type of needlework - knitting or embroidery, and for men, burning or wood carving 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. For this you will need close friends or relatives, i.e. people who sincerely want to help. The bet does not have to be very financially valuable, but the winnings should be important to a person suffering from a nail-biting habit.
4. Fines. Close people will again be able to help with this by inspecting your nails daily. It is necessary to determine in advance the amounts of money that the offender will pay to his “supervisor”. You shouldn’t make the fines symbolic, otherwise there won’t be much fear in giving away the money.

The last 2 techniques work, as does coding for alcohol or other addiction. The point is that a person must decide to do it himself and completely want it. Otherwise, there is a risk of losing friends or seriously quarreling with relatives.

Some experts advise that if you feel the urge to bite your nails, put something edible in your mouth (candy or an apple). But you should be careful with this method, because a new habit will appear - stress eating, which will lead to excess weight.

Cosmetological approach

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

These coatings are divided into the following types:

• Special varnishes. Their whole secret is a bitter and unpleasant taste, which immediately lets the brain know that a person has started biting his nails, even if he does it unconsciously. Due to the lack of color, this varnish can be used to prevent men from biting their nails.
• Oils. In addition to the unpleasant taste, they also have a nasty smell, so it is recommended to apply them 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 mentioned 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 wax are best used at night, but not only because of the smell. The problem is that after washing your hands they lose all their effect.

Table “Varnishes to prevent biting your nails”

There is a huge number of varnishes from different 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 and gives a bitter taste to nails. Should be applied once every 2 days
Orly No Bite Nail	500 rub.	Gives nails a bitter pepper taste, not suitable for children under 5 years old
Divage So Bitter	400 rub.	Has a sour-bitter taste, a burning sensation appears on the tongue
Mavala Stop	450-500 rub.	Safe composition, bitter taste. Not suitable for children under 3 years of age

Folk remedies

This is not the most effective way to stop biting your fingernails, 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, this can be any product whose taste seems unpleasant to a person.

How to stop a child from biting his nails?

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

Psychological approach

In this case, all the influence 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:

• Under no circumstances should you express your dissatisfaction with his behavior in an aggressive manner, i.e. scream and hit hands.
• Talk to your daughter or son more often, carefully learning about his problems and worries, thereby calming him down and giving him a feeling of security.
• Parents themselves are responsible for taking care of their hands, while at the same time teaching their child the basic skills of caring for them.
• Children can also be distracted from the habit of biting their nails during all sorts of activities that require their hands (crafts, drawing, playing with construction sets).
• An excellent option would be a fairy tale of your own composition, in which 2 opposing heroes are compared. Their difference lies in the condition of the marigolds, and the result is the presence or absence of friends.

In the most severe cases, a visit to a professional psychologist will be mandatory.

Application of cosmetics

Children are also well suited for the nail coatings already mentioned in the material - varnishes, oils and wax. But you can’t limit yourself to only them. As already mentioned, often the problem is vitamin deficiency, so taking vitamins and minerals is not a bad idea, especially in the winter and spring. To make it easier for your baby to control himself, you can give him soothing herbal teas or medications of natural origin.

Video “How to stop a child from biting his nails”

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

As Dr. Komarovsky says, 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 over the years. That is why the problem must be taken seriously.

The child must know and understand why his mom and dad are so concerned about him biting his nails. Therefore, you need to explain this to him, but only in a calm manner. If you yell at him, he will stop doing it, but only in front of his parents. According to the same Komarovsky, there is no point in smearing your nails with tasteless mustard or intimidating your child 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, give 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 activities for concentration.

The habit of biting nails is attributed to such great people as Pushkin and Hitler. Despite this, there is little pleasure in onychophagy, both for the owner of the harmful ritual and for those around him. The sight of torn nails is disgusting and causes physical discomfort. But it’s quite difficult to refuse to put your fingers in your mouth. Many even compare this process to smoking - I want to quit, but I can’t.

“Ugly” habit or mental disorder

To successfully give up any bad habit, you first need to find the root of the evil - the factor that provokes this action. Psychologists say that everyone who bites their nails suffers to some degree from OCD - obsessive-compulsive disorder.

This condition is characterized by the constant presence of obsessive thoughts (obsessions), unreasonable anxiety, feelings of dissatisfaction with oneself and aggression or resentment towards others. Monotonously repeated rituals (compulsions) such as biting nails, washing hands, pulling out or wrapping hair around fingers, allow you to get temporary relief - to calm down a little, relieve anxiety, and forget about negative thoughts.

Typically, onychophagia begins to manifest itself in childhood or adolescence. This makes it much easier to quit a bad habit. It is much easier to stop a child from biting his nails than an adult. The main thing is not to aggravate the problem with corporal punishment, humiliating moralizing or other harsh methods of influencing the fragile child’s psyche.

There are other theories:

1. Masking negative emotions

Some scientists say that onychophagia is a manifestation of aggression towards oneself. Uncertainty, isolation, unfulfillment in your personal life or career, a constant feeling of guilt - all these unpleasant feelings result in a habit.

2. Sexual dissatisfaction

A neurofreudian hypothesis, the essence of which is that a sexually dissatisfied person begins to suck his fingers or bite his nails. Thus, onychophagy supposedly replaces sexual intercourse.

3. Genetic predisposition

The essence of the theory is that a child bites his nails only if the habit is inherited from his parents. The disadvantage of this kind of explanation is that, if it were true, children would inherit all other bad habits from their descendants. Another big disadvantage is that those people whose parents never bit their nails also suffer from onychophagia.

It has been scientifically proven that onychophagia is not always an indicator of a mental disorder. Sometimes it's just an acquired habit that arose by repeating the same actions.

Why is onychophagia dangerous?

Regardless of the reasons that provoke the disease, it is not as harmless as it might seem at first glance. Regular nail biting is fraught with many unpleasant and even dangerous consequences:

• unpleasant appearance of nails and the skin around them;
• deformation of the nail plate;
• stopping nail growth;
• gum damage and increased tooth mobility;
• increase in viral and infectious diseases;
• the occurrence of helminthic infestations;
• entry of pathogenic bacteria into the gastrointestinal tract and, as a result, poisoning;
• penetration of infection into microcracks and wounds;
• inflammatory processes in the periungual area.

Breaking a bad habit: effective ways

In the Dutch city of Venlo, there is an entire Institute of Pathological Onychophagia, which has created a specialized center for those who are struggling with addiction.

The most effective methods are considered to be the following:

1. Reception of substitution

If you find yourself putting your fingers to your mouth during difficult decisions or anxious moments, try replacing your nails with something more appropriate. While watching an action-packed movie, place in front of you a plate with sliced ​​fruit, chips, crackers or seeds.

As a last resort, buy a baby rubber teething toy. And put it in your mouth every time you want to bite a nail. Usually, just a couple of times using such a “device” is enough for a person to consolidate a negative attitude towards onychophagia.

2. Psychological techniques

For many people, simple psychological techniques help many people get rid of a bad habit and not bite their nails - every time you want to put your finger in your mouth, instead lightly tap your teeth or snap an elastic band previously placed on your wrist.

And don’t just cover your nails with varnish, but use the most expensive, bright and chic design. Preferably from the best master in the city. Use your imagination and ask to decorate each nail with rhinestones, designs or a scattering of sparkles. This technique is designed to ensure that it would be a pity to spoil such beauty.

You'll think a million times before you put your fingers in your mouth. And even if you bite off a couple of nails, the bright coating will still continue to attract attention to your nails. And you will be very ashamed of your mangled manicure, which can also help in the difficult fight against onychophagia.

Experts often recommend getting acrylic nails. Due to the hardness of the coating, artificial nails are almost impossible to chew.

4. Special pharmaceutical and cosmetic products

A good way to stop biting your nails is to use special varnishes with a bitter taste. Many of them are approved for use in children.

Those suffering from onychophagia often do not even notice that they are biting the nail plate until they feel pain. Sometimes it comes to blood. Bitter varnish helps you control yourself - as soon as the surface of the nail comes into contact with saliva, you will feel an unpleasant taste and have time to stop.

Belweder, Nekusayka, Gryzi - Don't want (Frenchi), Probelle, Mavala Stop, No More Biting Nail Lacquer (Kiko).

5. Folk remedies

Even our great-grandmothers, in order to stop careless children from biting their nails, smeared their fingertips with mustard, hot pepper, agave juice, wormwood or aloe. The method, of course, is radical, but for not advanced onychophagia it is quite effective. A person quickly forms a conditioned reflex: he put his fingers in his mouth - it became bitter and uncomfortable.

6. Fight stress

If you feel that the cause of onychophagia is indeed increased nervous tension, do not hesitate to seek help from a neurologist or psychologist. It is possible that the disgusting habit will go away on its own as soon as the mental state normalizes.

If you absolutely don’t want to share your problem with your doctor, try to eliminate the factors that make you nervous on your own, go in for sports, walk in the fresh air more often, and get enough sleep. You can take safe sedatives - valerian extract in tablets, glycine, adaptol, persen, etc.

7. Control and willpower

The best way to get rid of onychophagia is to avoid biting your nails. No ultra-modern and effective means will save you from a bad habit without your desire and effort. Control yourself and praise your successes more often.

In no case should you despair if none of the methods helps you get rid of the habit of biting your nails. Sometimes it happens. But this means you need to seek help from a specialist. Perhaps in your case the matter is really connected with neurosis, which only a good doctor will help you overcome.