Nail-biting may be something that you did as a child. Fortunately, by this time, this habit, behaviour, disorder, mannerism, or whatever you may call it is something that you no longer do.

However, for those who have carried on biting from childhood to adulthood, it would be best to let go of this oftentimes annoying tendency.

So, how do you put a stop to this irritating habit? Here are some ways:

There is actually a scientific term for nail-biting. In psychology terms, the nail-biting disorder is known as onychophagia. If we were to approach this habit as a kind of behaviour, this means that one of the solutions is to stop or modify that behaviour by looking at its root cause. Most often, nail-biting is caused by mental issues such as boredom, depression, anxiety and stress. Nail-biting could be the first symptom that your stress levels have increased and are starting to have a negative impact on your life. If you could get to the bottom of your nail-biting habit, then you can make a conscious effort to stop it. Also, you can simply modify the behaviour by using other stress-relieving tools such as a stress ball for instance or anything that can keep your hands busy.

If you can’t get to your nails, then you can’t bite them. Another way you can stop yourself from biting your nails is by wearing gloves. You can also wear a face mask since you would have to consciously remove the mask to actually bite your nails. There are also stickers that are primarily made to cover nails.

You can also simply just get a manicure. Not only are manicures pretty, they could also prevent you from biting your nails. You wouldn’t want to tarnish that really good-looking French tip, right? Also, many manicures are made from acrylic, the same element we use in paint. Imagine tasting paint!

In all, keep in mind that your nails like your hair are indicators of your general health. Nails and hair are actually categorized as dead cells that have the ability to grow! They, too, like our body, need to receive the nutrition to keep us looking healthy and vigorous.

Did You Know?

Nail biting, or onycophagia as it is known scientifically, is an impulse-control disorder. Believe it or not, some links have been found by the Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine between nail-biting and untreated obstructive sleep apnea when a patient stopped biting his nails entirely after successful treatment of his sleep apnea. If you’re an avid nail biter and can’t seem to stop, look into your sleep patterns, and make sure you don’t suffer from obstructive sleep apnea. In the meanwhile, do some sleep apnea exercises regularly for better sleep – it can’t hurt!