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How to Stop Biting Your Nails

Contributor
By eHow Contributing Writer
(11 Ratings)

Biting your nails is habit that is not only tough to break, it's unhealthy. With dirt, grime and bacteria all easily trapped in the crevice between your finger and fingernail it's quite easy to transfer and ingest all sorts of things into your body after biting your nail. Here are a few tips on how to stop biting your nails.

Difficulty: Easy
Instructions
  1. Step 1

    Tape your nails. One way to stop biting your nails is to tape the end of each with Scotch tape. Then when you go to bite your nail, you'll get an unpleasant mouthful of tape.

  2. Step 2

    Apply a cream or lacquer. At your local grocery store or pharmacy you'll be able to find a plethora of nail creams and lacquers. Simply apply them to your nail and you'll get an unpleasant bitter taste each time you try and bite your nails! Brands such as "Control-It," or Orly beauty's "No Bite" are such products. But truthfully, there are many on the market that all work well. If it tastes bitter, it should be a deterrent.

  3. Step 3

    Chew gum. Sometimes biting your nails has less to do with the obsession of nail biting and potentially more to do with an oral fixation. Therefore try chewing gum to occupy your mouth. That way if you try and bite your nails, you'll be stuck with sticky fingers.

  4. Step 4

    Wear mittens. If all else fails, wear mittens. It is so ridiculously unpractical and slightly embarrassing in public, that it should help stop that nasty nail biting habit real quick!

Comments  

melissa817 said

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on 9/15/2009 thanks, my boyfriend has a problem, i'll try these with him

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