The act of biting the nails, scientifically known as onychophagy, is a habit that affects both men and women, which can start from childhood and persist throughout adulthood, and is closely associated with anxiety and feelings of insecurity.
To stop biting your nails, it is recommended to control anxiety, which could be the root cause of the problem. However, there are some tips you can follow to avoid this habit, such as:
1. Keep your nails well cut and filed
Short nails avoid tips that serve as a temptation, avoiding the habit. In addition, keeping your nails well done and painted, weekly, with a manicure, is also an extra stimulus to want to keep your nails beautiful and avoid nibbling your fingers.
A good tip is to always carry a nail clipper in your bag. If you feel like biting a tip of the nail, the ideal is to use the nail clipper, to lose the addiction.
2. Paint your nails with special nail polish
Nail polishes have a very bitter taste, which makes you avoid putting your fingers in your mouth. They are colorless, suitable for men, women and children over 4 years old, and can be purchased at pharmacies.
There are several brands, such as Derma nail, Avon or Mavala, for example.
3. Apply fake or gel nails
Covering the nails with false nails or gel nails, in addition to improving aesthetics, reduces the urge to gnaw them, because the person is afraid of ruining the manicure. Find out how gel nails are applied.
Another tip is to cover one or some of them with a bandage, and after a week, remove and see how the nail looks better and healthier compared to the others.
4. Get distracted with a stress ball
Adopting a new habit that replaces biting your nails, such as playing with an anti-stress ball or a rubber band, for example, are ways to occupy your head and hands with new activities instead of biting your nails.
5. Chewing gum
Especially in times of greatest anxiety or boredom, chewing gum is also a good option to avoid addiction.
6. Invest in a hobby
Finding ways to alleviate anxiety, such as listening to music, talking to someone or doing physical activities after work, for example, can alleviate anxiety and make the person have less addictive quirks and habits, such as biting their nails.
7. Eat a balanced diet
In some cases, the habit of biting the nails can be a consequence of nutritional deficiencies, such as a lack of calcium and/or magnesium, for example, which leads the person to bite the nail, in order to recover these minerals.
Therefore, it is important to maintain a balanced diet, rich in vitamins and minerals, in order to avoid nutritional deficiencies. See which foods are rich in calcium and magnesium.
Why One Should Stop Biting Nails
Some of the main consequences of biting nails that make it important to give up this habit are:
- Appearance of wounds on the skin of the fingers and cuticles, which facilitates infection by bacteria and fungi;
- Deformations in the nails, fingers and surrounding skin, which cause embarrassment due to aesthetic effects;
- Increased chances of developing gastrointestinal problems, such as gastroenteritis and gastritis;
- Difficulty performing some activities, such as playing a musical instrument, drawing and writing.
The nails serve as protection of the upper part of the fingers, to help with the pressure that is exerted with the fingers, and as a barrier for the entry of microbes into the body and blood stream, and, therefore, must be kept well preserved to prevent the illness due to contact with microorganisms. Know what to do to strengthen weak nails.
