There are ways to stop biting, gnawing and chewing on your poor mistreated nails. Depending on the gravity and the reason why you are biting them in the first place, it may involve a series of behavioral treatments which are focused on discouraging the habit. This way, you can replace it with a more constructive one.
Common treatments are widely available and cheap. You can just buy a special clear nail polish which you can apply on your nails. It actually releases a bitter flavor upon contact with your mouth. As a result, you are discouraged from biting your nails time and time again. Aside from nail polish, there are also mouthpieces that help prevent nail biting.
For extreme nail biters, habit reversal training is deemed as the most effective. It is especially suggested by doctors and therapists when simpler measures dont seem to be working for you. Through habit reversal, you will become aware of your nail biting problem and you will be given ways on how you can “unlearn” the habit. Then, they will replace it with a more constructive and beneficial habit.
Stimulus control therapy is another noted effective technique on how to stop biting nails. It involves identifying and eliminating the stimulus triggering the urge to bite ones nails. For children, there are therapists who suggest the use of footed pajamas. It aims to remind them that they should not bite their toenails.
Last but not the least, you can try nail cosmetics. They are known to help restructure the social effects of nail biting. How can you do this? Simple, just go to a salon that can help set up artificial nails for you. It is true that the nails of people who bite them are the most difficult to work with but any well trained nail technician know better than to suggest that you should first grow some of your nails before they work on it. The best nail technicians can actually perform miracles! With a good nail application on a weekly basis, you can bring back your self esteem while working on your nail biting problem. Doing so will also help eliminate rough nails, hangnails and whatever you can chew or pick on. By finding people who will pay attention and who will commend you on your good progress, you become more committed to stay with the program. Therefore, apart from your desire to learn how to stop biting your nails, you also need to commit yourself and to find people who can support you all throughout the process.
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