How To Stop Biting Your Nails
Photo of nails with love written into the paint in white over dark pink lacquer by Designecologist from Pexels
Updated 2024.08.15. This page contains affiliate links and this site earns from qualifying purchases made through these sponsored links.
If you’re wondering how to stop biting your nails permanently, read on.
When you bite your nails too much, it can create pain and discomfort to the nail bed. It can also cause bleeding and open wounds which can increase the risk for infections.
Bacteria can get into the body through broken skin, which you definitely want to avoid. Just thinking about the bacteria on your hands may be enough to stop biting your nails.
When it comes to nail biting, a common question asked is, is it possible to stop biting your nails?
Yes it is.
The good news is that you can learn to stop biting your nails, and the skin around your nails if it has become a habit.
With a little practice, effort and conscious attention to your behaviors, you can achieve gorgeous results, both for your nails and your cuticles.
Below are four ways to train yourself to stop biting your nails:
Photo of red nails on fair hands by Anna Tis from Pexels
1 - Always have your nails painted
When your nails are regularly manicured and they look nice, the last thing you want is to mess them up. So a good solution is to keep your nails painted, and when they chip, don't let it go for weeks - immediately repaint them.
Nice nails are hard to destroy, because they are pretty. If you are in need of a color to wear, choose a bold hue, like red, burgundy or black. These colors show chips easily, so it will force you to keep up with your manicures.
Again, do not let the chips go for very long, because then it is more tempting to pick off the polish than it is to leave your fresh paint alone.
2 - Whenever you are tempted to pick or bite your nails, care for them instead
Replace the old habit with a new one and keep your cuticle oil, hand cream or lotion handy. Whenever you notice you are tempted to pick at your nails, or the dry skin around your nails - moisturize and soothe the nails instead.
Getting in the habit of caring for your nails with moisture whenever you are tempted to bite, can both prevent broken skin or ripping nails. It is a new habit replacing the old so it can still fulfill the urge to mess with your nails, but this time, in a positive way.
3 - Oil your nails and cuticles daily
One of the biggest reasons you may bite your nails is to groom them - to pull off snags, tears and hangnails. You can prevent these with oil.
4 - File and shape your nails weekly
As nails grow out, they may grow out unevenly. Biting at them with your teeth or even picking at them with other nails, can create just more unevenness.
So every week, take your nail paint off, and file your nail tips and edges. This can clean up the snags in a way that prevents further unevenness and it creates a smooth nail edge so that there is nothing to bite at.
Now for a few common questions about nail biting:
How long does it take to break the habit of biting nails?
It can take anywhere from three months to about a year to reverse a long entrenched habit. So keep in mind that even if you put into practice the tips above, you may sometimes forget and revert back to your old habits.
This is alright and part of the process - just start over, and eventually with time, you will notice that instead of biting your nails, you are caring for your nails and you will be very proud of yourself.
What happens when you stop biting your nails?
Once you stop biting your nails officially, your nails will grow out, at which point you will need to choose your favorite length to keep them at, and develop a weekly practice of shaping them and keeping them groomed.
When you keep your nails groomed, you are less likely to pick at them, because when your nails look nice, you are motivated to keep them looking nice.
Will my nails go back to normal after biting?
Sometimes nail damage is permanent. However this is rare and in most cases, fingernails do recover after you stop biting your nails no matter how long you have been biting, whether it has been a lifetime or just a few years.
That said, it is worth the effort to find out.
Photo of red nails on fair hands by Anna Tis from Pexels text overlay How To Stop Biting Your Nails
So to recap, you can learn to stop biting your nails with these habits:
Always keeping them painted
When tempted to bite, care for them instead
Oiling your cuticles daily
Filing and shaping your nails weekly
These new habits can create less desire to pick, replace old habits, and give you less to pick at, which when combined together can greatly improve your chances of quitting nail biting for good.
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