Around 30% of people continue to bite their nails into adulthood, mostly due to a nervous disposition, although a few people link it to gluten intolerance (more on that later). But if you do wish to give up nail-nibbling, avoid toxic solutions that are full of chemicals, and could harm babies or pets that may kiss your hands.
Repeatedly biting nails is not only embarrassing (you can’t hide your nerves, as the evidence is visible!) but can even stop people going out for dates or interviews, and result in sore nails with damaged cuticles. It can also pass bacteria from mouth to hands, leading to infection.
a few methods to try to stop nail-biting
- Look after your hands & nails. Keep nails (if you have any left!) trimmed short. Also spend time massaging in a nice hand & nail cream (avoid essential oils for pregnancy/nursing or affected medical conditions).
- Identify triggers and remove them. For instance, many people find that after having a glass of wine or absently watching TV (or both) in the evening may lead to subconsciously nibbling.
- Find methods to help cope with stress. Do whatever works for you – a walk in the park, daily yoga, meditation or prayer, reading romance novels etc.
- Harbour Hypnotherapy offers affordable ‘habit downloads’ from a clinical hyponotherapist (not just nail-biting for also there are downloads to stop thumb-sucking, hair-pulling, addiction to caffeine or chocolate and even cocaine).
- Try giving up gluten. Many people who have been chronic nail-biters for decades find their habit disappears overnight, once they give up gluten. This is thought to be due to gluten (in some people) blocking B vitamins that help with your nerves.
- NAC (N-acetyl-L-Cysteine) supplement has helped some people give up nail-biting. This amino acid builds keratin (good for nails, skin & hair), can detox the liver and stop other repeated behaviours like hair-pulling or skin-picking. One woman in Seattle wrote that after a few months of taking this, her nails grew for the first time in her life (she also gave up any desire for alcohol!) Speak to GP before taking supplements if on medication.
