What Does Nail Biting Mean And How To Stop in 3 Simple Ways

Are you a chronic nail-biter? Or you are looking for ways how to stop nail biting for good? Or you’re seeking to know the spiritual meaning of nail-biting?

Well, whichever category you belong to, you are sure to get your answers here. So What does nail biting mean? Nail-biting is simply the act of going after one’s nails which can happen due to stress, boredom, anger, depression, etc.

This action of going after one’s nails usually happens without the bitter knowing and the most effective ways I’ve seen so far to nail this bad habit is by first, knowing what triggers you and then using bitter-tasting nail polishes on your nails.

Nail Biting Causes

As there is no ailment without a cause, so it is for Onychophagia (Nail Biting). Onychophagia is a serious issue affecting our society today, and it can be seen more in children than in adults.

Although there are lots of reports about Onychophagia being linked to genetics, further studies have shown that children who bite their nails occasionally might have inherited it from thumb sucking.

Another cause might be as a result of restlessness. Nail biters frequently tend to bite their nails unknown as an aftermath of stressful, restless, or mind-troubling issues in life. When this habit becomes habitual, it soon replaces their usual routine without them knowing.

On the other hand, When one is anxious, he or she is likely going to pick at his or her nails since it is believed to ease stress. In fact, a report has it that 20 % of adults who bite their nails do so to relieve stress, tension, loneliness, boredom, or hungry.

Nail Biting Treatment

what does nail biting mean, how to stop nail biting
Photo Credits: healthambition.com

Nail-biting in children and adults, as we’ve earlier stated is an alarming issue that should be given emphasis. Because if we fail to do so at the early stage, the disaster it is likely going to cause to our health will be unbearable.

The treatment for toddlers, children, or adults is pretty much the same. Although treatment may vary according to an individual, it is imperative to start with these.

1. Identify what triggers you to bite your nails

The first step to putting a stop to this bad habit is to identify that which triggers you. Is it stress, boredom, or even loneliness that is making you pick at your nails? Getting to know that which triggers the urge to bite your nails at the slightest opportunity is a sure way of putting an end to nail-biting for good.

When triggers had been successfully identified, you either block them or substitute them with something worthwhile like chewing gum, getting busy with your hands, etc.

2. Wear nail paint always

Regular wearing of nail paint might not necessarily stop you from biting your nails now and then, but it will sure give you a second thought the next time you try to pick at your nails as no one would want to spend cash at the salon to have his or her nail did only to ruin them using their fingernails. Would you? I doubt.

3. Carry cuticle scissors everywhere you go

If you’re a chronic nail biter, carrying cuticle scissors or nail clippers around should be your thing. Because the scissors or clipper will enable you to trim those hangnails instead of using your teeth. By so doing, you’re consciously replacing your old habit with a preferable one.

4. Be like Queen Elizabeth 11

What do we mean by being “like queen Elizabeth”? Well, we are merely telling you to wear gloves always. Although it may not stop you from biting your nails, it will surely act as an obstacle. I’m pretty sure of this hack because it has helped a lot of people I’m opportune to teach, how to nail this habit.

5. Coat those nails

There are a whole lot of bad-tasting polishes on the internet guaranteed to help you nail this habit for good. This anti-nail bite polish has dual actions. First, they act as reminders, telling you that you are about to do something terrible, and if the urge surpasses this, the bitter taste will then help you to stop when it gets to your mouth.

So getting these polishes that taste bad when they come in close contact with our mouth can as well reduce the urge to chew nails.

How to Stop Nail Biting as an Adult

1. Competitive Actions

What is a competitive action? Competitive action is a move geared toward putting a stop to an action.

How do competitive actions help one to stop nail biting? It does help one to stop biting or chewing the skin surrounding the nails because it employs a kind of behavioral pattern that subjects the biter( a person that bites his or her nails) to some sort of competitive action whenever there’s an urge to bite nails.

In this method, one can adopt behavioral patterns that restrict the hand from getting anywhere close to the face or a model that does not permit the hand from entering the mouth when the urge to feed on those nails comes knocking.

If this approach is followed religiously, this method could be the only remedy you need to stop those bad habits.

2. A finger-At-A-Time Approach

Here is another hack to nail these awful habits. If the competitive approach isn’t your thing.  You might consider this method – A finger at a time approach. In this approach, you set a tiny goal not to bite a single nail. You can start with your thumb.

Once you’re able to keep this up for like a week, you can then shift to the next finger and place the thumb finger in the “No biting zone.” Do this with all of your fingers, and you’ll be shocked at how this little goal has dramatically changed your way of life.

3. Think-Healthy Method

If you’ve given the last two approaches above a try and there is no significant improvement in your nail-biting addiction or your quest to stop nail-biting as an adult has proven abortive, then this method is undoubtedly for you.

Why is thinking healthy a method in the first place? Think healthy process is a mindset practice that employs the use of one’s conscience to fight one’s self.

When you think of the number of places you’ve placed your hands during the day and the danger of putting those hands laced with germs in your mouth, such conscious thinking should be able to deter the urge.

Think of it this way, if you’re being diagnosed with Escherichia Coli (E. Coli belongs to the family Enterobacteriaceae) and your doctor probably tells you that it is because you’re ingesting germs in your mouth.

He says, if you do not put a stop to it, it might lead to severe gastrointestinal infections. I guess you’ll think twice the moment you want to stick your nails into your mouth.

By using your fear as a tool, you can undoubtedly fight that constant urge to bite nails. Isn’t that an amazing way to stop nail biting in adults for good? Well, we think it is.

Can Biting Your Nails Kill You?

No, biting your nails cannot kill you. As far as I’m concerned, there haven’t been any reports online from anyone that has died as a result of biting his or her nails but one thing I can assure you is that biting your nails can expose your skin to disease infection which invariably can pose a serious challenge to your health and if not treated on time can lead to death.

Wrapping Up

Learning how to stop biting nails for good is really not a small task; it comes with dedication and the self-will to stop. It is more tasking when it has to do with kids. Oftentimes, the best way to stop something is never to start at all. But since we can’t always control how certain things come to stay in our lives, we can always adopt a way to avoid them.

For nail-biters, getting to know what triggers you is the first step to take coupled with other steps outlined above. Now that you know what nail-biting means and how to avoid biting your nails, we wish you nothing but success in stopping your nail-biting habit.

2 thoughts on “What Does Nail Biting Mean And How To Stop in 3 Simple Ways”

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