DMT Beauty Transformation: Now’s The Time To Kick Your Nail-Biting Habit Once & For All
featured Khareem Sudlow

Now’s The Time To Kick Your Nail-Biting Habit Once & For All

March 20, 2020DMT Beauty

#DMTBeautySpot #beauty

We’re all pretty familiar with how gross biting your nails can be, but it's a whole lot worse — not to mention, dangerous — in the wake of a global pandemic like COVID-19. The CDC has laid out the steps to prevent exposure, and we know touching our eyes, nose, and mouth with our hands hit the top of the list. When you take the next step and bite your nails, you're essentially eating any bacteria or viruses that might have collected underneath them.

To kick your nail-biting habit ASAP, there are a few solutions you can try at home (that don’t require wearing a pair of rubber gloves). For ideas, we asked manicure masters like Jin Soon Choi, Deborah Lippmann, and Miss Pop to share their favorite prevention and treatment options. Check out some tried-and-trued cures, ahead.

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There’s a reason why fidget spinners have been used as fashion accessories, including in a few manicures. The devices not only keep hands busy, but also distract the mind, which is what many nail biters are looking for as they nibble when they try to concentrate.

“Some effective methods are object manipulation (manipulating an object when one has the desire to bite their nails)...that ‘remind’ the person to avoid biting,” explains Dr. Shari Lipner, Assistant Professor of Dermatology at the Weill Cornell Medical College at Cornell University.

In fact, a study found that object manipulation was a fairly effective method of helping to reduce nail biting. Though it’s not as effective as other habit reversal therapies, it could be a great option for those who might only bite their nails while working on a task or solving a problem.
Lauren Ploch, MD, MEd, FAAD, a board-certified dermatologist, agrees — but notes that you don't necessarily need to wait for Amazon Prime to ship you a new toy. There are also solutions you can find around your home, like squeezing a stress ball when you feel anxious or working on crossword puzzles to help take your mind off the task at hand for a bit.

”Distractions help,” she said. “Finding something to occupy the hands can decrease nail biting.” It can help give your brain the break you need to overcome the obstacle without worrying about the health of your nails.

SCIONE Fidget Spinner, $, available at Amazon
The nail industry has spent decades trying to get nail nibblers to break their bad habit. We've seen polishes and topcoats infused with a bitter or spicy taste meant to deter anyone who’s prone to putting a finger in their mouths. According to Dr. Lipner, trials to evaluate the technique have found them to be fairly helpful.

But our nail experts agreed that the bitter tang isn’t enough to stop some seriously determined chewers from chomping.

In fact, Miss Pop, a reformed nail biter herself, admitted that it didn’t stop her back when she still had to take math tests. “I didn’t mind the stuff that tastes disgusting. It didn’t bother me,” she said. “Every time there was a math test, I was like, ‘Hi, nails. Bye, nails.’”
“In reality, they don’t taste that bad, and the texture isn’t a complete deterrent," Dr. Ploch added. “Also, ingestion of the chemicals in polishes may not be safe long-term.”

Bottom Line: This could be an option if you only nibble occasionally or if you tend to gnaw at your nails when you’re bored or not paying attention to your hands. But know the risks first.

Duri Quit Anti-Bite Nail Treatment, $, available at Duri
A lot of the hangnails and cut-up cuticles that nail biters tend to have stem from having their hands in their mouths, as saliva dries skin out as it evaporates. This lack of moisture makes nails and cuticles more prone to rips and tears, creating a vicious chewing cycle.

Keeping hands hydrated with a thick, nourishing hand cream can serve as your first step to stopping the bad habit by giving hands too much slip to savor, but it will also heal the skin in the process.
If the scents (and maybe the taste) of the moisturizers aren’t enough, Dr. Ploch suggests slathering Vaseline around your nail beds. “I recommend something gooey like petroleum jelly because the texture feels weird in the mouth and it’s more likely to make someone averse to biting the nail,” she says.

Vaseline can also help retain skin’s moisture levels to keep nails smooth and snag-free.

Vaseline Lip Therapy Aloe Vera Lip Balm Tin, $, available at Target
Trying to even out broken or torn nails often prompts many biters to start munching in the first place. As Miss Pop admitted, “Half the reason I bite is to even them out. I keep biting and never stop biting, and [my nails] would never be even until I couldn’t bite them anymore.”

Her simple solution? Keep a file on hand, whether it’s in your bag, at your desk, or on your vanity to take care of the problem before it starts. “If you have to physically get up to get a file, you’re just going to wind up biting off the uneven edge,” Lippmann says.
But forget about buffing back and forth the way you’ve seen in movies or at some salons — move the file from the edge towards the middle of the nail in one fluid motion to smooth over the snag so you have a harder point of entry. Because if not, “you’re more likely to create the opportunity for breakage and peeling,” Miss Pop said. “If you go back and forth, it’s like you’re sanding your nail down.”

Revlon Shape 'N' Buff File & Buffer, $, available at Ulta Beauty
You’d be surprised to find that many of the manicurists we know and follow used to bite their nails themselves. Miss Pop began playing with polishes as a way for her to stop. Trying out different nail-art patterns entices you to keep your manicure immaculate (and not in your mouth), and it also opens up another avenue of creativity and a weekly routine to get used to.

Also, Miss Pop notes that it took six months of weekly at-home manis to help break her habit and score her nail-art skills. “You get so good by the third month, you’re like, ‘I’m actually not bad at this,’” she said. “And by the sixth month, you’re like, ‘I’m magic.’”
But if you don’t have time for intricate designs at home, or your nails chip too fast to show off your creations, glitter is an easy option that's sure to dazzle. And since it's hard to pick or scrub off with acetone (let alone nail polish remover), our manicurists found it to be an easy and affordable option for some who don’t let gross-tasting topcoats or some hand cream stop them from gnawing at their nails.

OPI Dazzling Dew Drop, $, available at OPI
Some nail biters might not mind messing up an at-home mani, but the salon could be another question entirely. Choi considers gel polish to be an awesome option for those who can afford the bi-weekly color changes, as the treatment give the shine and color of regular polish, but a hard enough topcoat to make it “less convenient to nibble.”

Another salon-inspired, nail biting solution: acrylics. In fact, the nail enhancements played a part in shaping Lippmann’s career away from her first passion: singing.

At her first rehearsal in a Vegas-style cabaret group (her first paid gig), her nail-bitten fingers caught the attention of the director. “Before I could even finish, the director sent me to a manicurist and got me a full set of acrylic nails,” she shared. ”They were long and square and red, and they changed my life.”
If glitter doesn't work, consider an at-home gels. They're even harder to bite through without harming your teeth and gums in the process, making them one of the best options for die-hard nail biters.

But just as with any other treatment, being mindful of the removal process is key to keeping whatever bit of nail you have left strong and shapely. “Women who remove their gels at home can get impatient with the amount of time that it takes for the gel to dissolve, and they end up pulling the product off, ultimately causing damage to the nail,” Lippmann says.

As such, gels and acrylics need to be soaked off in acetone for 10-15 minutes for gel polishes, and 20-30 minutes for acrylics before removing the remnants with a soft orange wood stick to avoid scraping off the top layer of the nail. Finish with a cuticle oil to nourish the nail bed and strengthen nails as they grow.

Zoya Gelie-Cure Foundation Pro Kit Travel LED Light, $, available at Zoya
If you’re concerned about your habit, but you’re unsure of which route to take or you’ve already attempted them to no avail, it’s a good idea to talk to your doctor or mental health care provider about it. A doctor or dermatologist can make sure there’s nothing else wrong with your nails, such as an infection or problems with the nail bed.

Medical professionals can offer other resources to help you kick the habit, such as behavioral therapy or oral medication, especially if you feel like your nail biting might be interfering with your life.

And remember — even though it can be hard to stop biting your nails, it’s not impossible. It will take time, a little trial and error, and maybe a chat with your doctor to find a solution that works best for you.
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Valis Vicenty, Khareem Sudlow

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