How To Stop Biting Nails – Quickly & For Good
                     How To Stop Biting Nails – Quickly 
& For Good
Nail-biting may be something that you did as a child. Fortunately, by this 
time, this habit, behaviour, disorder, mannerism, or whatever you may 
call it is something that you no longer do.
However, for those who have carried on biting from childhood to 
adulthood, it would be best to let go of this oftentimes annoying 
tendency.
•So, how do you put a stop to this irritating habit? Here are 
some ways:
 
• There is actually a scientific term for nail-biting. In psychology terms, the nail-biting 
disorder is known as onychophagia. If we were to approach this habit as a kind of 
behaviour, this means that one of the solutions is to stop or modify that behaviour by 
looking at its root cause. Most often, nail-biting is caused by mental issues such as 
boredom, depression, anxiety and stress. Nail-biting could be the first symptom that your 
stress levels have increased and are starting to have a negative impact on your life. If you 
could get to the bottom of your nail-biting habit, then you can make a conscious effort to 
stop it. Also, you can simply modify the behaviour by using other stress-relieving tools 
such as a stress ball for instance or anything that can keep your hands busy.
• If you can’t get to your nails, then you 
can’t bite them. Another way you can 
stop yourself from biting your nails is 
by wearing gloves. You can also wear a 
face mask since you would have to 
consciously remove the mask to 
actually bite your nails. There are also 
stickers that are primarily made to 
cover nails.
 
• You can also simply just get a manicure. Not only are manicures pretty, they 
could also prevent you from biting your nails. You wouldn’t want to tarnish 
that really good-looking French tip, right? Also, many manicures are made 
from acrylic, the same element we use in paint. Imagine tasting paint!
• In all, keep in mind that your nails like your hair are indicators of your 
general health. Nails and hair are actually categorized as dead cells that have 
the ability to grow! They, too, like our body, need to receive the nutrition to 
keep us looking healthy and vigorous.
 
Did You Know
• Nail biting, or onycophagia as it is known scientifically, is an impulse-
control disorder. Believe it or not, some links have been found by the 
Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine between nail-biting and untreated 
obstructive sleep apnea when a patient stopped biting his nails entirely 
after successful treatment of his sleep apnea. If you’re an avid nail 
biter and can’t seem to stop, look into your sleep patterns, and make 
sure you don’t suffer from obstructive sleep apnea. In the meanwhile, 
do some sleep apnea exercises regularly for better sleep – it can’t hurt!