How to Stop Biting Your Nails

You've more than likely been told time and time again, that biting your nails is a filthy habit, and it is, but once you start, it can be very hard to stop.

Not only is it unhygienic as the dirt from your fingers is then transferred into your mouth, but it is also unsightly, it makes your nails look gnawed and horrible.

Below are a few tips to help you get out of the habit of biting your nails.

1 Look at your nails, what do they look like? Do they look smart? Tidy? Feminine? Neat? I doubt it, take a long hard look at how horrible they look. This is usually enough to shock people into trying to change their nail biting ways.

2. Get your nails looking as neat as you can, whether this means filing them yourself or getting a manicure, try to make the best of what you've got. I recommend getting a professional manicure, they can work wonders with the most gnawed nails.

3. Paint your nails, make it a fairly dark colour, this means that when you do bite your nails, it will be glaringly obvious and make your nails look untidy, which will help you stop as you wont want to make a mess of your nails again.

Do not apply fake nails if you have a tendency to bite your natural nails, they can come off very easily sometimes and could pose a major choking hazard.

4. If you don't want to paint your nails, try brushing a coat of the substance that helps you stop biting them, after you have painted this on, if you do bite your nails, you will get a revolting taste in your mouth.

6. Keep your hands busy, an old friend of mine used to always keep two ten pence piece coins in her pockets so when she felt the urge to bite her nails, she would get the coins out and start playing with them, rolling them over her knuckles, flipping them etc. You can choose anything that you might like to keep your hands occupied; cards, coins, knitting etc.