Nail Biters – Your Undoing
Bitten nails can be the undoing of any well groomed person. It is unattractive, noticeable (we all ‘talk’ with our hands) and can give ground and cause embarrassment in any new or unfamiliar social or business encounter.
Although nail biting is most common in childhood and adolescence, it can continue well into adulthood. Nail-biting (onychophagia) is an addictive stress-relieving habit, and may be triggered if you are bored or agitated.
Biting your nails can introduce diseases into your mouth, which can lead to gum disease and stomach ailments. Bitten nails look unattractive, can be painful, lead to nail fungus infections and cause permanent damage to the cuticles and nail bed. Long term and constant nail biting can also wear down your teeth.
Nail Biters – We Are Not Alone
As nail biters we are not as alone as we may think, in newspaper reports and in everyday life we come across nail biters responding to all sorts of stimuli.
• In sports terms there can be: a nail biting finish, nail biting penalty shootouts, nail biting bowl-out, nail biting chase and a nail biter end to a poor run.
• We are entertained by a nail biting film or a nail biting thriller.
• Reality TV programs have nail biting final stages.
• In politics presidential candidates can have a nail biting encounter in a televised debate which is a precursor to a nail biting presidential election.
• In everyday life we can spend days waiting in nail biting anticipation for a response to a nail biting interview.
Understanding that there are a lot of us around does not condone this awful habit but it does provide some comfort knowing that there are many, many other nail biters in all walks of life!
Nail Biters – You Need to Be Proactive
Become aware that you are biting your nails and try and work out what triggers your nail biting; keep a journal, use bitter nail polish, chew gum, wear socks (if you bite your toenails), anything which puts a barrier between your nails and your teeth. A regular manicure regime is also a good starting point. Buy cuticle cream, a cuticle stick, a nail buff, a nail file and clear nail polish. Be gentle with your cuticles, care for them, push them back gently after applying cuticle cream, buff your nails and apply clear nail polish. Keep your nail file handy to sort out any little rough tags on your nails and cuticles immediately after they appear; don’t be tempted to bite them off.
Keeping a daily photo diary to monitor your progress and nail growth may also help motivate you in the initial stages to conquer this old coping mechanism and lead to attractive, well-groomed nails in no time.
Tags: bite nails, biting fingernails, stop biting nails, stop nail biting
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