Adult Nail Biting - Stop Adult Nail Biting

Adult Nail Biting
Nail biting, also known as chronic onychophagia, is often associated with children but occurs with adults as well.

It refers to the habit of biting one's fingernails or toenails due to stress, boredom, hunger, or nervousness.

There is no medical cure or treatment for adult nail biting but there are several things one can do to effectively curb this habit.

Causes of Adult Nail Biting and Profile of Adult Nail BitersApproximately 19 to 29% of young adults and about five percent of older adults indulge in nail biting.
There are more male than female nail biters not necessarily because men are less capable than women of dealing with stress but more
because women have different stress-dealing techniques. In some cases, adult nail biting may be a symptom of an underlying and far graver emotional or psychological disorder.

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There may be a correlation between low self-esteem and nail biting but no studies had so far proven that nail biting could cause one to have lower self-esteem.

Studies also suggest that it may be more challenging to stop adult nail biting if it appears to be a fixed habit rather than caused by a psychiatric problem.

In other cases, children pick up nail biting from people around them and this habit may continue to persist till adulthood if it is not addressed instantly.

Nail biting will cause nails to grow faster. It may also lead to the development of oral infections and other medical complications.

10 Ways to Address the Problem of Adult Nail Biting

Trim Your Nails Regularly

Trimming your nails is considered one of the best strategies for overcoming adult nail biting simply because you leave yourself nothing to bite at the first place.

Polish Your Nails

Some people do not prefer to bite their nails when it's coated with polish, believing that it affects the "taste" of their nails and make it undesirable. Others may also avoid nail biting due to the use of polish in fear of its toxic effects.

Learn How to Deal with Stress Properly

As mentioned earlier on, nail biting may be an erroneous stress management technique. Eliminating it would naturally require you to teach yourself how to properly cope with stress. When you notice yourself biting your nails while thinking about a certain problem, stop immediately until you've successfully trained your mind not to go for nail biting. This strategy not only helps you get rid of nail biting but it also keeps your mind and heart healthy.

Don't Let Your Hands Go Idle

Always have something to hold or squeeze. It helps prevent you from indulging in nail biting. It even helps in taking your mind away from nail biting. With your hands busy, you'll find it even physically impossible to bite your fingernails.

Keep Your Mouth Full

If there's no way to make your hands stay busy then focus on making your mouth full instead. Always have candy or gum handy. If you feel the urge to bite your nails, feed yourself with sweets until it's impossible to chew more ---- even if it's just a slim strip of nail.

Keep Your Hands Covered

Wear any kind of gloves. In most cases, nail biters cease their bad habit once their nails are safely concealed under a piece of clothing. This might make you look weird in some instances, but at least it can keep your nails safe!

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