How to Stop Biting Your Cuticles
Fingernail and cuticle biting are common bad habits often caused by stress or anxiety, or may be the result of boredom. In fact, it is common for people to bite their nails or cuticles without even realizing they are doing it. Bitten cuticles can look untidy, and in extreme cases lead to soreness and bleeding. Poorly groomed cuticles can also leave a bad first impression on both potential employers and potential romantic interests.
Close-up of a woman trimming her cuticles. (Image: ratmaner/iStock/Getty Images)Step 1
Make a strong decision to stop biting your cuticles. Stopping a bad habit can take an extended period of focus, people who say "I want to stop," only to forget about it for a few days tend not to manage to stop on a long-term basis. The How To Do Things website states that no tactic or strategy will help you if you don't make a decision to quit, and commit to it. Setting a specific date is also a suggested way to start on the road to stopping your bad habit.
Step 2
Treat yourself to a professional manicure before you stop biting your cuticles. Seeing your fingernails at their best can motivate you by showing you the contrast between your manicured nails and your ragged cuticles. You may also be less inclined to bite thoughtlessly when your fingernails are in their best condition.
Step 3
Use an anti-biting fingernail spray to discourage you from biting your cuticles. These nail products taste bitter and give a horrible taste in your mouth as soon as you start cuticle biting. These products help if your cuticle biting habit is one you perform without thinking about it.
Step 4
Evaluate the situations in which you bite your cuticles most often. List all the situations in which you will bite your cuticles so you are more aware of what situations to avoid or pay attention to in your efforts to stop biting. Sitting at work or watching television are common situations where cuticle biting is done thoughtlessly.
Step 5
Trim loose skin around your cuticles. Loose skin is easy to bite, and keeping your cuticles trimmed will make it harder for you to fall into your old habits. Keep a set of nail scissors or cuticle clippers at your work desk, or in a place you find yourself cuticle biting most often.
Things You'll Need
Anti-biting spray
Nail clippers
Nail file
