Tips to stop biting your nails.

Trimming your nails short can be a helpful measure to reduce the urge to bite your nails, by avoiding temptations with long nails, corners and poorly trimmed cuticles. Consider setting a specific day and time each week to trim your nails and make it a regular appointment.

Another option to break this habit is to regularly indulge in manicure sessions with a professional. The desire usually decreases when you see the result, as well as the money and time spent. However, be careful to choose only accredited salons that properly sterilise their tools to prevent fungal infections. Ideally, you should bring your own tools.

Another method is to cover your fingers, especially if the urge is strong. Gloves, plasters, bandages... these barrier-type interventions can be effective. These devices hinder any contact between the mouth and the nails. They serve both as obstacles to biting, but also as physical reminders not to bite. However, they can be difficult to use consistently or in the long term.

Developing coping mechanisms that replace nail biting with a more tolerable alternative, such as occupying your hands with an object to manipulate (squeezing a stress ball, playing with a toy, etc.) or occupying your mind with an activity (playing a musical instrument, painting, knitting, etc.), can also be an effective way to keep your hands away from your mouth.

Note : It is often recommended to chew gum. Although the idea may be appealing, it can lead to dental or jaw problems in the long term if you overdo it.

Personal care routines such as regular meals, consistent physical activity, and adequate sleep can help you feel calmer, more confident, and more resilient, enabling you to shed negative emotions. Similarly, to soothe your mind and alleviate the tension created by the urge to bite your nails, we also recommend meditation and yoga.

Thehabit reversal training in combination with a object manipulation training, often also associated with a acceptance and commitment therapy, have proven beneficial in certain cases. Indeed, as onychophagy results from a state of anxiety, you can attempt to remedy it by identifying repetitive, negative thoughts or emotional triggers that make you most prone to biting your nails and replacing them with different behaviours. This can also help to focus on becoming aware of your biting triggers and cravings, identifying replacement behaviours, and cultivating social support.

Medications are not often used for nail biting. However, in some cases, doctors may prescribe the use of certain types of antidepressants, such as Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRIs), to help reduce nail biting. On the other hand, the prescription of SSRIs must be done with care, as this class of medication can exacerbate conditions related to impulses.

Some studies suggest that the administration of N-acetylcysteine, a modulator of glutathione and glutamate, could potentially help to reduce short-term nail-biting behaviour, although further research is required. Indeed, the results are somewhat mixed, in addition to the adverse events reported by patients (headaches, severe aggression, restlessness, and social withdrawal, etc.).

Individuals suffering from chronic nail-biting may require specialised psychological therapy and medication to treat a related psychiatric comorbidity. Indeed, although it does not cause them, onychophagy is associated with a variety of psychiatric disorders, including: attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), oppositional defiant disorder, separation anxiety disorder, Tourette's syndrome, major depressive disorder, etc. This suggests that there could be a genetic component.

Note : Not all individuals suffering from these disorders necessarily bite their nails, just as biting your nails does not mean you are suffering from a psychological disorder.

• GHANDIZADEH A. Nail biting; Etiology, consequences and management. Iranian Journal of Medical Sciences (2011).

• BERK M. & al. N-acetylcysteine versus placebo for treating nail biting, a double blind randomized placebo controlled clinical trial. Anti-Inflammatory & Anti-Allergy Agents in Medicinal Chemistry (2013).

• FIROOZABADI A. & al. Habit reversal versus object manipulation training for treating nail biting: a randomized controlled clinical trial. Iranian Journal of Psychiatry (2013).

• JACOB S. E. & al. Art of prevention: The importance of tackling the nail biting habit. International Journal of Women's Dermatology (2021).