Focus on the positive! 

That photo above was my nails, I used to bite not only my nails but the skin till it was sore and broken. But I've overcome that habit and so can you! 

 

Learning about how to stop nail biting first begins by understanding the problem and why you do it. Nail biting or onychophagia as it's known medically can be just a bad habit that you indulge in when stressed or bored but it can also be an expression of internal worries. Some people don't even realise they do it, my own personal experience of this was when I was stressed. I would leave have sore fingers and be annoyed at myself that I hadn't even noticed I was biting my nails. I would be annoyed because all I wanted was nice long nails, that could be painted and look girly. 

Hypnosis cured me of this. But nail biting is more than biting your nails till they are short and sore, nail biting has a negative effect on your fingers and health. 

 

Nail biting transports germs from hand to mouth and back increasing risk of infection on your nail beds, in your mouth, gums and in the long term it can also damage your teeth. Some compulsive nail biters run the risk of viral and microbial infections.

 

So maybe you are a self soother? Some find it has a calming effect in times of stress and after they've bitten their nails they feel better and more relaxed. You may be a perfectionist? Examining your nails constantly looking for anything that looks out of place and then biting them to improve them, ending up with your nails feeling painful and looking a whole lot worse than when you began. You may need to be stimulated? If perhaps you are doing something you find boring that would usually make you want to nod off to sleep, you may find nail biting stimulates you to the point of keeping you alert. Nail biting can also be learned in the home from family members and copied beginning as early in life as pre-school. What is your story? How does your habit work? How would it feel to not do it ever again but most of all not even have it enter you mind?