Female First looks at how to kick the habit and get on your way to gorgeous fingertips for 2008.
The outfit's sorted, the jewellery's sorted and the killer heels are sitting menacingly in the corner. With the perfect make-up and a stylish hairdo everything is set for a great night of partying. Until you glance down and the whole look is destroyed by bitten, chewed off nails.
They can ruin a great outfit instantly and then you spend the rest of the evening hiding your poor ragged fingertips from your glamourously manicured friends.
So, it's time to make 2008 the year you finally stop biting your nails, and Female First is here with some handy hints and tips.
One of the biggest problems for nail biters is that the habit is subconcious. They often start to chew when they are stressed or bored and don't even realise they are doing so.
One way to deal with the problem is to try and make yourself more aware of when you bite. Doing this will help you to identify the situations when you feel most inclined to start chewing and hopefully make you concious of when to try your hardest to stop.
A similar method is to wear an elestic band around your wrist and snap it every time you find yourself biting your nails. It will make you notice the problem and also mean you start to associate it with pain. If that's not enough to put you off then what is!
Many people have also had very positive results with hypnotherapy. There are two options. Proffesional sessions are out there, although this is probably a last resort as therapy can be expensive. There are also CDs avaliable which can be listened to to help you relax. The stressful situations that often cause people to bite their nails can then be avoided.
Don't worry though, not all remedies are as complicated or scary sounding as hypnosis. A popular psychological method is to trick yourself by 'protecting' one nail at a time. If you have the urge to bite chew on one of your shorter nails then gradually add more and more to your 'protected' list. Eventually you'll have 10 beautiful fingertips to show off.
Another age old treatment is to replace your nails with a small snack or some chewing gum. Keep a packet with you at all times to keep your mouth occupied or try munching on a few nuts or carrot sticks instead. You could even try keeping some lollipops with you. They're much tastier than your nails - trust us!
There are all sorts of nasty tasting lotions and potions out there which claim to taste so bad you'll never think of putting your nails anywhere near your mouth again. They work better for some people than others but it's definately worth giving one a go. They look just like pots of clear nail varnish and you simply paint the foul tasting liquid onto your nails which should hopefully discourage you from biting once you get the horrible taste in your mouth. You can pick them up from supermarkets and pharmacies.
The good news is that one of the most effective (and far more enjoyable) ways for women to stop biting their nails is a trip down to the local beauty salon.
That's right, treat yourself to a manicure or some extensions. Acrylic or false nails are an excellent idea, afterall, if you can't get at your tiny stubs you can't bite at them either. Having falsies will also mean that when you absentmindedly start to chew you will be aware of your nails feeling different straight away. Becoming instantly concious of what you are doing means you're more likely to stop.
If you can't afford a trip to the salon at least grab some mosturiser and get those hands looking gorgeous. Then apply some nail varnish.
If you can see that your nails look nice you'll be less likely to bite then. Plus no one wants to chew through layers of polish. It takes about one week for growth to be noticable and once you've got past that stage it only gets easier as you'll want to keep those fingers looking beautiful. Be sure to regularly top up your polish; scabby varnish is just as bad as chewed tips.
Another idea is to get some stick on nail jewels. Not only are they difficult to bite around but the thought of one falling off in your mouth isn't very appealing either.
And finally, don't forget the support of your friends. Enlist them to keep an eye on how much you're chewing. Another good idea is to think of some incentives. Set a target and if you manage to achieve it give yourself a little reward, with your mates on hand to make sure you don't cheat. This is a great idea because you're not only getting glamourous nails but a little chocolaty treat now and then is always good.
Once you manage to start getting the biting under control it is important that your nails stay stong and healthy. This will also mean they don't split and break as much. To do this make sure you regularly push your cuticles back and ensure you have a healthy diet with plenty of magnesium and calciun. These both help bones, teeth and nails to grow stronger.
So there you have it. With all those ideas there's bound to be something that works for you. Unfortunately you still need will power and lots of determination but hopefully some of these tips will help make life a little easier.
Good Luck!
Female First - Jacqueline Farrer