Helping to Cure Nail Biting in Children

[MissJulesBeauty]

Hello

I am looking for some advise. My sister is 7 almost 8 and bites her nails til they bleed. We have tried all the usual lotions and potions, tried teaching her ways to keep her fingers active as she seems to do it when nervous / bored, bought her mini manicure sets, painted her nails etc x the only thing I have not done is gel polished them

I am now wondering if Gel polish would help? I am willing to try anything but just wondered as she is just 7/8 would she be okay with Gel polish? It would have to be a sheer one because of school, I use Gelish and was thinking sheer pink or morroccon nights. What do you think or do you have any other suggestions for us to try x She is such a girly girl but I am genuinely worried that she is going to cause long term damage by biting her nails and cuticles til they bleed x

 

[mummyt]

I have the same problem with my daughter who is 4 and I have tried gel. I use bio sculpture. She bit it off within 1 hour of it bein on. I've tried everything. I don't know where she sees it from as she has an older did who doesn't do it and my husband and I don't bite our nails. My daughter is very very active, does not sit still (to the point of eating a spoonful of dinner, running about then coming back for more) so I can't put it down to boredom ??????

 

[Andrea85]

As someone who was a nail biter until the age of 18, I can honestly say that nothing will stop some of us! I tried and failed so many times, I just carried on biting no matter what.

Eventually I just really wanted to stop so I did, but it's difficult with children. They don't know they're doing it and won't be as determined to stop. Maybe you could offer an incentive?

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[Crystal colleen]

I bit my nails from the age of 4 till 27 and have only just stoped.like the above post says nothing will work until she is older nothing worked for me.she may grow out of it or when she is older she will want to stop xx

 

[Laurasnowwhite]

The only thing that stopped me was getting fixed braces when I was 22, couldn't get my nails in my teeth!! Even now, after having them removed for 2 years I can't bite them as my teeth line up properly now so I couldn't even if I wanted to - which I don't now!

 

[Wooshka]

I was a nail biter until only a few years ago and I agree, nothing will stop your sister until she is ready to stop.

Bu tin saying that, from what I know about myself and other people close to me who bite their nails or have bad habits like my friend who sucked her thumb until she was 38!!!!!.......there is always a reason for it.

I do know someone who went and got hypnotherapy to stop her biting her nails and normal therapy to help with finding out why she bit them in the first place, as in was it boredom, was it stress, was it comfort etc etc.
After a few session, they found why she did it, she was taught strategies to replace this habit and she stopped biting them.

Another story, my own daughter who is now 15 used to bite hers too and I got her to stop by telling her what kind of germs are under her nails and what I did was, I went out the back yard and picked up a pile of dog poop and put it on a plastic plate for her, called her to the table and told her to sit and have a meal of dog poop.
Of course she flipped out but I explained to her that the same germs that are found in dog poop are found under her nails, so she may as well eat dog poop.
Seriously, she stopped from that day on and has never bitten them since.
Now, she has mild OCD and issues with germs plus many other issues going on, so I picked a strategy that I knew would work with her cause of her germ phobia thing.

I do believe nail biters bite for a reason, find this and you might be able to help her stop but apart from that, she will not stop on her own cause she can't yet, she is too young to understand and it's something that will come with maturity I think.

 

[Aideenf]

Not a hope in getting a change of mind from a child, I suck my thumb done it all my life of 23 years and no matter what I can't see myself stopping I call it an addiction because I broke my thumb a few years bk Nd I went a far as removing my bandage to jus hold my thumb in my mouth to b able to get asleep that's when I realised there was alot more to it den jus a person sucking on their thumb, nail bitters are the same my boyfriend can bite his down to nothing Nd still get a bit more the next day it's mad how something as simple as these things can mean so much to somebody

 

[HWilliams]

I was a nail biter and my dad always used to clip me round the ear when he saw me... I actually stopped when I was 25. Worked in a pub and a bloke I liked wanted to look at a ring I was wearing. He said that my hands would have done the ring more justice if I didn't bite my nails. Out of embarrassment, I stopped!

Now and again at 34, I find I have a chew when I'm worrying about something/stressed/bored.

 

[AcidPerm]

Hypnotherapy is a good non-invasive solution and can work with children from as young as 4 years providing you have a competent therapist. You can stay with the child at the sessions, so it's quite safe.

I wouldn't be keen on DIY approaches such as the 'germ therapy' mentioned above, as this risks the child developing serious phobias into adulthood which can detrimentally affect their lives.

 

[lauren89]

My 3 year olds the same. I always have her at the doctors because she bites the nails and skin and causes herself to get hangnails and infections.

The doctor reccomended something to put on the nails that tastes awful so puts her off biting but I can't remember what it's called.

Do any other geeks know what I:m on about?

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[Crystal colleen]

Yes you can get it from boots but I have to say it dosnt work well it didn't for me I just got used to the taste :lol:.it's called stop and grow xx

 

[lauren89]

Thanx. Aww I might get it to try anyway. Do you think it's safe to paint a 3 year old nail biters nails? I think it might distract her but I'm worried about her swallowing it.

Sorry to slightly highjack op

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[Crystal colleen]

Thanx. Aww I might get it to try anyway. Do you think it's safe to paint a 3 year old nail biters nails? I think it might distract her but I'm worried about her swallowing it.

Sorry to slightly highjack op

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It's a liquid that you paint on it's really runny and Tastes not very nice but it's not recomended for children under 5 x

 

[OBIC]

Not sure there is much you can do to be honest.

Bit my nails until the age of 32, stopped two weeks before I started my beauty course, thought it best not to turn up and let others see my gross bitten nails!

It is a difficult one, I have had a very stressful year this year with family stuff and have found that I have had a relapse a few times even though I officially gave up seven years ago! Does look seriously gross, one of my clients commented!

I remember my mum doing various things when I was young, the nasty nail polish etc and bribing me with treats to give up but nothing stopped me unfortunately. Gross as it is, I even liked a nibble at my toes, fortunately as you get older they are a bit more difficult to reach lol!

 

[Crystal colleen]

Not sure there is much you can do to be honest.

Bit my nails until the age of 32, stopped two weeks before I started my beauty course, thought it best not to turn up and let others see my gross bitten nails!

It is a difficult one, I have had a very stressful year this year with family stuff and have found that I have had a relapse a few times even though I officially gave up seven years ago! Does look seriously gross, one of my clients commented!

I remember my mum doing various things when I was young, the nasty nail polish etc and bribing me with treats to give up but nothing stopped me unfortunately. Gross as it is, I even liked a nibble at my toes, fortunately as you get older they are a bit more difficult to reach lol!

Lol I'll admit it I bite my toes to from 4 till now he he he it's bad isn't it lol I just can't help it my fiancé thinks I'm very strange lol xx

 

[OBIC]

Lol I'll admit it I bite my toes to from 4 till now he he he it's bad isn't it lol I just can't help it my fiancé thinks I'm very strange lol xx

Lol, probably couldn't reach hese days! Will have to take up yoga or something!

 

[MissJulesBeauty]

Thank you for all your replies geeks x

I have just Gelished Jasmines nails (My sis) x She would love nails the same as mine, purple with little gems so I made her a deal. We have gelished her nails this evening with moroccan nights. I have given her a bottle of nurture oil to take home and I have agreed that if she looks after her nails, no biting and applying cuticle oil every night - when she breaks up from school next week she can have the purple gelish and gems for the holidays x

She seems really excited so we will see x I have shown her some pics of permanent damage caused by nail biting - nothing too severe obviously but enough for her to see the dangers x

My efforts may be a waste of time but I have to try xxx

 

[BROOPS100]

My daughter has been biting her nails since she was around 5 years old. She is now 17 & has only just managed to grow her nails for the first time whilst using Bio Sculpture. I would say that the individual has to want to stop. My daughter has only stopped because she is so embarrassed at how they look. She has started College in September as a hairdresser & they were also so painful. The other girls all had beautiful nails so that was a good enough incentive to stop too.

Her nails dont appear to display any signs of long term damage & I would class her as a severe nail biter as she used to munch away 2/3rds into the ail plate.... oooh truly painful with unsighly bulb for fingers...

 

[kandc88]

http://www.amazon.com/Mavala-Stop-Biting-Sucking-0-3-Fluid/dp/B0000YUXI0Mavala Stop is fabulous stuff. Tastes really bad and it's a taste you can't get out of your mouth, a real deterrant. You have to be vigilant and repaint the nails with it about every two nights, keep at it for a couple months and it should work. It lasts a long time, like a clear-coat of nail polish, very hard to wash it off. It's the only thing that worked for my kids and my friends kids too.

My kids have had limited success not chewing on their nails when polished with Gel. They look so nice they hate to mess them up, but once they start at it, they chew it all off, so I would not recommend it as a deterrent. It might work as a reward, though, and i couldn't say whether it would work in addition to gel polish, I keep thinking I'll try it, but have not yet.

It's a great deterrent for adults keeping their hands out of their mouths during the winter germy months too!

 

[ProperPrincess]

This is harsh but was my way.

Erin and harry started nibbling after being around.family members that are nail biters.

I started off by getting two large haribo bags of sweets on a Monday morning. Everytime i caught them nibbling i ate a sweet (i pretended too... diabetic) whatever sweets were left in the.bag the.following.Sunday they got to keep! harry likes to gel his hair and Erin is nuts.about all things colourful...minx, glitter etc. i told them i would refuse to do her nails or allow her her own little polished and wouldn't let harry use gel until a Sunday came where they had a full bag of sweets and a decent set of nails.... It took Erin 3 weeks, harry 5!

No products. Just a common goal! Erin now has minx every school holiday!

Good luck xxx

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