The manicure that stops nail biting for good

Whether you turn to it in times of stress or just can’t resist a daily nibble, nail biting is one of the hardest beauty bad habits to break. And let’s face it – if you’re not a nail-biter, you’ll probably never understand what’s so compelling about it. No one likes the look of chewed, ragged nails, and who wants to ruin a perfectly good manicure by attacking it with your teeth? One way to help you stop chewing is to make your nails inaccessible. No, we’re not talking about sellotaping gloves to your hands – we’re talking about acrylic overlays. Here, Tinu Bello from Colour Riot Nails explains why they could help nip your bad habit in the bud, and offers advice on other ways to beat it…

By Daniela Morosini

• 1 Why it works

  Acrylics are making a huge comeback in the style stakes – just look at the talons of Rihanna, Jennifer Lopez and Kylie Jenner! “Acrylic nails are great for serial nail biters who have tried every nail treatment and are at their wits’ end. Acrylic sets into hard form, so when applied it will be very hard to bite off”, explained Tinu. You literally can't get to them. “There are many misconceptions about acrylic nails, one being that it ruins your nail beds, but in fact for a nail biter it will help to grow them out as you are already ruining your nails with constant biting. Top tips when using acrylics as a deterrent for nail biting is that you will need an infill every week to help them to stay on, due to the lack of nail bed, and use cuticle oil twice a day to hydrate the cuticle and improve the appearance.” You don’t have to go for super-long talons if you don’t fancy – acrylics can be filed and shaped any way you like. Plus, they’re totally having a moment right now – trust us, getting acrylics means style AND substance.
• 2 Find your trigger

  Bad habits don’t happen in a vacuum – there’s always a reason that lead to you picking up your nibbling ways. Sure, you might have been biting your nails for as long as you can remember, so even if you can’t remember what started it originally, you can certainly identify what triggers it now. Next time you find yourself absent-mindedly chowing down on your cuticles, stop and think about what you were just doing. Were you making a nerve-wracking phone call? Composing a difficult email? Thinking about future plans? Once you’ve worked out what sets you off, you’ve got a much better shot at stopping altogether. Next time your trigger comes along, you might even be able to catch yourself before your fingers end up in your mouth.
• 3 Try distraction techniques

  Something as simple as a rubber band might be able to help. Arm yourself with a discrete distraction tool that you can use at work or on the bus without arousing too much attention – rubber bands to toy with, blu-tack to play with or even a paperclip to unfold. Just something to occupy your hands while you’re in that moment of needing to fiddle with something can take attention off of your nails and onto to something else. Half the battle is simply having something to do – so if you can move from your nails onto something else, you’re halfway there. Tinu added, “Playing with a Rubix cube or or tackling a suduko puzzle are things former nail biters have told me worked for them.”
• 4 Gloss over it

  A gel manicure can work wonders – and not just in the style stakes. We’re all Shellac addicts over here at Treatwell towers because of the long-lasting colour and unbeatable shine it offers, but gels also have the added benefit of being that bit harder to gnaw through. Tinu agrees: “Shellac nails in my opinion are great. Shellac can serve as halfway point between a manicure with polish and a full set of acrylics. While Shellac is not as durable as acrylic, nor does it have the staying power, it is less harsh on the nails, helping your nails.” Combine a super-shiny Shellac with a distraction technique like a stress ball and you might be able to quit the chewing for good.
• 5 Need-to-knows

  • According to a 2015 study, it takes 21 days to break a habit. So be patient!

  • If your nail-biting extends to cuticle picking and ripping, try treating yourself to floral hand cream. Delicious to smell – not so delicious to taste.

  • It’s not just women who bite their nails – plenty of men turn to a good ol’ chew in times of stress.

  • Give yourself an incentive – if you manage to go a month nibble-free, why not book in for a manicure to celebrate?