In your lifetime, you've probably met someone who bites their nails. Maybe that person was you. Somewhere between 20 and 30% of the population bites their nails, according to one study.
Once something becomes a habit, it can be hard to stop. That's where the Mavala Stop Nail Biting Polish comes in. The bitter taste it leaves in your mouth is enough to make you never want to bite your nails again.
With over 5, 000 five-star reviews on Amazon, this product has a 4.3-star rating. It's also been heralded as "miraculous" by parents of nail-biting and thumb-sucking children (and adults who just couldn't seem to break the habit).
Fidyn No Bite Nail Polish
"It literally only took one day and he quit sucking his thumb ... It's worth every penny, " raved one parent who bought the product for their son.
"I've been biting my nails constantly for over 20 years, and the moment I started using this product, I stopped, " explained one adult user.
Because we haven't tried the polish ourselves, we spoke with Dr. Debra Jaliman, a New York City-based dermatologist, author and Assistant Professor of Dermatology at Icahn School of Medicine, about the product.
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"It will definitely stop you from biting your nails, " Jaliman continued. "A tiny drop will be enough. Stick with it and don't just use it for a few days. You will leave the nail-biting habit (behind) for good."
While the product achieves it's intended goal of leaving a long-lasting terrible taste in your mouth, it can also transfer to things you touch. In short: Finger foods are a no-no. When you've got the polish on, be sure to pick up a fork before you eat those fries.
"Words can't express how happy I am with this product, " one reviewer wrote. "It's changed my life for the better and I recommend it to anyone who wants to stop the nail biting habit. You'll be glad you bought it."
How To Stop Nail Biting
To discover more deals, shopping tips and budget-friendly product recommendations, download the new app and subscribe to our Stuff We Love newsletter!Do you find yourself absentmindedly chewing on or biting your fingernails — and when you try to quit the habit, it just doesn’t take?
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Rest assured that you’re not alone. Although to many people, nail biting is an occasional thing, for 20% to 30% (or more) of Americans, nail biting is a behavior they can’t stop on their own.
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In fact, care providers classify chronic nail biting as a type ofobsessive-compulsive disorder or a body-focused repetitive behavior (BFRB). There’s even a name for chronic nail biting: Onychophagia.
Bur people with onychophagia can’t stop the behavior on their own. In other words, it doesn’t help to tell someone to stop — and reprimanding them only makes them feel worse because it reinforces their feelings of being flawed.
Therapy can help release the shame and negative emotions that often accompany nail biting. It can also help increase awareness of your triggers and urges. In some cases, habit-reversal training or hypnotherapy are effective.
Tips On How To Stop Nail Biting
Self-care — like regular meals, more movement and ample sleep — helps you feel calmer, more confident and resilient, giving you the strength to recover. Nail biting satisfies a strong urge, so to quiet your mind and easethetensioncreated by the urge, we recommend meditation, journaling and yoga.
Talking to a support buddy when you feel the urge to bite your nails can help you get through the stressful moment. The TLC Foundation for Body-Focused Repetitive Behaviors offers a directory of support groups and educational events.
People with chronic nail biting may need medications or behavioral therapy to address a related condition. We do know that people with the following conditions often have onychophagia as well:
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Let’s face it, nail polish doesn’t taste good. But there is actually a variety of nail polishes made specifically to deter you from biting your nails. This polish tastes particularly bitter or foul
Chronic nail biting often has a self-soothing quality — in fact, itprovidesa sense of calm — so peoplemayuse it as a coping mechanism.
Sometimes, a hangnail or nail imperfection spurs you to groom a nail excessively, in order to improve the look of your nail. Unfortunately, this often makes the nail look worse.
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You should seek medical treatment if nail biting is causing physical damage to your nail, cuticle or surrounding skin, or if there are signs of an infection (including redness, pain or swelling).
If nail biting is causing you psychological distress, such as shame, anxiety, depression or low self-esteem, a mental provider can help. It’s important to discuss your concerns with a professional if the behavior is affecting your social life, too, or affects your professional life or job performance.
For most people, nail biting is an occasional thing. But when nail biting becomes constant, it’s time to get help. Here’s what you need to know.I've been a nail-biter for as long as I can remember. I started doing it when I was a kid, like so many others, and it soon became an unconscious habit that kicked in whenever I was stressed or nervous. It's actually a more common behavior than you may think: It's estimated that around 20 to 30 percent of people of all ages habitually bite their nails. And anyone who has tried to stop knows that it's a lot harder than simply putting your mind to the task.
Reasons To Stop Your Bad Nail Biting Habit For Good
I have tried a number of tactics through the years to stop myself from biting. From getting regular manicures to attempting to gross myself out by thinking about all the germs on my hands — none were successful. Until I finally tried the Ella+Mila No More Biting Polish, a bitter polish with more than 2, 500 five-star ratings on Amazon.
In my search for the product that would finally help me break the habit, I tested out a few of the most popular anti-biting polishes, and this one was by far the most effective. It has a strong bitter flavor, plus, it doesn't dry out my skin if I apply it to my cuticles or the edges of my nails.
Most of the time I don't even notice when I'm biting my nails. It usually just happens when I'm zoned out or feeling anxious or bored. And before I even realize what I'm doing, I've turned my fingernails into little nubs. But the polish fills my mouth with a bad taste as soon as I put my fingers to my lips and makes me notice what I'm doing so I stop pretty much immediately.
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I'm not going to lie, the bitter flavor is pretty gross and really strong at first, but that's what makes it so effective. Thankfully, it doesn't linger in your mouth for too long and can usually be washed away with a few sips of water.
The brand recommends that you apply it every two weeks, but I found that the taste usually fades altogether after just a few days. When it wasn't as strong, I was more likely to go back to biting, so I've been applying a new coat every four to five days.
Some reviewers note that the flavor can transfer onto your food when cooking and eating. As someone who uses my hands a lot in the kitchen, I've never noticed the taste in any of the meals that I've prepared. I will say, though, you can definitely taste it when you eat with your hands. As a result, I've started eating some of my go-to finger foods like fruit or small bites with utensils. Which, with all the focus on proper hand hygiene right now is probably more sanitary anyway.
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My nails look better than they ever have, and it's not just because they're longer. The polish goes on smoothly, dries within a minute and gives them a nice glossy shine.
I never liked wearing nail polish, because I didn't feel like it looked good on my short, stumpy nails. But now I love the way my longer nails look when coated with a cute color, and I've found that it works as an effective top coat to keep the colored polish from chipping.
All of Ella+Milas polishes are vegan and cruelty-free, but they're also free of 17 potentially harmful chemicals like acetone, toluene, camphor, formaldehyde and more. Which is comforting to know, considering that it's, at least momentarily, going in my mouth.
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The product has an average 4.3-star rating from more than 3, 700 reviews and the review section is filled with parents singing praises for the product, saying it helped their little ones break a nail-biting or thumb-sucking habit.
"My three-year-old has been biting his nails for as long as I can remember to the point of them not growing, " wrote one reviewer. "From first application, he stopped biting! Only had to apply it three times over a week and we are done!"
At just $10, it's a worthwhile investment. I've been using it regularly for about a month now and have barely even made it through a quarter
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