If you have a nail-biting habit, you probably know it’s best if you quit it. I don’t think you need me to tell you that. The American Academy of Dermatology Association says repeated nail-biting can make the skin around your nails feel sore, and it can damage the tissue that makes your nails grow, causing “abnormal-looking nails.” Not to mention putting your hands near your mouth can also pass along some icky bacteria.
But if you have this habit, you also probably know that it’s a hard one to quit—especially if you’ve been doing it since childhood. It’s just so easy to revert to it. The AAD Association says some things you can do to stop biting your nails include keeping your nails trimmed short, getting regular manicures, replacing your habit with a good one (like using a stress ball or doing something else with your hands), identifying your triggers, and gradually weaning off the habit.
The association also recommends applying a bitter-tasting nail polish to your nails. These are over-the-counter formulas that are safe to use but taste so bad you won’t even want to bite your nails. That sounds genius to me, and a lot of these polishes cost less than $20. So I did some research on the best ones and made a list for my nail-biting friends out there. Take a look below.
