Budget friendly-non chemical cure for nail biting

[Figment's Girl]

My DS11 has the bad habit of biting his nails. Not only does he bite his nails but once they are down to the quick, he chews on the skin surrounding the nails.

I don't know what to try and put on his nails to get him to stop. Any suggestions?

 

[Sadie22]

Have you talked to him to try to find out why he is so tense? Some children this age bite their nails due to stress that is school-related.

 

[Samar]

I still do it. It's more out of boredom for me.

For kids, I'd say bandaids. They don't taste good at all. lol

 

[Drew Sailbum]

A quick dip in Jalapeño pepper juice got me to stop when I was a kid. I don't know if that is too much of a chemical for you to consider.

 

[Figment's Girl]

Have you talked to him to try to find out why he is so tense? Some children this age bite their nails due to stress that is school-related.

He's done it for years, we've talked and he's never mentioned its because of stress. It's just a habit he's developed.

I still do it. It's more out of boredom for me.

For kids, I'd say bandaids. They don't taste good at all. lol

That's exactly what it is with him, I notice it mostly when he's having to wait for something or when he's bored.

A quick dip in Jalapeño pepper juice got me to stop when I was a kid. I don't know if that is too much of a chemical for you to consider.

No, it's not too chemical. He's likes hot stuff but I think that would stop him. I tried vinegar but it wasn't until it was on there that I remembered he loved salt and vinegar chips so that was an exercise in futility.

 

[Indiana Rose Lee]

We gave 10 dimes to my nail biter. She was only 7, and she would carry them all day, often fiddling with them. I think the distraction of messing with them as well as the potential to make a buck helped. It only took a week, her hands healed, and she had broken the habit. Of course it wasnt' free. She lost 8 dimes during that time because of bites.

Good luck. Those little habits can be such a pain to break!

 

[Robmom]

I was the same way as a kid. I still sometimes do it. But the only thing that stopped me was something from Sally Hansen. I can't remember the name, but it was some bitter stuff that you brushed on your nails. I know you don't want to use chemicals. I don't know what is in it. But I tasted that stuff every time I ate or put my fingers to my mouth. I finally stopped doing it.

 

[MomToOne]

Try to come up with a replacement habit - it's hard to kick cold turkey without something else to turn to.

When my daughter was younger, I started bugging her not to bite her nails. So she came up with a different habit, that was worse (nothing awful, just nothing I feel the need to go into here). I'm now encouraging her to bite her nails again..........

 

[Princess Tink]

No words of advice... but I wanted to tell you I sympathize. DS12 picks at his nails, not bite, but picks... clear down to the quick and then some. So, the whole Sally Hansen thing didnt help at all. Nothing to taste when you're picking. I tried jalepeno juice once, and he cried... then I pulled up jalepeno juice online and found out it can burn the skin. I followed the advice found online to stop the burning, and I apoligized to him. I would read up in it before trying this... after reading about this, I personally would advice against it. He picks for no apparent reason... his hands get bored and he picks. He can be watching a movie, in class listening, reading a book, sitting in the car... it doesnt matter, if his hands are busy he will pick.

Sorry, I forgot to add... I tried putting a rubix cube, stress ball, ect in his hands in the car and when we watch a movie but unfortunately these only helped short term.

 

[LuvtheMouse88]

My dad put my fingers in hot sauce when I was little and I haven't bit my nails since.

 

[brymolmom]

When I did it - sitting on my hands 'cured' me. Every time he sits down remind him to sit on his hands.

 

[crisi]

Gloves.

He's probably doing it because he isn't paying attention.

Another thing is nail polish. I'm 43 and if I have nail polish to chip off, I don't pick at my nails (I'm a picker, not a biter), so they stay polished if I want to keep them nice. (And my non-nailbiting 11 year old son will sometimes borrow blue nail polish - he thinks its "cool" - but it might be a summertime/weekend try.

 

[LaurenLC]

I was a nail biter because I was an extremely nervous child.... My parents tried EVERYTHING to get me to stop..... The things that worked best were gloves (although I look ridiculous), dipping my nails in VERY hot sauce and dipping my nails in nail polish remover (it tastes TERRIBLE!).
Nail biting it a terribly dirty habit.. I wish you the best of luck with this.

 

[dzaharchuk]

Wal mart does sell some kind of stuff you paint on- it is all natural, just tastes bad. It didn't work for my guy, but it has for friends' kids...I think it was behind pharmacists counter, but I'm not sure why.

I am going to try the dimes trick-that sounds like a good idea- my little guy is obsessed with coins/money...


good luck!

 

[Figment's Girl]

Wal mart does sell some kind of stuff you paint on- it is all natural, just tastes bad. It didn't work for my guy, but it has for friends' kids...I think it was behind pharmacists counter, but I'm not sure why.

I am going to try the dimes trick-that sounds like a good idea- my little guy is obsessed with coins/money...


good luck!

Thanks for telling me where to find it, I looked before and couldn't locate it.

 

[steph124ny]

I am a nail biter when I don't have acryllics. I have done it since I was old enough to get my hands in my mouth. I can clearly tell you there is NOTHING that you could say or dip my hands in that will get me to stop. It's a deeply ingrained nervous habit. It relieves anxiety to him, much like people who pull out their hair.

He may not even be able to tell you that he's stressed. It may not even be a horrible stressor...but it relieves anxiety. Until you find something to replace his habit, he most likely won't stop. If you punish him, you'll create more anxiety over it and he'll probably do it more.

So I would concentrate on finding him something to keep his hands busy and replace the habit.

 

[nike]

dab a little vanilla extract on the nails with a cotton ball every morning. smell great, taste awful

 

[ajh88]

Wal mart does sell some kind of stuff you paint on- it is all natural, just tastes bad. It didn't work for my guy, but it has for friends' kids...I think it was behind pharmacists counter, but I'm not sure why.

I am going to try the dimes trick-that sounds like a good idea- my little guy is obsessed with coins/money...


good luck!

It is called Thum. I assumed we kept it back there because it's a special order type item - they don't stock it in the regular store but the pharmacy is able to order it. I believe the active ingredients are cayenne pepper and citric acid - hot and sour I suppose.

 

[Tweevil]

My son also 11 does the same thing. Not nerves, just something he does when he is bored or concentrating really hard on something... drives me nuts.
But, I do it too and have fakey nails to stop myself.

I would love a way to bring awareness to it too. The stuff at Wallymart didn't work....

 

[gobraves39560]

Google Mavala Stop!! My 6 year old was a thumb sucker. After 3 nights, she is officially thumb sucking free!!! Yippee!! I bought it off of Amazon for around $10.00.