Biting your nails is a terrible habit, one that is extremely hard to stop. Most of us are fighting a constant battle between the urge to bite and the desire to have lovely, strong, smooth nails that actually look good under a coat of varnish. Think about everything you do with your hands on a daily basis. Even if you’re washing your hands frequently, germs and bacteria still grow underneath your nails. When you bite your nails, you’re transferring all that gross-ness from your nail beds into your mouth.
Give yourself weekly manicures!
In order to officially kick this nasty habit, you should adopt some type of nail routine to keep your nails maintained and in good health! Giving yourself weekly manicures will help A LOT. Nail polish actually acts as a protective shield, so your nails will have the chance to grow, but it’s also important that you’re invested in the care of your nails. Think of it as making up for all those hours of gnawing your nails down to nubs. Below we have the perfect DIY manicure for nail biters.
Step 1: Get the right tools.
Be sure to have the following in a tote you always have assembled and ready.
Nail-polish remover and cotton swabs or pads
Nail clippers
Emery board and nail buffer
Cuticle pusher and nippers
Callous/cuticle remover
Hand/nail moisturizer
Base coat/ Nail Hardener
Nail polish
Clear topcoat
Step 2: Remove current nail polish (if any).
Remove old polish with a nonacetone polish remover.
Step 3: Clip, file and buff your nails.
Because of frequent biting, this step may not be necessary, but just is case, clip nails first,. Then file (in one direction) to get your tips square, round or somewhere in between. Buff tops and sides of nails lightly with a nail buffer (not your emery board) to create a smooth surface.
Step 4: Push back your cuticles.
Soften cuticles with oil or lotion and then push back gently with a cuticle stick. Your cuticles protect your nails from bacteria and keep them soft, so avoid cutting them.
Step 5: Exfoliate your hands.
Exfoliate hands, wrists and forearms with a hand scrub that eliminates dead skin cells and replenishes moisture. Nail biters can benefit greatly from this process. Use a nailbrush to clean under nails. Wash hands afterward and dry them thoroughly.
Step 6: Moisturize your hands.
Nail biters often have dry nails and cuticles. Moisturize now to avoid smudging almost-dry nail polish later. Take the opportunity to give yourself a mini hand massage—just because you’re not at the spa doesn’t mean you can’t relax! To finish, swipe each nail with nail polish remover.
Step 7: Apply the nail hardener base coat.
Because of frequent biting it’s important to strengthen the nails. Apply base coat to harden and protect nails and prevent chipping.
Step 8: Apply the color nail polish.
Apply a coat of your newest hue, being sure to get the brush all the way down to the cuticle and into the corners of the nail. Maximum coverage on the first coat makes the second coat a breeze. After two minutes, apply the second coat of nail polish. Sheer glazes may require a third coat for full coverage.
Step 9: Apply the nail polish topcoat.
A manicure for nail biters would be incomplete with a topcoat. The topcoat protects your manicure from chipping and adds shine to nails.
Many nail biters pick at their nails and cuticles. Should your nails accidentally chip or break that the compulsion to attack the other nine nails will be very hard to resist for more than a day or two. For this reason, it is extremely important that you keep up your manicures to deter you from nail biting.