How to Deter Nail Biting

I was an avid biter at a young age too. I think it was stress/nerve related. Unfortunately I believe it is a habit that you can't do much about. My Mom tried promising gifts that I really wanted but after I stopped biting long enough to get the gift I would start up again. We tried the bitter nail polish and that didn't work either. I would try the spicy idea! Hot pepper something.

What's started to work for me 30 years later, though I'm still a biter at heart is putting dark or bright nail polish on and change it every other day so it always stays immaculate. You don't want to bite them because there is nothing worse looking than half ruined polish!
She may be a bit young but you could try putting on semi-permanent polish or fake nails to deter her. Bandaids on her fingertips?

Hope something works!
Good luck

Let me know what you find out. My moms says I was a nail biter before I even had teeth. She tried everything. Soap under the nails, nail polishes, reminders, bribes, etc. I think at one point, she even tried getting me to wear gloves. I too bit down to the quick and even that annoying pain wasn't a deterrent. NOTHING worked. And now at 37, I still bite them. Half the time, I don't even realize I am doing it. So let us know if you find something that works!

p.s. Please don't put anything spicy on her nails, it will burn her skin and be extremely painful.

having been a past nail biter myself... I can tell you, those bad tasting polishes don't work....

I have recently read that nail biting can be associated with Pica, which can occur in toddlers... (check out the net) it's when toddlers put things in their mouths that for most would taste awful.. for example , a child will eat paste or in some cases, the plaster off of the wall.... I have read that a child who might be lacking in certain vitamins and or minerals will seek out anything from paper to the tops of burnt matches. sounds odd, but it's true....

In addition, as someone who bit their nails for many years, I was in a VERY stressful environment as a young person and hence, would immediately bite my nails. it's also a learned habit (at least for some)....

is your daughter undergoing some stress, could be as simple as a new bed time or preschool? you just never know... but do try and notice when she resorts to it.. and see if at that moment you can gently speak with her and get her to tell you how she is feeling.. honestly, as a kid and young adult, I had such a habit of biting my nails that sometimes I was on auto-pilot..... I did it as easily as you automatically breathe... that's why it's important while she is young to try and help her become aware of it and see if you can replace it with something else.. like drawing..

Also, check out the net and see what it says about PICA , I found that VERY interesting... As a kid, I was not only a nail biter but would sometimes eat paper... the whole Pica thing has started to add up for me... I just wish I knew about it years ago... Oh and I no longer bite my nails :) I attribute that to less stress in my life and just trying to become more aware that I am doing it... also, better nutrition..

good luck to you and yours

I tried everything too. It's really hard to get them to stop. However, when the school year starts and he gets sick 900 times in a month, I keep reminding him that he is inviting illness into his body every time he sticks his fingers in his mouth. And when he would bite too far down and it hurt really bad, I would not sympathize but just ask him how it got that way and if he thought it would be a good idea to do it again. He knows the answer. If I catch him, I gently move his hands away from his mouth. I think awareness is the key. We have gotten down to him just biting a couple but the rest grow long enough for me to cut. I celebrate the small wins and hopefully he will someday be down to biting zero instead of two fingernails. Hey, it's better than all ten!

My three year old has been biting his nails for a few months and at first we ignored it. Then I researched it and it said to find the 'root' cause of the biting. Is it in social situations, when he's tired, etc. But he did it all the time, all day long! Hubby and I started telling him we would put hot sauce on his fingers and he kept telling us no. We bought him Thums (think that is the name) from WalGreens and I used it a few times - anytime I'd catch him biting his nails. I'd say "Oh let's put the medicine on it!" But he did bite it a few times after that. Honestly, he has cut back a lot so I'm just going to keep trying that. BUT, I have a friend who used nail polish and thums on her kindergartener and it didn't work. His fingers started to get infected so her ex hubby (over a weekend he had him) would dip his fingers in hot sauce and then blot them dry. She said it took less than a week to catch on...however he did get it in his eyes, nose and sister's eyes a few times. But she said the nail biting is gone. I think the hot sauce is severe and thank goodness we haven't had to go that extreme (YET) but we will if it's what is needed. Our son bites his toe nails too!

here are two of my great-grandma's nail biting cures: ear wax. that's right, ear wax. ever taste it? nasty...have her stick her fingers in her ears and rub what comes out across her nails. dont ask me where she came up with that one. the next is artichoke. ever touched an artichoke and then put your finger in your mouth? ugh, dries out your tongue instantly and tastes very bitter. and it's not made out of chemicals like the nail polish. needless to say, when I stayed at GG's i didnt bite my nails!

I haven't cut my daughter's nails in about 2 years (she's 5 now). I tried the bad tasting stuff, bribing her with nail polish if she stops. Nothing has worked. I watch her to see if she does it certain times and it's usually when she's anxious/nervous. She must do it when she's alone because I hardly ever see her do it anymore but I know she still is because her nails are so short. Good luck! I hope you find a way for her to stop.

I just read McMama's response and my daughter used to bite her toenails too up until about a year ago. Gross!

It helped my daughter to stop the unconscious biting of her nails to put scented polish on them. The smell caught her attention, and reminded her not to bite them. Once she started school, she too got strep like crazy from feeding herself all those germs. Good luck

I believe my mom dipped our fingers in jalepeno juice... it was awful... lol. It worked, though! Dip/paint her fingers with something spicy or something she just absolutely hates the taste of.

I would love to know because I have bitten mine forever and it's so hard to stop.