Causes of onychophagia
The cause of onychophagia can be both emotional and physical disorders.
Sometimes parents simply trim their children's nail plates without paying any attention to the cuticles and hangnails. They cause discomfort to the baby, which encourages him to fight the problem on his own. Therefore, it is necessary to carefully monitor children's manicure so that the baby does not bite his nails.
The physiological source of the problem may be:
- physical pleasure (the same as when eating candy);
- trying to replace the pacifier;
- lack of proper physical activity;
- parasite infection.
However, most often the cause is a violation of the child’s psycho-emotional state. To identify them, you need to contact a child psychologist who can accurately determine the source of discomfort.
Most often, onychophagia occurs due to
- stress associated with moving or changing educational institutions;
- lack of attention and parental love;
- watching scary movies;
- communication problems;
- fear of punishment;
- self-doubt or other psychological discomfort.
Parents try to smear mustard on their fingers, persuade, swear, but sometimes this habit turns out to be stronger. But this is not only not beautiful, but also causes certain health problems. If you have tried all the remedies, then you should consult a doctor and try using a special nail polish.
Features of children's polishes
It often happens that a child gets so used to biting his nails that he does not give in to any persuasion or threats. Then parents think about using special means that help solve this problem.
Varnish to stop a child from biting his nails is a clear or colored liquid that has an unpleasant taste. If a child puts his finger in his mouth, he will feel a very strong bitterness, which will discourage him from repeating this action.
This coating is not hazardous to health. It does not cause intestinal disorders or allergies. The varnish can be used starting from 2 years of age.
Using varnish to prevent a child from biting his nails can additionally solve several other problems:
- There is no need to bandage or tape your fingers to heal wounds;
- Normalization of nail growth and improvement of its shape;
- Maintaining oral health;
- No threat of infection with viral diseases.
To eliminate possible harm to the baby’s health, such products should only be purchased in pharmacies or trusted online stores.
The habit of biting nails in adults: how to get rid of it
At that time, I was actively treating my hair for hair loss and using ordinary aloe. Once again, while smearing the roots of my hair with a succulent leaf, I accidentally ran my finger over my lips. A very bitter taste appeared in my mouth, which grew with every second. And how did I forget that aloe juice is so bitter? Then it dawned on me - of course! Here it is, the cure!
I looked at the huge flower that has been growing here since time immemorial. Truly, this plant is unique. How many times has an aloe leaf treated my children’s deep scratches and cuts, saved them from bronchitis and pneumonia, how many times have I treated inflammation on the skin with its juice, restored the thickness of their hair and put their health in order. And if I don’t know what to do when a child bites his nails, why not use this wonderful remedy!
Along the way, I very convincingly, but without pressure, otherwise the children would smell the falsehood, told a story about poor little fingers who need help. I remember I composed a whole fairy tale, and the kids listened in one breath, and then retold it in kindergarten. Here every mother can turn on her imagination and come up with a story that can touch the emotions of children. I succeeded, which was 90% success.
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Important point
Quite often, the habit of biting nails is also present in adults. I had an employee at work who had this problem. Svetlana’s nails were in a deplorable state - the plates were nibbled almost to the inner skin and there were constant hangnails on the periungual skin. It was a shame to show such hands, and Sveta stubbornly hid them under the table.
I advised Svetlana my proven method - lubricating the cuticles with aloe juice, but difficulties arose. My friend didn’t have this plant and we agreed that my home bush would serve her too. Every day I brought Sveta a fresh leaf, and she carefully lubricated her nails. But adults are not children, and the treatment took a little longer... Then I rightly decided that my dear flower would not survive such a long execution and came up with a new method.
I advised Svetlana to buy a pack of dry wormwood at the pharmacy and make an infusion. When it cools down, simply dip a cotton swab into the liquid and lubricate your nails several times a day. And then, as they say, “the ice broke.” Wormwood turned out to be an excellent remedy - affordable, easy to prepare and very effective!
Svetlana said that she placed a bowl of infusion near the washbasin and very often simply dipped her fingers into the bitter liquid. She liked it even better because suddenly her nails became shiny, strong and grew quite quickly.
On my own behalf, I would like to add that you should not dip your fingertips in wormwood infusion before cooking. And in general, before contact with products, otherwise they will all be bitter. Otherwise, such a simple treatment has helped more than one adult get rid of the habit of biting their nails.
Types and methods of application
The modern market offers a wide range of varnishes for children who bite their nails. It is worth considering several varieties that have already gained popularity:
- Smart enamel “Gnaw - I don’t want to.” Looks like regular nail polish. This product is often bought for boys because they don’t like doing manicures. And smart enamel has no color, so it is practically invisible on the nails. It can be applied to both hands and feet. It has added cactus extract, which provides a strong bitterness.
It dries very quickly and does not cause irritation, even if it gets on damaged skin. If the child flatly refuses coverage, then this procedure can be performed even in his sleep. The varnish will dry quickly and will not cause discomfort to the baby.
However, some parents noted that the bitterness is quickly washed off with water.
- Princess "Nekusayka". It has a disgusting taste that quickly discourages children from biting their nails. It is noted that getting rid of the habit takes from several days to 2 weeks.
The manufacturer advises applying the product before bed so that the bitter substances included in its composition have time to show themselves in all their glory.
“Nekusayka” is hypoallergenic and does not contain toxic components.
- Lacquer Belweder. It contains a very bitter substance - denatonium benzoate. It is used to treat both adults and children. Drying time is only 3 minutes, and the disgusting taste appears immediately. In addition, the product has an antibacterial effect and protects the mucous membrane and nail plate from infection.
- Limoni "No Bite Pro Growth". Italian varnish, which, in addition to its bitter taste, additionally has a healing effect. The product is designed specifically for children, it does not harm health, dries quickly and does not shine on the nails.
- Severina varnish contains a complex of vitamins that have a positive effect on the condition of nails. It will help restore a damaged nail plate, returning it to its former beauty and strength.
Parents note that it is impossible to call any remedy universal. Its action will be individual in each case. Therefore, if a varnish of a certain brand does not produce the desired effect, it is worth trying a different one.
The product should be used in accordance with the instructions. Many of them need to be applied at night to work best. The coating should be renewed daily. You need to use it until the baby stops pulling his fingers to his mouth.
Girls usually don't mind manicures. They like to imitate their mother's actions. But if you have difficulty applying varnish, you should try using colored varnish.
There are more problems with boys. In this case, you should be patient and persevering.
You can engage your baby in conversation or tell a story. Under no circumstances should you swear or shout. This will only make the problem worse.
Design is important
You can draw a beautiful picture on a girl’s nails, which the child will be very sorry to spoil. To do this, buy children's colored varnish, and apply a bitter coating on top.
There are many ideas for children's drawings on the Internet. For example, you can make a beautiful strawberry. To do this you need:
- paint your nails with red varnish;
- near the cuticle draw a green stem with a thin brush;
- Using a special stick called a dot, place white dots that will imitate grains.
Most likely, the baby will be sorry to spoil such beauty. Therefore, it will be possible to get rid of the bad habit much faster.
Features and Benefits
The varnish coating is safe; if it gets into the mouth, it will not cause gastrointestinal disorders. Anti-nail varnish is a hypoallergenic product; its use eliminates the appearance of rashes, irritation or itching. It is recommended for children aged two years and older.
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The taste of the varnish is so unpleasant that if at first it seems simply tasteless, it will subsequently remind you of itself every time you want to bite your nails. This will help you get rid of the urge to touch your mouth with your fingers. The enamel is really effective, it causes a strong taste aversion.
Coating with a special varnish eliminates the need to apply a plaster or bandage your hands during the treatment of wounds and bruises that have already appeared from excessive nail or cuticle gnawing to the skin. Using this technique, you can normalize the growth of nail plates and cuticles, and more or less put their shape in order. In addition, this will help maintain healthy teeth and gums and rid the body of viral and bacterial diseases.
It is better to carry out such procedures before bedtime, when the child is relaxed. You can read your baby a bedtime story or tell an interesting story. While applying the product, you can praise the child for his “new” beautiful nails and healthy fingers.
The product is economical and should be applied no more than two to three times a week. The duration of treatment can range from two weeks to several years. However, you should not apply varnish continuously and daily: this is harmful to the structure of the nails, can make them thin, brittle and cause delamination.
The coating composition, albeit in small quantities, contains components used in conventional varnishes. Penetrating the surface of the horny formation, they end up on damaged skin. In order not to harm her, you should not overuse the product.
The advantages of the varnish include the naturalness of the color and invisibility on the nails: they look as if there is nothing on them. Preparations for boys are transparent in color, while versions for girls have a pleasant pinkish tint.
Possible health hazard
Most people are of the opinion that painting nails is completely safe and harmless. The basis for this statement is the fact that the nail plate consists of dead keratinized cells. Therefore, the application of any chemical compounds does not have a negative effect.
However, this is not quite true. Under the nail plate there are soft tissues and nerve endings. And it is riddled with tiny holes that cannot be seen with the naked eye. It is through them that harmful substances enter the body.
Of course, children's polishes contain a minimal amount of negative components. But they still exist. Therefore, such a coating should be used only for medicinal purposes, so as not to harm the growing body.
It is necessary to take breaks periodically so that the nail can “rest” from the varnish. Use within reasonable limits will not cause harm. On the contrary, many products are enriched with vitamin complexes that have a healing effect on the nail plate.
