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Comment by fyfy18 | Hacker News Reader

Has anyone got any tips for how to stop biting nails? This technique sounds like it would work for some habits, but I do this subconciously without realising - usually when I’m deep in though on something else (not when I’m streased).

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I stopped a bad nail biting habit.

Started by having a single nail that I wouldn't bite - all the others were fair game. You start becoming quite obsessed with that one, noticing how much better it looks than the others etc, and being proud of how that one is unbitten.

Then simply extend that to 2 nails etc

I did the opposite -- I chose a sacrificial nail, and that one took the brunt. Once my other nails had recovered and I saw the difference, the habit basically disappeared on its own.

That nail has never completely recovered; it still looks stubby compared to the others even though I no longer bite it.

Someone I know switched to only biting one nail. I switched to biting more gently, not actually biting through the nails. Keeping your nails clean and trimmed may help.

There is a thing you can buy at the pharmacy that looks like transparent nail polish but tastes extremely bitter. Basically makes it disgusting to bite your nails, but is invisible to others. Hard to get off too, so you’ll get a few days bite-free from one application.

The problem with nail-biting is that it is mostly unconscious. To stop doing it you need to train yourself to be aware of the behaviour. I used this technique to stop nail-biting after 35 years...

Put one finger in your mouth. Bite down. Take the finger out, look at it and say out loud "I will not bite my nails". Repeat for each finger on both hands.

Repeat this process 2-3 times a day. After a day or so you will start to "catch yourself" when you start nail-biting. After a few more days you should find the nail-biting habit diminishes and then disappears altogether. If the habit starts to return after a few months (as can happen) then simply repeat the technique.

I was an inveterate biter, and I had to use small pieces of tape (Micropore[ is almost invisible) over the "ends" or edges (such as they were) of my nails, just about 5mm x 10mm pieces. This was effective to put something between my teeth and my nails to cause me to think twice (i.e. drag it out of my subconscious) and decide not to. I've gone from nubs to nail files for 8 fingers and I'm about to finish the remaining two off over the next month or so.

1. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B012TD02PS/

If anyone could help me stop scratching my face, scalp, and arms until I bleed I would be forever grateful. The effect on my life is profound.

Scratch something is else till it "bleeds"? Get something scratch-y. Or as the other here suggested, decide you can scratch only your arms and scalp but not the face and go from there.

I think that NLP sucks overall, it's mostly a marketing tool and sometimes worse, but there are things supported by science and some techniques for quick interventions are integrated into psychotherapy ("NLPt psychotherapy" if you want to check it). The most down to earth book which you can use to help yourself in this case is "Change Your Mind and Keep The Change" by Steve Andreas. Good luck!

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