While many people become nail biters in childhood, nail biting is a habit that has a tendency to stick -- and you may still be wondering how to stop biting your nails as an adult. Nail biting becomes surprisingly addictive and hard to end. If you are tired of bemoaning your jagged nails that are too short for pretty nail polish, here's how to stop biting your nails right this second.



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Identify Your Triggers
Pay attention to when you start nibbling on your nails to see if you can find a common trigger or situation that makes you feel like you need to bite. For some people, this can be the sight of a hangnail. Others may just do it out of boredom or anxiety. Once you know what your triggers are, you can develop a plan to help combat them.

Trim Your Nails
Keep your nails trimmed short -- with a nail clipper, not your teeth. Giving yourself minimal areas to bite may be the answer to how to stop biting your nails; it makes it harder for you to bite them, and you may not be as tempted to try. Not to mention, gnawing on your nails can actually chip your teeth over time. We repeat: Biting your nails can break your teeth. Convinced yet?

Apply Nail Polish
When you go through the trouble of applying nail polish, you don't want to risk ruining your manicure. Consider applying a fresh coat of nail polish every week to help you fight the temptation to chew. If you've got the room in your beauty budget, a gel manicure is a great way to resist the temptation to bite because they last so long. Who would want to mess up those perfectly glossy digits?

Apply a Bitterant
When you find your fingers wandering to your mouth without thinking, it's time to up your defense against your nail-biting habit. You may be able to fight the urge to bite by applying a bitterant to your fingers or nails. This is a safe-to-ingest topical product that tastes very bitter and is used to stop people and animals from putting things into their mouths. Some products, like Mavala Stop, $16.50, can be worn over nail polish. Applied every two days, this product's taste will make you regret putting your hands anywhere near your mouth.

Replace the Bad Habit With a Good One
You may figure out how to stop biting your nails by replacing your nail-biting tendencies with a habit that actually makes you feel better. Look for ways to keep your hands busy, like playing with a stress ball (which has been shown to relieve muscle tension and stress). Some people also try to gradually stop biting their nails, one finger at a time. Set up a schedule that suits your needs. For instance, you can bite every nail except for your pinky nails during week one. By week two, it progresses to every nail except your pinky and your ring fingernail. Continue in this fashion until you aren't biting any nails.