If You Bite Your Nails, Here’s One Tip To Try To Stop According To Science

Because of stress, it can be difficult to break the bad habit of biting your nails, scratching yourself, eating your cuticles or compulsively fiddling with your hair.

In a new study, published in the JAMA Dermatology (Source 1), researchers report having observed the effectiveness of a simple technique against these repetitive behaviors : touch his skin gently, for example by rubbing the tip of his fingers, the palm of the hand or the back of the arm, at least twice a day. They call this trick “replacement of habits”, and indicate that this helped 53% of participants reduce their mania after six weeks of follow-up.

The study was conducted among 268 adults primarily with trichotillomania (habit of pulling one’s hair or the hairs), ofnail biting (nail biting), or other manias called “body-focused repetitive behaviors”. All were divided into two groups: the control group, where participants learned that they were on the waiting list for specific treatment, and the other group, where participants were trained on these habit replacement tricks, via a manual and videos.

People who bite their nails are those who have benefited the most from this approach, since 80% of them said they were satisfied with this training.

Note that this strategy is similar to that of change your habits : replace the fact of biting your nails with an action starting in the same way, for example by raising your hand to your face but ending your gesture towards your ear rather than your mouth… Here, the trick consists, for example, in clenching your fists tightly when you feel like scratching or pulling your hair, or even sitting on your hands while the urge passes.

Other therapeutic approaches, including cognitive and behavioral therapy (TCC), neither working nor corresponding to everyone, the researchers hope that this trick can be another treatment option for those who are struggling to put an end to these fads. They also point out that since access to mental health services is still very unequal, it is up to them to find tips to help patients take care of themselves.