Nail Biting - San Jose,CA

Find her something else to chew on. It's habit that is hard to break from what I have heard, but maybe if you can help her transfer it to something else, at least she won't be destroying her hands.

Gum?
A plastic straw?
(I had a school classmate who chewed on straws-- not exactly ladylike, but neither is the nail biting!!)

Also, if you think it is related to anxiety/nervousness, you can try to help her relax more--meditation, yoga, whatever.

Hi, T..

I was a nail biter all my life. They tried everything to get me to quit. You know what worked... I got to an age where I was very self-conscious of my hands, and started wearing the acrylic nails. Because of the nail biting, my nails were paper thin. As an adult, I really tried growing them out and they would rip so easily... when they got wet, it was hopeless.

I know this probably doesn't help since your daughter is only 5... perhaps your doctor can suggest something. I was hypnotized once and it did help for a week or so.

I wish you the best on this.

I had to bribe my daughter a little. Gave her 25cents or took away 25cents if I saw her biting her nails.

My now 18-year old started biting her fingers (and nails) when she was only two. It broke my heart to see how raw her fingers became. I tried everything, including sending her to school with 10 bandaids on her fingers. I also met an adult who had done it her whole life. Nothing really helped, so I ended up relaxing about it.

Recently, our family started on a regimen of more protein and less sugar (or sugar eaten only with a high-protein meal) to treat the sugar-sensitivity of one of our family members. My finger-biting daughter realized that her compulsion to bite her fingers virtually disappeared! Her fingers are scarred, but no longer raw. She still bites her fingernails some, but recently complained because one of her nails was getting long and it was a completely unfamiliar feeling to her.

FYI, when she eats sugar she realizes that she feels like biting again, so we're pretty sure there's a direct connection.

Something to try...

Good luck!

Have you tried the nail polish that is bitter and would discourage her from putting her fingers in her mouth??

I would definitely talk to your pediatrician or get a referral to a pediatric dermatologist. They should be able to help you with ways to prevent her biting. Also, they can make sure that you have the appropriate lotion or medication to make sure her fingers do not get infected. Good luck.

Dear T.,
This is a terrible habit that can have lasting effects. I would try putting bandaids on her fingers or giving her something else to chew on if she feels she must. She's only 5, so she doesn't realize how much she will regret biting when she gets older if her hands are unattractive. My favorite aunt was a serious nail/finger chewer and my mom noticed me starting to do it. She said she knew I loved my aunt, but the next time I saw her, she wanted me to take a good look at her hands and then ask myself if I wanted my hands to look like that. That was all it took for me. One of my best friends in high school was one of the prettiest little things you ever saw until you looked at her hands. She literally had no fingernails left and the tips of her fingers were misshapen due to that skin growing way down into her nail beds. It looked like the tips of her fingers had been cut off. She had chewed off and destroyed any trace of fingernail, or hope that they could grow back.
I hope your daughter can grow out of it and replace the biting with something else if she's feeling anxious.

I wish you the best!

Good luck with this. my 18 year old daughter, my husband and my 88 year old mother in law bite their nails. We did get my daughter to stop biting the skin with the stuff they sell to paint on your cuticles that taste bad and she doesn't bite when she has nail polish on. We also used to put bandaids around each finger. It may all have started with stress (age 5 or so) but all generations do it! Since stress was the triggor, we tried to minimize and redirect the stressors in her life. Best wishes.

I'm almost 31 and still bite my nails. There were only two things that stopped the biting. One, was getting pregnant. I guess something in the hormone shift allowed me to grow my nails out and no longer felt the urge to nibble. And two, anytime I had acrylic nails put on I was able to stop biting. Nothing else worked for me. Whenever I stop getting my nails filled and remove the acrylics I inevitably bite them down again.

Bribes, vows, punishing myself, weird tasting polish, sitting on my hands, band-aids on every finger, tape on every finger, wearing socks on my hands when I was at home and trying to keep my hands balled into fists at school, none of it ever worked for me.

Hi T.,

Is it possible her fingertips are peeling and she is responing to it by biting off the peeling skin?

Vitamin A deficiecny can cause fingertip peeling.

Reasons for deficiency:

Chlorine in tap water kills vit A (and B, C, E)
Not enough protien (protien is req'd for vit A binding)
Iron deficiency (iron helps Vit A metabolize)
Chronic diarrhea
*very low fat diet (fat is req'd for vit A binding)
chrones, celiac,or hyperthyroid
antibiotic-neomycin
*ps...children need animal fats for vit A/they cant make the conversion from beta carotene. vit A: 1500 mcg day,(500 mcg should be retinol)

Vitamin B supports the central nervous system. deficiency can cause uneasyness, restlessness, nervousness, anemia, cracks and scaling on skin in various places.
best to take B complex drops 2 x DAILY under the tounge. Follow label for dose.
(Sugar depletes vit b stores. keep sugar ,carbs, juices to a minimum).

Don't forget that clorine filter on your tap.

Regards,
Gail

I believe it is a nervous habit. My son did the same thing, and it drove me crazy especially because hands are so dirty. Any way I worked and worked and every time I saw him biting his nails I would remind him to twirl his hair. It worked! And he still does it to this day and he is 20 years old. He also developed a habit of messing with his ears, like he pushes the outer ear into the inside, lets go and repeats. All I know, is that it was better than biting nails I thought. They do have a product in stores to help break nail biting. Or use a home remedy, for instance, dip her fingers in vinegar, let them dry and every time her hands go in her mouth they will taste sour. Did you paint her nails or allow her to do it. I don't know how old she is but if she could do the whole thing, like cuticle removal, nail cutting (with tool) nail filing, nail painting, buffing everything this might help, it helped my sister. Good luck!

I have not had that with my child yet.

Try the juice from an Aloe plant. It tastes so bad it stopped me and my sister biting our nails and my sister sucking her thumb.

Good luck.

Hi T. F,

It sounds like she may be a little stressed.
There is going to b a Children's Wellness Expo on Sept 12th in Alameda with a panel of medical doctors that are educating us on prevention and how to address these child issues in a natural way before they become worse.

As you know we are at war with our environment and our children will suffer the most from it.

I feel this event would benefit you and your family more then you know.

If this is something that you are interested in attending or learning more let me know and I will send you the info.

Good luck to you.

Have a great day.

N. Marie
____@____.com

My daughter had the habit of biting her nails, but not that bad. Quirks like this run in her Dad's family... and I told her that she had to stop biting her nails for six weeks (I told her I had to trim her nails and not find one bitten one for 3 clippings, so about 6 weeks) and then we'd get her ears pierced. It worked for her... she has relapsed a little since her first tooth fell out, she has her fingers in to wiggle the loose teeth and sometimes unconsciously starts biting again, but she stops when reminded and honestly is upset that she'd forgotten. You might be a little past a reward like that, but it might be a bigger reward for her if it's that bad. Baby steps!
Good luck!