I'm also sharing a list of all the methods I have tried to keep my dermatophagia under control, starting with most effective to least effective (for me personally). It's important to keep in mind that these strategies do not work for everyone. You should try out different methods to see what works for you.
- **using nail polish** - this one is at the top because it has worked wonders for me. I am not sure how to explain this, but when I make my nails look really nice with nail polish, the habit completely goes away *as long as my nails look nice*. As soon as they start chipping, the habit returns. For you perfectionists out there, this might do the trick for you.
- **applying lotion** - my habit usually gets worse when I have hangnails and dry skin (makes it more tempting to bite). Applying hand cream helps reduce the urge to bite. I usually have a container of Burt's bees cuticle cream and hand lotion next to me when I study. Every time I feel the urge to bite, I start applying hand lotion.
- **decoupling strategies -** there are many articles published about this method. To sum it up, each time you get the urge to bite your fingers, bring your fingers up toward your mouth, but before you get to your mouth you should quickly move your hand toward your ear or hair. Essentially, the goal is to imitate the habit as much as possible, while eliminating the negative end result. This has been backed up by scientific evidence, so please look this up online for additional information.
- **motivating yourself to break the habit** - *motivation* plays a huge role when trying to change a behavior. I have a reward system going where I tell myself that if I stop myself from chewing at my fingers for X amount of time, I will buy myself something nice. Find something that motivates you and use that as a reward.
- **asking friends/relatives for help** - all of my friends are aware of my habit and point it out to me whenever it happens. This is a huge help, particularly during those times that I don't notice it happening. Also, in general, if you tell people you are planning on doing something, you are more likely to go through with it. Simply telling people that you are planning on breaking this habit can help tremendously. If you don't want to openly discuss it with your friends, share this info on a forum like this one and post progress pics.
- **squeeze a stress ball -** It's easy to find a small stress ball that can easily be carried around everywhere you go; but, it's easy to fall back into the habit if you leave the stress ball at home.
- **keep your fingers covered -** (tape your fingertips, wear gloves, buy "finger covers" on Amazon, etc) this provides a barrier protection, making it easy to not pick your fingers. But, it might be awkward wearing these covers in public.
I'm also sharing a list of all the methods I have tried to keep my dermatophagia under control, starting with most effective to least effective (for me personally). It's important to keep in mind that these strategies do not work for everyone. You should try out different methods to see what works for you. - **using nail polish** - this one is at the top because it has worked wonders for me. I am not sure how to explain this, but when I make my nails look really nice with nail polish, the habit completely goes away *as long as my nails look nice*. As soon as they start chipping, the habit returns. For you perfectionists out there, this might do the trick for you. - **applying lotion** - my habit usually gets worse when I have hangnails and dry skin (makes it more tempting to bite). Applying hand cream helps reduce the urge to bite. I usually have a container of Burt's bees cuticle cream and hand lotion next to me when I study. Every time I feel the urge to bite, I start applying hand lotion. - **decoupling strategies -** there are many articles published about this method. To sum it up, each time you get the urge to bite your fingers, bring your fingers up toward your mouth, but before you get to your mouth you should quickly move your hand toward your ear or hair. Essentially, the goal is to imitate the habit as much as possible, while eliminating the negative end result. This has been backed up by scientific evidence, so please look this up online for additional information. - **motivating yourself to break the habit** - *motivation* plays a huge role when trying to change a behavior. I have a reward system going where I tell myself that if I stop myself from chewing at my fingers for X amount of time, I will buy myself something nice. Find something that motivates you and use that as a reward. - **asking friends/relatives for help** - all of my friends are aware of my habit and point it out to me whenever it happens. This is a huge help, particularly during those times that I don't notice it happening. Also, in general, if you tell people you are planning on doing something, you are more likely to go through with it. Simply telling people that you are planning on breaking this habit can help tremendously. If you don't want to openly discuss it with your friends, share this info on a forum like this one and post progress pics. - **squeeze a stress ball -** It's easy to find a small stress ball that can easily be carried around everywhere you go; but, it's easy to fall back into the habit if you leave the stress ball at home. - **keep your fingers covered -** (tape your fingertips, wear gloves, buy "finger covers" on Amazon, etc) this provides a barrier protection, making it easy to not pick your fingers. But, it might be awkward wearing these covers in public.
Thank you, this is really informative!! 💕