Does Taping the Fingers Work To Stop Nail Biting?

In the quest of finding out how to stop biting nails, many nail biters come across the technique of putting tape or bandaids over the fingertips. The nails are covered for several days or even weeks in the hope that the nails and skin recover and the nail biting habit will disappear.

The intention is to create a physical barrier and therefore prevent access to the fingernails -also making it more difficult for the unconscious nibbling to succeed.The thinking goes: As the nails are out of sight, the temptation is removed.

Although this approach may seem to work just fine, it contains many flaws. First, you should consider that…

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1) Many Nail Biters Also Bite The Band-Aids

Numerous nail biters admit that they also bite on the band-aids. They constantly find themselves picking the outside of the band-aids, looking for ways to work under them. And, once the band-aid is ripped off, it’s only a matter of time until the nails are attacked. They say they get “a similar pleasurable sensation from it as when picking on the skin.” In addition, frequent exposure to water through hand washing or working in the kitchen often causes the flimsy bandages to fall apart, creating small particles that hang off, bits and pieces that offer just the right excuse to start the process of biting nails. Another weakness is that…

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2) The Method Is Highly Embarrassing

Taping up your fingertips in order to stop biting nails often results in high levels of embarrassment. Just imagine what your classmates, friends or family will think when they see you wearing a bunch of band-aids. It certainly won’t convey the best impression of yourself!

Besides, wearing several band-aids on your fingers in a working environment could turn out to be a challenge. What would your co-workers think if they saw you with several of your fingers wrapped in band-aids? Would they question your professionalism or your ability to handle stressful situations?

Not only does this look unsanitary and unusual, but this approach to stop nail biting may also pose challenges for partners and couples. Or would you be thrilled about getting intimate with a partner who wears band-aids in bed? The last factor why this method is unlikely to be a permanent solution to your concern of how to stop biting nails is that…

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3) Many Nail Biters Relapse After Taking Off The Band-aids

One pattern I have seen time and time again is that a lot of nail biters who try this approach quickly fall back into their longstanding habit. Even if some of the nails have fully grown out under the band-aids, once they are removed, the biters immediately resume the same old routine. Despite all their effort, the fingernails don’t last much longer than a few short days. The condition is not treated, only “covered up.” It’s simply a temporary solution.

In summary, although taping the fingers may seem to be a good approach in theory, the experience of countless nail biters proves otherwise and reveals this method as being ineffective. 

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