Can't stop biting your nails? Habit replacement therapy might help
BOSTON - If you tend to bite your nails, there may be a simple and free way to kick the habit.
Millions of people perform repetitive behaviors such as nail biting, hair plucking, or skin picking, habits that can be hard to break.
In a new study published in JAMA Dermatology, researchers recruited 268 people who either bit their nails or the inside of their cheek or plucked their hair in times of stress.
Half were taught something called "habit replacement," which involves gently rubbing their fingertips, palm, or back of the arm at least twice a day whenever they felt the urge to perform the unwanted habit. Fifty-three percent who performed habit replacement said they experienced some improvement in their unwanted behavior compared to 20 percent in the control group. The nail-biters benefitted the most.