Amanda’s been outed. Kirsten’s busted and Kate Middleton? Well her dirty secret’s well and truly documented.
Yes, celebrities – like us mere mortals – can also sometimes confuse their digits for a delicious tray of pork pies. Which is understandable. Sometimes hunger strikes at the most inappropriate of times. But really, when you break it down, biting ones being is really not so chic.
I can’t talk. No, not because I’ve got a gob full of BYS Velvet for Nails, $7.95, (although, um, yum, right?!) but I can’t throw stones because I can often be found in my glass house gnawing my nails.
And although there are many traits I hope to hand down to my son, this was not one. It’s pretty distressing when you see a half-hacked nail cradling a Crayola. And that pulverised pointer can only be pointed at the guilty party: me.
So I am giving up. He’s on board and there is a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle tower at stake – my shout. In my attempt to reign in my charge’s nasty habit – and prep my digits for springs onslaught of Va Va Voom varnishes – here’s my step by step of how to nix nail biting. Like, now.
I’m guessing hunger isn’t the trigger here. For me, it’s often as fickle as tomorrow’s fashion choice, packing for a holiday or preparing a family dinner when I’d rather be meeting a deadline. But whatever my triggers, I can identify them. It’s automatic for me, so it’s important to intercept them. Short-term, I often grab a stick of Juicy Fruit, long term, a shellac manicure – which goes on like polish but hardens into more of a high-gloss armour – makes nibbling far more cumbersome.
Try: CND Shellac Power Polish, from $30 for manicures
Another slip up for me can be when I do actually tear apart a thumbnail, and it looks so darn bad, I figure I should bring all the other digits down to this dastardly level. Yuk. Best bet here is to be prepared. So I always carry an emery board with me so that any time one edge is jagged – even slightly – I can smooth it off and forget about it before it does my head – and my paws – in.
Try: File It Nail File in Zebra, from $2, 1800 251 215
Can’t bite? How’s pickin’ tickle you? Yes, where there is a will there is a way in the mind of a nail biter. How many times have you thought that the dinner party with your in-laws may not be appropriate setting to poke your pinkie in your trotter, but picking your cuticles under the tablecloth is ok? Foil this plan before it comes to fruition by using a cuticle cream. I keep mine in the car so that even the simple seconds I have stopped at lights, I can at least give one nail bed some love. Keeping them moist and hydrated means they won’t snag and they definitely won’t tempt at the table.
Try: Burt’s Bees Lemon Butter Cuticle Cream, $14.95, from department stores
The worse my nails are looking, the less I have to lose nibbling at them. So, another great way for me to be proud of my pointers and avoid biting is when they look fabulous. And I can make this change in an instant with my favourite no-fuss, no-fail nail colour! Who needs a manicure when you have your mind set on a greater gorgeous-nails-goal and a few microseconds?
Try: Essie Nail Colour in Sugar Daddy, $18.95, from department stores
Invest in the future of your nails. If you can’t shell out the money on a shellac, get a nail colour change at your local manicurist once a week. This will cost you all of about $10 and with the removal of your old colour, you’ll get a moisturiser application on the cuticle beds and a new, professionally applied shade to keep you motivated not to munch.
If all else fails, make it taste nasty. Revitanail Stop and Protect, $11.95, from Priceline is not about to find itself on the menu of any Chef Hat awarded restaurant anytime soon, lemme tell ya.
Do you pick, bit or nibble Primpettes?
What is your fail-safe tip to stopping this gross beauty misdemeanor?
ecb x
