Hypnotherapy for Nail Biting

People with a nail biting habit can be identified quite easily. Most of them seem to always make an effort to hide their fingers. And if you do get a view of their fingers, you will find their nails picked and ripped up to the skin. This can make the nail biter's hands look really repulsive.

Over the years, excessive nail biting could lead to severely deformed nail structure, paronychia to cuticles, dental problems like anterior teeth malocclusion, gingival injuries and stomach infections due to ingestion of harmful bacteria residing under one's nails.

Most of the pharmacies sell bitter nail paints, hand mittens, etc., to help one control this habit. A simple hypnotherapy procedure can be a permanent cure for this habit.

In medical terms, the nail biting habit is known as Onychophagia.

In most of the cases, young children pick up this habit when they are 8 to 10 years of age. Majority of the nail biters know that nail biting is doing them a lot of harm and even make plans to give up this habit. In spite of this, one starts picking at nails as soon as tension and stress starts building up.

Nail biting happens subconsciously and brings satisfaction and pleasure to the biters. Amongst the numerous methods available to cure this problem, hypnotherapy has some of the best success rates. It can be done either with the help of a professional hypnotherapist or through self-hypnotism. We have explained both the methods for your benefit.

• The Ericksonian hypnosis and Neuro-linguistic programming techniques are popularly used for curing inappropriate habits in people of all age groups. Sometimes, a therapist may also use the traditional style of hypnotism for this purpose.
• One of the first steps of professional hypnotherapy is relaxing the mind of the client undergoing this treatment.

• As, nail biting is done subconsciously, the therapist may speak to your subconscious mind and make you aware of your nail biting habit. In turn, your subconscious mind will ask your conscious mind whether it actually wants to bite and damage the nails.

• Therapists may use the Anchoring method in which, the client's mind steps outside for a brief time and helps to stop a compulsive nail biting habit.
• The third stage of this hypnotherapy involves usage of neuro-linguistic programming techniques. Here, the therapist programs the client's mind to completely reject any urge to bite the nails.

Professional hypnotherapy to stop nail biting habit has always shown positive results. The duration of this therapy may vary for different therapists. The fee for the entire hypnotherapy can be approximately $400. Check for the reputation and success rate of a therapist, before enrolling for the therapy.

• This involves usage of hypnotism techniques to bring the nail biting habit under control. There are plenty of books available in the market that can guide readers with self-hypnotism. These books are priced at approximately $50 and are written by professional hypnotherapists.
• In this method, a person needs to inhale deeply each time he/she feels stressed.

• The next step involves telling one's mind to relax completely. As nail biting happens because of stress, one needs to focus the mind on reducing personal anxiety and stress.

• One needs to tell the subconscious mind that he/she wants healthy and beautiful nails and does not want the pain of nail biting. Hold hands at the eye level and visualize beautiful hands with healthy nails. One needs to repeatedly say that he/she always wants beautiful hands.

Self-hypnotism is indeed effective and worth trying, if you have a good will power.

The effects of such hypnotherapy are usually permanent. Once you stop biting your nails, concentrate on correcting the damage done to your nails. As you start growing your nails, apply some medicated hand lotions to cure the cuticles and make your nails stronger.

You may opt for a professional manicure to keep your nails in good shape. And yes, do apply a good nail paint to get the most beautiful pair of hands, like you visualized!