Top 10 Nail Care Myths

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The Bliss Kiss™ Ultimate Nail Care Routine       Want Longer, Stronger Natural Nails in 30 Days? The Ultimate Nail Care Routine is the cornerstone of the Bliss Kiss™ 30 Day Challenge. The BEST way to get started on your journey to longer, stronger nails is just a...

NAIL ANATOMY – Different Parts of Fingernail

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Nail Anatomy Authors: Doug Schoon and Ana Seidel Nail Anatomy - The Different Parts of the Fingernail Do you know where your cuticle is? Or your hyponychium? Most people don't. Not only is the general public confused about the names for the parts of the natural nail,...

NAIL ANATOMY – Different Parts of Fingernail

Curved Nails, Doug Schoon, Nail Anatomy

Nail Anatomy Authors: Doug Schoon and Ana Seidel Nail Anatomy - The Different Parts of the Fingernail Do you know where your cuticle is? Or your hyponychium? Most people don't. Not only is the general public confused about the names for the parts of the natural nail,...

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NAIL ANATOMY – Different Parts of Fingernail

Curved Nails, Doug Schoon, Nail Anatomy

Nail Anatomy Authors: Doug Schoon and Ana Seidel Nail Anatomy - The Different Parts of the Fingernail Do you know where your cuticle is? Or your hyponychium? Most people don't. Not only is the general public confused about the names for the parts of the natural nail,...

NAIL ANATOMY – Different Parts of Fingernail

Curved Nails, Doug Schoon, Nail Anatomy

Nail Anatomy Authors: Doug Schoon and Ana Seidel Nail Anatomy - The Different Parts of the Fingernail Do you know where your cuticle is? Or your hyponychium? Most people don't. Not only is the general public confused about the names for the parts of the natural nail,...

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NAIL ANATOMY – Different Parts of Fingernail

Curved Nails, Doug Schoon, Nail Anatomy

Nail Anatomy Authors: Doug Schoon and Ana Seidel Nail Anatomy - The Different Parts of the Fingernail Do you know where your cuticle is? Or your hyponychium? Most people don't. Not only is the general public confused about the names for the parts of the natural nail,...

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SEE THROUGH NAILS See Through Nails - Can I Fix It? ASK ANA "I have a bit of a question. I've had this transparency in my nails for years. I read your article about what can cause them to be transparent. I'm following your advice, but it doesn't appear to be...

The post Quick Tips: Are Clear Nails Bad? first appeared on Nail Care Headquarters.

People often ask me if they should remove their cuticles. This is a very hot topic filled with misinformation.

If you don’t wear nail polish or other nail enhancements, the answer is NO!

For a lot of people, removing cuticle tissue is NOT necessary.

There are only two types of people who need to remove their cuticles.

1. You wear solvent-resistant nail enhancements like gel, acrylic, polygel, or dip nails.
2. You wear traditional nail polish AND it chips at your cuticle line.

Notice how I don’t include nail polish in the list in #1? There’s a reason for this.

Before I explain more, let’s get some clarity about where the cuticle actually lives.

If you’re new to my articles, the truth might surprise you.

For most of us, we learned the names of different parts of our body in elementary/primary school.

We were incorrectly taught that the band of skin at the base of the nail is the cuticle.

This band of skin is actually the keratinized proximal nail fold.

Never Remove Cuticles? Really?

If you don’t wear nail enhancements, you NEVER need to remove the cuticles.

Refer to the photo above. The cuticle is actually a thin layer of colorless, nonliving tissue that sticks very tightly to the freshly made nail plate.

Combined with the keratinized proximal nail fold, the cuticle creates the most important guardian seal protecting the nail matrix from germs and bacteria.

Cuticle Confusion

Does this sound like you?

You are new to learning how to improve your nail care. You hop on the internet and YouTube for answers. 

You keep hearing/reading that you should remove the cuticle. But seemingly respectable websites, like WebMD, also have articles that tell you to never cut your cuticles.

Your anatomy lessons in school have set you up to make the wrong conclusion.

You assume that they’re talking about what “you think” is the cuticle.

In addition, it isn’t helpful that there is a product called the “cuticle cutter.” Now you assume that cuticles should be cut.

Again, incorrect.

The real truth is that gentle scraping is the only way to remove cuticles.

Reader Beware!

I write a lot that it’s important to find respectable resources who write truthful content.

But the internet is now a landmine of myths, falsehoods, and fear-mongering. How are you supposed to know?

The following photo is a snapshot of the beginning of an article published on WebMD. It is one of the thousands of articles that make me want to pull my hair out in frustration.

This article was written by a freelance author who is not a doctor. As you’ve already learned, she clearly doesn’t know the correct location of the cuticle.

As a result, the article is completely useless. But most people don’t know that and read it as truth.

Then to compound the problem, the article is reviewed by a doctor, who apparently approved this piece of “content” as truthful.

The Rise and Fall of WebMD

Sites that used to be respectful resources usually end up falling into the “cater to the Google algorithm” mentality. This is what has happened with WebMD.

WebMD started June 14, 1996 as Healthscape. In 1999 it was part of a three way merger with Sapient Health Network (SHN), Direct Medical Knowledge (DMK) and Healtheon. Articles were written by doctors.

In 2013, the Chicago Tribune reported that WebMD, “has struggled with a fall in advertising revenue with pharmaceutical companies slashing marketing budgets as several blockbuster drugs go off patent.” In response, WebMD began investing in changes to its site in order to entice users who use its site seeking specific information to linger on the site reviewing other material. ~Source: Wikipedia.org/wiki/WebMD

Since WebMD is now financed by advertising, third-party contributions, and sponsors, “investing in changes” means offering more content to keep the Google machine happy.

WebMD’s network of websites reaches more unique visitors each month than any other leading private or government healthcare website.

Writing in The New York Times Magazine in 2011, Virginia Heffernan criticized WebMD for biasing readers toward drugs that are sold by the site’s pharmaceutical sponsors, even when they are unnecessary. She wrote that WebMD “has become permeated with pseudo-medicine and subtle misinformation.“

Julia Belluz of Vox criticized WebMD for encouraging hypochondria and for promoting treatments for which evidence of safety and effectiveness is weak or non-existent, such as green coffee supplements for weight loss, vagus nerve stimulation for depression, and fish-oil/omega-3 supplements for high cholesterol. ~Source: Wikipedia.org/wiki/WebMD

Do I Even Have Cuticles to Remove?

Did you know that some people don’t have any cuticles on their nail plates?

Might seem strange, but true.

Dead skin cells continually slough off of our bodies. We often speed up the process by exfoliating in the shower.

Living life with our hands usually provides plenty of opportunities to naturally exfoliate the cuticle from our nail plate; shoving our hands in pockets, grabbing loads of laundry, digging through our purses or backpacks, even drying our hands on a towel.

Removing What Isn’t There

If you lived in southern Florida or Fiji where it never freezes, and I told you to scrape the ice from your car windshield during the winter, you would think I had lost my mind. It seems a little crazy to scrape nonexistent ice. 

The same is true about the cuticle.

It’s pretty challenging to see a thin, colorless layer of tissue. It’s even harder to see if it has rubbed off!

Universal Truth

Have you ever applied a messy manicure and noticed that the polish came right off your skin in the shower? 

Nail enhancement products don’t bond to skin. 

Companies formulate enhancements to bond to the hard keratin structure of our nails.

When to Scrape

If you wear any sort of solvent-resistant enhancement like gel, polygel, acrylic, or dip nails, removing the dead cuticle on the nail plate is important. 

“During a properly performed manicure, the keratinized proximal nail fold is gently pushed back to expose the cuticle. The cuticle must be carefully removed. Improperly performed, this part of the manicure can lead to problems.

For example, applying artificial nail products over this thin layer of skin will prevent proper adhesion. This causes the artificial nail to separate and lift from the surface of the natural nail plate.

Many hours of valuable time are lost to repairs made necessary by careless removal of the cuticle. Not only can improperly removing the cuticle contribute to artificial nail service breakdown, it can also lead to infection or nail deformities.

This is why it is very important to avoid removing the cuticle from underneath the nail fold. It is fine to push back on the keratinized nail fold first, but do not place any instrument underneath the nail fold itself. This can lead to injury and infection.” ~Doug Schoon, Nail Structure and Product Chemistry

The Cuticle and Nail Polish

Just because you wear traditional polish, don’t assume you need to remove your cuticles. 

You may not have any.

If your nail polish constantly chips at your cuticle line, then you most likely have cuticle on your nail plate.

This is when it is a good time to learn proper cuticle removal as part of your manicure routine.

The frequency of cuticle removal depends on your rate of nail growth. I would recommend it once every two to four weeks.

Cuticle tissue only shows up on new nail growth.

In Conclusion

There are a couple of wise sayings I’d like you to remember.

“Do the best you can until you know better. Then when you know better, do better.” —Maya Angelou

“Just because you can, doesn’t mean you should.” 

It’s very important to understand “why it’s a good idea” to take on a new skill, technique, or practice.

Do you need to purchase and learn how to use a skill saw if you’re always going to hire a carpenter to do construction work for you?

Sometimes it’s more important to ask the right questions first.

Only then will you find the right answers. ~Ana

---

The post Should You Remove Cuticles? first appeared on Nail Care Headquarters.

You’ll find all kinds of reasons on websites around the internet. I find that a lot of them are inaccurate and leave you with the feeling that something might be horribly wrong with your health.

The TRUTH is that for most of us, simply living life does the most damage to our nails.

When it comes to nails, there are three types of people.

1. People with zero length and they’d like them to grow longer.
2. People with 3mm+ of length and want them to stay that way.
3. People who just don’t care.

If you’re reading this, it’s safe to assume that you are in one of the first two categories.

#1 Tip Wear

The main cause can be summed up in two words—tip wear.

We use our hands all day long. No, really. All—day—long.

Watch yourself as you go through your day. When are your hands doing absolutely nothing?

Why is tip wear a big problem for those with shorter nails?

People with short nails use their hands differently from those with longer nails.

They can grab, touch, poke, scratch, etc. with the very tips of their fingers. 

My husband’s nails are very short and the skin at the very tips of his fingers has toughened with use.

The advantage is that he has precise control when he touches different screen locations on his phone. I can actually hear his fingertip skin clicking on the screen!

My nail tips range from 3mm to 10mm depending on my laziness at trimming them. The skin on my fingertips rarely touches anything.

As a result, on the rare occasion that I have a deep break, my fingertip is overly sensitive. 

It can be painful to touch things for a few days until the skin gets tougher. 

Once the nail free-edge grows to about 3mm, we start to adapt how we use our hands to accommodate for our nails “being in the way.”

Leave a Trail

I physically CAN’T pick things up with my fingertips.

I use the pads of my fingers. Basically, I leave my fingerprints everywhere!

As a result, my fingernails don’t touch everything.

Here’s where we get back to the problem with tip wear.

The free edge of shorter nails takes a lot more abuse. They get rubbed and beaten more.

Like a Book

Although this isn’t an exact analogy, pretend your nail layers are like the pages of a book. 

When the pages are new, they are flat and lay nicely together. Now imagine if you kept fiddling with the edges. You fan the pages repeatedly. Maybe you accidentally drop it in the bathtub and then rush to dry it out in the sauna. Now the pages are warped and curling. You try to smooth out the edges but that just seems to make them worse. You notice that some of the pages are starting to tear. But you need to keep reading the book. It slides off your lap and crashes to the floor. You pick it up and try smoothing the pages again, but doing so causes some of the pages to rip out of the binding. 

Our fingernails can take much more abuse than this poor little book. But they aren’t indestructible.

We scratch places that itch, oftentimes through fabric. We grab, dig, push, pry, poke, and so much more. Our hands and nails take a lot of abuse.

This abuse can cause the layers at our tips to splay out and start to peel.

#2 Water Damage

Although our nails are about 50 layers of a tough, fibrous protein called keratin, they have a major weakness—water. Think of it as Superman’s weakness to kryptonite.

Refer to the picture below. Water can travel around AND through all of the tiny holes in every nail cell.

Our nails have the ability to absorb 1/3rd of their weight in water in a matter of minutes. That doesn’t sound like much, right?

Now imagine what would happen to you if you absorbed 1/3rd of your weight in water that quickly. You’d be pretty puffed up, soft, and squishy. The same effect happens to our nails.

It takes one to two hours for that water to evaporate out of our nail tips.

But our nails need a small amount of moisture and body oil to remain flexible enough to bend when we bang them into things.

The repetitive cycle of exposure to water with evaporative drying causes our nails to become too hard and brittle.

People with short nails usually aren’t doing the techniques that help decrease nail peeling and breaks.

#3 Stress Fractures

The official label for damage from the nail tip bending repetitively is transverse fissures. I call them stress fractures because it’s a little easier to remember.

Nail layers are a hodge-podge of interlinking cells as you can see in the photo above.

If you have short nails and you’re wanting to grow them longer, the 0 to 3mm time period is a “danger zone” phase of growth.

Why?

Because you haven’t started to change your behavior when using your hands.

You don’t have nail tips forcing you to change the way you navigate through life.

As a result, you’re going along using your hands the way you always do. 

The problem is that these short nail tips keep bumping into EVERYTHING. 

Your tips are continually getting bent and you probably don’t even notice.

People with thicker nails don’t tend to have issues with short nail tips bending and fracturing. 

But if your nails are naturally thin and weak, like mine, then excessive bending is a big problem.

Although there are many techniques and practices to successfully growing your nails longer—ie: breaking them less—there are three main ways that will really help; 

1. Intensive hydration treatments with a high quality, jojoba wax ester-based nail oil
2. Short term use of nail strengtheners
3. Learning how to use your hands differently.

Let’s look at these a little closer.

Nail Oil

Water pushes our nail layers apart and nail oil can help “glue” them together. When all the little gaps around the nail cells are filled with oil, water can’t get in.

I explain the importance of nail oil to naturally strengthen nails in far more detail in another article.

The fastest way to get oil into your nail tips is to warm up the oil. This can be done in two ways; warm the oil in a bowl, or wear nitrile gloves to help contain your body heat thus warming the oil.

I don’t like the first option because it uses a lot of oil, it can be wasteful, and you are stuck with your hands in a bowl of oil for quite a while.

The second option uses 1 drop of nail oil under each nail which will also wick around to the top. Because you are wearing nitrile gloves, you can continue going about your daily tasks and even use your phone.

Click here for the full directions to the Intensive Hydration Treatment

Nail Strengtheners

I have learned that the danger zone is one period in time where nail strengtheners can be really helpful.

Strengtheners have ingredients that hold your nail layers together giving them better temporary strength than traditional polish. 

Many people think I am against nail strengtheners, but this is not true. 

I have a problem with the marketing claims. I discuss this in greater detail in my Nail Strengtheners article.

The keyword to remember is “temporary”. 

These strengtheners don’t do anything to change the actual structure and makeup of your nail plates.

As soon as you remove the product, your nails are the same as before applying the nail strengthener.

But they can still be helpful in reducing peeling.

Nail strengtheners work in a similar way that an ankle brace provides support. 

You still have the mobility of your foot and ankle, but it’s held more securely so you don’t hurt yourself again while walking. The brace doesn’t repair the ankle. It just provides support.

It is also important to remember that once your tips have reached 2-3mm, you no longer need the strengthener.

They can actually cause your nails to be too hard. They won’t bend on impact with a hard surface or object.

At this point, it’s best to shift to using 5 layers of polish using my Fab 5 Wrap Technique.

Use Your Hands Differently

Pretend you’re wearing wet nail polish all the time. 

It’s really quite simple. But I’ll be honest—it’s not easy.

You have to pretend you have longer nails in order to minimize the breakage and peeling while they are in this short phase.

It is when you have learned how to minimize the breaks and peeling that your nails will be able to grow past the “danger zone.”

In Conclusion

“If you always do what you’ve always done, you always get what you’ve always gotten.” ~ Jessie Potter

If longer nails are important to you, you’ll simply want to change the way you do things.

You’re learning new practices. 

Incorporating new ways to improve your personal care takes thought and patience. 

It can take a little time. Just know that the results will be worth the hard work.

The post 3 Reasons Why Short Nails Peel More first appeared on Nail Care Headquarters.

Perhaps you have recovered from Covid-19 and you’ve noticed some deep horizontal grooves, called Beau’s Lines, in one or more of your nails.

If it seems like there might be no end in sight, you’re not alone.

Living through and surviving the Covid-19 pandemic has put the entire planet under more stress than we’ve experienced in decades.

Nail problems can usually be sleuthed out by looking at four categories; Stress, Health, Home, and Work/Hobbies.

A lot of times, the answer is due to one cause, sometimes two. 

But this pandemic has put ALL FOUR into play.

The Magic Question

When people ask me what’s suddenly wrong with their nails, I start with one major question.

What big thing happened to you 4 to 6 months ago? 

Why is that the magic question?

Because the nail tips you have today were created four to six months ago.

On average, the journey from creation in the matrix to where you finally see the nail at the keratinized proximal nail fold (cuticle line) has taken one to two months.

It takes about another 4 months for the nail to continue growing to the hyponychium (where the nail leaves the pink nail bed to become the free edge.) 

Let’s look at the 4 categories that have contributed to why you feel like your nails have “suddenly gotten worse” or seem like “they just won’t get better.”

Stress

Whether good or bad, stress is often the major reason for nail issues.

We’re living in a state of perpetual fear of loss; loss of income, possible loss of home, loss of connection to those we care about, and loss of freedom.

We aren’t sleeping well. 

More and more people are dealing with chronic anxiety and depression.

Divorce and substance abuse rates are rising uncomfortably fast.

Parents are now needing to support educating their children at home on top of juggling their work responsibilities from home.

Our youth have lost one of the major things that help make school more bearable—hanging out with their friends.

Health

As of this writing in February 2021, 106 million people have caught the Corona Virus while 78 million have recovered. [Source: Worldometers.info]

On the surface, that might sound positive.

But we have no idea what “recovered” actually means other than “still alive and discharged from the hospital.”

Since Covid-19 is a respiratory disease caused by the coronavirus, this means it affects your nose, throat, and lungs. 

Both my oldest son and best friend got violently sick at the beginning of  2020 while Covid was raging through China. It’s now 13 months later and both have a persistent cough, have frequent episodes of struggling to breathe, and several other health issues.

Although most people seem to be recovering, there’s growing concern over a new group of people, “long-haulers”, who have lingering symptoms.

Long-lasting symptoms often include: coughing, tightness in the chest, shortness of breath, headaches, muscle aches, and diarrhea. But perhaps the most significant symptom that is being seen across the board in coronavirus long-haulers is fatigue. Oftentimes, this group feels very run down and tired. They can’t exert themselves or exercise and simple tasks (like walking to the mailbox) will often leave them feeling exhausted. Chronic fatigue like we’re seeing in this group can be incredibly debilitating and frustrating. Many long-haulers also report brain fog, difficulty concentrating, or feel like they aren’t as sharp as they used to be. [Source: Health.clevelandclinic.org]

We don’t know yet if we will see a significant rise in asthma or functional breathing disorders (FBD) in those who recover.

How will asthma or FBD show up in your nails? 

Oxygen and nutrients are delivered to your nail matrix by your blood. 

Your body’s survival mechanisms will focus delivery of blood flow to your brain and internal organs before your extremities like fingers and toes. 

Compromised oxygen intake will have negative effects on our nail health over time.

Home

How has your home changed over the last year?

We’re washing our hands with water and soaps significantly more. 

The global hand sanitizer market is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate of 22.6% from 2019 to 2027. [Source: Grandviewresearch.com]

The active ingredient in hand sanitizers, ethyl alcohol, is very drying to hands and nails.

Are you doing more cleaning because everyone is stuck at home and making more messes than when all of you went to work and school?

Are you wearing gloves when cleaning?

Do you have young children and constantly changing diapers?

Are you responsible for chores like laundry, making the bed, or yard work? 

Hobbies/Work

Water, paper, fabric, and other materials can strip away your body’s natural oils, including the oil within your nail plate.

Since we’re spending more time at home, many of us may have dusted off neglected crafts and hobbies that can strip oils from skin and nails.

Getting Back to Normal

So many of us are grieving for the life we had before 2020. We want it back.

After my first child died of SIDS at 9 weeks old, I asked my grief counselor, “how long will it take to get back to normal.” Her response hit me hard.

“This is the new normal.”

For us to get back to life as we knew it, 75% of the global population needs to be vaccinated.

Bloomberg’s new calculator shows how long it will take states and countries to vaccinate 75% of their populations—7 YEARS! [Source: Bloomberg.com]

It would appear that this is definitely the new normal.

Lessons from History

The good news is that this isn’t the first time our planet has suffered through a pandemic. These are the top 10 worst pandemics since the death of Jesus Christ.

(1981-2012) HIV/AIDS PANDEMIC – Death Toll: 36 million
(1968) FLU PANDEMIC – Death Toll: 1 million
(1956-1958) ASIAN FLU – Death Toll: 2 million
(1918) FLU PANDEMIC – Death Toll: 20 -50 million
(1910-1911) SIXTH CHOLERA PANDEMIC – Death Toll: 800,000+
(1889-1890) FLU PANDEMIC – Death Toll: 1 million
(1852–1860) THIRD CHOLERA PANDEMIC – Death Toll: 1 million
(1346-1353) THE BUBONIC BLACK DEATH – Death Toll: 75 – 200 million
(541-542) BUBONIC PLAGUE OF JUSTINIAN – Death Toll: 25 million
(165 AD) ANTONINE PLAGUE – Death Toll: 5 million
[Source: Mphonline.org]

What Now?

So what are we going to do about it?

We could accept that our nails will be a hot mess for the next several years. I personally don’t like that option.

Or we can accept the universal truth that change is inevitable.

We need to find new ways to decrease our stress levels, improve our home and work life, and improve our health. 

Since we can’t stop washing our hands and using hand sanitizers, we need to embrace the strategies that reverse the drying effects we experience.

We need to do intensive hydration treatments with a high-quality, jojoba wax ester-based nail oil, like Bliss Kiss™ and nitrile gloves to improve the strength and flexibility of the natural nail plate.

We need to use water-free balms and lotions to soothe our overwashed and hypersensitive skin.

And the best part? 

We need to wear polish to protect our nails from damaging water absorption.

Polish provides temporary strength to help our nails survive this crazy, brave new world.

If you found this article helpful, please share!

The post Why the Covid Pandemic is Destroying Our Nails first appeared on Nail Care Headquarters.

by Ana Seidel, Vitaly Solomonoff & Doug Schoon

Have you ever heard the expression, “The world is getting smaller?”

It’s true.

But…

The internet has become a double-edged sword.

We learn really amazing things from people we will never meet physically. Our lives are improved immensely.

But… we also learn really dangerous and destructive things. The “Russian” manicure is a technique that could cripple the global nail industry.

In this article you will learn:

• • Why the Russian Manicure is considered a medical procedure

• • What the skin looks like microscopically after electronic bits have been used to “buff” the skin

• • Why this manicure practice permanently damages the nails of over 90% of clients who receive this treatment

• • Global statistics revealing how the popularity of this deceptive manicure process will permanently deform the nails of millions of people.

• And how to protect yourself today

The Hidden Dangers of the ‘Russian’ Manicure

By Vitaly Solomonoff – Dermatologist, Cosmetic Chemist, International Nail Judge and Author.

‘Beauty is pain’ is the well-known quote from Voltaire’s play, La Bégueule (the prude woman). This manifests when women are ready to sacrifice everything on the journey to aesthetic perfection.

The Russian (Dry, Machine, E-file) Manicure Defined

The ‘Russian’ manicure—a variation on high-speed microdermabrasion with e-files, is seen as an effective contemporary method of removing unwanted living skin as part of the preparation process of a nail service.

It is seen to negate the need for clipping, removers or wooden sticks. However, there are many concerns surrounding this method.

The Function of the Matrix

Frankly speaking, we should not remove living skin surrounding the nail plate at all. The only exception would be in cases when excessive skin or hangnails can become a source of infection.

The skin is a secure and strong guard to the most sensitive and fragile structure—the nail matrix, which is the only layer of germinative cells. This is the innermost layer of the epidermis from which new tissue is constantly formed.

The function of the matrix is to produce keratin, the main substance of the fingernail. The nail matrix is so sensitive that factors of temperature, insignificant pressure, minor injuries, and skin damage lead to inflammation. These external factors may impact the formation of the normal healthy keratin in the nail plate.

There are also plenty of internal factors, such as health and skin conditions which can influence the process too. These factors include diabetes, psoriasis, and lung disorder, just to name a few.

The incorrect synthesis (creation) of the nail keratin always results when the nail grows. Changes in shape, structure, texture, color or even separation from the nail bed (onycholysis) are all symptoms of damage to the matrix.

The sad news is that all of these results are unpredictable yet can be seen immediately or months after chemical, biological, or mechanical traumatisation.

Everything we see on our nails is the result of the matrix’s function. In fact, when we talk nails we should consider the matrix.

Three Year Study – Shocking Permanent Damage

Two years ago, my team completed the study of more than 300 cases of volunteers who regularly undertook a manicure using this technique.

The study continued for 38 months (over 3 years) before we came to shocking results.

We found 91% of volunteers suffered symptoms of a damaged nail matrix or nail bed!

Symptoms included all signs of matrix/nail dystrophy from splitting, horizontal ridges, and slow nail growth.

Extreme cases reported painful neuropathy (nerve damage) and high sensitivity.

Less than 9% of cases were determined as safe and ‘successful.’

It was also discovered that infectious inflammation is a common issue with clients who have a compromised immune system—diabetes, etc.

This type of inflammation occurs even when the manicure is performed with sterilized implements.

Immediate Damage

Microscopic cracks in the skin that are done during this type of manicure are inseminated with microflora during the few hours after the procedure. After analysis, we concluded that the source of danger from using this technique includes:

• Vibration – Even imperceptible vibration injured cells and induces the local immune response.
• Traumatisation – Damage, over filing or invisible (to the naked eye) micro-injuries even when a nail tech is sure his/her technique is controllable.

All together, vibration and traumatization induce acute or chronic inflammation and a syndrome of repetitive trauma, which leads to nail dystrophy.

Do We Need Inflammation?

Did I mean ‘inflammation’ earlier? Yes, it was not a figurative expression.

We get used to thinking inflammation is something unpleasant, painful and related to infection.

Actually, inflammation is not a symptom of infection, but a part of the human immune response and is a protective reaction. It occurs every time living cells—and sometimes dead ones—are damaged.

The injured cell releases an alarm signal in the form of special molecules—cytokines. Then immune cells get a call, and with blood flow travel to the place where the organism has been injured.

The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly

Along with the local immune cells, the cytokines begin a real battle against physical agents, chemical agents, or microorganisms.

Normally, inflammation leads to the healing and renewal of the tissue.

However, inflammation may end with either a positive or negative outcome.

• Positive effects used in many cosmetic procedures from chemical peels to pedicure initiate this reaction to renew skin.

• Negative effects include ineffective inflammation. For instance, micro-organisms overcoming the battle or when the process turns into prolonged or chronic inflammation. The two factors of inflammation, cytokines, and toxins, continuously attack normal tissue preventing tissue repair.

Acute inflammation is usually a short-term reaction accompanied by redness, itching, swelling, and pain.

Chronic inflammation may be invisible at the start and followed by deformity of the organs or tissues. Chronic inflammation can only be observed over time.

This is the case with the “Russian” manicure. The matrix area, nail bed, and surrounding skin are receiving constant, repetitive traumatization.

This repetitive trauma causes chronic inflammation does not allow for physiological tissue recovery.

The turnover cycle of skin is approximately 30 to 35 days. However, manicures can be performed more frequently.

It’s no wonder that this technique leads directly to various nail symptoms and undesirable conditions. Many symptoms are postponed and become evident only months after a single procedure.

Long Term Damage

The constant mechanical attacks performed on the top layers of skin pass alarm bell messages to underlying cells of the nail matrix. The chemical language of cytokines activates the immune system response.

Consequently, the frequent activation of the local immune system means chronic inflammation, which in turn affects matrix cells.

Education Matters

A deep understanding of the processes in live skin helps us develop correct techniques for any manicure system.

This requires special knowledge, training, and understanding of what happens to the skin and nails while under attack from the vibrating, sharp bits of e-files.

Regrettably, we have NOT found a safe mode for this technique.

E-files are magnificent tools so let’s use them for important occupations, not the manicure. In improperly untrained hands, e-files can be very dangerous.

Knowledge and advanced education are the ONLY way to make this service completely safe.

Let’s argue with Voltaire and prove it to our clients—beauty can be painless.

(Reprinted with permission from the author, Vitaly Solomonov and ScratchMagazine.co.uk)

The Russian Manicure Can Lead to Permanent Damage

By Doug Schoon, Internationally-recognized scientist, author and educator

We want everyone across the globe to be aware of the problems of the “Russian Manicure”.

Someone commented on my Facebook page about their concerns that many will not heed the warnings from experts and I agree.

Hopefully, this problem may be self-correcting.

When people who use these methods start seeing the reported problems associated with these types of manicures, hopefully, they’ll take notice and stop this dangerous practice.

Like Vitaly wrote, symptoms people will see or experience are:

• Excessive damage to the skin around the nail plate
• Excessive regrowth of hardened callus-like tissue
• Redness
• Pain
• Puffiness
• Weeping
• Water-blisters
• Itching
• Allergies

Not only can this method cause the expected hardening and rapid/excessive regrowth of tissue, but the damaged skin is also more likely to develop infections.

Product-related skin irritations or allergies are more likely as well.

Invaders beware—watch closely for these issues—and don’t blame the products.

Blame your techniques.

I’m already hearing of, and seeing these problems.

One of the biggest problems in the nail industry is that too many nail educators are teaching misinformation they learned in the past. They have NOT kept up with their education.

And… it’s getting worse, not better.

Pseudo Fame

Many people teaching this manicure preparation technique are well-known artists. Some mistakenly believe they know what they are talking about—but often they do not.

These educators are harming the nail industry with every class they teach!

Just because someone can bling out a nail, doesn’t mean they have a real understanding of the nail or using products and are following the manufacturers’ instructions.

“Internet famous” does NOT mean “knowledgeable”. It only means that they are artistically skilled.

There is a big difference! Don’t be fooled.

Sterilizing Is Not Enough

There is a potentially dangerous myth stating that sterile implements or electronic bits can’t cause infections.

What? Of course they can.

The “Russian Manicure” is considered an invasive manicure. Invasive manicures are prohibited in many states, provinces or countries because they damage skin and make it significantly more susceptible to infections.

This infection risk can last for many hours and perhaps for several days. The skin will remain susceptible to infection until the damage heals.

Cutting the skin that borders the nail plate increases the client’s risk of infections, even after they leave the salon. I recommend that you don’t do this.

Someone told me, “Well, I’ve never heard of that happening”.

Of course not! Who would openly admit they cut their clients skin around the nail plate and cause an infection? Yet, I’ve seen this occur many times!

A Medical Procedure

The use of an e-file to smooth, buff, or abrade the skin around the nail plate is considered microdermabrasion.

Many states in the United States of America restrict the use of the files to only the nail plate. Other states require special medical licenses.

In many places, nail technicians are not allowed to perform these services.

Check your local regulations and with your insurance company. This technique may not be covered by your insurance policy and can put you in serious financial risk.

Even calluses should not be completely removed from the skin due to the increased risk of infection.

Is It Worth An Arm Or A Leg?

The skin on the feet or palm of the hand is many times thicker than the nail fold surrounding the skin.

Infections in the skin around the fingernail can quickly spread to bone and result in amputation of a finger or hands.

This is not speculation!

It happens far too frequently and is a problem the nail industry must solve.

Manicures should be safe and not endanger the public’s health.

NEVER intentionally cut or abrade the skin around the nail plate. That’s trouble waiting to happen.

Permanent Allergies?

Credit: Orianasnails

It is even more foolish to place UV gel manicure products or other nail coatings directly against this damaged skin.

Damaged skin is far more likely to become irritated or develop permanent allergies to nail products. More trouble is waiting to happen. Don’t do it!

Protect the skin around your clients’ nails. Don’t invade it.

Educate your clients about the risk of any invasive procedures and advise them against letting anyone cut or abrade this thin and sensitive tissue.

Be Proactive!

I’ve published “Nail Structure and Product Chemistry”, as well as a series of three books called “Face-to-Face with Doug Schoon”, Volume 1-3.

I’m a nail scientist. My books are factual and based on scientific and medical research.

My opinion is based on over two decades of experience studying nail salons, products, services, and common practices.

Sadly, most nail technicians do not bother to read my books, which is why we are in this education mess.

The facts are there for those who want to learn them.

Knowledge is Power

In my view, if you are a nail educator, you MUST read all three of my “Face-to-Face with Doug Schoon” books or it is highly likely you’re are teaching misinformation.

This means you are part of the problem.

If you are a consumer, learn what procedures are dangerous and don’t let a nail technician hurt you. You are the best advocate for your body.

Global Access

My books are easy to read and understand, so please help to be a part of the solution and save the industry from sinking any deeper.

These books are available around the world from Amazon, iTunes, and available in the Nook and Kobo formats. They are available as both printed and e-books. They are low cost, and easy to get.

Please read them. You are responsible to provide healthy and safe manicures to your clients.

The Ultimate Test

Before you consider taking a class from ANY nail educator FIRST ask them… have you read all three volumes of “Face-to-Face with Doug Schoon”?

Reprinted with permission from Doug Schoon

Global Statistics for 2017

As you’ll read below, the most startling information is how many countries do not require licensing.

This means that ANYONE can start a nail career with no training!

Educators are going to other countries teaching nail techniques without licenses to teach in those countries.

UNITED STATES

• Market Size: $8.53 billion
• 56,386 nail salons
• 439,751 nail professionals, 31% don’t work in a salon
• Ethnicity: 36% Caucasian, 56% Vietnamese, 8% other
• Licensing: Required in all states, except Connecticut

CANADA

• Market size: $5 billion (hair and nail salons)
• Licensing: Only in Manitoba, New Brunswick, and Nova Scotia, though outside of these jurisdictions some aspiring techs do still opt for formal education and training

MEXICO AND CENTRAL AMERICA

• Market size: $138.2 billion (estimated between 2014 and 2020 for South America, Central America, and North America)
• Licensing: Varies by country, but typically minimal or nonexistent

UNITED KINGDOM

• Market size: Annual beauty spending is £876 (US$1,270) for women and £711 (US$1,031) for men
• Licensing: Inconsistent — some parts of London require licensing but each council makes its own rules; no government licensing outside of London

GERMANY  

• • Market size: €2.5 billion (US$2.8 billion)

• Licensing: None for manicures or pedicures; cosmetologists (hair and skin professionals) and podiatrists (those who specialize in the health of feet) do have licensing requirements

SOUTH AFRICA

• Market size: R25.3 billion (US$1.9 billion) for all cosmetics and personal care together
• Licensing: No government licensing; many nail schools but no standard curriculum

RUSSIA

• Market size (beauty): USD$14.6 billion (RUB 555.1 billion) in 2014
• Schooling: Certificate of Training Completion earned from nail school; no license required

INDIA

• Market size: $3.5 billion in 2015 (all professional salon services combined)
• Licensing: None required by the government; multinational organizations and nail brands offer their own certifications via designated training facilities

AUSTRALIA

• Market size: $541.2 million
• Schooling: Nail courses available at beauty schools but many nail professionals are self-taught; no government licensing

JAPAN

• Market size: 160 billion yen (US$1.4 billion)
• Licensing: Private licensing via Japanese Nailist Association and nail manufacturers; no government licensing

VIETNAM

• Market size: 931,000 VND (US$42) average annual per-woman spending on beauty services (includes hair, skin, eyebrows, nails, and other professional beauty services)
• Licensing: No government licensing; some schools issue certificates upon graduation

Statistics Source: NailsMag [https://files.nailsmag.com/Handouts/NABB2017-18stats-LR.pdf]

In Conclusion

We only get one body and it’s our responsibility to care for it through the decades.

We make choices daily that are healthy or destructive to our health and wellbeing.

And, we live in a world now where we can be educated and influenced by people all over the globe.

Primum Non-Nocere

First, do no harm…

As you’ve learned in this article, there are certain nail care and nail enhancement processes that should be done by nail professionals.

Others should only be done by medical professionals. The “Russian Manicure” is microdermabrasion and is a medical procedure.

As a nail professional, you are responsible to learn and practice safe nail care and enhancement techniques.

Your clients’ nails change over time.

As an artist, you are only as good as the canvas you prepare. Are you doing it right?

Are you adapting as new medical knowledge is discovered about nails?

Credit: artnikitina.ru

There is a phrase in medical education which often gets aired at the welcoming lecture to medical school: “50% of what we teach you over the next five years will be wrong, or inaccurate. Sadly, we don’t know which 50%”  [Source: Blog Postgraduate Medical Journal ]

Product chemistry changes over time.

Are you learning from the product manufacturers regularly? What you learned in nail school may be very out of date.

You have a responsibility to take continuing education courses to stay at the top of your field.

You owe that to the health of your clients’ nails.

Caveat Emptor

Let the buyer beware…

As a consumer, you are responsible to know what nail preparation procedures will harm your body.

Credit: Crazynails_studio

Now it’s necessary to educate yourself.

You know the names and functions of your muscles, bones, and internal organs. You need to know the names and functions of the parts of your nails.

You decide with your money.

Do not exchange your hard earned money to let someone potentially permanently damage your nails.

If it hurts, make them stop. If you bleed, make them stop.

Do not let a nail professional hurt you because you “don’t want to hurt their feelings.”

And, do not assume that they are doing things because “they have more education.” A lot of them don’t.

Since the world is getting smaller, we owe it to ourselves and each other to keep it safer. 

If you liked this article . . . please share!

The post The Dangers of the Russian Manicure first appeared on Nail Care Headquarters.

Broken Nail Repair Solution

Life happens.

Fingers slip.

Nails get caught on things and break.

Many times we look down and it’s just a chip or a minor tear. Meh, that’s ok. Our heart is saddened for a bit.

But what do we do when the break is bad? Like really bad.

Crying in pain—bloody bad?

In today’s article, you’ll learn;

• My worst nail tragedy
• Why a fiberglass wrap wouldn’t work
• My broken nail repair solution and how to be prepared

DISCLAIMER: I am not a doctor and I can’t make any medical claims or prescriptions. I am sharing a story of my experience and giving you information so that you can use to start a discussion with your doctor.

What Happened

My last huge broken nail casualty happened in the Fall of 2016 (a little over a year ago at this writing.) I think it was the worst I have ever experienced in my life.

I was cutting some floral styrofoam late at night over a box so I didn’t cut my counter. My hand slipped hitting the edge of the box and snapping my pinky nail backward. It tore sideway across most of my nailbed.

About two millimeters of my pink nail bed was exposed. There wasn’t much blood but lots of oozing and massive pain.

Due to the graphic nature, I’ve blurred the photo of the break. You can click on the image to see it in focus.

I don’t know what hurt more—the break or cutting the remainder off in the midst of my massive sobbing from the pain.

I covered my finger with a bandage and went to bed. Needless to say, I didn’t sleep very well that night. The throbbing pain was too intense.

I knew there was no way to do any sort of typical “wrap” repair because my nail tip was gone and the bandage touching the nail bed made it hurt more.

My Broken Nail Repair

I saw only one solution—glue a plastic nail on my nail to protect the nail bed. My nail needed a hard physical barrier.

Of course, I had moved all of my nail stuff to our Bliss Kiss™ headquarters. Oye!

That 10-minute drive seemed like an eternity, but I knew the pain was about to get worse.

I had previous knowledge that doctors now use a medical grade version Super Glue™.

I also knew that nail glue also had the same ingredients.

I felt at the time that I had no other choice. The raw pain had to stop.

I trimmed the plastic nail to match the length of my other nails and filed it to be the right shape to fit the curve of my cuticle line.

Now for the hard part.

I applied the glue to the center of the plastic nail. I let that sit for about 30 seconds. I painted the glue on my nail and then placed the plastic nail on my nail.

Just like pouring rubbing alcohol on an open wound, it hurt like #!#!#*!!!!!

I applied firm pressure for a couple of minutes to the artificial nail until the glue set.

After about 10 minutes the feeling that I was going to die calmed down.

After about 30 minutes, I felt like I just might be able to survive this accident.

What really pleased me the most is that the plastic nail looked so close to my normal nails.

Once I had polish on, I asked my husband and daughter to see if they would notice the difference. They both looked at me very perplexed.

I was the only one who could tell the difference.

Taking Responsibility

While doing a bit of research about quick-drying glues for this article, I came across some really helpful information at Realfirstaid.co.uk

When treating our own injuries we take responsibility for our own actions.  When we are treating other people we have a Duty of Care to treat appropriately and cause no further harm or face the serious consequences of litigation.  For this reason we would not suggest that glue is used to treat casualties where you are in a position of responsibility be it your role within your workplace or providing opportunistic care for a casualty to have come across.

You may still be inclined to use glue to treat yourself or maybe your trusted [friend], in which case, read on:

Not All Super Glues Are The Same

“Super Glue” or Cyanoacrylate (CA) is an acrylic resin which rapidly polymerises in the presence of water. The principle component of commercial CAs (SuperGlue™, Krazy Glue™, Loctite™) is either methy-2-cyanoacrylate or ethyl-2-cyanoacrylate, the original forms of CA developed in 1942 by Kodak Laboratories™. (The discovery was made whilst investigating potential, high clarity, acrylics for the use in gun sights. Whilst not suitable for this application CA was quickly identified as a fast acting, low shear strength adhesive.)

During the Vietnam war it was used in field surgery with good effect, however, despite the promising results it was not approved by the Unites States Food and Drug Administration due to the unknown toxicity and two significant side effects during the polymerization process:

A Cheaper Alternative…Veterinary Glues

If you are looking for something for your personal first aid kit and don’t fancy spending $160 US on six 5ml vials of Derma Bond, veterinary glues are commercially available as a happy compromise; not licensed for use on humans but essentially the same stuff in a different wrapper.

2-octyl cyanoacrylate Surgi-Lock™ and Nexaband™
n-butyl cyanoacrylate VetGlu™, Vetbond™ and LiquiVet™  

As a side note: I also purchase needle-less syringes to do fluid nail art at the local feed store. Bonus!

Removal Without Damage

It’s really important to remove the artificial nail properly so you don’t damage your nail plate.

If you have a break that will take weeks to grow out, the nail may pop off around 4 to 7 days. This just means that the bond has finally broken on its own without damaging the nail plate.

Just reglue it and you’ll be good to go.

Try to not use the nail tip to poke, prod, pry or scratch. The torque will weaken the glue quicker.

If you are getting too much dry glue left on the nail plate, soak your nail with an acetone soaked piece of cotton and a manicure clip to dissolve the glue. I have a video explaining how to use manicure clips on YouTube.

You can use a cotton swab and acetone to remove the glue on the underside of the artificial nail. Just realize that acetone usually dissolves the plastic too, so only work on the bits of glue.

At some point, you may just need to start over with a new artificial nail.

If you decide you need to remove the nail, DO NOT pry it off.

File down the surface of the plastic nail and soak it in acetone. The acetone will partially dissolve the plastic. It will also work its way under the plastic to dissolve the glue.

I usually wait for it to pop off on its own when the nail has completely grown out and then soak off the glue.

The Scout Motto: Be Prepared

I hear this phrase often since I’m married to an Eagle Scout and have boys in Cub Scouts and Boy Scouts.

Have a box of artificial nails in your drawer that match your nail shape and the appropriate cyanoacrylate glue. You can get a box of 100 fairly reasonably and it comes with several different sizes.

Be prepared.

Life happens. Fingers slip. Nails break.

Now you’re ready to do your broken nail repair and make more life happen.

The post Broken Nail Repair – What To Do When It’s Bad first appeared on Nail Care Headquarters.

Learning how to stop biting nails is a simple concept, but it can be a daily challenge.

There is so much shame around nail biting.

I’m going to take a guess that if you are reading this article, you or a friend struggle with this uncomfortable habit.

You’ve probably tried dozens of ways to break the habit without much success.

In this article, I’ll cover

• Angela’s 30-day results using nail oil to help her stop biting
• Why it’s a hard habit to break
• How you can join my Facebook support group for nail biters

Good morning from Ann Arbor, MI! My good friend who lives in California recommended your nail oil and I ordered through Amazon Prime. I am so happy with the results. I have been a nail biter for years and what got me to stop was the image of a nail magnified 400x that is included in your education materials! I still pick at my nails and am trying to find the balance between not having them so wet (I do dishes after every meal 🙂 but overall – so much better!!! ~Angela

The post How To Stop Biting Nails – Angela’s Results first appeared on Nail Care Headquarters.

TL:DR Article Summary

Ana tested six drugstore base coats to see which ones actually hold up.

Two stood out for durability: Nina Ultra Pro™ and Wet ‘n Wild Megalast® The Saving Base—both made it past 10 days with minimal chipping.

• Nina Ultra Pro™ Basecoat & Ridge Filler (durable, covers grooves well—but chalk white and needs polish on top)
• Wet ‘n Wild Megalast® The Saving Base (budget-friendly, long-lasting, but ⚠️ newer version may stain—check your ingredients!)

Meh performers:
Sally Hansen® Nail Rehab™, Orly®, Finger Paints, and American Classics all had durability issues or didn’t cover grooves as well.

That said, it’s important to remember: base coats, polishes, and top coats all perform differently depending on your body chemistry and daily habits. The only real way to know what works for you is to try a few and pay attention to what lasts.

One of the worst things you can do is buff the ridges off your nail plate. Buffing weakens your nails by filing the thickest part to match the thinnest part!

This is why I always recommend using a ridge filler basecoat. I’ve had many people ask me which ridge filling basecoat is my favorite. I haven’t had a favorite.

But I do now!

In this article, I will cover:

• Why you need to use basecoat
• Why I tested several popular ridge filler base coats
• My criteria to help you make an educated decision
• And who were the winners—they might surprise you

Do We Really Need Basecoat?

Many people don’t know that basecoats are formulated to bond to the nail plate.

Polish is formulated to bond to basecoat—not the nail plate. Topcoat is formulated to bond to basecoat or polish.

Why Ridge Filler?

This is one of my pet peeves—you can’t fill ridges. You fill the grooves between the ridges.

Technically speaking, these basecoats should all be called Groove Fillers. But they probably wouldn’t sell very well because people obsess about dealing with their ridges.

We all want a smooth, glossy manicure. This is how ridge filling basecoats help us achieve the look we want.

The Contenders

I usually get this question at least once per week; “What is your favorite ridge filler basecoat?”

Since I am always testing things and turning myself into my own guinea pig on your behalf, I decided to test six ridge filler basecoats that I could find in the stores where I live in the USA.

I was shocked to discover that many of the big-name brands do not offer a ridge filler basecoat. In my opinion, that’s a disservice to the nail community.

I was able to find several ridge filling basecoats at Sally’s Beauty Supply in the US, and a couple in the drugstores (like Walgreen’s and CVS Pharmacy.)

Disclaimer: I know there are many other brands around the globe who do offer a ridge filler but sadly, I wasn’t able to get my hands on all of them. Perhaps you can take my favorites and compare them with a different brand that you have.

Here’s a list of the ridge filling basecoats I tested:

• Nina Ultra Pro™ Basecoat & Ridge Filler
• American Classics Bridge the Ridge®
• Finger Paints Smooth Over Ridge Filler
• Orly® Ridge Filler
• Sally Hansen® Nail Rehab™
• Wet ‘n Wild Megalast® The Saving Base

When I decided to do this test, my first criteria was to test for durability and number of days of wear.

What I didn’t realize was that in order to perform an accurate test, I would have to essentially wear the same manicure for over two months!

To get more accurate results from a test like this, it’s important to reduce different variables that may affect the outcome of the test.

I know that some polish wears longer or shorter than other brands. Sometimes even the color can change the durability. I didn’t want a different brand, color or top coat to affect the results of my tests.

That meant I had to use the exact same polish and the exact same topcoat for each basecoat I tested.

It’s a good thing I love purple! 

Here are the polishes and top coat I used:

• Polish: Color Club Holographic “Eternal Beauty” (primary color), OPI Liquid Sand “Can’t Let Go” (accent nails)
• Topcoat: Sally Hansen® Insta-Dri™ Anti-Chip Top Coat

Test 1: Nina Ultra Pro™ Base Coat & Ridge Filler

I started with Nina Ultra Pro™ Base Coat & Ridge Filler. When applied, it was white and streaky, which I didn’t care for. With two coats it covered the grooves in my nails nicely. Surprisingly, my manicure lasted 11 days before it started to chip.

Price: about $5

Likes:

• Covered ridges in my nails nicely with two coats
• Awesome durability

Dislikes:

• White, streaky color that could affect the way polish looks, depending on the color you paint over the basecoat. This made it impossible to wear on its own.

Manicure Durability:

• 11 days before chipping

Test 2: American Classics – Bridge the Ridge®

The next test was American Classics Bridge the Ridge®. It dried quickly, and within two coats. It covered almost all of the grooves on my nails. And, it had a nice matte finish.

Two days into the manicure I decided to braid my horse’s mane. I didn’t wear gloves because I needed to get a good grip on Zeus’s thick, wiry hair. Zeus’s mane ended up looking beautiful! But the polish on my thumbnail ended up chipping.

By the next day, I had a small chip on my left middle fingernail. Three days later, my manicure showed normal tip-wear. The basecoat on the undersides of my nail tips (part of the Fab Five Wrap manicure method ) was completely gone. The manicure lasted six days with American Classics Bridge the Ridge®.

Price: about $6

Likes:

• Dries quickly
• Covered ridges with two coats
• Matte finish

Dislikes:

• Didn’t hold up well with my normal daily activities

Manicure Durability:

• Began chipping on day 3
• Manicure lasted total of 6 days

Test 3: Finger Paints – Smooth Over Ridge Filler

The next one was Finger Paints – Smooth Over Ridge Filler. It was very natural looking, but it did not cover my yellow staining much. I used two coats to fully cover my grooves. It dried quickly with a semi-matte finish.

By the seventh day, I had chipping on the right side of my right thumbnail. I also had some sidewall chipping on both index tips. I had normal tip wear and significant tip wear under my nails.

Price: between $6-9

Likes:

• Dries quickly
• Covered ridges with two coats
• Semi-matte finish

Dislikes:

• Didn’t cover my nails’ yellow staining

Manicure Durability:

• 7 days before chipping

Test 4: Orly® Ridge Filler

Test number four was Orly® Ridge Filler. It went on a very white and looked very similar to the Nina Ultra Pro™ basecoat. It even smelled the same. But when compared to the Nina, it’s obvious that it’s a different formula.

Orly® Ridge Filler covered my grooves well in two coats. Some nails were coated with just one coat and it dried quickly.

By day three, my polish started chipping a bit. I had chips on my left index finger right thumb and right middle finger. My nails showed normal tip wear and undertip wear. I had to remove the polish by day seven to prevent my urge to pick at the chips.

This brand is available for purchase on Amazon US.

Price: between $5-8

Likes:

• Dries quickly
• Covered ridges with two coats

Dislikes:

• Applied very white
• Started chipping too soon

Manicure Durability:

• 3 days before chipping but lasted 7 days

Test 5: Sally Hansen® Nail Rehab 

Test number five was Sally Hansen® Nail Rehab™. The first thing I noticed was that it had a very wimpy brush. I liked the light pink color. The basecoat was a little thin so definitely needed two coats.

By day four I had a chip on my left index fingertip. My nails were showing a fair amount of tip wear on my right hand. I did wash my horse on day three, but I wore nitrile gloves to protect my nails from water absorption. Also, the polish was starting to chip on my right ring finger nail that had the textured polish. I couldn’t go past four days with the Sally Hansen® manicure because I knew would start picking at the chips.

This brand is available on Amazon US.

Price: between $8-12

Likes:

• Light pink color

Dislikes:

• Wimpy application brush
• Thin formula
• Showed more tip wear
• Not very durable compared to other ridge fillers

Manicure Durability:

• 4 days before chipping

Test 6: Wet ‘n Wild Megalast®  The Saving Base

The last base coat I tested was Wet ‘n Wild Megalast®  The Saving Base. This basecoat had a nice application and a nice a wide brush. Two coats covered the grooves in my nails.

Surprisingly, my manicure lasted 11 days!

By day 11, my manicure showed massive tip wear, but there were no chips. I had a big nice growth line in my polish from the cuticle line. I actually probably could’ve gotten one or two days more, but I had to remove my polish for an Instagram and Facebook Live with Cory. He painted my nails and he did a great job for his first manicure ever! Click here to see the video on Youtube

Price: about $3-4

Likes:

• Light pink color
• Nice wide brush
• Awesome durability

Dislikes:

• Showed more tip wear than others, but that is expected considering the length of the manicure.

Manicure Durability:

• 11 days before chipping

09.05.2020 Update:
Since writing this article, I have discovered that there appears to be two different versions of the Wet N Wild basecoat. The formula for this test had a pink tint. When I reordered, I noticed the tint was more yellow beige. The formula stained my nails yellow and I received feedback from others who had gotten the same results. I was curious as to why this happened, so I turned to my mentor, Doug Schoon.

“Pigments are not likely to stain the nail plate. They are too large to penetrate. Dyes and Lakes are other types of colorants that are often used, and many can and DO stain the nail plate. There are three different reds and one yellow colorant that have been reported as the most likely to stain the nail plate. The reds colorants are listed on product ingredient label as Red no. 6, Red no. 7, or Red no. 34. In the European Union, all three of these red colorants would be sold under their color index number “15850”. The yellow that is reported to cause a lot of staining is Yellow #5 Lake, which in the European Union is labelled as “19140”. It is true that some grades of nitrocellulose can stain as well. But the more expensive, higher quality grades are much less likely to discolor. Smaller companies that don’t sell much nail polish often use these inferior grades, since the best grades are too expensive when purchased in low quantities and the larger companies buy up all the high-quality nitrocellulose. When it does stain, nitrocellulose tends to be a more brownish-yellow stain, while discoloration caused by colorants tend to be the light yellowish tones or other odd shades, such as green. If this base coat contained nitrocellulose and no colorants, the nitrocellulose is a possible suspect. However, a high-quality base coat should not stain the nail plate, unless its surface is damaged. Damaged nail plates are much more likely to pick up stains, even from some foods stains or clothing. Damaged nail plates will absorb stains more easily than healthy nail plates.”

Schoon, Doug. Face-To-Face with Doug Schoon Volume III: Science and Facts about Nails/nail Products for the Educationally Inclined . Schoon Scientific. Kindle Edition.

BONUS TEST:  Nina Ultra Pro™ Basecoat & Ridge Filler

I decided to re-test Nina Ultra Pro™ Basecoat & Ridge Filler to verify results since it was the first basecoat I tested. Was it really strong enough to last 11 days? Or was that test just a fluke?

Yep! It was strong enough.

The second test lasted 10 days and had only minor chipping when I removed my manicure.

Sure, it was hard (really hard!) wearing the same color of polish two months in a row. But it ended up being a really fun experiment. The most fun part was being surprised by the results and finding two clear winners:

1. Nina Ultra Pro™
2. Wet ‘n Wild Megalast®  The Saving Base

 What Made Them Winners

Durability is a big deal for me. I really like my manicures to last at least 7 days. That means my manicure is going to have to survive a bit of rough and tumble treatment during my normal daily activities.

Both of these basecoats helped my manicure last 10 days or more with normal tip wear.

I didn’t care for the chalk white color of the Nina Ultra Pro™. It’s definitely not a basecoat that you can wear on its own. It must be covered with a colored polish because frankly, it looked a bit ugly when applied. You definitely couldn’t wear the basecoat alone or for french manicures. It requires a solid colored polish to cover it.

When I add in the variables of durability and appearance, my new favorite ridge filling basecoat is Wet ‘n Wild Megalast®  The Saving Base.

What About You?

It’s always important to remember that we aren’t the same. We all have different body chemistry which can cause you to have a different experience with these ridge filler basecoats.

For my international readers, I’m sorry I wasn’t able to test some of the brands available to you. Perhaps a group of you can get together and swap the basecoats you have to do your own tests.

I hope you found this article helpful!

Summary of Ridge Filling Basecoat Challenge Results

The post Best Ridge Filler – The Basecoat Challenge first appeared on Nail Care Headquarters.

Some are born with naturally beautiful nails and hands that just seem to stay picture perfect.

For many others (myself included) growing and maintaining healthy nails can be a challenge at times.

Did you know that there are two kinds of stress that can affect the health of your nails?

In this Ask Ana article, you’ll learn the different ways physical and emotional stress impact the health of your nails.

QUESTION

Hello Ana, I’m a very stressed person, dealing with anxiety for a long time now. I have experienced hair loss, acne breakouts and such on. Recently I’ve noticed certain lines on my nails that look like fractures. Seeing these lines made me wonder, is there any affect on the nails by severe anxiety? What are the effects that anxiety have on hair and skin? I have read your article about stress fractures. The lines I mentioned look very much like stress fractures. Could my stress fractures actually been caused by stress? ~Emma

ANSWER

Emma, this is a great question!

There are actually different definitions for the word “stress”. The main two are physical stress and emotional stress. They affect our nails differently.

Definitions of Stress

Constraining force or influence: such as

a:  a force exerted when one body or body part presses on, pulls on, pushes against, or tends to compress or twist another body or body part; especially:  the intensity of this mutual force commonly expressed in pounds per square inch

b:  the deformation caused in a body by such a force

c:  a physical, chemical, or emotional factor that causes bodily or mental tension and may be a factor in disease causation

d:  a state resulting from a stress; especially:  one of bodily or mental tension resulting from factors that tend to alter an existent equilibrium job-related stress [Source: Merriam-Webster.com]

Physical Stress

Transverse and lateral fissures usually occur when the nail is sharply bent. Transverse fissures (horizontal) are caused when the nail plate is nearly bent and small cracks form in the stress area. Lateral fissures (vertical) are often caused when the free edge is sharply impacted. ~Doug Schoon, author of Nail Structure and Product Chemistry

The fissures, which I call stress fractures, happen when you aren’t paying attention and you wack your nail against something hard. It can also happen when doing a task that forces your nail to bend.

Sometimes the stress exerted on the nail is so intense that it can cause the nail to bend but not snap. The nail layers are split too much to recover.

If you are regularly using a jojoba wax ester based nail oil, then your nails will bend. If not, the tips will be too dry and break.

I usually get a stress fracture in one of my nails when putting clean sheets on my bed. I try to get my husband, Cory, to take care of that chore as much as possible!

I used to do a silk or fiberglass nail repair over the stress fracture to preserve the damaged tip. Since I have horses and a garden that require a lot of hard work that puts more stress on my fingernails, I just file off the fracture or cut my nails shorter. The daily chores in my life just don’t allow my nails to stay long. Thankfully, the nail community has shown me that well manicured short nails can be very beautiful. 

The good news about stress fractures is that stress fractures can be filed off.

As for the second kind of stress, emotional stress, well that is a much bigger beast to tackle.

Emotional Stress

We all experience stress in our body every day. Some stresses are healthy and some are not.

Falling in love is a stress on the body but in a very good way. Your body produces chemicals that make you feel great when you’re in love.

There are plenty of other stresses that can take a toll on your body too. Divorce, moving to a new home, health issues, surgery, new medications, and school/job stresses are just a few examples.

I often get asked, “why have my nails suddenly started peeling?” Since the average nail takes about 4 months to replace itself, I ask, “what big thing happened to you 4 months ago?”

Ninety percent of the time it can be pinpointed to a big personal stress.

Why Does Stress Matter?

Our nails are constantly changing.

People want to think that they don’t change, but this just isn’t true.

Take a look at the nails of a toddler and then the nails of someone over 90 years old. Ridges become far more pronounced as we age. This is because children are in a continual growth mode.

As we get older, our digestion declines and it’s harder for the body to absorb all of the nutrients from our food. We also tend to develop more health issues as we age.

It took me 18 months to heal from my abdominal surgery in 2014. About 4 months after the surgery, my nails were noticeably thinner and were constantly peeling. They continued to stay that way for well over a year.

Why?

Because my body was in preservation and healing mode. Since fingernails and toenails are the farthest from your core internal organs, fewer nutrients are delivered to the nail matrix. This means the quality of nail cell your body creates when stressed seriously declines.

Like I mentioned before, some stresses are good. But they can be bad at the same time.

How?

Let’s look at getting married.

There’s the joy of being in love, but the thousands of decisions a couple will make for the wedding day can make both of them go a little crazy.

Or how about moving into a new home?

There’s the joy of finding your new living space and feeling like you’re starting a new stage of your life.

But, then you have to pack boxes, move all the boxes hoping nothing breaks, try to find immediate living stuff as quickly as possible, finish unpacking and decorating.

Sounds exhausting, right? Well, it is. It can take up to a year to finally feel settled in and for your body to feel more relaxed.

Work Till You Die?

Did you know that more people have heart attacks on Mondays?

According to researchers, an “outpouring” of stress hormones, such as cortisol and adrenaline, occurs within working people on Mondays. These findings were substantiated in a study of 683 patients, predominantly middle-aged men with implanted defibrillators (pacemakers) and a history of life-threatening ventricular arrhythmias (heart attacks). The data led researchers to conclude that Monday is the most stressful day of the week when it comes to risk factors for heart attack. [Source: DrSinatra.com] https://www.drsinatra.com/heart-attack-risk-factors-rise-on-mondays

Chronic stress at work can take a toll on your body too. All jobs have stressful tasks. We can’t help that. But we can decide which type of stress it’s going to be.

If you dread going to work every morning, it’s time to start looking for a new job. Working at a job you hate could just kill you.

Self-Care

The word disease comes from Middle English (in the sense ‘lack of ease; inconvenience’) and from Old French desaise ‘lack of ease,’ from des- (expressing reversal) + aise ‘ease.’

If your body is not at ease, all sorts of problems start happening.

This is why it’s so important to do as much self-care as possible.

It starts with making sure that you are sleeping enough, making healthy food choices and drinking enough water. The new rule of thumb with water intake is to calculate your body weight and divide it in half. Use this number to determine how many ounces of water your body needs daily.

For example; someone who weighs 150 pounds (68 kilos) needs 75 ounces of water (2.21 L). Someone who weighs 300 pounds (138 kilos) needs 150 ounces (4.44 L).

Of course, as we hear so often from doctors, media, and health experts, we all should exercise regularly, even if it’s just taking a daily walk.

And it’s important to find ways to relax. Whether it’s meditating, reading, journaling, drawing or painting our nails, it’s important to find what works for you.

When your body is at ease, all of your bodily functions are able to heal and improve, including making better nail cells.

And that’s what we all want, right?!

The post Healthy Nails – The Effect of Stress first appeared on Nail Care Headquarters.

Nail Biting – Can Science Help Us Quit?

“Do you have any habits like nail/pen/pencil/cheek/lip biting, resting your head on your hand, or habitual gum chewing?”

Researching and writing this nail biting article made my eyes go a little cross-eyed. Let me correct that—A LOT cross-eyed.

In this article, we are going to take a deep dive to uncover the psychology and nail anatomy behind nail biting to give you some insights on the best ways to overcome this painful, destructive and frustrating habit.

This article is broken down into three parts:

Part 1: The Research about Nail Biting

Part 2: The Function of Habit in Nail Biting

Part 3: Possible Solutions for Nail Biting

PART 1: The Research About Nail Biting

Since nail biting not discussed in my nail bible—Doug Schoon’s book (Nail Structure and Product Chemistry)—I needed to dust off my research skills from high school and college.

I poured through articles from PubMed, NCBI, Wikipedia, Iranian Journal of Medical Sciences, Brazilian Oral Research, Psychology Research and Behavior Management, Contemporary Clinical Dentistry, Journal of Psychiatry and Neuroscience and many others.

The biggest takeaway from all this research was a little bit of a disappointment.

There just aren’t enough studies about nail biting. It’s tough to really make solid conclusions.

A number of the hypotheses and research studies I read often contradicted each other.

The articles were littered with words like “suggested,” “suspected,” “controversies,” “contradictory reports,” “not clear,” and “speculation.”

Now how am I supposed to make sense out of all that?

The Purpose Behind Weird Habits

What I do know is that our behavioral habits serve a purpose.

All habits have consequences or results. Whether the consequence is good or bad, it’s up to us to continually decide which result we want.

For example, if you want to be healthy, you choose to eat well and exercise. The result is better health.

If you want to stay alive while driving your car, you choose to drive on the correct side of the road.

These examples might seem like easier choices than stopping nail biting. And this could be true.

Some of our habits we do without even noticing or paying attention.

Nail biting is one of those habits.

So, how do we change something we don’t even realize we’re doing?

Nail Biting: How To Get The Most Out of This Article

Today’s article is going to be filled with nitty gritty research article quotes. 

After each quote, I offer a translation into something that’s easier to understand if you’re just looking for the important stuff.  

This for those of you who just want the gist of the research. Just look for the sections titled “Ana’s Interpretation” with my photo.

Introduction

Onychophagia (AH-nih-koe-FAY-gia), defined as habitual nail biting, is a common disorder affecting 20-30% of the population and all age groups. It may lead to significant psychosocial problems, have a negative impact on quality of life, and cause complications involving both the nail unit and the oral cavity…Since onychophagia is a challenging disorder to treat, a multidisciplinary approach should be taken involving dermatologists, internists, pediatricians, psychiatrists, and dentists. ~PubMed

Ana’s Interpretation

The many causes for nail biting include stress, boredom, anxiety, depression, loneliness, heredity, imitation of a family member, prior thumb-sucking habit, inactivity, and poorly manicured nails.

You’ll see in the rest of this article that many of the negative attempts to help others don’t work. Punishment, nagging and threats, ridicule, and application of bitter tasting solutions really don’t work.

In many cases, these types of attempts can actually make the problem worse.

Treatment is most effective when directed at the root cause of the behavior.

For nail biters to change their behavior, they have to want to make the change.

Some Medical Definitions for Nail Biting

Definition

The operational definition of NB is “putting one or more fingers in the mouth and biting on the nail with teeth”. ³ The habit of NB is often limited to fingernails, and most of the individuals with the habit do not have any preference for biting any of the fingernails. ⁴ This behavioral problem has been reported in children and adults.

Classification

Nail biting (NB) is not a pathological condition in all times and all clients. However, it is not exactly clear where the border between the healthy and unhealthy behavior of NB is. Nail biting in healthy children is temporary and does not last very long. The frequency, intensity, and duration of pathological NB are higher than those in normal individuals. Uncertainties for the distinction of pathological and nonpathological NB are also reflected in the classification of psychiatric disorders. While some behavioral problems such as trichotillomania (hair pulling) are classified as an impulse control disorder in Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition (DSM-IV), NB is not classified in DSM-IV.⁶ Nail biting can also be classified as a self-injurious behavior such as pathological skin-picking or as a stereotypic movement disorder.⁵ Others believe that NB is a part of obsessive compulsive disorder spectrum.⁶

Ana’s Interpretation:  

Nail biting isn’t always an obsessive or compulsive behavior. Many people outgrow it or are able to stop the habit.

Often times nail biting is a symptom of something bigger.

Nail biting could fall in the category of Impulse Control Disorder like compulsive hair pulling.

Many of us by now have been diagnosed with some sort mental disorder.

While some of the mental disorders are commonly known as depression and anxiety—nail biting can be a symptom of ADHD, OCD, ODD, and a host of other mental disorders.

Is Nail Biting Age Related?

Nail biting usually does not start until the age of three or four years.⁷ There are contradictory reports about the prevalence of NB. The prevalence of NB increases from childhood to adolescence and then decreases in adulthood.⁷ It is not clear what percentage of the children with NB behavior stops it, and will not suffer from it later. Nail biting was not related to gender, conduct problems, inattentiveness, hyperactivity, and peer problems.

Ana’s Interpretation:  

Usually, nail biting starts during childhood and is outgrown. For some people though, the behavior continues into adulthood. It’s really not understood why.

Nail biting isn’t exclusive to gender, certain conduct issues, lack of attention, hyperactivity or struggles with other students or co-workers.

It seems that most of the studies have been done with children. I’m not sure why. Perhaps it’s because it’s easier to gather data from them quickly. It’s also possible that children don’t have the additional work and relationship stress factors that adults have.

I find it interesting that nail biting increases during adolescence but supposedly isn’t related to peer problems.

Humm… Even though it’s been over 25 years since I attended high school, I’m pretty sure that it’s still riddled with cliques and peer problems.

Nail biting is probably because of rampant insecurity and self-loathing that is common among children.

Different stressors can certainly increase the intensity of a nail biting habit.

Epidemiological Factors

Epidemiology is the study and analysis of the patterns, causes, and effects of health and disease conditions in defined populations. It is the cornerstone of public health and shapes policy decisions and evidence-based practice by identifying risk factors for disease and targets for preventive health care. [Source: Wikipedia]

Connection between TMJ Disorder and Nail Biting

The rate of finger and nail biting in patients suffering temporomandibular joint pain and dysfunction was about 24.1%.⁸ Therefore, it is recommended to inquire about oral habits such as NB in all temporomandibular joint pain and dysfunction. Moreover, patients with temporomandibular joint pain and dysfunction should be consulted as part of their management.⁸

Ana’s Interpretation:

I wore braces twice to correct TMJ Disorder.

My jaw would lock shut or painfully pop while eating. I once dated someone who said I was a dainty eater. I had to take small bites because I could barely open my mouth!

My orthodontist told me to never chew gum and to wear my retainers every night for the rest of my life!

He said that the human jaw is not supposed to be constantly chewing.

This is why grinding teeth at night is also a problem. Biting nails can tire the jaw also.

E. Coli and Nail Biting

Oral habits like thumb sucking and nail biting are pernicious habits that act as an adaptive function in obtaining pleasure and subduing anxiety. These habits may also act as carriers of numerous microorganisms into the oral cavity, of which, Enterobacteriaceae members are transient pathogens, which might result in debilitating systemic conditions.¹⁰ 

The Enterobacteria species isolated in our study were E. coli, Klebsiella, Proteus, and Enterobacter. Of these, the most commonly isolated Enterobacteria among all three groups was E. coli (in 12 subjects), whereas the least isolated Enterobacteria was enterobacter (3 subjects). Our results are consistent with the results of Baydas et al. and Sushma et al.⁹ who showed a greater isolation of E. coli. Other organisms such as streptococci, staphylococci, pseudomonas, and candida were also seen along with Enterobacteria.

Literature revealed that environmental organisms can be inoculated into the oral cavity through paranormal habits like nail biting resulting in transmission of infections to other parts of the body, by contaminated hands or environmental objects, which may be responsible for the cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide.⁹

This indicates the greater prevalence of E. coli in humans among different population groups. Studies by earlier authors reported that E. coli were the most frequently isolated organism among Enterobacteriaceae family in different systemic illnesses. With these data, it can be suggested that E. coli gets a channel of entry into the oral cavity through the chronic nail biting and thumb sucking habits and can be a perpetrator of local and systemic infections.¹⁰

Ana’s Interpretation

Although it can calm anxiety, nail biting has a dirty little secret—you’re eating bacteria that can make you very sick.

The most common bacteria found is E. coli in research studies, but other organisms like strep, staph, pseudomonas, and candida were also found.

Unfortunately, bacteria don’t always die in the mouth. It can spread to your internal organs. Infections can lead to diseases and even death.

Nail Biting and E. Coli in Your Mouth

The Research Says:

The presence of a nail biting habit indicated a higher plaque index, which in turn showed a higher carriage of Enterobacteria spps, predominantly Escherichia coli.

Accumulating evidence suggests the impact of the dental diseases on the general health of the individual, warranting a harmonious relation of the microorganisms with that of the oral tissues, albeit any shift in this balanced ecology would unfold a series of events that might result in a disease status.¹⁰

Ana’s Interpretation:

People who bite their nails tend to have more plaque on their teeth, which makes a nice environment for E. coli to flourish.

Dental diseases can also mess with the good bacteria in your mouth.

Hand Washing

Here are some interesting statistics about hand washing. They’re pretty shocking.

• While 62% of women are washing more than 10 times per day, only 37% of men are doing the same. 41% of men wash their hands 6 times a day or less, compared to only 17% of women. On average, American heads of household wash their hands 8.6 times per day (up from 8.0 in 2008).¹¹
  
• In a survey of 100,000 people, which was the largest ever analysis into hand-washing, it revealed that 62% of men and 40% of women admit they don’t bother washing their hands after using the restroom.¹²
• A study by the firm Initial Washroom Hygiene found that after using the restroom, a person has on average 200m bacteria per square inch on each hand. People can then transfer the bacteria to their hands or mouths, as well as onto doors, keyboards, phones. This means office workers come into contact with an average 10 million bacteria a day.¹³ 
• Last year, US researchers highlighted the importance of hand washing, as it found a virus can spread through an office within two to four hours. Researchers found 40% to 60% of workers as well as visitors were infected after touching objects in the building.¹³

In the photo to the right, the green areas are the bacteria present on an average office keyboard.

Etiological Factors: The Contributing Causes of Nail Biting

(Etiology: the study of causation, or origination.)

The Research Says:

There are a lot of controversies about the causes of NB. While some studies related NB to behavioral problems,¹⁴ and anxiety,^15,16 others did not believe so.^17,18 Anxiety in children with NB is not a trait; it is a state.¹⁹ 

Although it was suggested that NB might reduce anxiety or tension,¹⁶ recent studies do not support the anxiety theory for NB.^1,20 Nail biting usually occurs as a result of boredom or working on difficult problems rather than anxiety. Nail biters do not bite their nail when they are engaged in social interactions, or when they are reprimanded for the behavior.²⁰ Nail biting occurs more often in boredom or frustration than in contingent or noncontingent attention in undergraduate students.²⁰ It is suspected that smoking and gum chewing in adults are substitutes for NB in childhood.⁷ Severe and mild NB appear to have some differences in terms of the basis of physical and social consequences, severity, frequency, and physiological mechanisms.²¹

Ana’s Interpretation:

Remember when I said that the various hypotheses and research studies contradict each other?

Above is a perfect example. Some studies say that behavior problems and anxiety cause nail biting. Others disagree.

I’ve interviewed a lot of people who said that anxiety is one of the main reasons causing them to bite their nails.

I don’t agree with the statement that boredom or working on difficult problems is the reason for biting over anxiety.

It’s thought that smoking and gum chewing in adults is replacing a childhood nail biting habit.

The research I reviewed indicated that people who were childhood biters who picked up smoking or chronic gum chewing were less likely to continue with nail biting.

Comorbidities or Underlying Conditions: What Else is Going On?

Definition of comorbidity: In medicine, comorbidity is the presence of one or more additional diseases or disorders occurring with (that is, concomitant or concurrent with) a primary disease or disorder; in the countable sense of the term, a comorbidity (plural comorbidities) is each additional disorder or disease. [Source: Wikipedia]

The Research Says:

There are limited reports about co-morbidity of NB with psychiatric disorders.² Three most common co-occurring psychiatric disorders in clinical sample children with NB are attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (74.6%), oppositional defiant disorder (36%), and separation anxiety disorder (20.6%).²

All of the boys and 81% of the girls of the clinical sample of children with NB suffer from at least one psychiatric disorder.²

The most common co-occurring stereotypic behaviors were lip biting (33.3%) and head banging (12.7%).² Another study reported that 70% of individuals with hair-pulling habit had other stereotypic behaviors, of which skin-picking and nail-biting were the most common ones.²²

Ana’s Interpretation:

There haven’t been many reports about the correlation between nail biting and mental disorders.

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), oppositional defiant disorder (ODD), and separation anxiety disorder do seem to contribute to nail biting urges.

Interestingly, in one clinical sample, all of the boys and 81% of the girls with a mental disorder bite their nails.

The most common behaviors besides nail biting were lip biting, head banging, hair pulling and skin picking.

Family Matters: Psychiatric Disorders of Parents of Children with Nail Biting

The Research Says:

The only study that investigated the parents of children with NB reported that about 56.8% of mothers and 45.9% of fathers suffered from a psychiatric disorder, which most often was a major depressive disorder.² The rate of major depressive disorder in mothers was 46.6% and in fathers was 35.1%. A study on children of mothers with psychiatric disorders reported that the rate of NB in children of mothers with schizophrenia was more than that in children of mothers with bipolar disorder. Also, the rate of NB in children of mothers with schizophrenia or bipolar disorder was higher than that in the control group.²³

Overall, the reviewed literatures suggest that co-morbidities of psychiatric disorders and other stereotypic behaviors in a clinical sample of children with NB is more than 80%, and more than half of the parents suffer from psychiatric disorders mainly depression.³²

Ana’s Interpretation:

Only one study looked at the parents of nail biting children. Approximately 50% of mothers and fathers suffered from a mental disorder. Depression was most often reported.

Another study showed that the type of mental disorder in the mothers made a difference too. More children bite their nails if their mother has schizophrenia when compared mothers who have bipolar disorder.

Over 80% of the children in one clinical sample also had a mental disorder.

Nail Biting is a Family Issue

The Research Says:

Nail biting consequences are not limited to the afflicted individuals, and usually, have an impact on members of the family. Sometimes, the parents or other family members feel shame from the behavior of their children or siblings. The children or adults with NB might be laughed at or stigmatized by others. Nail biting may cause a restriction in social behaviors or behaviors that should be done in the presence of others using hands such as writing, drawing, or playing.³² 

Children with NB are frequently attacked by others. Children with NB are usually told that they are able to control or stop NB, but they do not like to stop it. Attacks not only do not improve NB behavior but also can add more to the stress, frustration, helplessness, hopelessness, and anxiety of the children. In addition, nail biting has effects on the oral carriage of Enterobacteriaceae.³²

The rate of Enterobacteriaceae is more in the oral cavities of children with NB habit than those without it.²⁴ The force of biting nails can be transferred to the root of teeth and lead to apical root resorption,²⁵ alveolar destruction,⁷  malocclusions,²⁶ temporomandibular disorders,²⁷ and gum injuries.²⁸ Moreover, nail biting may damage the tissue around the nail and lead to infection and teeth root damage.²⁹ Furthermore, in severe cases, NB may damage the nail beds and cause the disappearing of nails.³⁰ The growth of nails can be increased by NB.³¹ The outcome of NB is not just limited to medical consequences. Nail biting also causes some negative social and psychological consequences for the patients and their parents.³² 

Ana’s Interpretation:

Nail biting can have a significant impact on the rest of the family. Shame, ridicule, and isolation are very common.

Children are often attacked by others and told they can stop biting easily. This leads to more stress, frustration, helplessness, hopelessness, and anxiety.

Of course, as mentioned earlier in this article, the rate of germs and bacteria significantly increases with nail biting. It can cause teeth, gum, and joint injuries too.

Although damaging the nails by biting can actually speed nail growth, it’s inconsequential since the biter is causing more damage to the nail plate and nail bed.

Management and Treatment of Nail Biting

The Research Says:

Nail biting is a habit that cannot be managed without considering some related factors such as comorbidities, precedent, and consequences of the behavior.

Any treatment should be accompanied by educating the afflicted children as well as their parents, siblings, and teachers. They should be taught about what to do and what not to do about it. For example, they should know that punishment, threat or laugh at the children with NB can increase this behavior, because they try to catch others’ attention by NB. Sometimes, the parents feel guilty for their children NB habits. These feelings should be detected and managed. Siblings may feel shame for to their brothers’ or sisters’ NB behavior. So, they need to be included and educated in the process of management as well. Coating nails with unpleasant materials or covering them are tried by many parents, but it is usually ineffective. Others should not blame children with NB habit and increase their disappointments, instead, they should encourage them, and give them support and confidence. The management and treatment of a child with NB behavior will not happen in a few sessions, it is a long process. All of such clinical findings indicate that the management of NB is much more complicated than just focusing on its stoppage. Treatment is not as easy as it seems. Because NB can damage teeth and alveolar structure, the afflicted children should be referred for the assessment and management of possible damages.

There are some methods suggested for controlling of NB such as chewing gum or wearing a rubber piece on the wrist. However, these approaches need to be studied in control trials for their efficacy. Also, the efficacy of engaging fingers with substitute activities such as writing, drawing, holding small balls, or musical instrument should be investigated.³² 

Ana’s Interpretation:

Before the nail biting habit can be managed, it’s important to look at why you do it.

• Is it a life long issue?
• Are mental health issues contributing?
• And ultimately, how does the behavior make you feel?

Treatments need to be accompanied with compassion. Punishment and ridicule are more likely to increase biting rather than resolve it.

Parents, siblings, and teachers need to be educated in how to support the nail biter to replace the biting behavior with a more positive behavior.

Coating nails with bitter products usually doesn’t work and learning to manage the behavior takes time.

Treatment is not as easy as it might seem.

As of this writing in 2017, conclusive studies don’t exist.

There have been suggestions for controlling nail biting by looking at the use of chewing gum, wearing a rubber band around the wrist, or keeping hands occupied with something.

Psychotherapy

The definition of psychotherapy is the treatment of mental disorder by psychological rather than medical means.

The Research Says:

There are limited controlled clinical studies on behavioral or psychotherapeutic approaches to the treatment of NB. There are some cognitive behavioral techniques for the management of children’s behaviors. These techniques have many similarities and are based on cognitive and behavioral principles such as learning principles. All of them teach some skills to the children to be able to control NB behaviors. Patients with NB habit can be trained for different types of relaxations such as self-statements of relaxation, visual imagination, muscle relaxation, and deep breathing.³²

Ana’s Interpretation:

There are very few controlled studies that look at behavioral treatment for nail biting.

Adults can be more successful learning different types of relaxation techniques.

Whereas, it’s much more difficult for children to embrace the brain training required to stop an unconscious behavior.

My boys, Mr. D and Mr. B, have ADHD and ADD respectively.

They can’t stand going to the psychiatrist for their medical checkups—and those are only 15 minutes!

Most kids would rather be riding their bikes, playing video games, or other fun activities.

They don’t want to sit on a couch talking to a therapist about why they bite their nails.

Part 2: The Function of Habit in Nail Biting

Functional Assessment Analysis

Nail biting can be a learned behavior according to a cognitive model. In this model, positive, negative, or automatic reinforcement maintains our habits. So, our habits have functions.³²  

Ana’s Interpretation:

It’s important to note that it’s pretty much impossible to “break” a bad habit (a little more research about this later).

So if you’re trying to quit a habit like biting your nails, smoking, or reaching for a pint of Ben and Jerry’s when you’re stressed, quitting cold turkey is not going to set you up for success.

Well meaning people and medical professionals will tell you that you just need to develop more “willpower”. They think that willpower will be strong enough to overcome a bad habit.

And if you lack strong enough willpower, that deficiency is often viewed as a character flaw. Sadly, this makes you feel like a bad person.

Well, that’s not how the brain works.

Here’s a look behind the scenes of what makes a habit so hard to break.

Why We Have Habits

Habits are as much a part of our daily survival as oxygen.

We have so much information coming at us all day, every day, it’s impossible for our brains to process all of the new sensory input while we go about all our normal daily activities.

Habits are what allow our brains to put certain important routines on “autopilot” so we can deal with the next thing that comes our way.

Some examples of these helpful “autopilot” habits would include:

• • Your morning routine of getting up, getting dressed, brushing your teeth, etc.

• • Being able to drive to work without really paying attention to your route.

• Riding a bike or touch typing on your computer without looking at the keys.

Taking the Highway or Surface Streets?

Once you’ve developed these routines/autopilot habits, they create a solid set of neural pathways in your brain.

This might seem like a weird exercise, but imagine your neural pathways like a huge 6-lane highway.

The 6-lane highway is the easy way to get where you’re going. Your brain is always looking for the easiest way to get things done.

When you try and go “cold turkey” to break a habit, it’s a bit like taking surface streets and trying to pretend the 6-lane highway doesn’t exist anymore.

Even if you don’t use the highway for years, it’s still there.

Your brains’ neural pathways have created a well-beaten path that won’t ever really go away.

It’s always easy to get back on that bad habit neural pathway.  This is why it’s so easy to relapse in your habit-breaking quests.

An example of this alcoholics or others who struggle with addictions.

It’s so easy to relapse without a good support system and plans in place for different routines when these people experience triggers that they used to associate with drinking.

So, if you can’t break a habit, what do you do with it?

The better solution is to replace the routine or action you take when you’re triggered to bite your nails.

The Parts of a Habit

According to Charles Duhigg, author of The Power of Habit, there are three parts of a habit:

1. 1. The trigger

1. 1. The action or routine

1. The reward

These are the key components of how your brain is able to use these “autopilot habits.”

For example, your morning routine is triggered by your alarm clock going off (this is an external environmental trigger). Your brain has learned to associate the alarm clock with all the steps you take to get out the door (the routine).

Your brain gets a nice brain boost of chemicals that give you a sense of achievement when you complete the action of the habit. This is the reward.

This autopilot habit process works the same for good habits and bad habits. Let’s look at how it works in a nail biting scenario.

1. 1. The TRIGGER: Can be internal (stress, boredom, etc.) or external (rough skin, peeling or jagged nails, etc.).

1. 1. The ACTION or routine: Biting or picking at your nails.

1. The REWARD: Sense of completion from performing your bite/pick habit, even if it’s the sting of nails bitten to short or skin picked at until raw and bleeding.  

Author Marshall Goldsmith adds to Duhigg’s 3-part habit loop in his book Triggers, by breaking down step the process into 4 steps, adding a step between the trigger and the routine: IMPULSE.

The impulse is where your brain automatically analyzes your trigger and does its best to “help” you get to your reward.

Your brain plugs in a routine that it is familiar with and associates with a reward. This association is built through doing the same routine over and over.

When you’re able to help your brain become conscious of your trigger and the following impulse, you’re able to consciously change the routine you take to get the reward. This helps you get the results you want.

Let’s look a little deeper into what research says about habits…

Habit Reversal

The Research Says:

Some authors believe that NB is a learned habit, rather than an emotional condition.²⁹ Habit reversal is a form of behavioral therapy, which uses a similar or dissimilar competing response.³² 

Ana’s Interpretation:

Like I mentioned before, habits can’t be broken.

Habits have to be replaced with another behavior that is incompatible with the first behavior (remember the 6-lane highway analogy above?).  

This process is called competitive response training. This is the fancy label for “replace the bad behavior with a good behavior.

Awareness

The Research Says:

The recording of NB frequency, videotaping of NB behavior and describing its frequencies increase awareness. Its frequency should be recorded on a card. It will help children to monitor their behavioral changes. Situation awareness is the type of awareness that children with NB habit identify the situations or places in which NB is better or worse.³²

Ana’s Interpretation:

It’s a pain in the “you know what”, but it is a good exercise to write down the times you catch yourself biting. Perhaps you could use the notepad application on your phone.

Record what you’re feeling at the moment and where you are. If you’re helping a child, with permission they may be open to you videotaping the behavior.

The Research Says:

For competitive response training, a behavioral pattern that is incompatible with NB is introduced. Competing responses should be contingent with NB. There are different types of contingency management. Parents can comment on improvement of the behavior, and provide some praise for the improved child. For example, the child can go to some places or enjoy activities that he/she has been avoided before. Competing responses should be practiced every day. Parents should encourage children with NB habit using competing response. Behavioral changes are long processes, and parents and their children should be informed that they will not happen over a few days or weeks. This is very important because parents or children usually give up soon.³² 

Ana’s Interpretation:

Let’s look at the definition of contingency. It is the relationship between two events, one being “contingent on” or a consequence of the other event. 

Here is a real life example of contingency. My son, Mr. D, wanted to stop biting his nails. My agreement with him was to purchase a coveted Lego^® set if he went for 3 weeks without biting.

He held out until he earned the reward and then relapsed.

About a week later he said, “Mom if I go without biting my nails for 3 weeks again, can I get another Lego^®set?” Ah, the creativity of children! 

The research suggests that competing response should be practiced every day. That leads us to the next section. Does doing something else at the time of biting help at all?

Habit Reversal Versus Object Manipulation

Pro Habit Reversal

The Research Says:

The current study investigates the efficacy of habit reversal training (HRT) and compares its effect with object manipulation training (OMT) considering the limitations of the current literature.

There was three groups of Habit Reversal Treatment group (HR) (n = 30), Object manipulation group (n = 30), and wait-list or control group (n = 31) in this study. All the three groups were assessed at baseline. However, both HR and Object manipulation groups received intervention while the wait-list group did not receive any intervention.³³ 

Habit Reversal (HR)

HR treatment was conducted according to a protocol provided by Woods.³⁵ In this protocol, the possible functions of nail biting as well as the feelings experienced before, during and after nail biting were identified. According to this protocol, habit reversal includes awareness training, competing response training, and social support training. These trainings were conducted in a 30-minute session. In fact, the next sessions were booster sessions to monitor the progress and develop solutions to problems which occurred during the implementation of the intervention. In awareness training, children were trained to recognize their nail biting behavior and its warning signs. For competing response, children were trained to exhibit a behavior which was incompatible with nail biting immediately after the occurrence of nail biting or one of its warning signs. They were asked to hold a pencil or a toy with their hands. Finally, a person was identified to support children to increase their treatment compliance, and remind their competing response, and reward them for their compliance.³³

Ana’s Interpretation:

Some authors believe that nail biting is not related to an emotional condition, but rather a learned habit.

Habit reversal is a form of behavior therapy, which uses a dissimilar or similar competing response.

For the habit reversal research group, training included:

1. 1. Awareness Training: how to recognize the biting behavior and warning signs.

1. 1. Competing Response: choose a behavior which was incompatible with nail biting, like holding a pencil or toy.

1. Social Support Training: another child in the study was assigned to hopefully help improve success.

Let’s look at different possible solutions to help replace the nail biting habit.

Part 3: Possible Solutions for Nail Biting

Object Manipulation (OM)

The Research Says:

[The object manipulation] group of children was trained for all the items reported for HR training. They were trained to play with something (such as a toy, pencil) instead of biting their nail. In fact, nail biting was replaced by playing with something. All other parts including awareness training and social support were similar to habit reversal treatment group. In fact, the object manipulation condition and HR condition were identical. However, children in object manipulation condition manipulated an object instead of doing a competing response.³³ 

Ana’s Interpretation:

The object manipulation group was trained the three techniques like the HR training group. The only difference was that the competing response was to play or “fidget” with something rather than just hold it.

The Research Says:

Overall, the current results confirmed that HR significantly increases the mean length of nails more than the other two groups in long term. This confirms that HR is an effective treatment for the management of nail biting for the community sample -of children and adolescents. Moreover, nail length increased during the trial in both groups of intervention while the mean length of nails in the wait-list group decreased during the trial. It is consistent with and supports the results of Woods et al.’s study.³⁴ However, there is a lot of covariate factors considered in the current study that were not considered in the study by Woods et al. (1999). Moreover, the study by Woods et al. (1999) was conducted on children with thumb sucking. Only some of their participants had nail biting problem. In addition, we did not find any study on the effect of object manipulation on nail biting behavior. Therefore, the current study seems to be unique.

Regarding our second aim, the obtained results showed that object manipulation was more effective than wait-list in short term. Moreover, object manipulation significantly decreased nail biting in long term. However, the number of children who completely stopped nail biting was very close to each other. Therefore, further studies with longer duration are recommended.

Our third aim was to compare the effectiveness of object manipulation training and habit reversal training. The results showed that, in long term, both object manipulation training and habit reversal training are significantly effective for treating nail biting behavior. However, habit reversal training is more effective than object manipulation training.

Concerning our aim to understand the acceptability of object manipulation training and habit reversal training, the current results showed no significant difference between the two groups regarding their acceptability.

However, the drop-out rate was higher in the object manipulation group than the habit reversal group. 

In conclusion, habit reversal more than object manipulation increases the mean length of nails in long term.³³

Ana’s Interpretation:

Interestingly, the act of holding an object—versus fidgeting with it—was more successful this study—in increasing the mean length of nails.

Also, the drop-out rate was higher with the object manipulation group.

Isn’t that interesting?

Perhaps the participants were starting to feel that it wasn’t working well enough.

Competing Response

The Research Says:

In this behavioral method, the subject performs a competing response whenever he/she has the urge to bite or finds his/hers biting nails. For example, a behavior to stop or avoid moving upper limbs towards face or lips, or a behavior to stop or inhibit entering fingers into the mouth is employed. This method has been shown to be more effective than not using it.²⁹ Competing response type is not important for the suppression of target behavior, and it does not probably function as an incompatible behavior.³⁵

Ana’s Interpretation:

Like mentioned before, competing response means to do a behavior that makes it difficult to bite.

A good example of this is to stick your hands in your pockets when tempted to bite.  Studies have shown that this technique works better than not using it.

The only problem is that we can’t keep our hands in our pockets all the time.

And ultimately, the competing response doesn’t stop the desire to bite.

Aversive Stimulus

The Research Says:

An aversive stimulus is effective for treating NB and is usually done through the painting of an aversive stimulus or a bitter substance on the individual nails. Aversive stimulus therapy improves NB, although its effect is not as much as the competing response method.²⁹

Ana’s Interpretation:

Aversive stimulus means to apply some sort of negative reinforcement. The classic solution is to paint a bitter solution on the nails.

Unfortunately, this works for a very short time and could go the other direction if the person actually becomes accustomed to the bitter solution painted on their nails.

Punishment or ridicule also falls in this category. It’s been proven in many studies to not work, and can even increase the behavior.

Self-Control Intervention

The Research Says:

Considering that human behavior is goal-directed and affected by different factors, self- control intervention is proposed as a method for the management of NB.³⁶ In this method, some specific self-control skills are learned and applied by the subjects. The method is performed in a number of steps. First, the children are taught that the targeted behavior is a problem, and they can change it. Second, the children are told to try to find the possible cause of NB as well as the thought and feelings that are associated with the behavior. Third, the children are instructed to do self-monitoring, as it can increase their awareness from the behavior. Fourth, children are educated to use some learned skills such as self-talk and self-reward to change the automated behavior. Fifth, children are trained to use the learned skills to manage and change other similar pathologic behaviors.³⁶

Ana’s Interpretation:

Human behavior is affected by many different things and is goal directed. If we want something, then we want it.

In one study, children were taught to realize that biting is a problem that they can change, and find the cause and feelings related to biting.

The children were asked to do self-observation, then use learned skills like self-talk and self-reward which would help them manage and change their behavior.

These trained behaviors are hard enough for adults to use, let alone children.

“Self-control” is something to me that is said by someone who doesn’t really understand the new research of how behavior works.

That’s like saying “don’t have that piece of cake because the sugar will make you feel horrible and can contribute to weight gain.”

Who cares? If we want cake, then we get an IMMEDIATE reward.

If we want cake, then we get an IMMEDIATE reward.

Or how about this one? “The solution is easy. Just stop biting your nails.” Except that for most people who are nail biters is that they don’t even know they are doing it.

Nail biting has moved beyond a chosen behavior to one that is unconscious.

Pharmacotherapy

As most of my readers know, I try to stay away from medical and pharmaceutical discussions as much as possible.

There is so much misinformation on the internet which is completely false and downright scary.

I also have no right making any medical claims or advice. That is something reserved for your doctor.

With that being said, I feel I would be remiss in not including studies that have included using medications and alternative pharmacological treatments to help with nail biting.

These are definitely things you will want to discuss with your doctors. Feel free to print or email this article to take to your doctor.

Prescriptions

There are several pharmaceutical drugs that have had some success with nail biting.

There is also the factor that all of our bodies are different and react differently to various medications and alternative remedies.

In fact, some medications like selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRI’s) may make nail biting worse.

There seems to be an interesting correlation in which drugs work better with people with obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD). Some researchers feel that nail biting, hair pulling, and OCD all have similar causes.

The Research Says:

It is supposed that NB, trichotillomania, and obsessive-compulsive disorder have a similar biologic etiology.³⁷

Since NB is an impulse disorder, selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) may exacerbate it. This suggestion is based on the belief that impulsivity is exacerbated in some impulse-prone patients by SSRIs.³⁸

As of 2011, and to the best of the author’s knowledge, there is no double-blind, placebo-controlled trial investigating the efficacy of drugs such as fluoxetine and fluvoxamine for the treatment of NB. There are just a number of case reports about the association of NB with other similar behaviors such as skin picking. Fluoxetine has been reported to be effective for the treatment of chewing of digits.³⁹ A double-blind comparison of clomipramine and desipramine effects in individuals with NB habit, who did not have obsessive compulsive disorder, indicated that clomipramine was more effective than desipramine.³⁷

Fluoxetine (floo OX e teen)

Brand Names: PROzac, PROzac Weekly, Sarafem, Rapiflux, Selfemra, PROzac Pulvules. Fluoxetine is a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRI) antidepressant. Fluoxetine affects chemicals in the brain that may be unbalanced in people with depression, panic, anxiety, or obsessive-compulsive symptoms, bulimia nervosa (an eating disorder), obsessive-compulsive disorder, panic disorder, and premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD). [Source: Drugs.com]

Fluvoxamine (floo-VOX-a-meen)

Brand Names: Faverin, Fevarin, Floxyfral, Dumyrox and Luvox. Fluvoxamine is a medication which functions as a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) and receptor-agonist. Fluvoxamine is used primarily for the treatment of obsessive–compulsive disorder (OCD), and is also used to treat major depressive disorder and anxiety disorders such as panic disorder and post-traumatic stress disorder. Fluvoxamine CR (controlled release) is approved to treat social anxiety disorder. [Source: Wikipedia.org]

Clomipramine (Clo-mi-pram-mine)
Brand Name: Anafranil. Clomipramine is a tricyclic antidepressant (TCA).^[2] It is used for the treatment of obsessive compulsive disorder, panic disorder, major depressive disorder, and chronic pain. [Source: Wikipedia.org]

Desipramine (also known as desmethyl-imipramine)
Brand Names: Norpramin, and Pertofrane. Desipramine is a tricyclic antidepressant (TCA). It inhibits the reuptake of norepinephrine and to a minor extent serotonin. It is used to treat depression, but not considered a first line treatment since the introduction of SSRI antidepressants. [Source: En.Wikipedia.org]

Alternative Pharmacological Treatments

Two medication alternatives that might show promise are Glutamate and N-acetylcysteine.

For those of you who want to stay away from pharmaceutical medications, these are worth discussing with your doctor or psychiatrist.

The Research Says:

Glutamate

Glutamate, an excitatory central nervous system neurotransmitter, is emerging as a potential alternative pharmacological treatment when compared to gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA)-, dopamine-, and serotonin-modulating treatments for neuropsychiatric conditions. The pathophysiology, animal models, and clinical trials of glutamate modulation are explored in disorders with underlying inhibitory deficits (cognitive, motor, behavioral) including obsessive–compulsive disorder, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, Tourette syndrome, trichotillomania, excoriation disorder, and nail biting. Obsessive–compulsive disorder, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, and grooming disorders (trichotillomania and excoriation disorder) have emerging positive data, although only scarce controlled trials are available.⁴⁰  CNS homeostasis of inhibition–disinhibition signaling ultimately depends on a well-regulated glutamate–GABA balance, in conjunction with other neurotransmitter systems that impact on this final effector pathway, which highly impacts neuronal health.⁴¹

Future drug design approaches will benefit from a better understanding of these pathways (which also impact on other biologic systems, including immune and developmental networks) in OCD and related disorders, tics and ADHD, in order to provide a paradigmatic framework to better understand the imbalance in inhibition–disinhibition from the molecular level (glutamate–GABA) to the macro-behavioral level (obsessions, compulsions, tics, hyperactivity, and grooming behaviors). The heuristic value of considering these cross-disorder clinical manifestations in toto in relation to glutamate awaits future drug discovery to address these disinhibitory phenomena. In summary, drugs that impact the glutamatergic balance in the CNS are emerging as a therapeutic alternative for neuropsychiatric disorders, which implicate abnormal inhibitory control in cognitive, motor, behavioral, and grooming domains. OCD has the most support at present for the use of glutamate modulators, with ADHD and grooming disorders also showing promise.⁴⁰

N-acetylcysteine

N-acetylcysteine (NAC) is emerging as a useful agent in the treatment of psychiatric disorders.

Quotes from the following article published in the Journal of Psychiatry and Neuroscience was recommended to me by my children’s psychiatrist.

The interesting thing to me is that he is a nail biter!

When I asked him what his triggers were, his response was “being caught in heavy traffic, watching movies and idleness”.

The Research Says:

Our review outlines the current literature regarding the use of N-acetylcysteine (NAC) in disorders including addiction, compulsive and grooming disorders, schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. N-acetylcysteine has shown promising results in populations with these disorders, including those in whom treatment efficacy has previously been limited. The therapeutic potential of this acetylated amino acid is beginning to emerge in the field of psychiatric research.⁴²

In addition to TTM (hair pulling), promising preliminary results suggest the need for controlled studies in other grooming disorders, including nail biting and skin picking.^43,44 A case report was published regarding an individual with both TTM and nail biting behaviours, in whom nail biting ceased following 9 weeks of NAC treatment.⁴³ The participant relapsed after a hiatus in treatment, but recommencement of NAC resulted in a remission of symptoms.⁴³

A serendipitous finding of the benefit of NAC treatment in the reduction of nail biting in a study primarily investigating NAC (2000 mg/d) in the treatment of mood disorders has been reported.⁴⁴

Three participants taking NAC reported significant reductions in nail biting during the 6-month course of treatment. All 3 participants were still abstinent from nail biting 1 month after the discontinuation of NAC.⁴²

Ana’s Interpretation

N-acetylcysteine (NAC) has shown promising results in populations with addiction, compulsive and grooming disorders, schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. It has been helpful for people who have tried other medications with no success.

The healing ability of this acetylated amino acid is beginning to emerge in the field of psychiatric research. We need more controlled studies to see if NAC works better than a placebo.

One study using NAC to treat mood disorders happened to reveal a side effect of reduced nail biting.

Three participants reported this during their 6-month treatment and after another month of stopping the NAC, they still were not biting. That is promising news!

Side Benefits?

Often times a drug that is formulated for one issue can actually have other side benefits—that make it sell even better than the original intent.

Here are a couple of examples of what I mean.

Propecia, that ubiquitous drug used to treat male-pattern baldness, was originally marketed as Proscar, a drug to treat the benign enlargement of the prostate. After five years on the market in the 1990s, it became clear that one of the side effects of Proscar was – you can practically see the money signs flashing in the pharmaceutical marketers’ eyes – hair growth on bald men. Cha-ching!⁴⁵ 

Listerine was invented 133 years ago, first as a surgical antiseptic, but also as a cure for gonorrhea (don’t try that at home). An article from 1888 recommends Listerine “for sweaty feet, and soft corns developing between the toes.” Over the course of the next century, it was marketed as a refreshing additive to cigarettes, a cure for the common cold, and as a dandruff treatment. But it was in the 1920s that the powerful, germ-killing liquid finally landed on its most lucrative use as a magical cure for bad breath.⁴⁵ 

Medical Advancements

The world of science and mental disorders is continually changing and making discoveries that can change our life for the better.

Think about how little we knew about the human body just 100 plus years ago. Here are some of the advancements we have made;

• 1901 Blood typing was established
• 1921 Discovery that the absence of vitamin D causes Rickets
• 1907 Blood transfusions started
• 1922 Insulin was first used to treat diabetes
• 1928 Discovery of penicillin
• 1930 Discovery of vitamins
• 1935 Invention of the Heart-Lung machine
• 1953 Heart-Lung machine used for the first time in surgery
• 1953 The DNA molecule was discovered
• 1967 The first human heart transplant was performed
• 1978 The first test tube baby was born
• 1996 Dolly the sheep became the first cloned mammal and lived for 7 years.⁴⁸ 

Other advancements that were life changing were the creation of vaccines starting in  1923 to the present, and their ability to prevent diseases like diphtheria, pertussis (whooping cough), tuberculosis, tetanus, influenza, polio, measles, mumps, etc. The list goes on and on. The discovery of anesthetics, clean water, and sanitation practices, and the creation of the birth control pill were also very important.⁴⁶ 

Mental Health Advancements

Although people have been living with mental health issues since the beginning of the human race, the Mental Health America (MHA) wasn’t founded until 1909.

Around the turn of the twentieth century, Clifford W. Beers, a recent graduate of Yale College and a newly-minted Wall Street financier, suffered his first episode of bipolar disorder (manic depressive illness) following the illness and death of his brother. In the throes of his illness, Beers attempted to take his own life by jumping out a third story window.  Seriously injured but still alive, Beers ended up in public and private hospitals in Connecticut for the next three years.

While in these institutions, Beers learned firsthand of the deficiencies in care as well as the cruel and inhumane treatment people with mental illnesses received. He witnessed and experienced horrific abuse at the hands of his caretakers. At one point during his institutionalization, he was placed in a straight jacket for 21 consecutive nights.

Upon his release, Beers was resolved to expose the maltreatment of people with mental illnesses and to reform care. In 1908, he published his autobiography, A Mind That Found Itself, which roused the nation to the plight of people with mental illnesses and set a reform movement into motion. In the book, Beers declared, As I penetrated and conquered the mysteries of that dark side of my life, it no longer held any terror for me. I have decided to stand on my past and look the future in the face.⁴⁸  

Ana’s Interpretation:

We have made significant progress over the last 100 years to identify and support people living with mental illnesses, but it’s still shocking how mental health is still such a taboo subject to talk about, even at the time of this writing in 2017.

This shame and fear make people feel very isolated and more inclined to resort to nail biting, skin picking, and hair pulling as a way to calm their anxiety.

Does that mean that everyone who bites their nails has a mental health disorder?

No, but it sure makes one think.

What if people are struggling with biting because it’s a symptom of something bigger? 

There are so many working parts in the brain that depend on the environment, genetics, diet, personal history, current life situations, stressors, support systems and more.

Two different people could be struggling with biting and picking for completely different reasons.

It’s impossible to give a blanket conclusion that solves everyone’s problems because of these multiple layers of complexity.

One of the best ways to utilize all that we have learned in the past 100 years about mental health and physical health and different disorders is to begin to pay attention to YOU.

• What works for you?
• What doesn’t work for you?
• What are your triggers?
• What helps you overcome them?

If you don’t have the tools to overcome your triggers and other contributing issues, then you may find it helpful to enlist the help of a qualified physician, counselor, or other support groups.

I’ve started a Bliss Kiss™ support group on Facebook for people who struggle with biting and picking. [ myblisskiss.com/healthynails ]

Wherever you seek help, it’s important to find what works for you.

Find someone who understands you and can help you work through your unique situation.

Conclusion

As you can tell by now, a lot more studies need to be done to understand how to help someone stop biting their nails.

We need more randomized controlled clinical trials to make medication guidelines that are based on good evidence for the treatment of nail biting behavior.

Nail biting is not an isolated symptom.

Studies with children have shown that wearing nail coatings, repeated promptings to stop biting, and many behavior modification techniques don’t work because of the lack of consideration that nail biting might be a symptom for more complicated conditions.

Research studies become even more difficult when nail biting is a symptom of many different mental disorders.

It can be even harder to manage when someone has more than one disorder.

The great thing is that science keeps making advancements.

Society members around the world are using social media as a way to help reduce the stigma of mental health issues.

Online support groups are becoming very popular and available to anyone on the planet.

This is an exciting time in history for people from all over the world to support each other with our personal challenges.

We obtain a huge sense of connection and relief when we find other people who are struggling with the same issue. There are people out there who understand and support us. We no longer feel alone.

This is a very good thing.

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