# How do I stop chewing on my fingers? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [October 5, 2011, 4:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-stop-chewing-on-my-fingers/598693 "2011-10-05T16:22:19Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![iiandyiiii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iiandyiiii/32/7924_2.png) [@iiandyiiii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iiandyiiii)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2011, 4:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-stop-chewing-on-my-fingers/598693/1 "2011-10-05T16:22:19Z")
Not my fingernails, but the skin on my fingers- often right around the cuticle, or on the sides at the base of the nail. I do it without thinking about it, occasionally go so far as to draw blood. How do I stop? ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2011, 4:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-stop-chewing-on-my-fingers/598693/2 "2011-10-05T16:29:48Z")
Scented hand lotion. Or you can get bitter stuff to paint on your nails. ---
**Author:** ![Darth\_Panda](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ee7513/32.png) [@Darth\_Panda](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darth_Panda)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2011, 4:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-stop-chewing-on-my-fingers/598693/3 "2011-10-05T16:31:58Z")
Step 1) Stop chewing on your fingers. Step 2) Step 3) Profit. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2011, 4:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-stop-chewing-on-my-fingers/598693/4 "2011-10-05T16:35:27Z")
Wear wool mittens. ---
**Author:** ![tr0psn4j](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/958977/32.png) [@tr0psn4j](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tr0psn4j)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2011, 4:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-stop-chewing-on-my-fingers/598693/5 "2011-10-05T16:41:42Z")
Aloe Vera is really bitter. Or remove all your teeth. Or amputate your fingers! ---
**Author:** ![Nefarious\_Chipmunk](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nefarious_chipmunk/32/1045_2.png) [@Nefarious\_Chipmunk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nefarious_Chipmunk)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2011, 4:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-stop-chewing-on-my-fingers/598693/6 "2011-10-05T16:51:36Z")
[This stuff](http://www.amazon.com/Mavala-Stop-Biting-Sucking-0-3-Fluid/dp/B0000YUXI0) is amazing. My husband was a nail biter for 25 years. He tried all kinds of products you paint on your nails. This was the one that WORKED. I realize you are not specifically biting your nails, but getting this stuff on your lips (after it is painted on your nails) still will give you the bad taste. I will warn to stay away from finger foods while you are using it. It is very strong and any accidental mouth contact will transfer the vile flavor. Fortunately, it is so vile, it works quickly. My husband kicked his 25 year habit in about a week. ---
**Author:** ![Alka\_Seltzer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c89c15/32.png) [@Alka\_Seltzer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alka_Seltzer)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2011, 5:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-stop-chewing-on-my-fingers/598693/7 "2011-10-05T17:26:59Z")
> [@tr0psn4j](#): > > Or amputate your fingers! Ask a friend to help if you go down this route, else taking off the last one is really tricky. ---
**Author:** ![tr0psn4j](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/958977/32.png) [@tr0psn4j](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tr0psn4j)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2011, 5:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-stop-chewing-on-my-fingers/598693/8 "2011-10-05T17:51:32Z")
> [@Alka\_Seltzer](#): > > Ask a friend to help if you go down this route, else taking off the last one is really tricky. He can chew the last one off. You know, one last fix before quitting cold turkey. ---
**Author:** ![Gary\_Robson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gary_robson/32/3448_2.png) [@Gary\_Robson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gary_Robson)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2011, 6:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-stop-chewing-on-my-fingers/598693/9 "2011-10-05T18:04:25Z")
[moderating] Thread moved to IMHO. [/moderating] ---
**Author:** ![Anaamika](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Anaamika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anaamika)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2011, 6:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-stop-chewing-on-my-fingers/598693/10 "2011-10-05T18:42:24Z")
The other thing you need to do is go out and buy a bunch of cuticle clippers and start keeping them everywhere - home, work, car, etc. And then when you feel a bit, try to get into the habit of cutting them instead of chewing them. ---
**Author:** ![Panurge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/fbc32d/32.png) [@Panurge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Panurge)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2011, 7:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-stop-chewing-on-my-fingers/598693/11 "2011-10-05T19:46:32Z")
Start scratching your ass. That ought to put you off the finger chewing. Sorry. ---
**Author:** ![surrounded\_by\_literalists](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/8baadc/32.png) [@surrounded\_by\_literalists](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/surrounded_by_literalists)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2011, 8:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-stop-chewing-on-my-fingers/598693/12 "2011-10-05T20:38:55Z")
> [@Panurge](#): > > Start scratching your ass. That ought to put you off the finger chewing. > Sorry. Not that I would actually suggest this, but I took a microbiology class a few years ago that still has me creeped out about what is on my fingers. In my nursing class, we all went and _washed our hands,_ then our instructor used a special light that illuminated any bacteria left on our hands. Shocking, is a good description of what was left behind. The crevices around the cuticle, under the nails and in and around any rings was just nasty. ---
**Author:** ![Anaamika](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Anaamika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anaamika)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2011, 8:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-stop-chewing-on-my-fingers/598693/13 "2011-10-05T20:42:32Z")
> [@surrounded\_by\_literalists](#): > > Not that I would actually suggest this, but I took a microbiology class a few years ago that still has me creeped out about what is on my fingers. In my nursing class, we all went and _washed our hands,_ then our instructor used a special light that illuminated any bacteria left on our hands. Shocking, is a good description of what was left behind. The crevices around the cuticle, under the nails and in and around any rings was just nasty. But…that’s normal. We’re supposed to be covered in bacteria. All of us are. ---
**Author:** ![purplehorseshoe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/purplehorseshoe/32/2996_2.png) [@purplehorseshoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/purplehorseshoe)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2011, 8:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-stop-chewing-on-my-fingers/598693/14 "2011-10-05T20:53:55Z")
Sometimes getting a good professional manicure can help. They’ll do a better job than you can of getting rid of little bits of hard dead skin, etc. I used to do this, too, and what helped me the most was religiously using cuticle cream every night before going to bed. It’s a lot harder to pick and chew at smooth, soft, healthy cuticles. ---
**Author:** ![Al\_Bundy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e79b87/32.png) [@Al\_Bundy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Al_Bundy)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2011, 9:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-stop-chewing-on-my-fingers/598693/15 "2011-10-05T21:04:47Z")
Sometimes behavior can be changed by total immersion in the such as smoking or in this case finger biting. I suggest really chomping down on those fingers until you are so repulsed that you will never attempt the behavior again.