Insider Guide.

Insider's Guide Etiquette

How to Stop biting your nails

By Ji Baek The owner of New York City's Rescue Beauty Lounges, manicurist Baek started Nail Biters Anonymous (NBA), a 12-week support program. I've found that nail-biters are usually intelligent, organized, and successful people -- but having gnawed-on nails doesn't give others that impression. Biting your nails is an easier habit to break than smoking, but you still have to be committed to quit. Here are some ways to make the struggle easier. * Try aversion therapy. Buy an anti-biting nail polish that tastes bitter or peppery. Hard-core chewers usually aren't very successful using these types of polishes -- they actually start to like the nasty taste! But if you're more of an occasional nibbler, these polishes could deter you before the problem worsens. * Put on some falsies. False tips are like an express detox, since it's hard to chomp through them. Plus, they're a quick fix. Be sure to get the silk-wrapped ones. Acrylics may be cheap, but if you do slip and chew them, it's unhealthy to digest the nail polymer. * Carry an emergency kit. Put together a kit holding cuticle cream, cuticle scissors, a Band-Aid, and an emery board, and keep it in your desk. Then, if a cuticle frays or a nail snags, you'll have no excuse to bite it off. At the very least, I tell my clients to ...