Anti-nail polish will help your child get rid of the bad habit

March 12, 2020

Features of children's manicure

Advantages and disadvantages of children's manicure

Stages of European children's manicure

Children's manicure design for girls

Children's manicure at home

Almost every parent has experienced a child biting their nails. It is sometimes extremely difficult to wean oneself from this habit: threats, exhortations, and special bitter remedies are used. One of the options for salvation from this misfortune will be a beautiful manicure for your prince or princess. This procedure will not only help in the fight against a bad habit, but will also allow you to keep your nails clean and teach you to care for your hands and proper hygiene from childhood.

Children's manicure has a number of features related to the child's physiology, so the procedure must be approached carefully, with caution and thoroughness. A properly done manicure is distinguished by special techniques and permitted design solutions.

Features of children's manicure

Children under 14 years of age should not undergo a classic manicure, which involves influencing the matrix and cuticle area. For children, only the European technique of performing the procedure is recommended. During the process, you should apply a cuticle remover or dissolve it, hand and nail balm.

The minimum age for children to have their nails done is 6 to 8 years old.

. The figure varies depending on the structure and fragility of the child’s nails. After cutting with scissors, children do not sand or polish the plate: there is a high risk of damaging the nail. It is necessary to use baby cream, which will reduce the risk of flaking and dry skin.

To remove the coating, only special products intended for children are used, based on essential oils with the addition of various vitamins necessary for the skin. All hangnails are trimmed so as not to injure the upper layer of the epithelium and eliminate the risk of infection. Experts recommend monitoring your child’s diet for better nail growth and health, and periodically visiting a dermatologist for consultations.

Types and methods of application

The modern market offers a wide range of varnishes for children who bite their nails. It is worth considering several varieties that have already gained popularity:

• Smart enamel “Gnaw - I don’t want to.” Looks like regular nail polish. This product is often bought for boys because they don’t like doing manicures. And smart enamel has no color, so it is practically invisible on the nails. It can be applied to both hands and feet. It has added cactus extract, which provides a strong bitterness.

It dries very quickly and does not cause irritation, even if it gets on damaged skin. If the child flatly refuses coverage, then this procedure can be performed even in his sleep. The varnish will dry quickly and will not cause discomfort to the baby.

However, some parents noted that the bitterness is quickly washed off with water.

• Princess "Nekusayka". It has a disgusting taste that quickly discourages children from biting their nails. It is noted that getting rid of the habit takes from several days to 2 weeks.

The manufacturer advises applying the product before bed so that the bitter substances included in its composition have time to show themselves in all their glory.

“Nekusayka” is hypoallergenic and does not contain toxic components.

• Lacquer Belweder. It contains a very bitter substance - denatonium benzoate. It is used to treat both adults and children. Drying time is only 3 minutes, and the disgusting taste appears immediately. In addition, the product has an antibacterial effect and protects the mucous membrane and nail plate from infection.
• Limoni "No Bite Pro Growth". Italian varnish, which, in addition to its bitter taste, additionally has a healing effect. The product is designed specifically for children, it does not harm health, dries quickly and does not shine on the nails.
• Severina varnish contains a complex of vitamins that have a positive effect on the condition of nails. It will help restore a damaged nail plate, returning it to its former beauty and strength.

Parents note that it is impossible to call any remedy universal. Its action will be individual in each case. Therefore, if a varnish of a certain brand does not produce the desired effect, it is worth trying a different one.

The product should be used in accordance with the instructions. Many of them need to be applied at night to work best. The coating should be renewed daily. You need to use it until the baby stops pulling his fingers to his mouth.

Girls usually don't mind manicures. They like to imitate their mother's actions. But if you have difficulty applying varnish, you should try using colored varnish.

There are more problems with boys. In this case, you should be patient and persevering.

You can engage your baby in conversation or tell a story. Under no circumstances should you swear or shout. This will only make the problem worse.

Design is important

You can draw a beautiful picture on a girl’s nails, which the child will be very sorry to spoil. To do this, buy children's colored varnish, and apply a bitter coating on top.

There are many ideas for children's drawings on the Internet. For example, you can make a beautiful strawberry. To do this you need:

• paint your nails with red varnish;
• near the cuticle draw a green stem with a thin brush;
• Using a special stick called a dot, place white dots that will imitate grains.

Most likely, the baby will be sorry to spoil such beauty. Therefore, it will be possible to get rid of the bad habit much faster.

Advantages and disadvantages of children's manicure

Beautiful nails attract the attention of a child: he feels more mature, tries to take care of his hands, his fingers look well-groomed and tidy, and regular implementation of the procedure allows him to strengthen healthy nails and increase their growth. By imitating mom and dad, children can more easily get rid of the habit of biting their nails and learn hygiene and care for their hands.

Children's disinterest in the process, harmful and dangerous substances can become disadvantages of the nail transformation process. It is necessary to explain to the child all the stages of the procedure, to understand his attitude to this idea, to use varnishes and strengthening hypoallergenic products intended only for children.

This also applies to scissors and files. Tools should not be rigid, gentle, with rounded edges.

What not to do

Grandmothers used an analogue of a modern safe bitter varnish: mustard or red pepper, which they rubbed on the baby’s fingertips. It should be understood that instead of the mouth, the child may well rub his eyes, and then a burn to the mucous membrane is guaranteed.

Having tried all the methods and not getting any results, in desperation parents try to influence with punishments. If you remember that in most cases the cause of a bad habit is stress, you can understand that rough pulling, slapping the hands and lips will not solve the problem; on the contrary, it will only aggravate the situation. You need to act persistently, but quite gently.

If, despite all efforts, the child continues not only to bite his nails, but does it with some frenzy, you should contact a neurologist. It is quite possible that such a habit is a precursor to attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, which in the future can result in serious problems, and at the initial stage is quite amenable to correction.

Stages of European children's manicure

1. The child's surfaces, instruments, and hands are disinfected.
2. The master processes the edge of the nail with a special file, leaving 1 mm of the nail length.
3. Then a cuticle softener is applied. If the child is 14 years old, then the edge is moved back with an orange stick and trimmed with nail scissors intended for children.
4. The base varnish is applied and the design chosen by the small client is carried out. In this case, only special varnishes that do not contain triphenyl phosphate are used.
5. The manicure is secured with a top coat, and a moisturizer is applied to the hands and cuticle area.

Why does a child bite his nails: observe and record

Observe the baby, say, for a week, write down what time of day, at what hours he tends to bite his nails, what happened before this, how does he do it - is he hiding, or is he lost in thought and chewing, or is he nervous?
Having studied your observations, you will most likely notice some patterns: perhaps the baby bites his nails out of boredom or loneliness, or in moments of tension or anticipation, or this action is associated with any feelings, anxiety, self-doubt, shyness - for example, when he wants to join to the games of other children, but is afraid.

Now try to be close to your baby during these triggering situations. Help him relieve tension: use techniques that help replace thumb sucking.

• For example, give him a light massage of his back and shoulders, stroking his arms from the shoulders to the hands.
• Offer to wrap yourself in a thick blanket and then roll your son or daughter on the floor - an unusual and relaxing experience!
• Lift your baby by both arms and rock him gently.
• Puzzle games, construction sets with small parts, and simple handicraft kits will help you get distracted and keep your hands busy at the same time.

Children's manicure design for girls

The simplest design option for children's manicure is multi-colored stickers with various butterflies, flowers, and cartoon characters. Beautiful nails with interesting designs in the form of animals will not leave any fashionista indifferent. Another option for decorating your nails would be simple designs applied with brushes or an orange stick, in the form of simple patterns, berries, stars.

Gradients in the form of cosmic elements and “stains” on nails are incredibly popular. For teenage girls, manicure is done depending on the school rules. Usually this is a discreet nude varnish, or a jacket in a light color scheme. A “newspaper” manicure looks impressive, consisting of pieces of various publications covered with a top coat. Teenagers also prefer water stickers that are attached using a slider: from blots to numbers and letters.

The use of stamping can also be considered appropriate. Various lace patterns, leaves, snowflakes, depending on the time of year, will be a wonderful decoration for children's hands. A manicure that matches the shape of the nails will look fashionable: checkerboard, “collar” for a square. For themed events, you can make designs in the form of bows, cakes, and ribbons.

In some cases, overhead tips of various lengths and shapes are used. On sale you can find different designs with and without adhesive. Remember that false nails cannot be used frequently: there is a risk of damaging the plate.

Possible health hazard

Most people are of the opinion that painting nails is completely safe and harmless. The basis for this statement is the fact that the nail plate consists of dead keratinized cells. Therefore, the application of any chemical compounds does not have a negative effect.

However, this is not quite true. Under the nail plate there are soft tissues and nerve endings. And it is riddled with tiny holes that cannot be seen with the naked eye. It is through them that harmful substances enter the body.

Of course, children's polishes contain a minimal amount of negative components. But they still exist. Therefore, such a coating should be used only for medicinal purposes, so as not to harm the growing body.

It is necessary to take breaks periodically so that the nail can “rest” from the varnish. Use within reasonable limits will not cause harm. On the contrary, many products are enriched with vitamin complexes that have a healing effect on the nail plate.

Children's manicure at home

Manicure at home is appropriate only for very young children. Experts advise not to cut children's nails after bathing. A steamed plate is easier to deform and delaminate, increasing the likelihood that when removing the nail you will cut off the excess, resulting in a wound and bleeding.

Qualified children's manicurists strongly recommend adhering to a few simple rules:

Nails should be cut carefully; do not experiment with the shape. Be sure to buy special tools designed for children. Nails must be handled very carefully to avoid delamination of the surface.

It is not recommended to perform a more thorough manicure at home, since only a qualified master knows all the intricacies of the procedure and has the ability to use special tools that do not damage the skin, matrix and plate.

You can choose a salon that provides quality services in the section

Causes of onychophagia

The cause of onychophagia can be both emotional and physical disorders.

Sometimes parents simply trim their children's nail plates without paying any attention to the cuticles and hangnails. They cause discomfort to the baby, which encourages him to fight the problem on his own. Therefore, it is necessary to carefully monitor children's manicure so that the baby does not bite his nails.

The physiological source of the problem may be:

• physical pleasure (the same as when eating candy);
• trying to replace the pacifier;
• lack of proper physical activity;
• parasite infection.

However, most often the cause is a violation of the child’s psycho-emotional state. To identify them, you need to contact a child psychologist who can accurately determine the source of discomfort.

Most often, onychophagia occurs due to

• stress associated with moving or changing educational institutions;
• lack of attention and parental love;
• watching scary movies;
• communication problems;
• fear of punishment;
• self-doubt or other psychological discomfort.

Parents try to smear mustard on their fingers, persuade, swear, but sometimes this habit turns out to be stronger. But this is not only not beautiful, but also causes certain health problems. If you have tried all the remedies, then you should consult a doctor and try using a special nail polish.

Possible consequences

Don’t think that nothing bad will happen if a child “straightens” the length of his nails. The only plus (and even then dubious) is that it will reduce tension for a short period of time. There are many more disadvantages:

1. You can catch a viral or bacterial infection, parasites, because the cuticle is an ideal breeding ground for microbes, and under the nails there may be eggs and larvae of parasitic worms.
2. Getting diseases of the gastrointestinal tract that are very difficult to cure.
3. Teeth can become mobile, which can lead to changes in bite.
4. The cuticle and nail are deformed.

Common causes of nail biting

Many people get rid of their habit over time and do not remember their habit, and some do it reflexively, without even noticing this action. Today, the problem is inherent in children and worries parents very much.

The habit of biting the nail plate is called onychophagia. It is associated with several factors, including mental disorders provoked by stress and emotions.

Most often, children aged 4 years are susceptible to the habit. During this period, the baby, due to various unfavorable factors, begins to involuntarily bite his nails. The problem does not cause global harm to health, but causes problems due to the development of this habit, which develops into a permanent one, thereby changing the shape of growing nails and contributing to the development of inflammatory processes of the cuticles and bruises.

The main reasons for the development of onychophagia are:

• hereditary predisposition - based on the subconscious level and laid down by the genes of parents who have this style;
• brittle nails – can cause biting of the nail plate due to constant peeling and brittleness due to a lack of calcium in the body;
• a lack of keratin in the body can provoke a problem due to an acute lack of vitamin A in the body;
• psychology - nail biting is caused by psychological factors and unstable emotional lability.

Onychophagia with constant exposure can be dangerous, since damaging the nail plate can lead to infections that can lead to inflammatory processes.

Why is this habit so bad?

Many of us have heard from our parents since childhood that biting our nails is prohibited. Here's why you shouldn't do it:

1. Microbes live under our nails and can enter us through the mouth. As a result, you can harm your digestive system.

2. The nails themselves deteriorate, burrs appear, which looks very sloppy. In addition, because of this, the manicure also suffers, as a result of which it has to be redone ahead of time. Dirt may get into the wound next to the hangnail and the skin will become inflamed.

3. Harm to teeth, risk of gum inflammation.

What should I do to solve the problem?

How to stop biting your fingernails using folk methods?

You can use known methods. For example:

• Dip the child's fingers in a tasteless liquid (wormwood infusion), sprinkle with pepper, and grease with mustard.
• It will be useful to treat your nails and cuticles with aloe juice , which will not only help heal damage, but also, due to its bitter taste, will discourage you from putting your fingers in your mouth.

Please note that all these products are quickly washed off and washed off your hands, so you need to renew them several times a day.

Attention! During the first days of treatment, it is better to be close to the child to calm him down if he bursts into tears due to an unexpected taste. In kindergarten he is unlikely to receive special attention, and at school teachers do not serve as nannies.

Advice from psychologists

1. Come up with a fairy tale in which one of the characters had a similar bad habit, but the other did not. The further plot is at your discretion. You can often find options where they didn’t want to communicate with the sloppy hero, but the neat one had many friends.
2. Teach your child to express his emotions in words. This will help him release his energy.
3. Relieve stress by painting, singing, walking, or any other way that you both enjoy.
4. In such cases, you should not allow your child to watch a lot of TV, play computer games, or hang out on social networks. These activities only increase nervous tension, which will aggravate the existing problem.
5. Enroll your child in a sports section. An excellent option would be football, hockey, and dancing. Remember that it is worth monitoring your daily routine and load.
6. Teach yourself to take care of yourself. For example, some manicure and pedicure chains provide . Teenagers, accordingly, can sign up for a classic manicure. For very young children, it is necessary to examine their hands every evening; when hangnails appear, it is necessary to remove the “irritants” with a nail file and nail scissors.
7. If you notice another manifestation of onychophagia, distract the child with a conversation, a game, a fairy tale, or a walk.
8. Be affectionate. Kiss, hug your child, listen - this will have a good effect on his nervous system and your relationship.

Special means

1. To strengthen the nail plate and get rid of external manifestations of onychophagia, you can take vitamin and mineral complexes.
   B vitamins and baths with natural vegetable oils (for example, cedar oil) have a good effect.
2. A similar effect to mustard (pepper, aloe) is exerted by special varnishes such as “Nekusayka”, “Don’t Gnaw”, designed specifically for children. They can be purchased at the pharmacy, they cost around 300 rubles. These products must be applied to the nail plate once every day or two.

When using such products, it is necessary to monitor your child's nail biting, as over time he may get used to the bitter taste of the varnish and will continue to put his fingers in his mouth.

If the main cause is neuroses, then you can take sedatives. Consultation with a neurologist and allergist is necessary , as there is a risk of developing allergies and addiction.

It is worth noting that drug treatment for onychophagia is impossible. The only thing that can be done with the help of pharmaceutical drugs is to get rid of the consequences as much as possible, reduce anxiety, but not solve the problem.