This Miracle Polish Just Might Get You To Stop Biting Your Nails

Parents also use it to keep kids from sucking their thumbs!

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Biting your nails is not only an irritating and painful habit, but it can potentially be detrimental to your health, considering your fingertips are nice cozy homes to all sorts of bacteria, fungi, and yeasts... Just take it from the guy who got sepsis from nail-biting and almost died.

CBS

It can also potentially cause dental issues down the road, so let's just all agree that it's a bad idea all around.

And hey, I am sure you were aware of all of this already! I knew the scary 411 on nail-biting and I still did it. My boyfriend does it. Lebron James does it. LOTS of us bite our nails, so I understand that it's not an easy thing to just stop doing.

But! There's good news: Breaking the bad habit *is* possible, especially if you enlist a little extra help from this practically miracle-working polish by Mavala Switzerland ($16). It's a bitter-tasting varnish that dries clear and trains your brain to keep your nasty, germy fingers out of your mouth.

jessica zimmer / amazon.com

It's simple to use, safe for children, and many reviewers say that a little goes a long way — seriously, there's no need to paint the entire nail. Just brush a bit on your nails or cuticles with the applicator so when you go in for a munch, the strong taste will make you want to keep your hands far, far away from your face.

Parents even swear that a drop of this keeps their kids from sucking their thumbs!

Plus, the people of Amazon have spoken, and this product has a 4.2-star rating and over 6,600 reviews, so you know it's legit.

amazon.com, AFD / amazon.com

"I've bitten my nails something fierce for probably 20 years. Nasty, ugly habit! I've had acrylic nails, but that never stopped the biting. This works!!!! I bought enough to keep a bottle in my bedroom, office, and car. And I've slowed down my biting efforts too. The future looks so promising to stop all together. I'm so happy!!! —AFD

"This is it. The answer. Finally! We had a very, very strong, stubborn 4-year-old thumb-sucker. We tried everything, and got in constant arguments about it. It was a terrible cycle. We had tried a polish before that he would just suck off, so I didn't have high hopes for this, and I didn't want to pay this much but finally I caved one day. When we first put it on him, we also put it on our nails to see what it was like and WOW! It tasted like nail polish remover and metal, and the taste would just stay in your mouth. It was really, really terrible. My son immediately tried wiping his tongue on everything to get the taste out. It literally only took one day and he quit sucking his thumb. The polish lasts about a week, and we made sure to reapply because we know we should be consistent for at least a month just to make sure the habit is really gone. Moral of the story, this is the answer we, and you, have been waiting for! It's worth every penny." —Zimmerman_27

Tons of users have left review photos to show off their healthy new nails, and I think it's only appropriate that we take some time to appreciate them and be inspired! First up, these amazing progress photos:

Amazon Customer / amazon.com

"I have been a nail biter my entire life. Nothing has worked for longer than a couple weeks before I started biting again, until now! I've been using this product on and off for nine months. I'm not completely broken of the habit, but I'm closer than ever. As long as I reapply this product every few days or so, I'll be good for weeks. I eventually stop using it and I might go another month without biting. If I get the urge, I just apply it again. HINT: I will just apply it on the tip of the nail (where I bite) and let it get under my nail. It stays underneath longer because it doesn't get washed off as easy." —Anonymous

Now this exciting before-and-after photo:

A_Emilio / amazon.com

"I've always had trouble biting my nails. I read lots of reviews on different products and decided to go with this one. The product is the most disgusting thing that I have applied on my nails...but it worked wonders. After 30 years, for the first time my nails have grown and I love it. I applied it every day for two straight weeks. I will occasionally apply it if I feel like I'm going to bite them. Highly recommended!!!" —A_Emilio

And here's a review and pic that's just so encouraging! I love it.

bexter91 / amazon.com

"I kept my nails polished with this bitter stuff for about two weeks. I was aware every time I put my fingers to my mouth and had gained so much progress that I would have been devastated if I ruined it. So for the last two weeks I haven't worn the stuff but my nails keep growing. I have bitten since I was a kid. I am now on the path to normal-looking fingers. I still play with my nails on my teeth but I don't actually bite anymore. It's never too late to make a change!" —bexter91

Now, if you're a parent and want to use this to help your child stop nail-biting or thumb-sucking, many customer reviews recommend testing it out yourself first and only applying a tiny dot, given that the taste is extremely bitter.

Marie M / amazon.com

"Worked great. It seems like a small battle but I don't even think we used one-fourth of the bottle before our daughter stopped sucking her finger. Be careful with this — it is very strong. I just put a small dot on my daughter's finger and that was enough. I recommend putting some on your finger to see what your child experiences. You may notice your child doesn't eat as much. This is because if they eat with their fingers, the food takes on the bad taste of the polish. You may want to provide snacks that are eaten with forks or spoons while using this." —David Sherman

"My 8-year-old started biting his nails when he started kindergarten. That's when he started to show signs of anxiety and then he just picked up the habit ever since. I've tried everything with no luck. I saw this one day when I googled and then I read the reviews. When I received it I tried on my own nail and tasted it. Ughhh! It's gross and strong so I knew it would work. I applied it to his nails and on his cuticles since he bites those too. He tried to bite and was so frustrated because of the taste but day by day he learned it would be best not to bite than to taste the polish. It took a full week to start seeing results. It's been six weeks. This polish is a nail-saver. My son's hands no longer look horrible. His nails look healthy and are growing in well, and you can't tell he was a biter. Not only does his hands look good, I have noticed that he has a lil more confidence knowing he doesn't need to bite his nails." —Marie M

Whether you're looking for something to help you quit biting your nails, or are desperate for your child to break the habit of sucking their thumb, you may have just found your answer! Remember to start with a TINY amount to determine what will work best for you or your kids. Good luck, you got this! 💪

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Get it from Amazon for $15.50+ (available in two set sizes).

Some reviews have been edited for length and/or clarity.

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