New Pen/ App combo product aims to make nail-biting a thing of the past

29-Jul-2015 - Last updated on 30-Jul-2015 at 10:02 GMT

Image: Raylex Facebook

Belgium-based company Raylex, has come up with a new product that helps consumers stop biting their fingernails by applying a bitter taste of grapefruit peel in the hope that it will put people off.

Biting fingernails can be unhygienic given the bacteria that could have collected there, give off the impression that you are nervous, or even make for a poor aesthetic meaning that the ‘sought-after’ manicure or funky nail polish remain just a dream.

Studies in France show that 26% of the population bite their nails, with this figure rising to 42% among young adults between the ages of 21 and 25.

According to Jochen Roef, Master of Psychology and personality expert at sales training institute Blinc, nail biting is a reflex that cannot easily be kept under control as it is done unconsciously over and over again; but this can be rectified through behavioural and aversion therapy.

Lick the habit

Raylex claims that its product, which is a ‘pen’ used to mark a formula on the nails containing a unique combination of citrus peel extract and denatonium (one of the bitterest substances in the world), combines both of these therapies to help people kick the habit of biting their nails.

“Making nail biting unpleasant starts to create the opposite association with the learnt behaviour (due to the bitter taste of the Raylex pen),” says Raylex.

The company also combines the Pen with a free smartphone app to keep the user on track with reminders on when to reapply Raylex, handy tips for success, and measurement of how long it has been since nail-biting ceased.

“If someone gets rid of one symptom, it will often be replaced with another. So that person may not bite their nails any more but, for example, they may start to eat more. The app tackles this problem and focuses the attention on the unpleasant feeling that is at the root of the nail biting,” explains Raylex.

“People learn to notice for themselves when they are inclined to bite their nails so that they can become aware of it. The app there also helps people to stop because it plays a supportive and motivational role.”

Recognised

The product is just launching in Austria and has attracted a lot of attention, named as Datamonitor Consumer’s Product Launch Analytics innovation of the week, as it is targeting a potentially big market opportunity according to Tom Vierhile, innovation insights director.

“The free companion app is more than just a novelty since compliance is crucial to successfully ending nail-biting,” he says.

“With non-compliance rates for medications believed to be 50% or higher overall, we may see the use of compliance-aiding smartphone apps like this one spread to other areas.”