This product definitely has helped my three year old break the thumb sucking habit, but it should be used cautiously. The first time I put it on her thumbs, I painted the entire nail. She complained all day about the "yuckies" whenever her thumb accidently touched her lips (for example when she was eating her snack using her fingers). At bedtime, she stuck her thumb in her mouth and got a full taste which caused her to gag and throw up several times. (This is the simplified version of the story! You really don't want all the details of the hour long ordeal!) Of course, this product is not designed to come off easily (the instructions say to apply every TWO DAYS!) so I had to figure out how to get her through the night. I finally used nail polish remover to try to remove the product from her thumbs. I'm not sure if it worked, or if my daughter was just too traumatized to put her thumb in her mouth after that, but she didn't gag or throw up again. Now, I do still use the product but I only apply a very small amount to the tip of her thumb nail. As a side note, while preventing her from sucking her thumb, it also has effected her eating habits. Any time she eats anything with her fingers and gets a tast of the Mavala Stop product, she decides that she no longer likes that particular food! So, if you plan to use this on a young child, you might want to start out applying a minimal amount to the tip of the thumbnail, and be aware that the effects may be more far-reaching than you intend. Mavala Stop - Helps Cure Nail Biting and Thumb Sucking, 0.3-Fluid Ounce
This product is amazing. I've been biting my nails for more than 15 years (I'm almost 22), and I managed to stop completely in three weeks.
Mainly, I had to become aware of what I was physically doing so I could stop doing it. Because of the horrible, bitter, lingering taste of Mavala Stop, I gradually became aware of what I was doing and could consciously think about my actions. It forced me to be conscious of my bad habit. Secondly, the nasty taste removed any enjoyment or stress relief I got from biting my nails since it was so incredibly unpleasant. I became very wary, very quickly. This combination of factors made it possible for me to stop, which I thought I could never do.
The taste is really horrible. It's like acetone (nail polish remover), bitter, rotten wood, and some sort of fish put together. It has a very chemical taste with a sweet undertone that makes for a horrible experience. The taste is also very durable and lingering. If you licked a nail painted with Mavala Stop, it would take a few minutes to get the taste out. The taste was so bad, in my opinion, that getting it off of my teeth, lips, and tongue when I slipped up stopped whatever I was doing or thinking about. It's very, very gross. Two coats of polish will last for more than one full week before rubbing off. It can help to freshen it up during the week to keep the taste at full unpleasantness.
It ruined finger foods for me during the time I used it. My fingers periodically touched my lips while I was eating, and the nasty taste would rub off slightly. This made me lick my lips a lot to remove the taste quicker-- it's easier to get it over with quickly than to try to avoid it on your lips--which made them lose moisture and chap badly. So you should also buy some lip balm at the same time. If you touch a nail with a fingertip, it will rub off there, too, and from there can transfer to coffee cups, pencils, hors d'oeuvres, etc. Wash your hands before you eat anything that might touch them.
There were no English directions packaged with the product. I don't think this is a problem, since the directions are pretty much obvious (Shake. Paint nails. Gag at taste) but it might be a concern for some people. A great deal of other languages were represented in the instruction pamphlet, including German, Portugese, Spanish, French, and a number of Asian languages.
Mavala Stop has a shine comparable to clear nail polish, but not as shiny as premium or ultra-shine clear nail polish. Your nails will probably not look natural, but if that's a concern, you could probably lie and say it's just a nice, buffed manicure. It could easily be worn over nail polish and would probably work like an extra protective topcoat. The shiny quality rubs out over time. At the end of a week it will be duller and more matte, but also less effective.
The bottle holds roughly the same amount as a regular bottle of nail polish, but Mavala Stop seems to be of a slightly thinner consistency. I recommend carrying the bottle with you in a pocket or purse so that if you must do something to your nails, it can at least be a touch-up. Washing your hands seems to dull it out more quickly, and removes some of the taste, but not all, by far. It does not wash out with water and soap, but the power is reduced.
The only reason you would fail with this product is if you can't bring yourself to enforce it. You have to make sure you put it on and touch it up. The temptation of not putting it on or letting it wear off quickly is certainly there. I would advise getting someone else involved who will scold you or remind you about it.
I would recommend this product to anyone. The price is worth it as it works very well. I am very pleased with the result.'
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