I would give this a 5 but we haven't been using it long enough to see that it truly works all the way. We've only brushed my daughters nails with this a couple times. She's a thumb sucker since birth and sucks her thumb to put herself to sleep but also to comfort herself during the day. She's almost 4 now and the dentist said it's time to get her to stop before she does anymore damage to her teeth. So the first time she used it she accidentally put her finger near her mouth and instantly started gagging and spitting. I wondered how bad it tasted but wasn't willing to try it out myself. That instance there proved that it tasted really bad! That day she didn't suck her thumb at all. So I would say it works but I don't know how long it lasts on the fingernails to know how often to apply it. I'm guessing you need to apply it daily to get them to stop and to keep the bad taste up to deter them from thumbsucking. We'll keep it up but so far it's working well!

texasjewel

Spring, TX

this product is wonderful! this is something that deserves all the awards it can get. my son (17 months) has (had) a very bad thumb sucking habit and we wanted to stop it before it goes on till hes much older, and probably ruin the natural dentistry of his teeth. we initially used a product called "thum" from the drugstore whick btw doesnt work AT ALL dont bother with it if youre serious of quitting thumb sucking. when we got this, we applied it as directed, every 2 days or so, and only put it on the thumb nail that he sucked on. it is pretty bitter so make sure its completely dry before your kid runs off or else he will get it on his other fingers and then all his fingers will taste bad, then he will eat less since food tastes so bitter with this on. (trust me i tried, and it tastes quite awful) it took about a month of constant use but he doesnt suck his thumb at all anymore! if thumbsucking is an issue for you, make sure you get this and you wont be disappointed!

qudz104

Augusta, ME

I have had the habit of biting my nails since, well, I could remember.  Now I am a graduate student who still bites her nails.  It is a disgusting and nasty habit that causes me lots of shame and embarrassment.  I have tried many other options over the years - from my own will power to peer pressure to wearing nice nail polish to try and deter myself from biting my nails.  When none of these options worked, I had no option but to look elsewhere for help.  I found many reviews for Mavala Stop along with other similar products.  Although other products may have been cheaper, Mavala Stop had an overwhelming good reputation.  I have been using Mavala Stop for almost a year now, and there is a huge difference in my nail growth.  It keeps me from biting and sometimes I even know not to, even when I haven't applied it.  My only tip for this product is to remember that it isn't enough to just buy it.  You have to be responsible for applying it every 3 to 4 days.  This will help you keep consistent with not biting.  If you forget, there may be a chance that you'll find an opportunity to unconsciously bite your nails. A side note: My brother (also cursed with the same habit) also uses Mavala Stop.  The polish goes on clear/shiny, but dries off completely after a minute.  It doesn't look like you have clear nail polish on at all so don't worry!  Good luck to all of you that share this terrible habit!

nemnem

Los Angeles, CA

This nail biting prevention deterrent is wonderful. I thought I would have short ugly nails all my life but I tried the Maval nail biting and thumb sucking prevention and it really works. It was then I opened my eyes to a new me without having to bite my nails.

ToyaF2008

Winston Salem, NC

My daughter was four and had been sucking her thumb since she was one.  We tried everything short of an appliance when the dentist suggested Mavala Stop.  We were hesitant because we didn't want her eating nail polish to fix the problem.  But she was not responding to any other therapies or treatments so we tried Mavala Stop. It worked in one week.  She hasn't stated back up and she is very proud of herself.  We couldn't be prouder of her either. How it works: You paint it on your fingernail just like nail polish.  We did two coats on each thumb nail.  Let it dry and walk away.  It tastes awful.  Like something sour and rotten at the same time.  (I tasted her nail when she complained how yucky it was.)  Believe me you don't want that taste in your mouth. We repainted her nail every night for a week.  By then end of the week I noticed that her thumb was healing up and the nail was dry.  It did take her the week to stop the reflex of putting her thumb in her mouth.  I just wish that we had tried this product years ago!

Klinkerpopper

Oakland, TN

I started biting my nails when I was very very young. I am assuming my parents never really viewed it as an issue and therefor never did anything to make me stop. As I became older (I was 24 when I finally stopped biting my nails) people would always comment on how disgusting my hands looked and how it reminded them of E.T. fingers. I only did it when I was deep in thought, but since I suffered from Adult ADHD I did that alot and my fingers would hurt and bleed because I would bite the nails so often. I tried everything from hot sauce (yumm!) to fake nails to get me to stop biting and nothing ever worked! It got to the point that my fingers were rounded and would slightly come over the nail and so this concerned me because I would never be able to grow nails if this continued. I never heard of Mavala STOP until I started working for a Pharmacy. One night on a closing shift I was facing the baby department and I saw it and though, hmm, maybe I will try this and see if it works. I did not purchase it right away and soon forgot about it and didn't think twice. One day my partner was in the store with me shopping and he saw the product and asked what I thought about trying it and so we purchased it (he was more excited then I was) and went home and put it on. Since then I have never bitten my nails and they are happy and healthy!

bcnjj05

Gresham, OR

Mavala Stop Nail Biting and Thumb Sucking deterrent is a nail polish-like liquid that you paint onto fingernails. It gives the nails a bitter taste to give the user a bad experience biting nails or sucking fingers or thumbs. My daughter had been sucking her thumb for 5 years, and we were ready to put an appliance in her mouth to stop the thumb-sucking when our dentist recommended Mavala Stop. We put it on her thumbnail twice a day, and in only a week she had stopped putting her hands in her mouth! I will tell you to be persistent! We gave up our first round after a couple of days when our daughter told us that she "liked the taste." Our dentist let us know that our daughter was a little trickster, and to keep at it. We did, and are so glad we did! We have since passed it on to a friend who has also been successful getting her daughter to quit sucking her fingers. Excellent product, great value, quick results!

indulgencecakes

Apex, NC

I am 56 years old and I bit my nails all my life.  I wish I could have found this product back then.  I always had to have the fake nails glued on to mine just to look presentable and even then I chewed at them.  It was not until I had dental work done and I could no longer bit them with my false teeth that I stopped. I have a great neice that is 4 years old and was still sucking her thumb.  After only 3 applications the thumb sucking stopped.  Then we passed it on to an adult in the family that bit her nails all the time.  It worked but took alot longer since adults tend to wash their hands constantly when working around the house.  You can wash it off after 2 or 3 times.  Another problem was that she would not eat a sandwich or finger foods without holding a napkin around the base for fear the taste would be that of the Mavala. Over all this stuff works and one bottle is enough for several people.

karon24k

Monroe, GA

My son is two years old and the doctor said that a child must stop sucking his thumb before he is three, to prevent damage to his teeth and the roof of his mouth.  For the past 5 months or so, I have tried many things that didn't work - vinegar, band-aids, Tabasco, etc...and nothing worked.  Thankfully, I have found this wonderful Mavala product, it really does work! **Mavala STOP Nail Biting and Thumb Sucking Deterrent **is a small glass bottle that has a nail polish type brush on the end.  Simply apply the liquid on the fingernails and let dry.  If you put your finger in your mouth - watch out!  The nastiest, most disgusting taste you have EVER experienced will coat your tongue and make you run for water.  I put some on my finger to know what my son was going to taste and I cannot even describe the taste of this stuff.  It's horrible!  It's bitter, sour and stomach turning. After applying this liquid ONE TIME, my has son stopped sucking his thumb!  That's how bad it tastes.  I am so grateful for **Mavala STOP**, I didn't think anything was going to work, but this did, and it did on the first application. If you know someone that needs help quitting nail biting or thumb sucking, I HIGHLY recommend this product.  It's amazing!  I never saw this in stores, so I bought it at Amazon.

this2shallpass19

Camp Lejeune, NC