I'm sure my mother was not alone when she gave me Sally Hansen Hard As Nails to try and cure my childhood nail-biting problem. When applied, she figured the finger-to-mouth draw would disappear—if only to maintain the glossy color. Whether it truly was Hard As Nails or her incentive that if a few white centimeters of nail appeared I would be rewarded with a manicure, I eventually quit biting. So, my need for Sally eventually disappeared as well.

Then my habit resurfaced. Conflicting with my desire to both look like a non-fidgeting adult and to stop unintentionally ingesting bacteria from my fingers, I resolved to manicure more frequently to solve the problem. While any manicure works when it comes to quit nail biting, my thoughts on the practice have evolved to Lauren Santo Domingo’s outlook: “If you see me with a manicure, it means you must be the Queen of England.” Her point: Manicures are time consuming. My addendum: They can also be expensive. Sally Hansen's Hard As Nails is $3. It goes on clear and dries amazingly fast (approximately one minute). It requires zero dexterity, and the results are healthy, shiny nails that are strengthened in the process. Apply every few days. File every so often.

Plus, a good product with a great pun? Sorry, but Sally Hansen nails it.

—Alexis Cheung

Photographed by Alexis Cheung.