According to statistics, about 5 per cent to 15 per cent of the adult population bite their nails. It is a tick that begins in childhood and may last into adulthood. Some may at first think it is a harmless habit, but there are proven health issues associated with long-term nail-biting, some more serious than others. It takes awareness and consistency to stop this harmful behaviour.

Let’s look at the health risks associated with nail-biting. 

Infections

Biting your nails can cause infections – one such infection is paronychia, inflammation around your nail beds. When your cuticles and nails are broken, germs, including airborne ones, dig deeper into the exposed flesh and blood. Another common factor in illnesses caused by this biting is nail polish – you inhale its chemicals when you bite your nails. Indigestion can cause mild symptoms, such as headaches and nausea.

Dental Problems

You might think your nails are harmless alpha-keratin, but they can cause chipped teeth or misalignment with excessive biting, wearing down the enamel. By biting your nails, you can also scratch your gums and cause extensive bleeding. Your dentist might notice these problems during routine check-ups, leading to additional dental treatment that can be expensive. 

Tissue Damage

It can be serious, as your cuticles are important tissues. The deeper you bite into your nails and surrounding tissue, the harder it becomes for your nails to grow back properly – they may grow out unevenly and result in long-term damage to the surrounding tissue. Furthermore, it can cause pain in your fingers.

Spreading Germs

When you bite your nails constantly, the germs from your mouth spread to your hands, and when you interact with others, like with a handshake, those germs spread to those people. Also, putting your fingers in your mouth spreads germs onto the objects you touch, like doorknobs and computer keyboards.

Now that you are aware of the health effects of this habit, try to control yourself. Consult a doctor or therapist on the best course of action if you can’t stop biting your nails. This issue can potentially lead to onychophagia, an uncontrollable nail-biting habit and may require medical treatment. Recognizing the problem is the first step to finding the solution.

Solutions

Try using a nail medicine, as there are ointments that help cure this issue; try Stop’n Grow Stops Nail Biting or Vitry Anti Bite, which contain a bitter but harmless taste to dissuade biting. Also consider hypnotism, which is a method of breaking the mind’s control over the body. Lastly, remember to enforce your willpower. Exercise mental control to help stop nail biting and maintain your health. 

Babak Eslami | Staff Writer