Score one for the hygiene hypothesis. A new study has shown nail-biting and thumb-sucking - two pretty effective ways of exposing oneself to environmental microbes - are associated with lower rates of positive skin-prick tests, or atopic sensitization.
If you're a nail-biting adult, chances are good that you picked up the habit when you were young. But there are good reasons to break the habit. "Nail biters are more prone to develop colds and flu. After all, your hands are teeming with bacteria, especially beneath the nails.
And repeatedly biting your nails can cause some short-term issues to develop, including: Dental problems such as misalignment and chipped teeth. Fungal infections in the nail bed. Illness, as fingers pass bacteria to your mouth.
feelings of shame, embarrassment, anxiety, or guilt, often related to the appearance of physical damage to skin and nails caused by biting.
Hyperfocusing on picking their skin, pulling/eating their hair, or chewing their nails/cheeks can send kids with ADHD into a “trance” to escape from feeling overwhelmed by a day of executive demands.
The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition, categorizes chronic nail biting as other specified obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), classified in the same group as compulsive lip biting, nose picking, and hair pulling (American Psychiatric Association, 2013).
It is thought that nail biting may also be linked with having a perfectionist personality type. Perfectionism is associated with a low boredom threshold and a much-reduced tolerance for frustration.
As Diller explains, waiting for the natural nail to grow beneath the fake nails is the best way to ensure you break your nail-biting habit. "It usually takes about 90 days to change most habits (and keep the new one), but it depends on how long-standing the habit is," adds Diller.
For instance, one theory is that it helps some people regulate their emotions — or it feels like it does anyways. Think of it this way: When you're understimulated (aka: bored or dissatisfied), biting your nails feels like it gives you something to do or feel satisfied about.
Zinc enables proteins in the body to grow and remain strong. This includes proteins in the nails. A 2013 article suggests that without enough zinc, the rate of nail growth decreases, and the nails themselves become fragile and brittle, causing them to crack.
Although this isn't directly an oral health concern, when you bite your nails, you bring germs into your mouth. This increases your risk of getting a cold, the flu, or another infection. It's a good idea to should consider the risk nail biting has on your oral health and health in general.
Although to many people, nail biting is an occasional thing, for 20% to 30% (or more) of Americans, nail biting is a behavior they can't stop on their own. In fact, healthcare providers classify chronic nail biting as a type of obsessive-compulsive disorder or a body-focused repetitive behavior (BFRB).
Regularly biting your nails can cause your teeth to shift out of place, which can require correctional braces or a retainer. Nail biting could also cause your teeth to break or could damage your tooth enamel. The germs could also potentially infect, or cause irritation, to your gums.
Once you've managed to stop biting your nails, one of the questions often asked is whether bitten nails can grow back to normal. The bad news is that although fairly uncommon, nail biting can lead to permanently damaged nails. You can cause permanent damage to your nails by biting them over a long period of time.
“Acrylic nails are great for serial nail biters who have tried every nail treatment and are at their wits' end. Acrylic sets into hard form, so when applied it will be very hard to bite off”, explained Tinu.
Famous superstars Tom Cruise, Eva Mendes, Elijah Wood, Britney Spears, Phil Collins and Andy Roddick are all celebrity nail chewers, among others.
Biting Nails
This habit indicates nerves or insecurity. Whether this means they are nervous about talking to you or just in general, this can be a telling body language cue. It can show that you might be making them nervous (which can be a good or bad thing).
But your nail-biting habit can reveal more than your stress level. According to a study out of the Journal of Behavior Therapy and Experimental Psychiatry, it is also a sign that you're a perfectionist. Researchers conducted a survey of 48 participants, half of whom had body-focused repetitive disorders.
While skin-picking and hair-pulling are typically associated with OCD and classified as an obsessive and compulsive-related disorder, it can also occur in the context of ADHD. Skin-picking, hair-pulling, and nail-biting may be related to anxiety, sensory stimulation, and impulsivity.
It is common among people on the autism spectrum. Stimming can bring enjoyment and help people cope with uncomfortable or stressful situations. They may include nail-biting, tapping, or repetitive movement of objects.
In the current study, we found evidence that a category of pathological grooming is meaningful and encompasses three symptom manifestations: trichotillomania, skin picking and nail biting.
Ripples on nails or pitted nails may be caused by a skin disorder, psoriasis, eczema, or arthritis. Nail clubbing is when a nail curves under at the tip of the finger. It could indicate heart disease, inflammatory bowel disease, lung disease, liver disease, thyroid disease, or HIV/AIDS.