What are the effects of nail biting? How can you stop this habit? Get the facts and expert tips on overcoming nail biting.

The Impact of Nail Biting on Health

Nail biting, also known as onychophagia, is a surprisingly common habit, with up to 30% of the population engaging in it. While it may seem like a harmless quirk, chronic nail biting can actually have some significant impacts on your health. From dental problems to skin infections, the effects of this habit can be quite detrimental.

Common Causes of Nail Biting

So why do people start biting their nails in the first place? The reasons are often rooted in psychological factors, such as anxiety, ADHD, or emotional/behavioral disorders. Nail biting can serve as a coping mechanism, a way to soothe nerves or occupy idle hands. The habit often begins in childhood and may continue into adulthood if not addressed.

The Physical Toll of Nail Biting

Repeatedly biting your nails can lead to a host of unpleasant physical issues. Dental problems like misalignment and chipped teeth are common, as are fungal infections in the nail bed. Putting your fingers in your mouth also increases the risk of illness, as bacteria are transferred from your hands to your mouth. Skin infections, jaw pain, and tissue damage to the fingers, nails, and cuticles are other potential consequences.

When to Seek Medical Attention

If your nail biting is causing recurring problems like ingrown nails, nail discoloration, nail separation from the skin, or persistent infections and swelling, it may be time to consult a doctor. Severe, uncontrollable nail biting that significantly impairs daily functioning could also warrant professional treatment.

Tips to Stop Nail Biting

Breaking a nail biting habit takes time and persistence, but it is possible for most people. Some effective strategies include identifying your triggers, replacing the biting behavior with alternatives like squeezing a stress ball, and using products like bitter-tasting nail polish to deter the habit. Cognitive behavioral therapy can also be helpful in addressing the psychological roots of the behavior.

Seeking Help for Body-Focused Repetitive Behaviors

Nail biting is considered a body-focused repetitive behavior (BFRB), related to obsessive-compulsive disorders. If your nail biting is accompanied by other BFRB issues like skin picking or hair pulling, reaching out to a mental health professional may be beneficial. Targeted therapies can help you manage these complex conditions.

Does nail biting really cause that much damage?

Yes, chronic nail biting can lead to some significant health problems. While minor issues like skin irritation or mild infections are common, long-term nail biting can also result in dental misalignment, fungal infections, and even the accidental swallowing of bitten nails, which can cause gastrointestinal issues.

How can I identify my nail biting triggers?

Pay close attention to when you’re most likely to bite your nails. Common triggers include times of stress or anxiety, boredom, and intense mental focus. Once you’ve identified your specific triggers, you can work on replacing the nail biting behavior with healthier coping mechanisms.

Is nail biting considered a mental health disorder?

Severe, uncontrollable nail biting that significantly disrupts daily life is considered a body-focused repetitive behavior (BFRB), which is related to obsessive-compulsive disorders. While not all nail biting rises to the level of a disorder, chronic cases may require professional mental health treatment in addition to physical interventions.

Can I really stop biting my nails for good?

Yes, with the right approach, it is possible for most people to overcome a nail biting habit. A combination of identifying triggers, replacing the behavior, using deterrents, and potentially seeking therapy can all be effective strategies to kick the nail biting habit for good.

How do I know if my nail biting is severe enough to see a doctor?

You may want to consult a doctor if your nail biting is causing recurring issues like ingrown nails, nail infections, or significant damage to the skin and nails. Severe, uncontrollable nail biting that interferes with your daily functioning is also a sign that professional treatment may be warranted.

What are some alternatives to nail biting I can try?

Some effective substitutes for nail biting include squeezing a stress ball, chewing gum, playing with a fidget toy, or keeping your hands busy with another activity. Finding healthy ways to occupy your hands and redirect the urge to bite can be key to breaking the habit.

How biting your nails is affecting your health

Biting your nails (also called onychophagia) is common — up to 30% of the population does it. But if your nail biting is chronic, you could be damaging your nails and the surrounding skin. Not to mention, regularly putting your fingers in your mouth might potentially infect your body with bacteria.

The good news is that quitting is possible for most people. Here’s what you need to know to get started on stopping your nail-biting habit:

Why people bite their nails

Most people begin biting their nails during childhood, after age 3 or 4. Many children outgrow a nail-biting habit. But some children who have a habit of sucking their thumb or fingers may later adopt nail biting in its place. Nail biting can also begin during adolescence or adulthood — though a sudden nail-biting habit can also be a side effect of medication.

No matter when the habit forms, it often begins as a coping mechanism in response to feeling nervous, bored, lonely or hungry. But it’s also commonly associated with emotional or psychological problems, including:

• Anxiety
• Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)
• Enuresis, or bed-wetting
• Oppositional defiant disorder (ODD)
• Separation anxiety
• Tic disorder

Pathological or severe, uncontrollable nail biting is the most common body-focused repetitive behavior (BFRB). People with a BFRB disorder who bite their nails may also have other body-focused repetitive behaviors such as skin picking and hair pulling. These behavioral disorders are related to obsessive-compulsive disorders, and some people have a genetic tendency toward them.

Why nail biting is bad for you

No matter when or why you start nail biting, the habit can be difficult to break once it forms. 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
• Mouth issues, including jaw pain and soft tissue injuries
• Skin infections
• Tissue damage to fingers, nails and cuticles

The good news is that long-term damage from nail biting is rare. But it does happen, especially if you swallow the bitten nails. You may also be ingesting bacteria that can lead to stomach or intestinal infection.

When to see a doctor about nail biting

Minor issues with nail biting rarely warrant a visit to the doctor. But you may want to consult your provider if you have recurring:

• Ingrown nails
• Nail discoloration
• Nails that are separating from surrounding skin
• Skin or nail infections
• Swelling, pain or bleeding around your nails

Excessive nail biting may require a more serious treatment regimen that addresses the physical and psychological factors involved. But knowing whether your nail biting is normal or pathological isn’t always easy. Your behavior may be pathological if:

• You can’t stop even after repeated attempts
• Not biting your nails triggers severe distress, such as shame, anxiety or guilt
• Nail biting limits your ability to function

Tips to help you stop biting your nails

Changing any habit can be difficult and takes time. But with the right plan (and some persistence), you may be able to stop biting your nails for good.

Identify your triggers

Pay attention to the times you are most likely to bite your nails. The three most common triggers are situations:

• Anxious or stressed
• Bored or under-stimulated
• Mentally engrossed in a task

Once you identify what’s triggering you, try to find a replacement behavior for nail biting. Consider squeezing a stress ball, playing with a fidget toy or chewing gum.

Try remedies to prevent nail biting

Available products and solutions can spotlight when you’re nail biting and make the behavior less rewarding. Try:

• Keeping nails trimmed to reduce the hangnails and ragged edges that temp you to bite
• Painting nails with bitter-tasting polish
• Using barriers to biting, like gloves or retainer-style devices

Get professional treatment

If you can’t break a nail-biting habit on your own, cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) can help you get to the psychological aspect of your nail biting. Therapy can also be combined with habit-reversal training when necessary.

If you need help with a body-focused repetitive behavior or health issues related to nail biting, reach out to your primary care physician.

Onychophagia | DermNet

Author: Brian Wu, MD candidate, Keck School of Medicine, Los Angeles, USA. DermNet New Zealand Editor in Chief: Hon A/Prof Amanda Oakley, Dermatologist, Hamilton, New Zealand. December 2016.

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What is onychophagia?

Onychophagia is the clinical name for fingernail biting. It is a common stress-related or nervous habit in children and adults. It involves biting off the nail plate, and sometimes the soft tissues of the nail bed and the cuticle as well. Onychophagia is a type of onychotillomania, which includes the habit of picking or otherwise manipulating the nails – for example, habit-tic nail deformity.

Some researchers believe that nail biting is a result of a delay or dysfunction in the oral stage of psychological development.

Onychophagia (bitten fingernails)

Onychophagia

Onychophagia

What psychosocial and/or physical problems does onychophagia cause?

Onychophagia can cause distress, emotional tension or social embarrassment. It is associated with other habit disorders, including trichotillomania and compulsive skin picking.

While it does not cause them, onychophagia is associated with a variety of psychiatric disorders, including:

• Obsessive–compulsive disorder (OCD)
• Attentional deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)
• Oppositional defiant disorder (ODD)
• Separation anxiety disorder
• Tourette syndrome.

It is also important to note that nail biting can also cause physical problems, including:

• Stomach infections resulting from the swallowing the bitten nails
• Fungal infections of the nail plate (onychomycosis) and surrounding skin (paronychia)
• Teeth root resorption
• Alveolar destruction
• Intestinal parasitic infections
• Temporomandibular joint pain and dysfunction.

Assessing the impact of onychophagia

While there is no assessment tool specific to onychophagia itself, some research has centred on the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire. This mental health tool is able to assess a variety of emotional and behaviour problems, including inattention and hyperactive behaviour, emotional symptoms, conduct problems, and prosocial behaviour. When dealing with onychophagia, it can be useful to consider the issues covered in this questionnaire as a way to look for relationships/associations that may influence the individual’s nail-biting habit.

Nail biting and dysmorphia

If left untreated, severe onychophagia can lead to dysmorphic dental problems, including:

• Malocclusion (imperfect positioning) of the front teeth
• Crowding, attrition and rotation of the teeth noted on X-rays
• Attrition of the incisional edge of the mandibular incisors (lower front teeth)
• Protrusion of the maxillary incisors (upper front teeth).

These problems can affect the individual’s physical appearance, but this can be avoided if the nail-biting habit is broken early.

How is onychophagia treated?

The treatment for onychophagia depends on the severity of the nail-biting habit:

• No treatment is necessary for mild onychophagia as a child can often outgrow the habit.
• Dermatologists recommend keeping the nails short and neatly trimmed, manicured, or covered to minimise the temptation to nail-bite.
• The application of bitter-tasting compounds to the nails to discourage nail biting is controversial and not very effective.
• Behaviour modification treatment can be effective.
• Any underlying mental health problem or psychiatric disorder should also be managed.

References

• American Academy of Dermatology. Dermatologists share tips to stop nail biting. 8 September 2015. Available at: www.aad.org/media/news-releases/dermatologists-share-tips-to-stop-nail-biting (accessed August 2016).
• Ghanizadeh A, Shekoohi H. Prevalence of nail biting and its association with mental health in a community sample of children. BMC Res Notes 2011; 4: 116. DOI: 10.1186/1756-0500-4-116. PubMed Central
• Pacan P, Grzesiak M, Reich A, Szepietowski JC. Onychophagia as a spectrum of obsessive-compulsive disorder. Acta Derm Venereol 2009; 89: 278–80. DOI: 10.2340/00015555-0646. Journal
• Sachan A, Chaturvedi TP. Onychophagia (Nail biting), anxiety, and malocclusion. Indian J Dent Res 2012; 23: 680–2. DOI: 10.4103/0970-9290.107399. Journal

On DermNet NZ

• Trichotillomania
• Compulsive skin picking
• Body dysmorphic disorder
• Treatment of psychodermatological disorders
• The mind and the skin
• Treatment of psychodermatological disorders

Books about skin diseases

• Books about the skin
• Dermatology Made Easy book

How to stop biting your nails once and for all: 8 proven ways

Likbez

Health

September 22, 2017

As a rule, the habit of nail biting appears in childhood, persists for quite a long time (sometimes for life) and leads not only to cosmetic defects, but also to more serious problems.

If you still have not managed to get rid of this ugly habit, try a few proven methods.

Why you shouldn’t bite your nails

Constant nail biting won’t kill you, of course, but it can cause a lot of trouble. Here are the main dangers that await those who like to put their fingers in their mouths:

1. The shape of the nails and the condition of the skin around them deteriorate. Burrs appear, and if you also accidentally damage the top layer of the skin, an infection can get into the wound and cause severe inflammation.
2. The condition of the teeth worsens: chips and cracks in the enamel are possible. But teeth, as you know, are not nails and will not grow back on their own. In addition, the front teeth are under threat, the condition of which is striking to others. You can also earn inflammation of the gums and oral cavity.
3. Increased risk of digestive disorders. On the hands, especially under the nails, a huge number of microbes live. If you drag your hands into your mouth again and again, sooner or later, harmful microorganisms from under your nails will attack you from the inside.

How to break a bad habit

1. Trim your nails regularly

The shorter the nail, the harder it is to bite.

2. Get a professional manicure

You will be sorry to ruin your manicure. Firstly, because it is beautiful, and secondly, because it is expensive. For the sake of parting with a nasty habit, you can cover your nails with gel or acrylic: it is quite difficult to bite off this.

3. Start saving one nail

Quit the habit gradually: first, forbid yourself to bite a nail, for example, on the thumb of your right hand. At first, it will be difficult to remember the ban, but in the end you will be able to remove one finger from among the nibbled ones, and the appearance of the nail on it will surely please you. After that, add the nail of the index finger to the number of protected objects, and so on, until the habit disappears completely.

4. Use special bitter coatings

There are varnishes and enamels against nail biting. These funds are sold both in pharmacies and in cosmetic stores.

5. Wear gloves or plaster your nails

Dramatic, but effective: in this case, you can not physically reach the nails.

6. Observe yourself

Try to understand in what situations or in what emotional state you put your hands in your mouth. Perhaps you are provoked by an uneven edge of the nail or a hangnail, or maybe you are just bored or anxious. Find out the reason, and it will be much easier for you to control yourself.

7. Change one habit for another

Hold something in your hands more often – squeeze an anti-stress toy, spin a spinner, drive a coin between the knuckles or just click a fountain pen. Instead of nails, chew an apple or chew gum. In a word, occupy your mouth and hands with something less harmful.

8. See a doctor

Sometimes nail biting signals mental or emotional overload. If you have already tried everything, but the habit turned out to be stronger than you, consult a doctor.

causes and methods of struggle – Cosmetology – tsn.ua

Nail biting can be caused by anxiety or boredom. It can also just be a bad habit that is very hard to break.

Nail biting is a common problem that affects more than just the appearance of your nails, nail biting can lead to health problems such as infection or cause damage to the tissues surrounding the nail bed. Not to mention, keeping your fingers out of your mouth is especially important during the current pandemic.

Dr. Alia Ahmed, consultant psychodermatologist and lifestyle expert, spoke to Stylist about what could be causing this habit and how you can fight it.

Why nail biting occurs

Why some people bite their nails is not fully understood. However, some factors may contribute to this, in particular:

• genetics;
• mental disorders;
• aggravating factors.

Several studies show that nail biting (also known as onychophagia) has a genetic component. One study found that 36.8% of nail biters had at least one family member with the habit. Mental disorders also contribute a lot to the development of this habit. And aggravating factors are boredom or attempts to concentrate. Nail biting can be caused by anxiety.

“It’s important to be able to identify triggers for nail biting, which can include stress, anxiety, or even boredom,” explains Dr. Ahmed. To help identify these triggers, you can keep a daily journal to record any thoughts/feelings/situations that encourage nail biting. If you determine what actions or states cause the desire to start biting your nails, this habit will be easier to deal with. This can be difficult to do on your own, especially if nail biting is largely subconscious. In this case, you can get someone you trust to let you know that you’ve started biting your nails.

If nail biting is a sign of another problem, such as a psychiatric or behavioral disorder or a psychological problem, it may be difficult to manage on your own and it is best to see a specialist.

How to stop biting your nails

But, if things are not so bad and the constant desire to bite your nails is just a bad habit, you can try to cope with it yourself.

• Habit change . If you increase awareness of your own behavior that predisposes you to nail biting, you can master the practice of distracting behavior. For example, clench your hands every time you feel the urge to start biting your nails. Habit change works on the principle of recognizing a behavior/habit, in this case nail biting, and then developing a competing behavior that is performed instead. It is a form of cognitive behavioral therapy that stops or reverses nail biting behavior.
• Object manipulation . Manipulating an object during the warning signs of nail biting, such as a stress ball, can also distract from the nail biting behavior and provide the same satisfaction.
• Bitter tasting nail polish. If you apply a commercially available bitter tasting nail polish to prevent biting, it will be easier to control yourself.