Nail biting is very common among most people. While this seems like the habit of most children, many adults suffer from this disorder as well. People tend to bite their nails without realizing they are doing it. This is typically due to being involved in other daily activities. It’s not always clear when, why or how someone develops this particular habit, but once it starts it can be difficult to manage.
What Is Nail Biting?
Nail biting or chewing on your nails is a type of body-focused repetitive behavior labeled as onychophagia. This is commonly known as a stress-relieving and or typical nervous habit. It includes biting the cuticle and soft tissue surrounding the nail as well as biting the nail itself.
Initially, it begins with looking at your nails for a few moments then consciously deciding to remove the hanging nail by placing your fingers in your mouth. Soon after the nail will be removed. Although the nail may not have grown back yet people who suffer from this condition will simply chew or gnaw at anything that may resemble a nail or excess skin which can be removed by biting.
This can include hanging nails and minimal nail new growth. Often times people who bite their nails have shorter nails as well as nails that barely protrude from the nail bed. (This is the meaty area where the nail forms). They may have bleeding on or around the bitten areas and may have torn skin surrounding the cuticle areas. They may bite these areas as well if there is no actual nail present during their episodes.
Nail Biting Causes
People who suffer from this condition may also suffer from any one of the other nervous habits such as thumb-sucking, nose-picking, hair-twisting or pulling, tooth-grinding, and picking at skin. You may begin to bite your nails at random or specific times during your life. Most people bite their nails in times of stress or excitement, or in times of boredom or inactivity.
You may bite your nails when you have feelings of Impatience, frustration, or boredom. Once nail biting becomes a habit during these times, it can become your go-to behavior when these feelings arise. If you are stuck in an area where you have to wait for a long period of time you may bite your nails. This can be due to the lack of reading materials, cell phone service, or company. This can cause you to be frustrated which would be another event that leads to the habit.
Biting your nails can be a nervous habit, possibly an effort to find temporary relief from stress and anxiety. Boredom would lead to nail biting because it would give you a way to keep yourself occupied. Sometimes, nail biting is it’s an absentminded tendency rather than a conscious choice during moments of intense concentration. You might not be aware that you’re biting your nails while trying to work out a problem. This can be during times when you are reading a book, watching television, or talking on the phone.
Conditions Associated With Nail Biting
Onychophagia can also be associated with serious mental health conditions, such as:
- Emotional or psychological problems
- Nail biting can be
- Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)
- Major Depressive Disorder (MDD)
- Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD)
- Oppositional Defiant Disorder
- Separation Anxiety Disorder
- Tourette Syndrome
Impulsive, recurrent behaviors that center on one’s own body are known as body-focused repetitive behaviors. They occasionally have the potential to be harmful and negatively impact someone’s appearance. When engaging in the behaviors, the person is frequently unaware of them; however, if they are, it is typically because they are using the BFRB as a coping mechanism for stress or anxiety. ADHD and OCD can cause severe and accessive nail biting in adults and children.
Not everyone with these disorders bites their nails. By the same token, biting your nails doesn’t mean you have a psychological disorder. People who begin biting their nails as children eventually outgrow the habit. For others, quitting is a lifelong habit that can be extremely difficult. Many people bite their nails for the following reasons, typically during these events.
Nail Biting Side Effects
- Abnormal-looking nails
- Bleeding around the nail and cuticle area
- Fungal infections of the nail plate and surrounding skin
- Illness due to passing bacteria and viruses from your fingers to your face and mouth
- Harm to teeth such as chipping, misalignment, and dental resorption
- Nail soreness
Natural Home Remedies
- Use a Stress Ball or a Fidget Spinner
- Rub garlic on your nails
- Paint your fingernails
- Use artificial nails
Anti-Bite Nail Products
Nail Quail – Strong Will Anti-Nail Biting Click Pen
This on-the-go, brush-on solution in an easy-to-use click pen makes for a quick, one-handed application. It is designed to stop the nail-biting habit to help regain confidence, comfort, and nail health. This intensely bitter formula has no sheen or smell and is derived from natural ingredients. Strong Will can be used on fingernails, cuticles, skin, and any other affected areas, and is safe to use on top of conventional nail polish and other nail applications.
STOP NAIL BITING Treatment
This product is an easy-to-apply nail polish that has a very bitter taste. This will discourage you from biting your nails and allow your nails to grow and repair themselves back to a more healthy state. This nail-biting oil is made with organic oils that are safe for children and also great for teenagers and adults.
Honest 10 Nail Biting Treatment
This kit includes a bitter nail polish that can be applied to the nail to stop nail biting. It also has a nail file, a hang-nail trimmer, a progress chart & fun emoji sticker. This kit will work for children and adults to combat their nail-biting habits.