Nail Biting

Nail biting, just a simple childhood habit right? Well, not exactly, it stems from some place deep inside our (well, their) mental condition. Nail biting or 'chronic onychophagia' is often caused by nervousness, stress or boredom. It is a method of simple stress relief and can sometimes be a mental or emotional disorder.


Facts and Statistics:

• Affects 50% of toddlers



• Affects 28%-33% of Children age 7-10



• Affects 44% of adolescents



• Affects 19%-29% of teens



• And 5% of adults
  

If you are a nail biter be sure to have good hygiene! There are loads of germs hiding under human nails. Wash hands often and keep fingernails nice and clean.

How does nail biting affect the body? Well, as I mentioned before, nails can carry lots of germs so nail biting can make you sick! It also can cause damage to the front teeth over time and excessive gnawing. Also when a person constantly has their hand in their mouth it slows down their productivity.

What to do:

Some things that may help with nail biting are: behavioral therapy, medication or bad tasting nail polish.

Behavioral therapy has been proven to help patients 'unlearn' the nail biting habit by often replacing it with a healthier, more beneficial habit.

Medication can help compliment the therapy, but may be a bit extreme for a minor nail biter.

Bad tasting nail polish is a simple solution that can help 'ween' you off of your nail biting

Overall nail biting is bad for the body and can be a nasty habit. Did you know a kiss is healthier then a handshake? Now imagine all those germs from that other person, or the keyboard you've been typing on, or that door knob you touch are under your nails.. waiting to enter you mouth via nail biting. Break the habit if you can, you wont regret it.