Nail Biting Affects Health and Beauty

Nail biting is a normal habit generally found among the people when they are nervous or are in stress. But it could merely be a habit only.

A nervous woman bites her nails
Photo Credit- Wikimedia Commons by Maxwell GS 

Several health hazards are associated with this bad habit. This habit affects the normal growth of the nails and damages their normal shape too. It mars the beauty of the nails in general and the nails in particular.

The unclean nails become the breeding grounds of germs and bacteria. During the biting of nails these germs enter the digestive system and become the reason of infections and disease. A dangerous bacterium called staphylococcus is found under the layers of nails which enter the mouth during nail biting.

Transfer of Bacteria to Mouth

The dirt and germs remain stuck in the nails even if they are cleaned several times. The nails are doubly dirty than fingers. The chances of bacteria residing in the nails are more than any other place in the body. They provide a perfect place for the breeding and growth of bacteria especially the disease causing salmonella and e coli bacteria. Whenever the nails are bitten these bacteria enter the body through the mouth and transfer the disease causing infections.

Infections in Nails

The people having the habit of nail biting are more prone to get affected from paronesia. Paronesia is a skin infection generally found in the skin around the nails. The nail biting damages the cells around the nails and the bacteria and other germs easily enter the bkod streams through the skin. This problem could be treated by surgery.

Warts

The people with chronic habit of nail biting face great risk to get infected by human papillomavirus or HP V in which small knots get formed on the nails. Warts are a skin diseases caused by HP V. But this problem occurs more around the nails than any other place on the body.

Tooth Problem

With the passage of time the dirt emanating from the nails weaken the teeth. The people with excessive nail biting develop the problem to of coincide the upper and lower teeth on closing the mouth. The repeated nail biting weakens and dislocates the teeth from their normal place and the teeth appear to be coming out of the mouth.  

How to give up the habit of nail biting?

1. The proper care of the hands helps in giving up the habit of nail biting. Get the manicure done by a professional twice or thrice a week.

2. Massage the nails with cream or oil while feeling an urge of nail biting.

3. Eat carrot or apple while having a desire of nail biting.

4. Ask the family members to stop you while being found in nail biting.

5. Wrap the fingers with bandage, tape or thick band or an electric tape.

6. Keep the hands busy in some activity.