Why You Should Stop Feasting On Your Nails

First, I sincerely apologize to my nail-biting readers for being a troublemaker, but there’ s nothing I can do about it. This article will only show you all the drawbacks of your horrible habit because there’ s no benefit that I can find, or that science can discover. 

The medical term for nail biting is onychophagia. According to psychiatrists, it’s classified as an impulse control disorder, where you can’t control the urge to resist a temptation, need, or impulse that may harm you in some way. Psychiatrists also think of it as an act of obsessive-compulsive disorder. Anyone can bite their nails. It is estimated that 45% of teenagers tend to do so. Sometimes it continues into adulthood and becomes a lifelong habit. There are even extreme cases where professional help is needed.

Nail-biting usually occurs when a person is suffering from stress, anxiety or nervousness. These feelings lead him/her to bite his/her nails to achieve calm automatically. Is this the only way to calm down, or are there alternative solutions? Of course, there are. And before you answer this question, here are the horrible facts that will explain why you should stop biting your nails.

For Rodents That Wear Braces, Brace Yourselves!

Those of you who wear braces are at risk of having your teeth reabsorbed, which means that your body’s cells are reabsorbing their own cells and tissues. It is also possible that your braces will deteriorate, forcing you to undergo expensive and potentially painful dental treatment.

You May Have Pus in Your Fingernails

What happens when you bite your nails? You leave the nail bed exposed. Bacteria, such as Staphylococcus aureus, can enter the open pores and form pus around the nails, causing nail abnormalities. This pus is a horrible thing. It can be cured by pills or must be surgically removed.

Germs! Germs! and Germs!

No matter how many times you wash your hands, germs still live under your nails. Because your hands, i.e., your fingers that have nails, come into contact with surfaces of all kinds among all other parts of the body. The fact is that your fingers can stay clean, but your nails are not. So when you bite your nails, you are also eating earth bacteria, germs, yeast, etc., and you are biting your fingernails. Yummy! So what happens after you chew your delicious viruses and bacteria? You carry them from your nails to your mouth. Once they’re in your mouth, they will eventually enter your digestive system and cause even more chaos like diarrhea, vomiting, to name a few.

Severe Tooth Damage

When you always bite your nails, your teeth clash. The result is fractured teeth, tooth fragments, and, in rare cases, tooth loss.

You’ll End up With Bad Breath!

Bad breath is due to the presence of bacteria in the mouth and saliva. When you continually bite your nails and transfer different bacteria, they tend to stay in your mouth permanently. This leads to bad breath that, no matter how many times you wash your mouth with coolers, will never go away.

In Extreme Cases, You May End up With Oral STIs

It’s not just the alternating migration of E.coli and other bacteria; in extreme cases, you can end up with oral STIs. If you bite your nails and one day, you find herpes or blisters on your lips, don’t worry. They are the result of bacteria from your nails that you have managed to transfer to your mouth.

Your Nails Will Never Grow Back to Normal

Nails form on nail beds, and if you keep biting them, they eventually get damaged. Once long, your nails will gradually get shorter, and at some point, they won’t grow back. The nail’s surface will tear off as well, looking awful, and embarrassing for you to show off publicly.

Polish Your Nails, but Don’t Eat Them

Nails look beautiful with nail polishes. But if you are prone to eat them, then stop using them. Because polishes contain harmful chemicals, and some varnishes contain formaldehyde, the chemical used to embalm dead bodies. If this information isn’t enough scary to put you off, then I don’t know what is.

So, How Can You Ever Stop?

Now, you know what harm you are doing to yourself through this horrendous activity. Previously, I have mentioned that there are solutions to stop biting nails. Well, first of all, try to stay relaxed and avoid too much stress and frustration if you can’t or not allowed to indulge in physical exercise/activities that release tension. You can go for manicures that will make you feel guilty of spoiling your beautifully trimmed, polished nails. Put some nail polish and imagine the harm you are doing by biting into the varnishes.

And if you want to chew on something, try sugar-free chewing gum – they can be of a great helping hand! Just stay away from biting your beautiful nails because when you do that, it shows how anxious you are all day. In public places with people around, it might not be a pretty sight.