Stop Fingernail Biting

Onychophagia or Fingernail Biting is an oral compulsive habit in children and adults affecting 30 per cent of children between 7 and 10 years and 45 per cent of teenagers.

Bitten fingertips can become very sensitive to pain mostly in the area where the skin meets the edge of the nail. Hangnails are the broken skin on the cuticles and when they are improperly removed the area is susceptible to microbial and viral infections. Fingernails Biting must be Stopped because it can cause the transportation of the bacteria that are buried under the surface of the nail. Fingernail Biting is also related to dental problems such as gingival injury.

There are also treatments for Stopping Fingernail Biting such as nail polish applied on the nails which is the cheapest and widely available. The nail polish releases a bitter flavor that in contact with the mouth discourages the habit and has demonstrated its effectiveness. There is also a habit reversal training HRT that wishes to Stop Fingernail Biting and replace it with a more constructive habit. This treatment has shown its effectiveness both in children and adults. Moreover, HRT is used to identify and then eliminate the stimulus that frequently encourages people in biting their fingernails.

Beside its aesthetic effects, this bad habit can also hide a mental problem, a frustration and anything related with the state of mind of the person’s doing it. So the second time you will want to bite your fingernails think of what people will think about you and how you will be seen by the community.