Nail Biting
Honesty is such a nasty habit, dear. Like biting your nails - Catherynne M Valente
image by: Cape Town Science Centre
HWN Suggests
The psychology of why so many people bite their nails
Excessive nail biting is a surprisingly widespread human activity.
It goes back millennia: the ancient Greek philosopher Cleanthes, for instance, was said to be addicted to biting his nails. In the modern era, no one has any good data on how many of us share the affliction (technically called onychophagia), but small-scale studies indicate about 20 percent or so of adults bite regularly — which would suggest millions of Americans do it.
"Everybody picks and bites to a degree," says Fred Penzel, a psychologist who helps patients deal with nail biting, hair plucking, and other body-focused repetitive disorders. "When it gets to the point that people are doing damage to themselves,…
Resources
It’s dirty and disgusting. So why do we bite our nails?
Some research shows that nail biters could also be just genetically predisposed to the bad habit. A third of nail biters state that they have a family member who bites their nails as well, says Shari Lipner, an assistant professor of dermatology at Weill Cornell Medicine who’s researched nail biting. And when you look at identical twins, Lipner says, it’s very common that both children bite their nails.
How to stop biting your nails
Often a coping strategy for stress and anxiety, distraction is the key to ending the bad habit.
Are You a Hair-Twirler, Nail-Biter or Knuckle-Cracker?
Are you a toe-tapper, hair-twirler, eye-blinker, head-nodder, nail-biter, knuckle-cracker, skin-picker, lip-licker, shoulder-shrugger or a chin-stroker? Call it a nervous habit or tic, almost everybody has at least one — whether they are aware of it or not. Tics exist on a spectrum ranging from barely noticeable to extremely annoying to potentially injurious.
Here’s the science behind why you bite your nails and how you can stop
If you’ve been biting your nails ever since you were a child, then it’s important to understand the reasons behind it. We’ve also got you some tips to get rid of nail biting!
How Can I Stop Stress-Biting My Nails?
Nail experts and a clinical psychologist offer actionable tips for quitting—as do two of our manicure-mangling fashion editors
How to Stop Biting Your Nails
A treatment established in the early 1970s called habit reversal therapy can break the cycle in as little as eight to 12 weeks.
How to Stop Biting Your Nails (and Other Nervous Habits)
Hair pulling, skin picking, and knuckle cracking are just a few examples of pesky habits many of us just can't resist. Here are 10 tips to stop the snap, crackle, and pop of your body-focused nervous habits.
How to Stop Biting Your Nails—a Potential Treatment Offers Promise
The new treatment is an inexpensive, over-the-counter supplement called N-acetyl cysteine, or NAC, that is widely available. “It’s a promising alternative that may be helpful to people who may be struggling with a disorder that’s otherwise very difficult to manage,” said Michael Berk, professor of psychiatry at Deakin University in Geelong, Australia.
More than a habit? When to worry about nail biting, skin picking and other body-focused repetitive behaviours
A recent Australian study reported that people with clinical levels of body-focused repetitive behaviours are two to four times more likely to experience other mental health difficulties such as depression and anxiety.
My Poor Child Won’t Stop Biting Her Nails
Keep an eye on your daughter’s general anxiety level: Many of us who are truly committed oral fixators do it to deal with stress, and it may be easier to fix the behavior if you can isolate some contributing factors at play.
Nail Biting May Arise from Perfectionism
Far more than a nervous habit, body-focused repetitive behaviors may be a response to boredom and frustration.
Nail Biting: Mental Disorder Or Just A Bad Habit?
Do you bite your nails? For 30 years, I did. We nail biters can be "pathological groomers" — people for whom normal grooming behaviors, like skin picking or hair pulling, have become virtually uncontrollable. But psychiatry is changing the way it thinks about pathological grooming
Nail Biting: Mental Disorder Or Just A Bad Habit?
Do you bite your nails? For 30 years, I did. We nail biters can be "pathological groomers" — people for whom normal grooming behaviors, like skin picking or hair pulling, have become virtually uncontrollable.
The Year I Stopped Biting My Nails
On achieving things, no matter how small.
This is why you bite your nails, according to science
It turns out that this 'bad' habit might have a deeper and rather surprising reason behind it..
Why do we bite our nails?
It can ruin the appearance of your hands, could be unhygienic and can hurt if you take it too far. So why do people do it?
You Asked: Is Biting Your Nails Dangerous — or Just Gross?
You do it while you’re reading emails or watching television; the tip of a finger creeps up between your teeth, and you nibble away for a few minutes before catching yourself. Your mom always told you it was a bad habit, and you worry about coworkers eye-balling your shredded digits. But is biting your fingernails actually dangerous?
You Asked: Is Biting Your Nails Dangerous — or Just Gross?
You do it while you’re reading emails or watching television; the tip of a finger creeps up between your teeth, and you nibble away for a few minutes before catching yourself. Your mom always told you it was a bad habit, and you worry about coworkers eye-balling your shredded digits. But is biting your fingernails actually dangerous?
Your Compulsive Nail Biting Might Mean You're a Perfectionist
Still, stop. It's like licking every surface you touch.
The psychology of why so many people bite their nails
Excessive nail biting is a surprisingly widespread human activity. It goes back millennia: the ancient Greek philosopher Cleanthes, for instance, was said to be addicted to biting his nails. In the modern era, no one has any good data on how many of us share the affliction (technically called onychophagia), but small-scale studies indicate about 20 percent or so of adults bite regularly — which would suggest millions of Americans do it.
Introducing Stitches!
Your Path to Meaningful Connections in the World of Health and Medicine
Connect, Collaborate, and Engage!
Coming Soon - Stitches, the innovative chat app from the creators of HWN. Join meaningful conversations on health and medical topics. Share text, images, and videos seamlessly. Connect directly within HWN's topic pages and articles.
