"From chronic nail biting, you can damage the nail matrix (the tissue under the actual nail) and can have permanent nail deformities like ridges," explains Dr. Jaliman.
After a nail separates from the nail bed for whatever reason, it will not reattach. A new nail will have to grow back in its place. Nails grow back slowly. It takes about 6 months for a fingernail and up to 18 months for a toenail to grow back.
Once you've managed to stop biting your nails, one of the questions often asked is whether bitten nails can grow back to normal. The bad news is that although fairly uncommon, nail biting can lead to permanently damaged nails. You can cause permanent damage to your nails by biting them over a long period of time.
Although to many people, nail biting is an occasional thing, for 20% to 30% (or more) of Americans, nail biting is a behavior they can't stop on their own. In fact, healthcare providers classify chronic nail biting as a type of obsessive-compulsive disorder or a body-focused repetitive behavior (BFRB).
Nail biting almost always begins in childhood. It's a behavior often associated with stress or anxiety, but it's likely more complicated than that. For instance, one theory is that it helps some people regulate their emotions — or it feels like it does anyways.
While most people assume nail biting has to do with nerves or anxiety, one study is linking this bad habit to a surprising personality trait. According to a study published in the March 2015 issue of Journal of Behavior Therapy and Experimental Psychiatry, nail biters are more likely to be perfectionists.
For most people, nail biting is automatic: You do it without thinking about it. While it can occur without any underlying psychiatric conditions, it's also associated with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), separation anxiety, tic disorder, and other mental health problems.
Onychophagia, commonly referred to as nail biting, is a chronic condition that is repetitive and compulsive in nature, and generally seen in children and young adults. Multiple factors play a role in the development of nail biting, ranging from genetic components to underlying psychiatric conditions.
In some cases, nail biting can be caused by an underlying mental health condition. For example, chronic nail biting may be a sign of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). OCD causes you to use repetitive, compulsive behaviors to ease the anxiety caused by obsessive, intrusive thoughts.
Sometimes, nail biting can be a sign of emotional or mental stress. It tends to show up in people who are nervous, anxious or feeling down. It's a way to cope with these feelings. You may also find yourself doing it when you're bored, hungry or feeling insecure.
Biting Nails
This habit indicates nerves or insecurity. Whether this means they are nervous about talking to you or just in general, this can be a telling body language cue. It can show that you might be making them nervous (which can be a good or bad thing).
What is onychophagia? Onychophagia is the clinical name for fingernail biting. It is a common stress-related or nervous habit in children and adults.
Pharmacotherapy: In some cases, doctors may recommend the use of certain medications, such as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), to help with nail biting. However, doctors must make such prescriptions carefully, as SSRIs can worsen impulse-related conditions.
However bitten your nails are they can be done providing the surrounding skin is not swollen and the skin unbroken. Sculptured acrylic nails would generally work best as this method can create an illusion that the portions of the nail is not of a nail biter.
So why do I keep doing it? The answer is more complicated than you'd think. Scientists, in fact, are still trying to figure out exactly why people bite their nails. But they do know that it's a habit for a lot of us: about 20 to 30 percent of the population are nail biters, including up to 45 percent of teenagers.
Famous superstars Tom Cruise, Eva Mendes, Elijah Wood, Britney Spears, Phil Collins and Andy Roddick are all celebrity nail chewers, among others.
Nail-biting is frequently associated with anxiety, because the act of chewing on nails reportedly relieves stress, tension, or boredom. People who habitually bite their nails often report that they do so when they feel nervous, bored, lonely, or even hungry.
Biting your nails (also called onychophagia) is common — up to 30% of the population does it. But if your nail biting is chronic, you could be damaging your nails and the surrounding skin.
Nail-biting is a common nervous habit among introverts, shy people, and individuals with social anxiety (or maybe it's just me). For some, it manifests as a nervous reaction to socializing. But while we tend to associate nail-biting with anxiety, it isn't always so.
During childhood, the incidence of nail biting is similar in boys and girls; but during adolescence and adulthood, more boys than girls bite their nails. Nail biting is often thought to be an indication of tension or anxiety. In some cases, the habit itself may be the source of tension within the family.
Your nails are making you sick
“Pathogens which transfer from your nails to the mouth during nail biting can lead to illness,” says Dr. Condello. A buildup of bacteria in your mouth can become more serious over time and cause other ailments such as infections in your stomach.