"As the entire surface of the nail has been compromised, you're going to be dealing with that thinned-out nail plate for 3-6 months, to be exact," Erin says. "That's how long it takes for the base of your nail to become the free-edge of your nail.
Similarly, biting your nails might increase the rate of nail growth. While it's not clear exactly how this occurs, researchers theorize that the physical manipulation of a nail through biting stimulates the growth plate of each finger to be more metabolically active, leading to speedier nail formation.
But it will require some patience on your part. For the average adult, fingernails grow about 1/10 of an inch a month. That means it can take up to six months for your fingernail to grow back to its full size.
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.
The good news is that long-term damage from nail biting is rare. But it does happen, especially if you swallow the bitten nails. You may also be ingesting bacteria that can lead to stomach or intestinal infection.
Nail biting explained
Anxiety: Nail biting can be a sign of anxiety or stress. The repetitive behavior seems to help some people cope with challenging emotions. Boredom: Behaviors such as nail biting and hair twirling are more common when you're bored, hungry, or need to keep your hands busy.
It is thought that nail biting may also be linked with having a perfectionist personality type. Perfectionism is associated with a low boredom threshold and a much-reduced tolerance for frustration.
The roots of your teeth are what help anchor your teeth to your gums. When you bite your nails, it can result in the shifting of the teeth, which will weaken these roots. This can cause a multitude of issues, especially when it comes to successful orthodontic treatment.
Erosion, chipping, and cracking: the grinding friction of teeth against nails can gradually wear the enamel away, or even cause teeth to chip or crack. Malocclusion and gaps: biting nails doesn't just damage the teeth, it can also cause them to move, leading to malocclusions (problems with the bite) and gaps.
Onycholysis, the separation of the fingernail from its nail bed, is a common nail disorder. And for those who bite their nails, the condition is more likely to become irreversible and cause a shrinking or “disappearing” nail bed, according to a 2005 study.
For instance, one theory is that it helps some people regulate their emotions — or it feels like it does anyways. Think of it this way: When you're understimulated (aka: bored or dissatisfied), biting your nails feels like it gives you something to do or feel satisfied about.
Nail biting typically begins in childhood and can continue through adulthood, and the side effects can be more than cosmetic. Repeated nail biting can make the skin around your nails feel sore, and it can damage the tissue that makes nails grow, resulting in abnormal-looking nails.
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.
Hyperfocusing on picking their skin, pulling/eating their hair, or chewing their nails/cheeks can send kids with ADHD into a “trance” to escape from feeling overwhelmed by a day of executive demands.
The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition, categorizes chronic nail biting as other specified obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), classified in the same group as compulsive lip biting, nose picking, and hair pulling (American Psychiatric Association, 2013).
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 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).
Overview. Nail-biting (onychophagia) is a common stress-relieving habit. You may bite your nails in times of stress or excitement, or in times of boredom or inactivity. It can also be a learned behavior from family members.
But as to why nail-biting is so addictive (20 to 30 per cent of us do it), there's little research. We can speculate that it is to do with its cost-free ease, practicality and relative social acceptability, and there's the rewarding aspect of getting each nail just how you want it.
The Habit Can Cause Nail Deformities
"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.
If biting has caused an open wound in your cuticle, healing will take a few days with the aid of an overnight antibiotic cream. For the hard skin around the nails, they'll be healthier after a few weeks. Erin recommends not cutting the skin, and using moisturiser or cuticle oil as often as you can.
Biotin, a type of B vitamin, has been shown to increase nail thickness by about 25% in patients with brittle nails and "can improve nail smoothness and reduce nail splitting,” she says, ultimately supporting faster growth.