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.
Apply Cuticle Oil
Years of nail-biting will dry out and damage your cuticle as well. The first step to getting them back on track is to nourish and moisturize them. Use a cuticle oil formulated with essential oils such as the Elon essential cuticle oil with almond.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Famous superstars Tom Cruise, Eva Mendes, Elijah Wood, Britney Spears, Phil Collins and Andy Roddick are all celebrity nail chewers, among others.
If blood gathers under the nail or if you have bleeding around the nail, you have nail bed damage. If the nail cracks and falls off, your nail bed has been injured. If the nail is torn from your nail bed, there is no doubt that your nail bed has been damaged by the experience.
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).
If you lose your nail, it will take about 7 to 10 days for the nail bed to heal. A new fingernail will take about 4 to 6 months to grow to replace the lost nail. Toenails take about 12 months to grow back. The new nail will probably have grooves or ridges and be somewhat misshapen.
While skin-picking and hair-pulling are typically associated with OCD and classified as an obsessive and compulsive-related disorder, it can also occur in the context of ADHD. Skin-picking, hair-pulling, and nail-biting may be related to anxiety, sensory stimulation, and impulsivity.
Apply a nail polish formulated for nail biters, such as “No-Bite” from Barielle or “Stop” from Mavala. Let the client know you're applying a foul-tasting polish so she isn't shocked when she puts her nails in her mouth. Apply a cream to the nail and cuticles that heals the damaged skin, not one that simply smells nice.
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.
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.
Some of the reasons children bite their nails includes stress or anxiety, they are bored, they've seen other children do it and copy their behaviors, or their nails are not kept trimmed and they do it as a form of self-trimming. Most children that bite their nails have no problems.
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.
If only the top layer of the nail bed is damaged, it is likely that it will grow back on its own. However, if the damage is more severe, such as a complete loss of the nail bed, surgery may be necessary to repair it. In some cases, doctors may use artificial nail beds to help the nails grow back.
“Stimming” refers to self-stimulating behavior, which are repetitive physical or verbal tics common in individuals with autism. To some degree, we all exhibit stimming behaviors. Nail biting, twirling your hair, drumming your fingers on the table, or cracking your knuckles are all forms of stimming.
Regularly biting your nails can cause your teeth to shift out of place, which can require correctional braces or a retainer. Nail biting could also cause your teeth to break or could damage your tooth enamel. The germs could also potentially infect, or cause irritation, to your gums.
The force of biting nails can be transferred to the root of teeth and lead to apical root resorption,33 alveolar destruction,3 malocclusions,34 temporomandibular disorders,23 and gum injuries. Moreover, nail biting may damage the tissue around the nail and lead to infection and teeth root damage.
"When you don't cut your nails often, they can easily get damaged and break, and are more likely to harbor dirt and bacteria that can potentially spread infection," Kosak explains.
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).