Skip to content
WebMD: Better information. Better health.
 
Other search tools:Symptoms|Doctors|Medical Dictionary

Healthy Beauty

Tools & Resources

Select An Article

Nail Biting

Font Size
A
A
A

Just about everyone has had at least one nail-biting moment in his or her life. Maybe you found yourself with nails between teeth while sitting through a boring class lecture, anticipating a career-changing meeting with your supervisor, or anxiously watching the fate of your favorite horror-movie heroine. 

Nail biting is just one of several nervous habits, which include hair pulling or twirling, fidgeting, thumb sucking, and nose picking. 

People who bite their nails not only bite the nail itself, but also the skin around the nail -- the cuticle. Some people even bite their toenails. 

Biting fingernails is a habit that often starts in childhood, and in fact, nail biting is one of the most common childhood habits. Up to 60% of children and 45% of teenagers bite their nails, according to studies. Nail biting becomes less common after age 18, but it can continue into adulthood. 

Because nail biting is a habit, many kids and adults who bite their nails aren't even aware they're doing it. The problem can range from a mild, occasional habit to an ongoing and more serious problem. 

Here are some of the reasons behind nail biting, and tips to help you stop biting and preserve the nails you have.

Nail Biting Causes: Why We Gnaw Our Nails

Stress and boredom top the list of reasons for nail biting. For some people, nail biting is a way to ease anxiety, or to keep at least one part of their body occupied when their mind is bored to tears. 

Some other causes of nail biting include: 

  • Frustration
  • Loneliness
  • Heredity
  • Poorly manicured nails 

Biting fingernails can also be a symptom of a psychological condition, such as obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). People who wash their hands several times in a row or check the front door locks compulsively may also bite their nails as part of the same spectrum of behaviors. Many children who are nail biters also have other psychiatric disorders, such as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), oppositional defiant disorder (ODD), separation anxiety disorder, or bed-wetting. 

Regular nail biting that causes severe damage to the nail and surrounding skin can be considered a form of self-mutilation, similar to cutting and related behaviors.

 

Problems With Regular Nail Biting

Nail biting has both physical and emotional consequences. Regularly biting your nails and cuticles can leave your fingers red and sore. The area of skin around your nails may bleed and become infected. While nail biting, you can pass bacteria and viruses from your fingers to your mouth and catch a cold or other infection.  

Nail biting can also harm the teeth, leading to poorly aligned, weakened teeth. 

The appearance of bitten-down fingers can also be embarrassing, which can only add to anxiety and stress.

1 | 2
Next Page >

WebMD Medical Reference

Next Article: