3. By chewing on the nails instead of trimming them using a sanitary scissor, nail-biters run the risk of damaging the skin around the nail, which can promote infections and encourage germs to spread from the fingers to the mouth.
4. Damage to the teeth and gums – Constantly biting on hard surfaces like nails can chip or damage teeth, and the germs under the nails can contribute to gum disease.
Nail biting is a habit that typically begins in childhood. For some, it extends into adult life.
While the habit is unsanitary and makes the nails unattractive, the good news is that it won’t damage the nails in the long-term.
The technical term for nail biting is onychophagia. A University of Calgary study of the habit estimates that as much as 50 percent of people (including 60 percent of children and 45 percent of teenagers) will chronically bite their nails at some point in life, making it one of the most popular bad habits of human beings.
Nails are formed in what’s called the nail bed, an area that’s just beneath where the cuticles begin. That’s where nail growth begins, and some studies have indicated that faster nail growth can be spurred by chewing on the nails.
But by chewing on the nails instead of trimming them using a sanitary scissor, there is an increased risk of damaging the skin around the nail, which can promote infections; encourage germs to spread from the fingers to the mouth; and hurt the teeth.