Current:Home > Contact-usHow common is nail biting and why do so many people do it?-InfoLens
How common is nail biting and why do so many people do it?
View Date:2024-12-23 11:51:43
Many people have bad habits. These may include arriving places late, unhealthy eating or cramming for a school exam or work project at the last minute. Though frustrating, such habits are often manageable and voluntary.
But other people struggle with bad habits of a different variety, ones caused by anxiety or brain or environmental abnormalities. Such limiting behaviors can range from obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) to tics and twitches. Individuals struggling with anxious tics, "may find them hard to control and find it very difficult to stop," says Jesse Bracamonte, MD, DO, a family medicine physician at Mayo Clinic in Arizona.
One habit that can fall into either category is nail biting.
How common is nail biting?
Nail biting, or onychophagia as it's called medically, is very common. Up to 30% of the population does it, according to UCLA Health. And it's even more common in children − with as many as 50% of kids participating in the practice, per another report.
Despite such common prevalence, nail biting can sometimes be a sign of an underlying issue that needs to be addressed and may have negative health outcomes. "Nail biting can lead to cosmetic problems with the nails or infection due to the mouth bacteria being transferred to the fingers," cautions Bracamonte. Nail biting can also cause ingrown nails, temporomandibular joint pain and dysfunction, and may harm one's teeth through chipping or misalignment issues.
Why do people bite their nails?
The first step in getting to the bottom of the behavior is recognizing that the habit has a spectrum that ranges from the benign to the worrisome. In the former category, nail biting isn't necessarily something to be overly concerned about, especially in children. "Parents often assume that kids bite their nails because of anxiety or stress, but kids also bite their nails for many other reasons such as curiosity, boredom, habit, self-soothing or cosmetic reasons," explains Cathryn Tobin, MD, a pediatrician, parenting expert, and author of "The Parent's Problem Solver."
For adults and some children, anxiety and stress may contribute more broadly and sometimes there's even a mental health condition at play. And often adults are similar to kids in that they sometimes "bite their nails due to boredom or from the behavior becoming a habit due to having a physical finding such as a hangnail," says Bracamonte. He adds that the habit may have also developed by watching another person do it.
The fact that the habit can be brought on by both understimulation (boredom) and overstimulation (stress or anxiety) is one of the reasons it's so common.
How to stop biting your nails
When dealing with boredom and benign elements of the habit, it's helpful to know that many kids grow out of the behavior naturally and that most adults can stop biting their nails easily. But there are some tips and techniques that may be helpful. "Keeping nails trimmed with the use of a nail trimmer, identifying the triggers that cause nail biting and finding alternative ways to deal with triggers such as using a stress ball may help with breaking this habit," offers Bracamonte. Getting to the bottom of one's stress or anxiety through professional help or lifestyle changes may also be necessary.
Tobin says that when helping children break the habit, it's wise to start by remembering that some habits are hard to break, so patience is key. She explains that over nearly three decades of working with children, she's learned about some of the tricks that don't work. These include employing pressure, nagging or shaming.
Instead, she recommends trying to help the child see that you're not the opponent, but their teammate. "Ask your child, 'What can I do to help you stop biting your nails?'" she suggests. She says the motivation should be about creating an environment "where they feel backed up, understood and seen" by acknowledging that it can be hard to stop and by recognizing their efforts and progress. She's also recommends keeping the child's hands busy with other things like a rubber ball or silly putty, reminding the child often, and taking things slowly and pressure free.
veryGood! (638)
Related
- US Open finalist Taylor Fritz talks League of Legends, why he hated tennis and how he copied Sampras
- Right whale is found entangled off New England in a devastating year for the vanishing species
- Eleanor Coppola, Emmy-winning filmmaker and Francis Ford Coppola's wife, dies at 87
- Apple says it's fixing bug that prompts Palestinian flag emoji when typing Jerusalem
- How to protect your Social Security number from the Dark Web
- Judge rejects defense efforts to dismiss Hunter Biden’s federal gun case
- Eleanor Coppola, Emmy-winning filmmaker and Francis Ford Coppola's wife, dies at 87
- As a landmark United Methodist gathering approaches, African churches weigh their future.
- Horoscopes Today, November 10, 2024
- Heinz wants to convince Chicago that ketchup and hot dogs can co-exist. Will it succeed?
Ranking
- Trump’s economic agenda for his second term is clouding the outlook for mortgage rates
- A man stabbed to death 5 people in a Sydney shopping center and was fatally shot by police
- What we learned covering O.J. Simpson case: We hardly know the athletes we think we know
- Julian Assange's wife takes hope as Biden says U.S. considering dropping charges against WikiLeaks founder
- Chris Martin and Gwyneth Paltrow's Son Moses Martin Reveals His Singing Talents at Concert
- Police in Australia identify the Sydney stabbing attacker who killed 6 people
- Inside the Shocking Murder Plot Against Billionaire Producer of 3 Body Problem
- Did any LIV Golf players make Masters cut? Yep. In fact, one of them is tied for the lead.
Recommendation
-
Young Black and Latino men say they chose Trump because of the economy and jobs. Here’s how and why
-
FCC requires internet providers to show customers fees with broadband 'nutrition labels'
-
Megan Fox Breaks Silence on Love Is Blind Star Chelsea's Comparison to Her and Ensuing Drama
-
Masters purse reaches new high: Here's how much money the 2024 winner will get
-
University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign chancellor to step down at end of academic year
-
Braves ace Spencer Strider has UCL repaired, out for season
-
A digital book ban? High schoolers describe dangers, frustrations of censored web access
-
Visitors are seen on camera damaging rock formations at a Nevada recreation site