Why You Should Never Bite Your Nails
We’re all guilty of it – you’re sitting in class, or at work, and you start absentmindedly chewing on your nails. Or maybe you only bite your nails when you’re feeling anxious or stressed.
Whatever the reason, nail biting is a habit that many people find hard to break. But is there anything wrong with it?
As it turns out, there are quite a few reasons why you should avoid biting your nails. In this article, we’ll explore some of them.
6 Reasons why you shouldn’t bite your nails
1. It’s gross
This one should be obvious, but it’s worth mentioning anyway. When you bite your nails, you’re putting your fingers in your mouth, which means you’re exposing yourself to all the bacteria that are under your nails.
The amount of dirt and bacteria under your nails can be surprising. Studies found that there are at least 32 different types of bacteria and 28 different fungi under the average fingernail. You’ll also find fecal matter (that’s right, poop) there, too.
So every time you bite your nails, you’re essentially eating all of that yucky stuff.
2. It can damage your teeth
Biting your nails can damage your teeth in several ways. First of all, if you bite hard enough, you can crack or chip a tooth.
Secondly, biting your nails can wear down your enamel, which is the hard outer layer that protects your teeth. Once the enamel is gone, your teeth will become more sensitive and prone to cavities.
Thirdly, if you have braces, biting your nails can loosen them or cause other problems.
3. It can make you sick
As previously mentioned, there’s a lot of bad stuff that lives under your fingernails. Some of these bacteria and fungi can cause infections or other illnesses.
For example, the bacteria that cause pneumonia, staph infections, and strep throat can all be found under the nails, along with E. coli and salmonella. You’ll be ingesting these bacteria every time you bite your nails, which means you’re more likely to get sick.
4. Your hands will look unattractive
If you bite your nails, they and your hands in general are not going to look very good. They’ll be ragged and uneven, and the skin around your nails will be sore and irritated.
Your nails will also be more susceptible to breaking and peeling, which can be painful. In extreme cases, nail biting can even lead to deformities in the nails.
5. It can make you look nervous (even when you’re not)
Biting your nails is often seen as a nervous habit, and for good reason. When you’re anxious or stressed, you’re more likely to bite your nails.
However, even if you don’t feel nervous, biting your nails can make you look like you are. This can be off-putting to others and make you seem less confident.
6. It’s what commoners do
Let’s face it – biting your nails just isn’t very classy. You wouldn’t see a well-dressed person sitting around with ragged, bitten nails, would you?
If you want to appear more refined and sophisticated, you’ll need to break the nail-biting habit.
Conclusion
As far as bad habits go, nail-biting is on the tamer side. That doesn’t, however, mean that it’s harmless. As we hope we’ve illustrated, there are a number of reasons why you should avoid doing it, where possible.
If you’re a chronic nail-biter, don’t despair – with a bit of willpower, you can break the habit. There are also products on the market that can help, such as nail polish that tastes bad or special thimbles that make it difficult to bite your nails. Check out these nail-biting treatments on Amazon:
Fidyn No Bite Nail Polish, Nail Biting Treatment with Bitter Polish