Jump to content
Heads Up! This website is no longer maintained, if your a member from our era, consider joining the discord to say hello.
Sign in to follow this  

Nail-biting? Why is it bad for you?

Recommended Posts

Okay, so I've been biting my nails for about 12 years now, and never even had to use scissors to cut them even once. Therefore, I do not understand the concept of why cutting it with scissors would be better than biting them off. The only "reasons" I ever find is "you get germs in your mouth" and "it looks nasty". Well, I think they look NORMAL and I wash my hands before I bite my nails. Who the heck can refute me now?

 

So yeah. I'd like to know what you think of nail biting. Should I really stop this "habit" (more like "activity"), just because there are thousands of dumb people out there who do it wrong, and were taught that it's bad for them?

Share this post


Link to post

Actually, theres other reasons.

 

You shouldnt bite your nails for the same reason you shouldnt grind your teeth. Excess pressure on the teeth blocks healthy blood flow and wears away enamel.

 

Plus, if you were out working in the fields, or shoveling manure, digging your hands through sand, certain blood and intestinal parasites can lay up to 80k tiny eggs per ounce of fecal matter. You biting your nails could inadvertantly cause you to swallow one of these eggs and some of these parasites cause death.

 

Actually, i just saw a TV special on it where one kid lost his eyesight due to a parasite that only lives in dog poo, somehow the boy had gotten some in his mouth just from playing in the sand at his local playground. Even if you wash your hands, the soapy water cant get at the bacteria trapped underneath the nails.

 

Oh wait, heres the wikipedia on it

 

Bitten fingertips can become very sensitive to pain, usually at the place the skin meets the edge of the nail. Hangnails are broken skin on the cuticle. When they are improperly removed, they are susceptible to microbial and viral infections producing whitlows. Saliva may then redden and infect the skin.[1] Finally it may also result in the transportation of bacteria that are buried under the surface of the nail, or pinworms from anus region to mouth.[2][3] Nail biting is also related to dental problems, such as gingival injury.[4]

 

Regarding social effects the aesthetic aspect of the nail may affect employability, self-esteem, and interaction with other people.[5]

 

Plus it just looks gross, have you ever seriously compared your fingers and nails to someone that takes good care of their digits? The difference is like a stray mutt with matted hair to a well groomed purebred.

nail_biting.gif

 

Heres an example of a well manicured man (sorry i have to link it, as its hard to find pics of men getting manicures.

http://media.photobucket.com/image/man%20m...Me/manicure.jpg

 

As you can see, people who take care of their hands properly are much more attractive and at a much lower risk of contracting parasites, as well has having healthier teeth.. much of the redness above the cuticle comes from the acidity of the saliva breaking down the skin, which can mess with the skin growth and sometimes cause bleeding, plus all the other stuff.

 

Aaaannnddddd that is why you shouldnt bite your nails!

Share this post


Link to post

But I (used to?) grind my teeth only at night (no idea if I still do that - I never realized..) and I'm not digging through dog poo and sand with my hands before I bite my nails. I'm not dumb. That's my point. >_>

Share this post


Link to post
But I (used to?) grind my teeth only at night (no idea if I still do that - I never realized..) and I'm not digging through dog poo and sand with my hands before I bite my nails. I'm not dumb. That's my point. >_>

 

Well, yeah but even if you dont dirty your hands, its not good for the enamel of your teeth.

 

Plus, nail biting is a nervous habit for most everyone who does it. The craving to bite the nails can be satisfied so easily at any time, so if you just did something dirty and werent paying attention its not a stretch you may accidentally stick your finger in your mouth to bite a nail without thinking to wash first. Your way of doing things would only reduce the risk, unless you werent in the habit of biting your nails at all, and only did so at a consciously prescribed time.

 

I have never heard of a nail biter that does that though... Even then your still wearing your teeth down.

Share this post


Link to post

But isn't a stray dog better than a poodled dyed pink? Well, apparently most people who do it merely as a nervous habit tend to do dumb things, and not pay attention to what they are doing. Which is why it ends up as horrible as that picture above. My nail length is similar, but it's a lot more organized. It doesn't have such huge breaks in them. I would take a picture, but unfortunately I don't have a camera around here.. -.-

 

Sometimes I forget to wash it, but I realize it soon afterwards. Apparently I really don't get how this is worse than so many things that people do to relieve stress, for example smoking cigarettes. Comparatively, this is harmless. I could also just collect all the stress then beat people up randomly on the street. There are so many other options - I think this is quite passive enough.

 

Also I really do this instead of using scissors. I never had to do that.

Share this post


Link to post

I just think it looks gross when people bite their nails, and spit it out. >.>

Share this post


Link to post

I bite it apart and swallow it. I spare you that action. It appears there are really various different kinds of nail biting - I wonder if mine really is as bad as they stereotypize it.

Share this post


Link to post

I am sorry, and mean no offense to you personally but I think that biting your nails is immature, and gross.

 

First aside from looking horrible...(You can tell anyone that bites their nails right away).

It is one of those things that is just a bad habit that no one really likes aside from the people who do it. In my opinion if you are biting off your nails to "relieve stress" that you have a serious issue with O/C behavior.

 

A quote from me mayo clinic:

severe nail biting can be a sign of anxiety or compulsive behavior. In such cases, you may consider consulting your doctor or a mental health provider for further evaluation
The Academy of General Dentistry says:
Nail-biting places a great amount of stress on the front teeth, potentially causing the edges to chip or wear down and the enamel to crack. This damage may become severe enough to require composite restorations or crowns.

 

"Nailbiting can cause a lot of damage to the front teeth because they're not meant to be in a constant chewing mode," said Dr. Paula Jones of the AGD

 

Keep in mind that there are many social stigmas with biting your nails. People can tell right away, and most people don't like it. This can affect your interaction with females or even getting a job.

 

Put it to you this way, you could make the same defensive arguments that you made about biting your fingernails to picking your nose. Do you do that?

 

Again, I don't mean this as a personal attack to you, I am just trying to make you see the other side of the argument.

Share this post


Link to post

Swallowing it is just as gross in my opinion.

Think about all the things you touch/scratch with your nails.

Just because you wash them doesn't guarantee that every germ will be washed off.

Share this post


Link to post

I kind of nibble on my nails, but never really bit them off. It's kind of a habit, but I usually have a finger in my mouth at any time or another. I don't think it's gross, and my fingers look fine (then again, I don't actually bite them so I guess I don't count). I personally don't care, although if done messily it can look kind of bad on your fingers. But I mean.. to each his own, right?

Share this post


Link to post

The only real problem with nail biting is that you don't see yourself from the outside as you're biting your nails. You can't really tell if it looks dumb. <_<

 

Picking your nose is not the same thing as biting your fingernails. You get yucky stuff out of there while the other is devouring solid white stuff off - it includes nothing disgusting.. Therefore, the two things are not the same and cannot be on the same "disgusting" level. ;) But I don't think there are many people who pick their nose as a "stress reliever" either. :P The more people do something, the more normal it becomes.

 

You have germs in your mouth even without doing anything with it. You shouldn't be afraid of germs because it's not like you can avoid them.

 

Also you don't have to bite your fingernails to spit. And spitting as a whole is disgusting. :D

 

 

Anyways despite that I've created this topic, I asked a definite female gendered person who said that I should stop biting my nails, and I'll attempt to do so merely because -she- said so. xP But it's not as easy as you might think. There are times you bite your nails without actually planning to do it. So yeah, we'll see where I get.

Share this post


Link to post

Hey well I have the habit of twiddling my thumbs. Is that bad? 0.o

 

Anyways here are some google'd ways on how to stop nail biting:

 

# Eat foods rich in calcium and magnesium to help repair your nails and make 'em grow.

# Distract your mouth. Chew gum, suck on a lollipop, blow balloons or munch on carrot sticks.

# Distract your hands. Take up a hobby like playing video games, drumming, knitting, or painting.

# Cover your nails. Wear gloves, tape the ends of your fingers, rub on petroleum jelly or wear fake nails.

# Apply a special nail polish that makes your nails taste gross!

# Get a manicure, if you pay to have your nails all nice and pretty then you are less likely to bit them!

 

:thumbsup:

Share this post


Link to post

...in the end, I never actually stopped.

Ha, ha. I'll just let the haters hate - they're all idiots anyways.

Share this post


Link to post

Please sign in to comment

You will be able to leave a comment after signing in



Sign In Now
Sign in to follow this  

×