Nail biting is regarded as a mostly harmless habit that can accompany stress and anxiety. However, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention warns against biting nails, citing bad hygiene and the spread of germs to be one of the various negative effects of nail biting. While you may think that chewing your nails is no problem, the idea that it could be a gateway to various ailments may be enough to have you give up the bad habit for good.
Pain
You may experience pain when biting your nails. If you bite your nails compulsively, or as a reaction to stress and anxiety, your nails may be bitten too short. When you expose the area of skin that is usually concealed by the nail, you may experience burning, throbbing, stinging or redness of the area. You might also be biting away cuticles, which protect the bottom portion of your nails. Biting your nails too short or tearing them as you bite may also cause you pain in the moment.
Illness
The undersides of your nails are often a depository for a slew of germs. As you touch surfaces throughout the day, at the grocery store, at home, while changing your child's diaper, while working in the garden and completing other activities, your nails pick up dirt, germs and bacteria. You then place your fingernails in your mouth and scrape your teeth against them, transferring whatever germs were on your nails into your mouth and introducing them into your body. Biting your nails leaves you more susceptible to illnesses such as the cold and flu, says MayoClinic.com.
Ragged Nails
Those who pride themselves on a neat appearance shouldn't be biting their nails. Biting your nails gives them an unkempt and ragged appearance. While you may think that your nails don't say much about you, you could be perceived as someone who is nervous or childish, suggests HealthGuidance.org. What's more, your ragged nails can snag on delicate fabric, such as thin nylons or silk. Neat, smooth nails give the best appearance.
Paronychia
Paronychia, a skin infection that is apparent around the nail area, can leave you with swollen fingers that are painful to the touch. Paronychia occurs when the germs from your mouth are transferred to open skin around the nails, says the U.S. National Library of Medicine. The skin around your nails is more likely to be broken if you are a nail biter, so you introduce harmful germs to an open sore. The sore then becomes infected, which will need to be treated with antibiotics to fully recover.
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