Biting your nails and picking at your cuticles won't cause permanent damage to your nails, says Mayo Clinic dermatologist Lawrence E. Gibson, M.D., but it's not exactly hygienic. Biting your nails and cuticles exposes you to bacterial infections around the nail bed. You can also transfer germs to your mouth from your hands, making you more prone to colds and other infections. Try exercising good nail hygiene and simple aversion techniques at home unless nail biting is chronic and severe.
Step 1
Put effort into maintaining your nails–not biting them. For healthier, prettier nails, the American Academy of Dermatology, or AAD, recommends that you keep fingernails and toenails trimmed regularly. Cut or clip straight across the nail. Use an emery board to round your nails slightly at the center.
Step 2
Avoid biting or pulling hangnails. MayoClinic.Com indicates that pulling off hangnails may result in taking off living tissue along with the nail. Use your clippers instead, cutting the injured nail at a slight outward angle.
Step 3
Use home aversion techniques. The AAD suggests applying a bitter-tasting nail polish or liquid to your nails to deter yourself from biting. These products can be found at most drugstores and pharmacies in the nail care section and can be applied to both the nails and cuticles to discourage biting.
Step 4
Get help if you can't stop biting your nails and cuticles on your own. Gibson points out that when you can't control your nail biting, this may be suggestive of anxiety or compulsive behavior. Talk to your doctor or a mental health professional to see if behavior therapy is appropriate.
Tips and Warnings
- According to Dr. Andrew Weil, a study published in the May 2007 edition of "Behaviour Research and Therapy" indicates that many adolescents bite their nails out of frustration or boredom.
- Biting or picking at hangnails can result in a painful infection called paronychia.
Things You'll Need
- Manicure scissors
- Nail clipper
- Emery board
- Bitter nail polish/liquid
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