You might be involved in another activity, such as reading, watching television, or talking on the phone, and bite your nails without thinking about it. Nail-biting includes biting the cuticle and soft tissue surrounding the nail as well as biting the nail itself. Nail-biting may occur with other body-focused repetitive behaviors BFRB such as hair-pulling or skin-picking.
Several treatment measures may help you stop biting your nails. Some focus on behavior changes and some focus on physical barriers to nail-biting.
Children may bite their nails more often when they are having problems at school or with friends. Talk with your child or his or her teacher about any new stress at school. Children are more likely to stop biting their nails when they understand what may trigger it.
It is also important for your child to help choose a treatment method so he or she can use the treatment successfully. Nail-biting can cause your fingertips to be red and sore and your cuticles to bleed.
Nail-biting also increases your risk for infections around your nail beds and in your mouth. In rare cases, nail-biting may be a symptom of obsessive-compulsive disorder OCD. OCD symptoms are usually treated with medicines. Blahd Jr. Author: Healthwise Staff. Medical Review: William H. This information does not replace the advice of a doctor.
Healthwise, Incorporated, disclaims any warranty or liability for your use of this information. Your use of this information means that you agree to the Terms of Use.
Gellner: I often get asked, "How can I get my child to stop biting their nails? Announcer: Keep your kids healthy and happy. Cindy Gellner on The Scope. Gellner: Nail biting is a common habit and it's usually not a serious problem for most children. Almost half of all teens still bite their nails. Most children who bite their nails eventually stop the habit. But some may actually continue to do it well into adulthood. Some of the reasons children bite their nails includes stress or anxiety, they are bored, they've seen other children do it and copy their behaviors, or their nails are not kept trimmed and they do it as a form of self-trimming.
Most children that bite their nails have no problems. In some cases, nail biting may cause a bacterial infection called paronychia, which requires a doctor's visit for antibiotics. If your child has warts, they can get around the nail beds. Children touch everything and then, if they put their fingers in their mouth, they can get sick because they have just introduced germs into their body.
And some children who bite their nails for years can cause permanent nail damage. Join BabyCentre. Sign up to receive free emails and track your baby's development. Track my baby. You might also like. Most popular in Preschooler. See all in Community. See all in Getting Pregnant. See all in Pregnancy. See all in Preschooler. See all in Life as a Parent.
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