Biting your nails: what are the risks?

Biting your nails can lead to a number of consequences that should not be overlooked.

• Dental Anomalies: Non-physiological mechanical forces acting on the teeth can cause enamel abrasion. One can also observe a rotation and small fractures on the incisive edges of the mandibular incisors (lower front teeth), as well as a displacement of the maxillary incisors (upper front teeth). However, if this persists, onychophagy can also cause a misalignment between the upper dental arch and the lower dental arch (dental malocclusion), due to the pressures exerted.

• Oral afflictions: If your nails are infected (onychomycosis, paronychia) and you bite them, not forgetting that nails are a fertile ground for the development of microorganisms, these can be transmitted from your fingers to your oral cavity. This can then cause an infection (herpes, gum inflammation, etc.). By biting your nails, it is also possible to be infected by pinworms, tapeworms, staphylococcus, salmonella, E. coli and human papillomavirus.

• Nail Damage: Initially, the damage caused to the nail plate is minimal, but over time, as the habit strengthens, we can observe a deformation and weakening of the nail plate, as well as wounds and bleeding on the fingers. The hands of a person suffering from onychophagy no longer appear aesthetically pleasing. This can be a cause of embarrassment and sometimes even social withdrawal, which intensifies stress and a number of other negative emotions, becoming the reason for the persistence of the habit.

• Gastrointestinal Infections: Nail biting, being a carrier of microorganisms, can transmit harmful pathogens into the body. Indeed, swallowing bitten nails can pose a risk of gastric or intestinal infection. Consequently, we are threatened by a inflammation of the intestines, liver, and stomach, which can manifest itself, for example, through diarrhoea or acute abdominal pain.

• Nail Infections: Chronic nail biting can also make you susceptible to various types of infection (onychomycosis, paronychia). You create a cycle of transmitting bacteria, fungi or viruses from your mouth to your fingers, and vice versa. Indeed, nails provide a conducive environment for the growth and proliferation of potential pathogens. Thus, by biting your nails and cuticles, you are giving free access to all microorganisms.

  They can penetrate through cuts, and consequently, cause damage (pain, irritation, redness, purulent wounds, etc.) to the surrounding skin, as well as to the nail plate. Similarly, a person who bites their nails and suffers from oral herpes can develop herpetic whitlow on the bitten finger. Moreover, once the infection has reached the fingertips, it can spread to other parts of the body.

For these various reasons, it is therefore crucial to take measures to gradually correct this habit.

Anecdote : A positive aspect of nail-biting is that it does not delay nail growth. On the contrary, it increases nail growth, perhaps because frequent manipulation of the nail stimulates blood circulation in the nail root.