Fingernail biting or onychophagia is neither a disease nor a real symptom. However, it can become a compulsive act as it progresses. In most cases, the reason for fingernail biting is a nail that has been bitten in or torn off and the utensils that are just missing to fix the problem. This nail biting is harmless in most cases, however, in some people, nail biting becomes a compulsive act.
What is fingernail biting?
Often, nail biting begins in childhood. Parents are advised to rest in most cases, as the habit is rarely pathological or psychological. Basically, three types of nail biting can be distinguished:
- Occasional biting of the fingernails, for example, to remove annoying corners.
- Regular, usually unconscious chewing.
- Excessive biting of the fingernails to the nail bed.
Often, chewing begins in childhood. Parents are advised to rest in most cases, as the habit is rarely pathological or psychological. Up to 50% of children bite their nails. In adults, the rate drops to 10%. In the last two types of nail biting, physicians speak of so-called onychophagia. By definition, it also involves biting the skin around the nail bed. Especially in the last case, it is a compulsive impulse control disorder that can be compared to an addiction.
Causes
The causes of occasional nail biting are usually broken fingernails that cannot be trimmed, for example, because one does not carry nail scissors. But other reasons can be laziness, boredom or lack of care. Only in rare cases are serious problems to blame. However, if regular biting of the fingernails occurs, psychological stress or illness should be ruled out. In some sufferers, it serves as an emotional outlet when the nerves are overloaded. Stress, nervousness and behavioral disorders can be the trigger. ADHD sufferers, for example, use nail biting to satisfy needs during periods of rest. The exact causes depend on the person and can range from a rather harmless social phobia to severe trauma. In children, a possible trigger for fingernail biting is also the wrong example set by people in the environment.
Diseases with this symptom
- Behavioral disorders
- Psychosis
- Neurosis
- ADHD
- Nail bed inflammation
- Anxiety disorder
Diagnosis and course
If biting the fingernails turns out to be a problem, happens regularly and other stress symptoms are added, a visit to the doctor makes sense. Especially in the case of the third type, help is absolutely necessary, since it is self-injurious behavior. For a diagnosis, it is usually sufficient to look at the hands of the affected person. In medical terms, a distinction is made between types two and three. If only the fingernails are affected and the surrounding skin is not bloody or badly damaged, a discussion is used to decide to what extent it is a bad habit or a psychological problem. However, if the fingers are bloody or have older injuries, the doctor will assume a behavioral disorder. Immediate consequences of nail biting are also chronic nail bed inflammation or nail growth disorders. This can also lead to secondary infections due to the germs that collect under the fingernails.
Complications
Biting nails can cause serious health problems. However, these usually only occur with very frequent, excessive nail biting. Permanent damage to the nail and cuticle can occur. Nail bed inflammation is also a common problem. In addition, permanent nail biting poses the risk of inflammation of the gums and, in severe cases, misalignment of teeth. In the area of the jaw muscles, it is possible that pain and discomfort of the chewing muscles occur due to strong chewing. Since nails are indigestible, regular swallowing of them after chewing can result in stomach problems. The rest of the digestive tract can also be affected and negatively influenced in its functioning.In addition to the physical problems that can arise from massive nail biting, in some cases this habit also affects the psychological well-being of affected people. Many are ashamed of the usually unsightly fingertips, which have been badly affected by bitten nails and the nibbled skin around them. Since sufferers are often unable to consciously stop the habit of nail biting, in some cases this can lead to a kind of social withdrawal. Rarely, due to extreme shame, this withdrawal even leads to complete isolation and seclusion from other people.
When should you see a doctor?
Fingernail biting or fingernail biting is a common phenomenon. When is it just an unflattering habit? When is a visit to the doctor advisable? The transition is fluid. In women, vanity occasionally defeats the compulsion to bite nails. Especially they use special nail polishes, whose extremely bitter taste denatures further fingernail biting. However, if such measures do not help, the family doctor should be the first port of call. No one should be ashamed to see a doctor – family doctor or pediatrician – because of fingernail biting. Doctors know how difficult it often is to break the habit of nail biting. Since fingernail biting is often associated with emotional tension, a referral to a psychologist or psychotherapist may be useful. Depending on the cause, there are different therapy models. Together with the psychologist or psychotherapist, the patient can work on his compulsion to bite his fingernails. Of course, treating the underlying psychological cause of the compulsive act of biting fingernails is also promising. Problems that are difficult to cope with can also trigger fingernail biting, as can excessive stress. A good therapist will encourage his fingernail-biting patient to observe himself more closely in which situations he is particularly prone to fingernail biting. This can already have a great effect. Likewise, as a professional, he should make it clear to his patient that long-term fingernail biting leaves permanent unsightly marks.
Treatment and therapy
Treatment depends on the severity of the biting. In children, provided there is no evidence of a severe, psychological disorder, small goals should be set and discussed with the child. Rewards can be used here when the nails have grown in millimeter increments. Counterproductive, on the other hand, is scaremongering by parents, punishments and sanctions. This only leads to the children doing it secretly and damages the trust between parent and child. On the other hand, chewing often disappears during puberty, as it is experienced as embarrassing. In addition, cautious impulses from peers can contribute to stopping chewing, unless it is pathological. In adulthood, it usually disappears on its own. Otherwise, in mild cases, special bitter-tasting varnishes can be used. For women, gel nails have also proven to be effective, as they can hardly be chewed off. As long as they are not forced, this is usually enough to break the habit of biting. Discipline and perseverance help to get rid of the habit. However, if it is a case of serious biting down to the nail bed, which can be considered as self-injury, psychological research into the causes is the method of choice. In this case, professional help is necessary, as there is usually a deep-seated problem behind it. The biting is here an alarm signal that should not be ignored in any case!
Outlook and prognosis
People who bite their fingernails often destroy the skin and the nail itself. Biting fingernails is equally harmful to the teeth, as it puts unnecessary stress on them. As a rule, it is not particularly difficult to stop this biting. Since this is a psychological problem, a doctor can also be asked for advice. Treatment with medication is not necessary. In most cases, a strong will and a change in daily habits are enough to stop biting the fingernails. For this purpose, the affected person can look for another distraction, such as sports. Not infrequently, this symptom is also triggered by stress. If possible, stress should be avoided. Often the biting of the fingernails also happens subconsciously.If the biting of the fingernails is not refrained from, sores and inflammations can develop on the fingers if the process is unfavorable. Very weak and cracked nails are also the result. These can be treated with a varnish to strengthen the structure of the nail. Furthermore, there are nail polishes which have a very bitter taste and are supposed to keep the affected person from biting the nail. This results in a positive course of the disease.
Prevention
As a preventive measure, it can help, especially in women, to keep the nails as long as possible to prevent biting out of boredom. Since the appearance in the case suffers from biting, it is automatically turned off. However, this also only applies if it is occasional, largely harmless biting. Otherwise, treatment measures such as gel nails or bitter varnishes and creams serve as a preventive measure for biting the fingernails. In severe cases, medical professionals recommend cotton gloves to prevent the risk of injury and infection.
This is what you can do yourself
If you want to do something about fingernail biting, you should start right away and not put it off for long. In the beginning, chewing gum is an excellent substitute. As soon as sufferers notice that they want to chew their fingernails, they should consume a piece of gum. An additional tip is to always have a file or small nail scissors with you. This will help eliminate bumps and remove any protruding skin. This gives sufferers one less reason to bite their fingernails. At first, it can be helpful to always bite the same nail. Nail tinctures and chewing liquids have also proven effective. As soon as sufferers feel the desire to bite their fingernails, they can apply a hand cream. Thus, the hands are busy and the nails become very greasy. Especially from biting the nails, the same are extremely thin and soft. The first step is to harden and strengthen the nails again. Affected persons achieve this with nail hardener. Affected persons should see an appealing nail polish as an incentive to stop biting their fingernails. Furthermore, artificial nails can provide relief. These are available in drugstores and can be attached with a special adhesive. Alternatively, sufferers can have their nails built up with gel. These look fantastic and act as motivation to stop biting.
