Some people unknowingly often bite their nails. This habit often makes the cuticle area peel off until it bleeds. Here are the dangers of nail biting. According to the American Journal of Orthodontics and Dentofacial Orthopedics (AJODO), nail biting can be a sign of emotional imbalance. In medical terms, nail biting is known as onycophagia. Experts call this onycophagia a kind of signal that you are scared, tired or stressed. If not addressed, there are a series of dangers that lurk your body's health. The following are the dangers of nail biting:
1. Infection
Nail biting can lead to infection of the skin around the nails. If you bite your nails exposing the delicate skin under your nails, you are opening the door for bacteria or pathogens from your mouth.
"All of our mouths are full of bacteria, so you can easily infect yourself," said Adam Friedman, associate professor in the department of psychology, George Washington University.
2. Ingrown toenails
Have you ever heard of ingrown hair? It turns out that nails can experience the same thing. Friedman says nails contain a degenerative layer called the 'matrix'. The matrix is ​​shaped like a layer in which all nail cells develop. Infection as a result of habitual nail biting can damage the matrix. The matrix damage will result in chronic ingrown or ingrown nails or nail deformities.
3. Inflammation
Saliva is not only useful for wetting the mouth. Friedman says the composition of saliva allows humans to break down fats and other food molecules. In the context of digestion, this definitely helps, but not in the context of nail biting. When the finger continues to enter the mouth, saliva will trigger inflammation. For the same reason, you are advised not to lick your lips. Instead of wet and moist, lip licking activity will only make the lips more dry and cracked.
4. Stomach ache
Like a place, nails are a harbor for all kinds of bacteria, especially the Enterobacteriaceae family. Richard Scher, an expert in nail disorders at Weill Cornell Medical College, explains that these Enterobacteriaceae include salmonella and E. coli. When you bite your nails, bacteria will end up in your mouth and intestines, where they can cause digestive infections, resulting in abdominal pain and diarrhea.
5. Tooth decay
The habit of biting nails not only brings problems to the fingers and digestion, but also to the teeth. Scher said if this habit continues, the long-term impact, your teeth can be problematic.
"Consistent nail-biting can result in poor dental occlusion, resulting in the teeth shifting in position or having an odd shape," says Scher.
6. 'Herpes of the hand'
The term 'hand herpes' is a condition known as herpetic whitlow. People who have oral herpes can infect their fingers with the virus. The infection will cause symptoms such as a painful burning and tingling sensation in the fingers, fever, and then a week or two later, sores filled with fluid or blood appear and are painful.
That's the danger of nail biting. Avoid this habit to prevent these dangers.
Tactics to Stop the Habit of Biting Nails
Actually, limiting the habit of biting your nails in order to maintain your personal hygiene is indeed quite difficult. You must know what triggers this habit. Before you stop this behavior, try to remember when you started this hobby, whether when you are stressed, while watching TV, or when you feel anxious. After knowing the cause, of course you need to reduce this attitude slowly. Here are some ways that you can try that might reduce the habit of biting your nails.
1. Keep nails short
One way to stop nail biting is to trim your nails regularly to keep them short. The reason is, long nails tend to be more attractive to bite than nails with short sizes.
 2. Do a manicure and pedicure
People who do manicures and pedicures will usually take better care of their nails. If you're trying to break the habit of biting your nails, try a manicure treatment. Factors of time, money, and effort that is sacrificed when doing a manicure can be taken into consideration when you think about biting your nails. You can also wear gloves or cover your nails with masking tape or stickers as a precaution.
3. Apply nail polish
After doing a meni pedi, some of you may beautify your nails by painting your nails with colored nail polish. Well, this desire can actually help resist the urge to bite your nails. The reason is, nail polish makes nails unpleasant and tends to be bitter when bitten.
4. Keep your hands or mouth busy
When you want to bite your nails, you can distract yourself with other activities. Try to distract yourself by drawing, writing, or chewing gum.
5. Ask other people for help
Apart from yourself, enlist the help of others to prevent you from biting your nails. You can also find friends who have the same habit and want to quit so they can promise each other to reduce this behavior. Those are some of the effects and tips to stop biting your nails so you can live a clean and healthy lifestyle. If you have tried all the home remedies above and do not get better, you should consult a doctor. There are times when nail biting is a sign of serious psychological or emotional problems.
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