Help for Chronic Skin & Nail Biting

Chronic skin and nail biting, also known as onychophagia, is a bad habit that usually results from stress, boredom or anxiety. Most people bite their nails without even realizing it. Though common in children, people of all ages can be prone to this habit. Luckily, there are several treatments available for people who bite their nails.

Risks

• People who bite their nails should be aware of the negative ramifications of their habit. For example, you touch a lot of things that can carry germs. By putting your fingers directly into your mouth, you are increasing your chances of coming down with a disease such as a cold or the flu. Also, biting your nails can make your fingers sore and cause your cuticles to bleed. Your saliva also increases the chances of infection around the nail bed. People who are chronic nail biters also stand a greater risk of disrupting the normal growth patterns of nails that may lead to nail deformities.

Home Remedies

• One simple way to cut down your tendency of chronic nail biting is to keep your fingernails short and filed down. Not only will your nails not look and feel jagged from biting them, you will also be less likely to bite them because they will not appear long. Some people will opt for frequent manicures. People who wear nail polish are also less likely to bite their nails. Men can wear clear nail polish. Other people choose to wear gloves, which keeps nails out of sight and less tempting to nibble.

Disorders

• Chronic nail and skin biting is also considered a symptom of obsessive-compulsive disorder. In some situations, people may want to try medication and therapy to treat not only their nail and skin biting, but other symptoms of this disorder. These behaviors, known as body-focused repetitive behaviors, can be treated by the introduction of antidepressant medication such as Prozac, Lexapro or Zoloft. According to Dr. Fred Penzel, people taking these medicines demonstrate a 60 to 70 percent improvement. However, medication should not be seen as a cure-all. People who undergo cognitive therapy and learn relaxation techniques also find ways to reduce or stop nail and skin biting.