By Laine Penney
Do you have the bad habit of biting your nails or picking at skin for any reason? According to the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, habitual nail-biting is estimated to affect around 20-30% of the population, and up to 45% of children from 10 to puberty. They define it as onychophagia, which is “chronic biting of the nail plate, nail folds, nail bed, and/or cuticle.”
It’s a very common habit for people who have anxiety and other psychiatric conditions. This is also true for people who pick at their skin, which is known as excoriation. These habits have other causes such as stress and boredom. For many, it’s an unconscious behavior that happens during inactivity such as waiting in line, but some people bite their nails as an active response. It can cause psychological distress, due to injuries and physical deformities as a result. It also increases the risk of getting infections.
These habits are most common for teenagers, as they are under the stress of school, family, and social life, which is what most frequently causes biting and picking. Additionally, the shameful stigma behind nail biting and picking prevents teens from seeking support for their habits. However, there are many ways to help teens resist the urge to bite or pick. Here are a few tips:
- Putting on acrylic nails, nail polish or a bitter-tasting clear nail polish serves as a physical reminder to not bite your nails, as you wouldn’t want to chew the paint off, or leave a strongly bitter taste in your mouth. Bandages or other wrapping around your fingertips could also work, as it isolates the nails entirely, preventing you from picking at anything on your body.
- Bringing a stress toy to school keeps your hands occupied in a way that doesn’t involve harming them. You could bring a NeeDoh Nice Cube to school, then squeeze and pull the everloving life out of it. It’s infinitely more satisfying, and relieves more stress.
- Seeking social support is also a viable option. Having family members or even friends to remind you to stop picking breaks the stigma against anxious habits and helps teens stop biting and picking. The TLC Foundation for Body-Focused Repetitive Behaviors recommends families to offer understanding and compassion and to “celebrate small victories without drawing attention to setbacks.”
Nail biting and skin picking are very overlooked habits in society that end up having long-term detrimental effects. Breaking the stigma and seeking ways to stop these habits allows teens to deal with stress in a non-harmful way.
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