In my opinion, there are two types of people in this world; Those who bite their nails and those who don’t. If you’ve ever asked yourself, “Why do I bite my nails?” You are in good company.
Many celebrities have been photographed with bitten nails, including Jackie Kennedy, Tom Cruise, Britney Spears and Andy Roddick.
I admit I bite my nails, but only to keep them short when I don’t have a nail file handy. Once I find the emery board, I leave my skin alone.
Then again, I’m not talking about trimming my nails occasionally by biting them. This kind of nail-biting smacks of laziness on my part, to be honest. I’m most interested in when nail biting becomes a problem and the psychological reasons why people bite their nails.
Excessive nail biting is called onychophagia. The suffix phagia means to eat or devour and the prefix onycho relates to nails.
It is a condition similar to other body grooming disorders such as hair pulling (trichotillomania) and skin picking.
So, if you are biting your nails and want to know why, I hope this article helps you.
Why do I bite my nails? 5 psychological reasons behind this annoying habit
- You are a perfectionist
We don’t usually associate nail biting with perfectionist behavior, but a 2015 study may change your perception.
Researchers at the University of Montreal have shown that people are more likely to indulge in nail biting when they are bored or frustrated.
A group of people was selected, half of whom had body care habits such as nail biting, and the other half did not. They were all exposed to the same scenarios—boredom, anxiety, frustration, and relaxation—designed to elicit a nail-biting response.
Participants were also asked how often they experienced negative emotions such as anger, frustration, irritation, boredom, and anxiety.
Participants with known nail-biting tendencies reported a significantly higher desire to bite their nails when they were placed in the frustrating scenarios. They also had higher levels of boredom and would resort to nail biting after only a few minutes of being left alone.
So why do boredom and frustration cause nail biting?
Lead researcher Kieron O’Connor links nail biting to idealistic behavior:
“We believe that individuals with these repetitive behaviors may be perfectionists, meaning they are unable to relax and perform a task at a ‘normal’ pace. They are therefore prone to frustration, impatience, and dissatisfaction when they do not achieve their goals.” Kieron O’Connor
- Childhood behavior
Nail biting is associated with anxiety, as the act of biting relieves stress. This type of nail biting can begin in childhood as a direct response to stress at home or school. Children don’t have the emotional capacity to deal with anxiety, so they learn to soothe themselves by biting their nails.
Nail biting is a common neurological habit that begins in childhood around the age of 6 years. Boys are more likely to bite their nails than girls.
“An estimated one-third of children between the ages of 7 and 10 bite their nails. Boys lead the pack in nail biting after age 10.” —Robert Steele, MD, pediatrician at St. John’s Regional Health Center in Springfield, Missouri
As they mature into adulthood, this habit is difficult to break. The link between stress relief and nail biting is well established. Statistics show that half of teens bite their nails, while a third of college students still bite their nails.
Also, although the research is unclear, there is a suggestion of a genetic link, however, other experts believe it is a learned behavior.
- Oral fixation satisfies
Sigmund Freud linked the act of nail biting to overstimulation during breastfeeding. Mothers who breastfeed their babies excessively have inadvertently created mouth-dependent adults. Although there is no evidence for this theory, you need to take into account that babies put objects in their mouths when they first begin to explore the world around them.
So, it’s probably normal for adults to want to chew something. Not to mention, hands are by nature easily accessible.
- Repetitive behavior that relieves stress
Some people believe that nail biting is obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). Nail biting seems very similar to obsessive-compulsive disorder, where people have a compulsive desire to keep biting their nails, even when they are causing harm.
Clinical psychologist Lauren D. believes… Dasta, Ph.D., says nail biting is a compulsive disorder. However, this does not mean that people bite their nails all the time, as a person with OCD has to wash his hands 100 times a day.
This simply means that this is a routine used to relieve stress. They may have others to help them, such as always hanging up their coat and putting their shoes in a certain place.
Compulsive behaviors are associated with anxiety and panic, while nail biting is associated with calming sensations.
Therefore, although the behavior is repetitive, it is not compulsive. Kieron O’Connor, lead researcher at the University of Montreal, agrees:
“Although these behaviors can cause significant distress, they also appear to satisfy desire and provide some form of reward.” – Kieron O’Connor
- Self-harm
Severe nail biting causes real bite injuries. Biting on the nail cuticle can leave the nail bed exposed and vulnerable to infection. However, research suggests that injuries are the reason why people want to stop this annoying habit. They do not get pleasure or stress relief from the pain caused by biting.
“Nail biters—although this is not usually the case—can use biting as a self-destruction mechanism.” -Lauren D. Dasta, Ph.D
Only when nail biting becomes excessive and causes real harm does this turn into what is described as self-inflicted violence (SIV).
Tracy Alderman, Ph.D., a licensed clinical psychologist in San Diego, California, describes SIV as follows:
“Self-perpetrated violence is best described as intentionally harming one’s body without conscious suicidal intent.” – Tracy Alderman, Ph.D
Severe types of HIV can include amputations, self-burn, and broken bones. Self-harm is often used as a coping mechanism and a temporary relief of stress.
