We all know someone who just can't stop biting the skin around their fingernails, or maybe you do it! Some people chew from anxiety and do it unconsciously, others started as children and could just never stop.
But there are some people who are compulsive about it and keep biting until their fingers bleed. This behavior is often associated with anxiety disorders. Many times they will bite and eat the skin around the nail and it can quickly start to look quite brutal.
Some think that it looks bad, but isn't harmful. But that's not the case. Biting your nails can quickly develop into a serious Dermatophagia, which, in extreme cases, can be dangerous for your nail bed and cause permanent damage.
Not only do wounds around your nails allow many germs from your hands to enter your body, but bacteria in your saliva can cause infections on your fingers. Worst case scenario: You can get irreversible nerve damage.
If you chew your nails long enough, it will come to a point when you can't reverse the signs on your fingers. So it's best for anyone who bites their nails to quit sooner rather than later. Otherwise, your fingers might start to look like this:
Who would've thought that biting your nails could actually be dangerous. I always thought it was harmless, but now I have more than enough reason to keep my fingers away from my mouth.
