People know biting their nails is never a good habit, but why do they still do it?

Researchers at the University of Montreal in Canada believe nail biting has more to do with your personality than a bad habit.

Biting your nails is never a good thing.

Just think about all the things our hands come into contact throughout the day. Biting your nails means that every germ, bacteria you have touched is going right into your mouth.

You may think that it's ok to bite your nails since you haven't touched anything for a long time.

Germs can live for hours on surfaces.

And thinking you are only biting the nail and not the rest of the finger is not any better.

"Your fingernails are almost twice as dirty as your fingers. Bacteria often gets stuck under the nails, and can then be transferred to the mouth, causing infections of the gums and throat," explains medical director Michael Shapiro.

In the past, nail biting was considered a nervous habit.

It was also believed this is just a progression from sucking our thumbs.

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The study found that those who are perfectionist are more likely to bite their nails, pick their skin, and pull their eyelashes off.

"We believe that individuals with these repetitive behaviors may be perfectionistic, meaning that they are unable to relax and to perform task at a ‘normal’ pace," explains Dr. Kieron O’Connor, the study's lead and professor of psychiatry at the university.

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Perfectionists are more likely to get bored which leads to frustration.

The study points out that everyone bites their sometimes which is completely normal.

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This is a coping mechanism for everyone at one point or another.

"The positive effects of the habits are stimulation and a (maladaptive) way of regulating emotion," says O'Connor.

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You should be concerned when you cannot stop yourself from biting your nails.

The bad habit can turn into a habit disorder if not treated.

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The need to bite your nails can start pretty early on.

Studies estimate that up to 45 per cent of teenagers bite their nails, which can also affect their dental health in the future.

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The study involved 48 individuals with half suffering from repetitive behaviour like nail biting, hair pulling, and skin picking.

The subjects were put through four sessions where feelings of stress, relaxation, frustration, or boredom would arise.

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The boredom test was pretty simple.

The individuals were left in a room by themselves for six minutes.

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During the boredom and frustration tests, those with repetitive behaviour concerns had the highest urge to give into their habits.

Perfectionists feel a high level of dissatisfaction, frustration, and impatience when they feel they have not reached their desired goals.

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There are ways one can stop this unhygienic and painful habit.

Replacing the action with another. Chewing gum has been known to relax both kids and adults.

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When you have the urge to bite your nails, instead try to stroke your hair.

Turning the negative action into a positive one.

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Source: lifebuzz

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