What Are the Causes of Nail Biting?
Nail biting or chewing the skin around the nails is one of the most common body-focused repetitive behaviors that develop due to factors such as stress and pressure. Nail biting, which occurs in 4 out of every 10 children, increases significantly towards adolescence. Nail biting is a habit seen in 5 out of every 10 adolescents. Like teeth grinding, hair pulling, and thumb sucking, it emerges as a reaction that the child reflects through behaviors against psychosocial problems.
Harmful to Health
Communication breakdown within the family is at the root of the factors that cause nail biting. Children or adolescents may exhibit such behaviors in the face of situations like criticism from a controlling and authoritarian parent, sibling, or peers; constant scolding by a mother or father; fear of not meeting high expectations; oppressive education; traumatic experiences such as natural disasters or the loss of a loved one; and discord among family members. At the same time, children who have family members who bite their nails may acquire this habit through imitation. Many children give up this habit from the moment they start to receive social approval.
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