Nail Biting: Annoying & Unhealthy
Aired on Lifetime Television
April 27 and June 8, 2008
Show 510
Michaela Powell:
Dr. Lisa, can you please explain to Gabby why biting your nails is so gross?
Dr. Lisa Thornton:
About half of all kids bite their nails. Biting your nails can cause bleeding and infections in the nail bed. For many, it's really hard to stop biting their nails, but distractions like squeezable balls can help. So can painting fingernails with yucky-tasting stuff that leaves a bitter or unpleasant taste in their mouth, which helps make them stop. Parents, this is a really hard habit to break, but it's important that you try. If children put their hands in their mouth throughout the day, they're more likely to get infections.