AN EXPERT has demonstrated why you should never let your kids bite their nails – and the reason is more gross than you’d ever imagine.
Whether it’s curiosity or simply boredom, children, especially the younger ones, have a tendency to bite their fingernails.
According to experts at Emedi Health, the problem is pretty common – they reported that a staggering 60 per cent of youngsters bite their nails occasionally – and for adults, this number is 21 per cent.
But although we know it’s a bad habit, nail-biting can lead to a number of health-related problems, and one scientist recently proved this by a video shared on TikTok.
After chipping off a few dirty fingernails, the pro cleverly used slides put under a microscrope and zoomed in to share its disgusting contents the naked eye cannot see – and things got so stomach-churning, some viewers said they were racing to dip their hands in bleach.
Amongst the bits of what appeared to be some string, the video showed, were millions of bacteria and microorganisms – and these could cause a nasty infection, gurus have warned.
”Your nails collect a lot of germs, dirt, and other impurities that get transferred to your mouth and then to your stomach. This can result in oral and gastrointestinal infections,” the pros said.
For instance, they added, nails often harbor pathogenic bacteria that can trigger severe stomach infections, such as salmonella.
What’s more, constant biting also causes tears in the skin around the nails, peeling of the cuticles, and chipping away of the nail enamel, making for a weaker nail.
As a result, the nail bed is exposed to germs that can infect the soft tissue, causing swelling, redness and even gross pus.
It’s not just the bacteria parents should be wary of – the health professionals added that long-term nail-biting can lead to dental damage.
”The constant grinding against the hard surface of the nail gradually chips away your tooth enamel and can even shift your teeth shift inside your mouth.
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”This results in faulty dental occlusion or misaligned teeth,” they warned.
As well as leading to potential nail deformities, nail-biting is one of the cause of ingrown nails and the so-called hangnails, which are the pointy and stiff slivers of torn skin that stick out of the border of your fingernails.
Luckily, as common as nail-biting is, there are also a few things parents can to do prevent their kids from this harmful habit, including trimming nails regularly.
Another useful tip is to use a nail brush or hand wash to thoroughly clean the underside of your nails during hand-washing.
Where possible, experts have also advised to coat your nails with foul-tasting nail paints – this handy trick will make your kids think twice before putting their fingers in the mouth.
The NHS also advise to not cut your nails down the edges, and only trim straight across the top to help avoid an ingrown toenail.
When cleaning under your nails, do not use sharp objects – instead, opt for a soft nailbrush.
