How to stop biting your nails?
Onychophagy is a nervous, compulsive little gesture that manifests itself when self nibbling your nails. A habit in which a little more than a third of French people indulge. According to a survey conducted in 2008*, 1 French person out of 3 French bites or has already bitten their nails, and 10% of the French population would like to stop this addictive habit. If women are slightly more affected than men (54.7%), a question remains:
* Exclusive Skin Nail/Seprem survey. Study conducted between October 24 and 26, 2008 among a sample of 1,001 people, representative of the French population aged 15 and over, according to the quota method.
Anxiety, nervousness, addiction, mimicry… The causes of onychophagy are multiple and vary from one individual to another depending on age, gender, professional or personal situation.
If we tend to associate this phenomenon with childhood, this practice also affects adults.
Mainly an aesthetic concern, onychophagy is generally not serious. However, there is a risk of infection due to the skin’s micro-lesions.
Furthermore, perpetually having the nail within your incisors’ reach can be perceived as an external sign of inner discomfort and associated with a psychological fragility and thus have repercussions on both your professional and social lives.
