To celebrate the new year, Yahoo posted a story titled 5 Habits to break in 2010. This was at the top of their list:
1.) Bad habit: Nail Biting
Stop now: Biting your nails makes for ugly hands and over time can interfere with normal nail growth, damage the outer layer of your teeth, and cause nail deformities such as split nails. Harmful bacteria such as staphylococcus also live underneath nails—and you don't want to chew on that.
Break it: Go for a professional manicure once every 2 or 3 weeks, suggests Angelica Kaner, PhD, a clinical professor at Yale University Medical School, because when your nails look pretty, you'll be less likely to snack on them. At the very least, keep your nails trimmed short—you'll have less nail to bite, and that harmful bacteria has less space to grow. Nail biting is also a nervous habit that is often an expression of some deeper anxiety. "Ask yourself why you're feeling anxious," Kaner says. You can also try substituting a new, healthy behavior—instead of biting your nails, rub in a cuticle cream or oil.
You know, perhaps I could go for a manicure. Every two or three weeks sounds reasonable. Wait a second...I'm a man (please disregard posts where I may not display my masculine qualities). Men don't get manicures and I'm not quite in the position to spend how ever much a manicure costs every 2-3 weeks right now. Oh, and my hands, when they are not extremely dry like they are right now, certainly are not ugly. Besides, my hands are small I know, but they're not yours, they are my own!
I admit it: I bite my fingernails. Sometimes, I chew my fingernails and even swallow them. Dr. Kaner thinks I should ask myself why I'm feeling anxious. Maybe I just like to bite my fingernails, Dr. Kaner, if that's your real name! A few years ago, my dentist did mention that that my nail-biting could impact the bonding that I have on several teeth. Therefore, I switched the teeth that I use to bite my fingernails.
So if you're looking for my New Year's resolution, Yahoo, it has nothing to do with biting my fingernails. I am comfortable with this habit. Now please work a little harder to make sure that my e-mail doesn't send out a spam message to everyone in my inbox with a link to buy Viagra again.
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Ditto biting my lip. Just ain't ever going to change... and I'm totally okay with that.
ReplyDeleteI also chew my nails. Have done so for like 23 years. Nothing yahoo tells me is gonna change that. Yahoo needs to mind it's own beeswax!
ReplyDeletesome people just like snacks and what quicker snack then their nails.
ReplyDeleteDoctors who needs em?
I USED to bite my nails.
ReplyDeleteThese days I just scrape off my nail polish with my teeth.
What??? It's FUN!!!
lol. i know a lot of guys with this habit! i think its somewhat of a guy thing. seems that way to me, anyway.
ReplyDeleteLiLu - I don't think that Yahoo has biting lips on its top five list, but I support you.
ReplyDeleteClarissajaded - Nail biters unite!
ClevelandPoet - Good point but Rold Gold pretzels taste much better.
P - Why did you stop?
Floreta - I'm not sure if it is a guy thing though I would guess that many more guys do it.
Men *do* get manicures. I saw it on Bravo.
ReplyDeleteLacochran - Tabitha had something to do with it, didn't she? Uh oh, the fact I know about Tabitha can't be good for my male street cred!
ReplyDeleteI feel you on that one.
ReplyDeleteThough I quit biting nails the same way P did - I resolved to scraping of nailpolish with my nails. :D It's actually more fun than biting nails. *lol* As a man you might consider trying out clear polish. ;)