I was a serious nail biter -- from as far back as I can remember all the way to age 22, I gnawed on my nails. They were so short they were painful. I got hangnails all the time. But nothing would stop me from biting. My grandma put gloves on me, and I'd take them off. We tried the nasty-tasting anti nail-biting hand cream, and I'd just wash my hands and start biting again. As a teenager, I'd quit biting for a week or so and then fall back into the habit. The thing that made me kick nail biting for good was sheer terror about germs. My doctor saw me for an annual physical and asked how long I'd bitten my nails. She went on to tell me how many bacteria and viruses (billions) we touch on a daily basis and how much unhealthy gunk gets stuck under our nails. I'd never really though of that before, and freaked me right out of that bad habit. Nail biters, the next time you think of putting your fingers in your mouth, think of the things you've touched that day -- toilets, raw food, public transportation, community computers and keyboards, your cell phone, doorknobs -- even if you've washed your hands, there are all kinds of toxins lingering under your nails. It might make you think twice before biting.
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