I know that many people bite their nails or cuticles but I actually pick the nail off bit by bit. I will bite it only if I have no nail left to use for picking. My nails bleed often and there is hardly any nail bed left on some of my fingers.
This description of my nasty habit probably grosses most of you out but I would like to know how prevalent this habit is and is it more common among women or men? I am male and have been picking for over 40 years so it’s highly unlikely that I’ll be quitting anytime soon, besides, I enjoy this activity. The gratification I receive from picking outweighs the self-consciousness I feel at displaying my hands in public and my hand is clenched most the the time, or in my pockets. By the way, my mother is a picker (but not to the same degree) and so was my sister (she beat the habit with false nails) and my brother has beautiful nails and I envy him immensely.
Is the minute number of bitten nails I have seen in public any real indication of the rarity of this behavior?