***WARNING: CONTAINS NASTY PICTURES OF AN INFECTED FINGER***
There are plenty of us out there who bite our nails, and the majority are fully aware of the amount of horrible s*** that can accumulate under there.
But if the thought of getting old bits of scum in your mouth isn’t enough of a deterrent, perhaps this picture will be:
A woman from Scotland posted the picture on Facebook as a warning to people who bite their nails.
She said the nail belonged to someone she knew and the sore yellow infection was caused by nail biting.
The infection was so bad that the person had to be rushed to hospital for emergency surgery, as the infection began travelling up the arm.
In the post, the woman said: “A message to nail biters out there STOP!!!
“Someone I know who prefers to remain nameless who bites their nails ended up having to get rushed to Glasgow Royal Infirmary today for emergency surgery because they had bitten their nails down too far and had got an infection in the finger.
“This person had been to two chemists and spoken to two separate pharmacists over the past few days who had advised to use magnesium sulphate and keep it covered. It still got worse and when finally went to A&E this morning was told if left much longer it could have been fatal as the infection was travelling up the arm hence the emergency surgery!
“So please please stop biting your nails!”
In the aftermath of the surgery, the nail-biter was placed on an antibiotic drip.
Offering an update, the woman said: “Surgery done and on a drip for antibiotics for the next few days and this is how it looks now p.s minus a nail on that finger which may never grow back but on the plus side one less nail for them to bite!”
If you regularly bite your nails, there are things you can do to cut back on the habit. Cutting your nails regularly is key, as this reduces the temptation to bite – and of course the amount of nail there to bite.
You could also try coating your nails in a bitter-tasting polish.
