What to Know
Even when we think we’ve seen it all, someone goes viral and introduces us to a brand new world we never dreamt existed. Janet Agyemang appeared on the TLC show My Strange Addiction in February 2026, sharing her story. She’s a single mom living in West Virginia whose life looks pretty typical from the outside.
But Agyemang has a habit that is anything but typical. She clips her toenails and eats them. She apparently began the habit as a child to ease her nerves, and now, as an adult, she just can’t seem to stop.
Agyemang began to bite her nails as a child.
Agyemang told Unilad that she grew up with her grandparents in Ghana and that one day she was put on a plane to the United States to meet her parents.
“I was never told where I was going, I was just put on the airplane with a complete stranger, and I was on my way to meet my real parents,” she told the news outlet.
She began biting her nails on a flight from Africa to the United States nearly 30 years ago and found it calmed her nerves. When she arrived, her father treated her kindly and wanted to make up for lost time, according to Agyemang, but her mom apparently did not. Agyemang said her addiction intensified after her father was deported, which “turned her world upside down.”
Agyemang’s addiction stayed with her.
She moved from chewing on not just her fingernails, but also her toenails, as well. In the TLC video, we see her taking the toenail clippings, putting them into gummy candies, and chewing them like a snack. She closes her eyes and savors them as if they were a gourmet. Agyemang admits in the video that she prefers toenails to fingernails because they are “stronger.”
She explains in the video that she doesn’t just chew them; she collects them and stores them in small jars for later use. Agyemang told Unilad that she takes her daughter’s toe clippings to work because leaving her children makes her anxious.
“I’ll save her nails, and I’ll put it in the gum when I get to work to make me feel closer to her. And I’ll chew gum until I leave work,” she admitted.
Putting her nails and her daughter’s into her mouth could cause a host of health issues for Agyemang. But like many addicts, she explained that none of that crosses her mind when she needs her fix.
“You’re so traumatized, you don’t think about what it can do to you,” she told Unilad.
Her addiction freaked some people out.
Of course, not everyone understands Agyemang’s addition, and some left nasty comments on Instagram.
“Putting them in the candy is outrageous,” one person wrote.
“Sis can’t just eat sunflower seeds with the shells,” another person suggested.
While the addiction might seem bizarre to some, Agyemang’s not alone. The technical term for nail biting is onychophagia, according to DermNet. The website explains that while it’s common in mild forms, onychophagia can cause severe health issues like stomach infections, fungal infections of the nail plate, dental issues, and vent parasitic infections. DermNet recommends treating the condition before these types of issues develop.
Janet Agyemang says she wants to stop but the habit has lasted nearly 30 years. She says she hopes her story helps others find healthier ways to cope with their stress.
