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Dermatophagia (from Ancient Greek δέρμα — lit. skin and φαγεία lit. eating) or dermatodaxia (from δήξις, lit. biting) is a compulsion disorder of gnawing or biting one's own skin, most commonly at the fingers.
A special agar called Dermatophyte Test Medium (DTM) has been formulated to grow and identify dermatophytes. Without having to look at the colony, the hyphae, or macroconidia, one can identify the dermatophyte by a simple color test.
The fingers have been compulsively picked and chewed in someone with excoriation disorder and dermatophagia. Compulsive picking of the face using nail pliers and tweezers. Episodes of skin picking are often preceded or accompanied by tension, anxiety, or stress. In some cases, following picking, the affected person may feel depressed.
Often, the adjacent skin is bitten off, too, which is called perionychophagia, a special case of dermatophagia. Biting nails can lead to broken skin on the cuticle . When cuticles are improperly removed, they are susceptible to microbial and viral infections such as paronychia .
Body-focused repetitive behavior. Dermatillomania (picking of the skin) of the knuckles (via mouth), illustrating disfiguration of the distal and proximal joints of the middle and little fingers.
Biopsy and histopathological examination can be used to test for the presence of hyperkeratosis, parakeratosis, follicular plugging, and basal cell melanization, all indicators of DPR.
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Fungal spores may be viewed directly on hair shafts. This technique identifies a fungal infection in about 40%–70% of the infections, but cannot identify the species of dermatophyte. Culture test: This is the most effective, but also the most time-consuming, way to determine if ringworm is on a pet.
Dermatographic urticaria is sometimes called "skin writing", as it is possible to mark deliberate patterns onto the skin. The condition manifests as an allergic-like reaction, causing a warm red wheal to appear on the skin. As it is often the result of scratches, involving contact with other materials, it can be confused with an allergic ...
Other forms of pica include dermatophagia, and compulsion of eating one's own hair, which can form a hairball in the stomach. Left untreated, this can cause death due to excessive hair buildup. Self-cannibalism can be a form of self-harm and a symptom of a mental disorder.