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Dermatophagia. Dermatophagia (from Ancient Greek δέρμα — lit. skin and φαγεία lit. eating) or dermatodaxia (from δήξις, lit. biting) [3] is a compulsion disorder of gnawing or biting one's own skin, most commonly at the fingers. This action can either be conscious or unconscious [4] and it is considered to be a type of pica.
Nail biting, also known as onychophagy or onychophagia, is an oral compulsive habit of biting one's fingernails. It is sometimes described as a parafunctional activity, the common use of the mouth for an activity other than speaking, eating, or drinking. Nail biting is very common, especially amongst children. 25–35 percent of children bite ...
Fingernail-biting that develops into fingernail-eating is a form of pica. 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.
Now that's scary! Biting your nails is no picnic for your teeth, either. "Constant biting can lead to poor dental occlusion," says Richard Scher, M.D., an expert in nail disorders, "so the biter's ...
A nail disease or onychosis is a disease or deformity of the nail. Although the nail is a structure produced by the skin and is a skin appendage, nail diseases have a distinct classification as they have their own signs and symptoms which may relate to other medical conditions. Some nail conditions that show signs of infection or inflammation ...
Trichophagia is a form of disordered eating in which persons with the disorder suck on, chew, swallow, or otherwise eat hair. [1] The term is derived from ancient Greek θρίξ, thrix ("hair") and φαγεῖν, phagein ("to eat"). [2] Tricho- phagy refers only to the chewing of hair, whereas tricho- phagia is ingestion of hair, but many texts ...
Onychotillomania can be categorized as a body-focused repetitive behavior in the DSM-5 and is a form of skin picking, also known as excorciation disorder. It can be associated with psychiatric disorders such as depressive neurosis, delusions of infestation and hypochondriasis. It was named by Jan Alkiewicz, a Polish dermatologist.
Keratin. Keratin ( / ˈkɛrətɪn / [1] [2]) is one of a family of structural fibrous proteins also known as scleroproteins. Alpha-keratin (α-keratin) is a type of keratin found in vertebrates. It is the key structural material making up scales, hair, nails, feathers, horns, claws, hooves, and the outer layer of skin among vertebrates.