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When you bite your nails, you're transferring potentially dangerous bacteria into your vital organs, putting yourself at risk for abdominal pain and/or infection. The problem doesn't stop at...
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.
Onychophagia, or nail biting, is a pretty common habit, affecting an estimated 20 to 30 percent of the population.
Examples include trichotillomania (compulsive hair pulling), onychophagia (compulsive nail biting), and excoriation disorder (compulsive skin picking).
Onychotillomania is a compulsive behavior in which a person picks constantly at the nails or tries to tear them off. It is not the same as onychophagia, where the nails are bitten or chewed, or dermatillomania, where skin is bitten or scratched.
Those affected with dermatophagia typically bite the skin around the nails, leading to bleeding and discoloration over time. Some people also bite on their skin on their finger knuckles which can lead to pain and bleeding just by moving their fingers.
Cognitive behavioral therapy was cited as experimental evidence based therapy to treat trichotillomania and nail biting; a systematic review found best evidence for habit reversal training and decoupling. Another form of treatment that focuses on mindfulness, stimuli and rewards has proven effective in some people.
How do you stop biting your nails? An approach called habit replacement could help nail biters quit. It could also help with skin picking and trichotillomania.
Common examples include excessive biting or tapping of the nails, trauma or injury from accidents involving doors or windows, and extensive use of manicure. It may also occur in great toenails as a result of trauma from footwear.
This research may offer relief for people with repetitive body-focused behaviors — such as skin picking and hair pulling — that can affect their mental health.