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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 ...
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...
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.
Onychophagia, or nail biting, is a pretty common habit, affecting an estimated 20 to 30 percent of the population.
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.
Find out what causes fingernail ridges, which can appear both vertically and horizontally on your nails, and how to get rid of them with expert-backed tips.
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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.
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Cause. Frequent hand-washing is the usual cause, but it is also part of normal ageing. [3] Manicures, nail polish and remover, nail biting, and repeated trauma such as typing, can contribute to nail splitting. [1] Dehydration likely plays a role. [3]