Dermatophagia, or the compulsive biting of the skin around the nails, is a condition that closely relates to onychophagia, or the picking of the skin around the nails. These psychological conditions fall under the obsessive-compulsive disorder, or OCD, spectrum sub-group that includes anorexia, Tourette's syndrome and trichotillomania. Such spectrum disorders tend to run in families and are not easy to overcome without will power and a few helpful remedies.
Step 1
Try taking the B-vitamin inositol. BrainsPhysics.com explains that this water-soluble vitamin suppresses the urge to bite and pick by enhancing serotonin.
Step 2
Chew gum or take up a hobby that uses your fingers, such as knitting or cross-stitching. According to Good Housekeeping, such tactics, known as "competing responses," trick the mind into replacing the skin-biting behavior with a more positive behavior.
Step 3
Get your nails done by a professional manicurist. Sometimes the look of beautifully manicured nails is enough to quell dermatophagia. If you are a nail biter too, a set of fake nails may do the trick.
Tips and Warnings
- If you find that you are at a loss for solving your skin-biting behavior, seek professional help. A therapist that specializes in OCD disorders can help. He may even prescribe a medication to help relieve you of your dermatophagia.
- Seek medical attention if the skin around your fingers becomes extremely sore, swollen or if a green discharge exudes from any of the open wounds, which can signal infection.
Things You'll Need
- B-vitamin inositol
- Gum
- Manicurist
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