Dermatophagia
A Dermatophagia sufferer compulsively and habitually bites his/her skin. Since many compulsive finger pickers also bite their fingers. The sufferers are termed as ‘wolf biters’ in medical lingo and doctors believe that Dermatophagia is related to OCD. Dermatophagia is a form of obsessive compulsive disorder Sufferers can feel the pain they inflict on themselves but the feelings of gratification and stress relief prevent them from stopping. The severity and extent of damage to the skin is variable. Stress and anxiety can trigger the compulsive skin biting.
i have this!! ive been struggling with it since i was 7. ive tried bandaids, ive tried everything. theres no cure because its a complusive problem, but for me, just “cold turkey-ing” it has been most successfull. my index finger knuckles are completely calloused, along with my thumb knuckles. i havent bit on either since late december! the skin has completely grown back but its always dry and still extremely calloused.
I have this habit since 3 years ago. Dry, sharp, hardened skin peripheral to my nails make me want to bite it. Another thing is I have eczema on my hands and it causes my nails to become pitted just like psoriasis nails. But now have stopped for about 1 month due to fasting in Ramadhan. Indeed, Ramadhan fasting helps me to stop this habit and regain healthy fingernails. On top of that, I apply Rosken probiotic cream to relief the eczema and it works like a charm. Alhamdulillah.