Introduction Psychosocial and physical complications Assessing the impact Nail biting and dysmorphia Treatment
Onychophagia is the clinical name for fingernail biting. It is a common stress-related or nervous habit in children and adults. It involves biting off the nail plate, and sometimes the soft tissues of the nail bed and the cuticle as well. Onychophagia is a type of onychotillomania, which includes the habit of picking or otherwise manipulating the nails - for example, habit-tic nail deformity.
Some researchers believe that nail biting is a result of a delay or dysfunction in the oral stage of psychological development.
Onychophagia can cause distress, emotional tension or social embarrassment. It is associated with other habit disorders, including trichotillomania and compulsive skin picking.
While it does not cause them, onychophagia is associated with a variety of psychiatric disorders, including:
It is also important to note that nail biting can also cause physical problems, including:
While there is no assessment tool specific to onychophagia itself, some research has centred on the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire. This mental health tool is able to assess a variety of emotional and behaviour problems, including inattention and hyperactive behaviour, emotional symptoms, conduct problems, and prosocial behaviour. When dealing with onychophagia, it can be useful to consider the issues covered in this questionnaire as a way to look for relationships/associations that may influence the individual’s nail-biting habit.
If left untreated, severe onychophagia can lead to dysmorphic dental problems, including:
These problems can affect the individual’s physical appearance, but this can be avoided if the nail-biting habit is broken early.
The treatment for onychophagia depends on the severity of the nail-biting habit:
