| Onychotillomania | |
|---|---|
 | |
| The fingernail of a subject exhibiting the signs of the neurosis | |
| Specialty | Psychiatry  |
Onychotillomania is a compulsive behavior in which a person picks constantly at the nails or tries to tear them off. [1] It is not the same as onychophagia, where the nails are bitten or chewed, or dermatillomania, where skin is bitten or scratched. Onychotillomania can be categorized as a body-focused repetitive behavior in the DSM-5 and is a form of skin picking, also known as excoriation disorder.
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It can be associated with psychiatric disorders such as depressive neurosis, delusions of infestation [2] and hypochondriasis. [3]
It was named by Jan Alkiewicz, a Polish dermatologist. [4]
The constant destruction of the nail bed leads to onychodystrophy, paronychia [5] and darkening of the nail. [6]
Some cases have been treated successfully with antipsychotics. [7]
One cheap solution suggested by researchers is to cover the proximal nail fold with a Cyanoacrylate glue. "The mechanism of action for improvement is probably related to the presence of an obstacle to picking." [8]
