Is constant picking your skin around the cuticle a disorder?

I have this problem that I cannot stop doing. I have been biting and picking the skin at the tips of my fingernails since I was a little girl. They are constantly red and irritated, sometimes bleeding. It gets bad around stressful times, but then it continues afterward for a while. Is it just a bad habit or a problem? Sometimes it gets painful and I can't stop. I have quit consecutively for nine months when I was pregnant, but started back after giving birth. I am afraid that I will contract a disease or something if I touch another open wound or something. Please tell me who I can contact. I just went to see my parents and now I am at my worst. I am finally admitting to someone that this is a problem other than just discusting and I need help.

Is constant picking your skin around the cuticle a disorder?
this problem can be a disorder called onychophagy which is caused by excessive nail biting


*apperance -very little nailplate (nail


-buulbous skin at the finger tip


-nail walls are ofen red and swollen


due to biting of the skin surrounding the nail


(treatment)-regular weekly manicures


-cuticle treatment to maximise the visible nail plate area


(home care advice)-try a clear nail varnish called nail biting in the sally hansan range as this prevent u from biting your nails as the taste of the nail varnish is horrible


-wear gloves to avoid biting ..................i hope this infomation helps u
Reply:no not really but it is called stress or bordem to me it sound like when your stressed out and a reck you take it out on your hands trye yoga or trye mediation
Reply:there's this wonderful new thing called modern medicine that is practiced by doctors... they have medication for everything; just go see one. =] good luck!
Reply:I think you want to talk to a mental health professional. It likley has to do with anixiety an stress . I do similar things when I am stressed.


medication can help
Reply:yes it is considered self mutilation a very subtle form of it, i do the exact same thing i used to bite my nails too but i made myself stop that and now i just pick at my cuticles and the skin above below and at the sides of my nails. stress worsens it. what you need to do is get an anti anxiety medication lexapro works for me but then there is paxil prozac effexor all kinds of things and i know everyone frowns on them coz they think you are drugged up but all the medication does is normalize your seritonin levels so you function like everyone else. and i also go to the free mental health clinic and you should have one in your county and recieve free therapy and they also get my medication for cheaper and give you samples and stuff i also take dilantin for my seizures and the dilantin makes me shakey and stressed so ive started doing it again. but trust me there is nothing wrong with taking anti anxiety meds god wont frown on you he gave us the ability to create this stuff just dont take anything like xanax or ativan you will get addicted and trust me the withdrawls are bad.