Onychotillomania Explained
| Onychotillomania |
| Caption: | The hands of a subject exhibiting the signs of the neurosis |
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 excorciation disorder.
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]
See also
Notes and References
- Book: James WD, Berger T, Elston D . Andrews' Diseases of the Skin: Clinical Dermatology . 2006 . Saunders Elsevier . Philadelphia . 978-0-7216-2921-6 . 10th.
- 4076493 . 171 . 3 . Onychotillomania. 2 case reports . 1985 . Ameen Sait M, Reddy BS, Garg BR . Dermatologica . 200–2 . 10.1159/000249420.
- Kim MH, Park HJ, Lee JY, Cho BK . Two Cases of Onychotillomania. . Korean J Dermatol . 0494-4739 . July 2006 . 44 . 7 . 855–857 . Korean .
- Grzybowski A, Zaba R . 2009. Professor Jan Alkiewicz, MD, and his influence on 20th century dermatology and mycology . . 27 . 3. 317–322 . 19368061 . 10.1016/j.clindermatol.2008.10.009. free .
- Book: Harth W, Gieler U, Kusnir D, Tausk F . Clinical Management of Psychodermatology . 21 . Berlin . Springer . 2009 . 978-3-540-34718-7.
- 2242780 . 181 . 2 . Nail biting and picking as a possible cause of longitudinal melanonychia. A study of 6 cases . 1990 . Baran R . Dermatologica . 126–8 . 10.1159/000247900.
- Hamann K . 1982 . Onychotillomania treated with pimozide (Orap) . . 62 . 4. 364–366 . 6183881 .
- Ring DS . Inexpensive solution for habit-tic deformity . Archives of Dermatology . 146 . 11 . 1222–3 . November 2010 . 21079056 . 10.1001/archdermatol.2010.287 . free .
