What is dermatophagia?

Correct answer: Skin biting

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What people think about it: 40 Comments
Jethrine321
Jethrine321
I'm glad to learn there are possible treatments for this. I will be looking into this now because I need help.
nimblemoon
nimblemoon
I'm with everyone. I'm a lip biter, a bad childhood habit resulting from having far too much stress when I was little. Please, everyone, always be loving and patient with your little ones.
LibraLady1010
LibraLady1010
"Derma" was a dead giveaway.
Player #1962153
Player #1962153
Yup I’m with everyone else, I do this and didn’t know it was a recognised thing!
Player Tamsen
Player Tamsen
wow. I do this. Never ever thought about it. I'm going to fix this habit.
momkit
momkit
I am also a skin biter..caused by stress. It's a painful habit that is soo hard to overcome.
Player #184894
Player #184894
"Derma" is skin in Greek and "phagia" is the action of eating also in Greek.
MALICE
MALICE
yea, I do this with the inside of my mouth and lips
MyLifeMyWay
MyLifeMyWay
a kid in my class years ago use to do this and I thought wow what has happened to him to hurt himself so much. poor kid.
Player #186569
Player #186569
Scandinavian through and through: I also bite the skin around my finger nails and my nails to. Have for many years. It's soothing.
Kate
Kate
I didn't know this was a 'thing' I've bitten and eaten the skin on my lips as long as I can remember...
Player #129810510
Player #129810510
LibraLady1010, As was Phagia!
Cat Mom
Cat Mom
Neli Holliday, YUK, mouth meat
Cat Mom
Cat Mom
navyani, prayers for you!
Cat Mom
Cat Mom
toe jam, did that happen?
Cat Mom
Cat Mom
Player Tamsen, prayers for you
Cat Mom
Cat Mom
momkit, prayers for you!
Cat Mom
Cat Mom
Jethrine321, prayers for you!
brickmartian
brickmartian
I compulsively chew my nails, and have since a child! This leads to the occasional nip at loose skin that is in the way! I broke this habit for about 10 years, but when I ripped a nail on a job I bit it off to keep from snagging it, and have been chewing again since!
Wen
Wen
I didn't know there was a name for this, very interesting.
Truth
Truth
anyone ever deal with those on autism spectrum who do this? My friend just started Naltrexone to block benefit/endorphins received from behavior. Hope it helps, nothing else has.
Cris
Cris
Jethrine321, Many people put their fingers in their mouth because their cuticles are very dry. If you use cuticle oil or a heavy moisturizer before bed that will moisturize them and end the problem. If that doesn’t keep you from the “habit” then seek other solutions.
Player #113245786
Player #113245786
mmmm nothing like a lip -biter ..
rhay
rhay
I chew the inside of my mouth. Never saw it as a disorder though. Now I know there's a name for it.
jennifer
jennifer
toe jam, same
KDL
KDL
I do this before on my fingers, but right now i don't do it because in my Province in the Philippines. the elder says theirs something bad gonna happen to one of your family.
Belinda
Belinda
I'm also guilty of the fact. Glad to know I'm not the only one!
KennyG
KennyG
I do this because when I cut my finger nails the calluses grow to become too uncomfortable to the sides of my fingers I feel it's more of a grooming thing for me
Gou
Gou
nimblemoon, I also bite my own lips, because I am still a child
Tamara
Tamara
Now I know the name for when I chew on my cheeks.
Tamara
Tamara
gross, but I guess as with any disorder the person is ill.
Stregoica
Stregoica
Exellent i had know it noe
toe jam
toe jam
when I was a teenager, l would poke at every pimple or blackhead that would pop up. people would tell me to leave them alone. l wouldn't listen to them. they said your going to be a pot face. then people will call you scar face.
navyani
navyani
I have this and I can't stop even if I wanted. The impulse to bite my fingers is big even when the area bleeds and is painful.
Sly
Sly
Derma- skin
Old Man
Old Man
nimblemoon, great...apriciating
GMG
GMG
i bite my lips but only because i want to remove the dead skin when my lips go dry. does that mean I have dermaphagia?
josephine
josephine
im also one of this type.i bite my nails of skin when i did something wrong or bored.i can't stop it.
Neli Holliday
Neli Holliday
I'm a lip biter, but also eat the meet inside my cheek and mouth. it's been 20 years and cannot stop, didn't k ow there was a treatment wow
rmoss84
rmoss84
Welp, I guess I have a condition! I bite the inside of my cheeks and the skin around my fingers. thought it was a habit, not an actual medical condition