Nail Biting Online Support Group

Compulsive nail biting is a body focused repetitive behavior that results in the destruction of one's own fingernails and often the skin around the nails and cuticles. Nail-biting is fairly common, but for some it is more than just a bad habit. It can become quite serious, as people who suffer from compulsive nail-biting may experience bleeding, bruises, infections, or even permanent damage to the fingers. The behavior is often unconscious, and people with this compulsion may have difficulty stopping because they may be unaware of their actions. Compulsive Nail Biting is also called onychophagia. Compulsively biting just the skin is called dermatophagia. Theses behaviors are classified by psychiatrists as a type of impulse control disorder.

Source:  http://www.brainphysics.com/nail-biting.php