Body-Focused Repetitive Behaviors.....

Our society likes short hand, so let us talk about BFRB, or Body-Focused Repetitive Behaviors.  There are three categories hair pulling or Trichotillomania, skin picking or Dermatillomania and nail biting or Onychophagia.  All of these problems are related to anxiety disorders.  This is when someone has the compulsion to pick, pull or scratch the hair, skin or nails.  So because it is a compulsion and can be an obsession, then we like to put it in the category of substance abuse or an eating disorder.  Because it is an impulse control problem.  There is 3% of the population with this problem.  There is only a 20% chance of the therapy having any effect, long term.  Most of the therapy is centered around cognitive behavioral therapy and medications.

LENS neurofeedback can help the part of the brain that is responsible for these subconscious behaviors without drugs and any side effects.  I have seen people without any finger nails and they keep chewing.  It is a mess, try it out it is inexpensive and can help in many ways.