Question

My grand daughter has had a problem with her finger tips for over a year now. It began in the spring, and has continued to be a problem..Her finger tips are so calloused now from the cracking and peeling, which she contributes to, by biting the skin off. Unfortunately, we can’t seem to get her to stop biting the skin off her fingers. We use bacitracin and band aids for the deeply cracked and bleeding fingers, but just when they look like they are healing…she is biting the skin off again. A special note…she seems to have the bleeding finger tips after going through something that makes her nervous…or upset. My question to you is do you think this is an emotional/behavioral problem, or do you think this is some type of medical condition? Thank you. Patty

Answer

Hi Grandma, It sounds more like her behavior making her anxious, and then biting or chewing on her fingers. A lot of children can do this, and it can be a passing phase. To answer your question…no, it does not sound like a medical condition, but just from behavior. It may be helpful to place some Vaseline and cover the tips with band aids before going to bed. I would be interested in what she is going through that she becomes so emotional. If her behavior becomes disruptive to home or school, she may benefit from “talking it out” with a counselor. Sincerely, Mike Pappas MD