Why do I bite my nails?

Many of us will be familiar with Body-Focused Repetitive Behaviours (BFRBs), perhaps without even realising it. Such behaviours - which include hair-pulling, nail biting and skin picking - can not only cause physical harm, but also often bring feelings of shame. Because of this, open discussion around BFRBs has been limited. In this episode of The Big Questions Podcast, we chat to Prof Clare Mackay from Oxford's Department of Psychiatry, who both studies and lives with BFRBs.

You can listen to Why do I bite my nails? online on Radio and Podcast. Open the player on this page to stream the available audio.

Why do I bite my nails? is an episode from Oxford Sparks Big Questions by Fiona Jones.

This episode is 14:56 long.

This episode was published on Oct 29, 2025.

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