Knuckles

The knuckles are among other things an important metaphorical symbol in……..Italian Mob Movies. You know — brass knuckles, knuckle sandwiches, macho “knuckle cracking”, etc etc.

But seriously, knuckles are an important part of hand physiology. They are the base joints of the fingers that are most prominent when the hand is clenched into a fist. A compulsive finger picker normally wouldn’t target the knuckles to pick at, unless they were particularly callused or had scabs or other sores on them.

But the other knuckles on the finger — let’s call them the “finger knuckles” — are often quite juicy and tempting to pick for someone suffering from dermatillomania. They are more apt to become cracked and peel during dry seasons, for example. And as we all know, nothing tempts a compulsive picker more than a peeling layer of skin.

Some random — though interesting — tidbits on knuckles:

• The wrinkles on the back of the finger knuckles are actually dimples, and mark areas where the skin is attached to the tendon beneath the skin
• A famous cartoon echidna (weird Australian animal) from the “Sonic The Hedgehog” video game series was named “Knuckles” for his sharp, spiky brass knuckles
• Cracking your knuckles does not cause arthritis

Some other odd parts of the fingers:

• Between the Fingers (aka “webbing”)
• Finger Pads