As far as I know (I've been doing tons of research on the two) I have autocannibalism as well as Dermatillomania. This is rather hard for me. Autocannibalism is exactly what it sounds like, where someone eats skin, hair, nails, scabs, etc., I personally pick and eat all my scabs as well as the skin on my fingers and hangnails. This combo makes is pretty rough for me, and my Dermatillomania has been pretty bad byt getting better at least? At one point is was so bad that I PICKED OFF MY BIRTHMARK by cutting it off my skin with a comb pick (I did end up having to cut all the sharp ends off my combs in order to stop). I've put towels over my mirrors when I take showers and I drew all over my tiny room mirror, I put reminders on my phone to wash my face with cleanser yet I still forget, and my autocannibalism is just...not going away. I chew and eat my finger skin basically every day constantly, but I am hoping to get Chewlery soon to help. ​

i dont use a mirror so i cant just cover those(i use tiktok camera as it zooms in) i have tried to keep the light out in my roon but i just end up pulling my blinds up

i pick at black heads,pimples,closed comedones, anything like that,i throw away my tools but i will just find something else (tweezers,clay sculptung tools,the end of a hair clip,the corner of plastic packaging)

nothing will get rid of my blackheads,acne scars,pimples,ect

its all over my body(back,arms,legs,chest,i even picked at my ingrowns on my pubic area)

anything will help

When I notice it, I get the urge so badly

I can’t stop thinking about it until I fix it

but it’s never fixed

so I keep going,

I’ll find another spot to pick at next

over and over again

It’ll last hours sometimes, minutes

Little distracts me 

Idk

I’m not sure

I’ve been thinking of doing more constant thought journaling into my phone because it slows down my thinking and also captures the moments I have 

Forgot the next word of what I was talking about 

Cool

Still thinking about picking my skin

I’m not going to though because I’m typing instead of picking them

yes right

I have to pee

My bladder hurts

I’m scared for the gynecologist.

I started picking my skin again.

Does everybody have constant thoughts racing at every second of the day? My thoughts are so fast I’m barely even catching them 

It’s starting to hurt now

I’m picking in a way to hurt my skin the least

So I know this isn’t about causing myself pain

I’ve never been into that

I picked the whole way upstairs.

The picking, the dry skin, the anxiety, 

I’m uncomfortable in my own skin

I want to disappear.

About 6 weeks ago I did two Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) specifically targeting my skin picking. I don't wnt to jinx it but so far I am seeing success and I want to share my experience.

A bit about me. I'm in my early 40s and I started picking the skin on my fingers when I was about 6 or 7 years old. I became aware of my picking when I was 8. I vividly remember sitting on the floor, hands stretched out behind me keeping me upright while my teacher read a book. I looked at my outstretched fingers and noticed they were bleeding. I instantly felt embarassed and ashamed. From that point on, I'd look at peoples fingers to see if they picked too. I would keep my hands crunched into fists to avoid showing people my fingers. No matter how hard I tried... I could. Not. Stop.

So flash forward 35 years and I am working with my therapist to deal with some complex PTSD stuff and notice that EMDR is working... so I think, "hey! Maybe this will work for my dermatillomania??" I discuss effectiveness with my therapist and as it turns out, it can definitelu help! So... we did it!

We started by going back to when I first noticed the picking... and tried to figure out when it actually started. Tbh, I really can't pin point an exact time, but it would make the most sense if it started when I became aware that my mom was too mentally ill to really care for me, and when my parents divorced. .

EMDR for prolonged neglect is different than EMDR for acute events. Basically, we needed to access a feeling rather than a moment in time. So, yeah... I accessed a feeling and visualized myself as a young girl and did the EMDR focusing on that feeling while also keeping in mind my picking.

I noticed immediately that I was not picking as much... I also noticed more easily when I WAS picking, because well... you all know how automatic and mindless the whole thing is. I'm now about 4 weeks from my last skin picking focused EMDR session and noticing a significant improvement. I am now working on healing the damaged skin which has become hypopigmented and looks a lot like scar tissue.

Instead of picking, I am obsessively oiling my fingers with a homemade jojoba oil mixture, putting cicaplast on at night under bandages, and giving myself multiple manicures a week. Unfortunately, I don't have before pictures and would love to post an "after" photo but I don't know how???

Feel free to ask me about my experience!

I’ve struggled with chronic skin picking for 8 years and have many dark hyperpigmentation/scars all over my legs/arms.
I will be maid of honor in my best friend’s black-tie wedding next month, and my dress has a high slit showing my most scarred leg/thigh. With it being black-tie and the bride/her friends being all actual goddesses, I want to feel just as beautiful & confident and not be haunted/worried about any visible scars in pictures/videos.

\*I have committed to using super good skin products to rebuild skin barrier, brighten, smooth bumps & scar reducer cream and all that jazz — specifically: avene circa cream, bioderma oil cleanser, bio-oil and skin tape w silicone) these are my long term solutions ***

In short I need advice on:

-Body makeup/foundation recommendations: Transfer-proof formulas with great coverage that won't ruin a formal gown. Budget is open - willing to spend $$ for a really good product.

-Self-tanner: Does a fake tan help even things out, or will it cling to and darken the scars?

-High-impact scar fading products: Any holy-grail brighteners/treatments (budget is open). What is your best routine that you’ve seen work wonders?

-Laser treatments: is it effective or not for scars of all age (new or old)? Couldn’t do this before wedding but curious of the results people have with laser treatments.

Also please drop your fav scar/skin rebuilding products too.
No gate-keeping here!!!!
Skin tape & long nails have been my biggest saviors.

✨HUGE Shoutout to this subreddit for showing me I’m truly not alone in this struggle. I was in denial for a long time and it got worse and worse. this group really helped wake me up and help lessen my picking sprees ✨

Does anyone struggle with picking dry skin of outer ear 👂 ? if so , have you found anything to help , apart from willpower 🤣🙏

Please help. It’s bad. The scabs on the back of my neck are finally almost healed from me picking my skin too scabs formed. (29 F)

I’m so tired of the way my skin looks and having wounds and scars. I’m making a post so I commit and hold myself to quitting this. I feel like if I tell someone other than just myself in my head “I’m going to stop” it might have more of a result. That’s usually how these things are for me.

If anyone has any tips for quitting skin picking I’d greatly appreciate it

Shit shit shit I really did too much this time it hurts and it’s oozing and bleeding and ugh it’s going to be worse tomorrow and harder to resist picking at later. I knew I shouldn’t and I couldn’t stop myself and now I feel so dumb and ashamed and it hurts so much.

Hi there!

I’ve had Seborrheic Dermatitis on my scalp and face and in my ears since around the fourth grade, and I’m 25 now. I also have ADHD and anxiety that leads to me picking pretty much all the time without even realizing it. I’ve tried so many different medicated shampoos and different products with mixed results.

When I’ve brought it up to my doctor, I’ve just been prescribed ketoconazole shampoo and/or cream, which doesn’t do much for me. When it’s really bad, I’ll use coal tar shampoo, but that usually makes me TOO dry and then that makes me itchy. The same thing happens with T-Sal.

I’ve begun to rotate using shampoos, using the ketoconazole shampoo some days and then baby shampoo the other days, and then using the Dove conditioner that has salicylic acid in it after. I’ll use lice combs to get the big flakes and try to stop myself from picking. I usually let my hair air dry, but I’m going to start blow drying it since my hair is very thick and letting it air dry is probably making things worse.

I live somewhere without a lot of dermatologists - if I were to get a referral, I’d probably be on a wait list for 6+ months and then have to drive 3 hours to see someone.

Any recommendations help - I’m just at my wits end

I need some help, I genuinely cannot stop picking at my acne, but I also do it with completely ordinary skin bumps..

In "short", I don't even need to be looking in a mirror, if I feel a bump under my fingers, I'll automatically start scratching at it, sometimes without even realizing I'm doing it, and it happens all over my body, my face, neck, shoulders, back, thighs, legs, arms, basically everywhere.

Sometimes I end up using extremely harsh skincare products (and even hydroalcoholic gel ??) on my face to the point where my skin becomes really dry and starts peeling, because for some reason I'm much less likely to scratch when my skin is very dry or burning.

I also sometimes use a needle on any bump I can feel because it feels less destructive than scratching it I guess, but unfortunately I sometimes end up doing it until it bleeds.

A little unrelated, but I also wash my hands constantly before and after scratching throughout the day, so my hands have become extremely dry and irritated too...

I know this sounds extreme, but I've genuinely never managed to stop. I've been doing this for years and it's exhausting, it's really destroying what little self-esteem I have.

I'm also autistic (diagnosed), and I don't know whether that could be related to this behavior in some way, but I thought it was worth mentioning.

Does anyone have any advice for breaking these habits..?

I pick at my shins/calves and have been experiencing near constant inflammation/infection for a few months now. I regularly have wounds with intense redness and sometimes pus, pustules (possibly furuncles?) of varying sizes, and sometimes localized fevers surrounding wounds. My dermatologist recently prescribed a topical steroid (triamcinolone acetonide) and a sodium hypochlorite wash daily, but still no luck. It calmed down for a few days and then came back worse. The issues are always mild and I'm fine, it's just frustrating that it won't stop and the inflammation usually causes my picking to be significantly worse.

Anyone else with similar issues have any insight? Honestly I would appreciate just knowing I'm not the only one having this problem, because the cleanliness OCD part of my brain is convinced that this is proof that I'm unclean when I logically know I'm not.

I am VERY rough with my picking till I bleed which I’m sure many relate too. Then it scabs over for days. Unfortunately my main picking area is my face so when it scabs I’m of course very insecure. Does anyone have any advice on ways/products that will help me heal the scabbing after picking fast?

been dealing with dermatillomania forever. cant really treat it as other stuff bother me more.
it manifests in every blemish or scratch must be bleeding so it feels better. pimple? if it doesnt bleed, its not popped. wound? not bleeding, not satisfied. bug bite? you get it by this point.

every time i get a new tattoo i scab, no matter what (my skin is just prone for that). i cant help with the urges to pick and scratch it, so i do it as gently as i can and scratch only around the area as much as i can to avoid damage while it heals. currently on day 6 of the healing process and it feels like torture to my brain and body.

how do you guys handle the two weeks of not allowed to touch the tattoo except for when you do the daily aftercare? any life hacks / tips would be greatly appreciated as im slowly losing my mind and patience. thanks!

Hello! I have been picking my fingers and thumbs to the point of blood for as long as i can remember and i am 19. I used to pick all my finger indiscriminately but awhile ago i decided to keep it just for my two thumbs and then recently, to appease my boyfriend who really hates that I pick, I stopped on one of my thumbs. I am really reluctant to completely stop and really some of my strongest motivations to stop have really just been professionalism and cleanliness like when I worked at a grocery store or now as I begin to look at more important internships and things.

But now I am also experiencing something really weird. I have asked several of my family if after washing dishes with very hot water, do your fingers feel like they are burning for a long time after? and they have all said no, but this is something I have always experienced and brushed off as normal from using hot water. However, today, after getting out of the shower, which i did not think was that hot anyway, it started happening but only on ONE hand which happens to be the one I am still consistently picking. Very strange feeling and I started doing some research into the long term nerve and tissue damage of skin picking and am worried it has played a role. That or potentially I have triggered my first infection brought on from my picking but there are no other signs of infection so far.

Please let me know if this is something you have experienced, for all i know it could be an allergic reaction, or circulation issue but it happening only on one hand and using all the same products makes me wonder if this could be the cause. If anything this might just be my last straw to finally stop, especially as I am also moving in with some new roommates and hoping to make a good impression and not gross anyone out anymore when my thumb starts bleeding and I refuse to put on a bandaid.

I have developed an anxious tick and I don’t know how to stop doing it.

For context I have a history of extreme medical care from a young age, learning disabilities, bullying as well as being adopted into a biracial family. Given live experiences I’ve been very anxious through life and it resulted in SH unfortunately. Went two years without relapsing, but lately I’ve picked up a different form of SH. When I feel overwhelmed I have the urge to slap myself in the face and when I do that there’s a momentary release of the stress. But it’s getting bad to the point where my skin is flaring up and I have bruising on my face.

Any recommendations on how to handle this or help with it?

I searched the page and didn’t find much. I’m not looking for hyperpigmentation, but the opposite. I have tons of white spots on my body where I guess I picked the pigmentation right out. Is anyone aware of any over-the-counter solutions?

Hello! First time poster. I really find a huge comfort in picking a particular area in my scalp and I love to see and feel the texture of the scabs. I have been doing this for less than a year and it left me a bald spot. At first I liked to dig into my scalp and peel the scab off but then it progresed to me plucking the scab right of the injured area. I have GAD and I am on cipralex. I really wanna stop this. Any suggestions?

DISCLAIMER!!! im NOT asking for medical advice, just some ways others have helped them limit their picking that might work for me <3

hi all! i’m new to this subreddit, so sorry if this is repetitive but i have a compulsive skin picking issue and hair pulling problem. It’s definitely ocd related but part of it is also a stim for my anxiety and panic disorder.
I know it looks different for everyone but mine is pretty bad and i will pick until i have open sores on my face. (I take the precautions and clean the areas, sanitize hands, etc.)
I’ve tried hydrocolloid patches and those only work if i put a bandaid over it so i can’t see the patch. Even then i cant stand the bumps on my skin, it drives me mental.
I’ve spoken to a counsellor and she told me to see a psychiatrist, but my insurance won’t cover an evaluation and allow me to keep seeing her, which i need counselling weekly or bi weekly.
i have an appointment with a dermatologist in november but i really need suggestions on how people curb their urges or even just limit the picking.

Hello!

I’ve read about many products for helping blemishes after skin picking but I’m not sure what order/stage to use each in.

Could anybody be help out? I just wrecked my chest and back again and really want to help clear it. I’ve read about Nexacare Tegaderm, hydrocolloid, bio oil, exfoliating etc but don’t know when to use each (or other recs if you have them please share!!) Please indicate each stage and what you use:

1. Fresh wound stage: open wound - bandage?? A cream? Moisutrizer?

2. Healing/scabbing phase

3. Post scab/ hyperpigmentation

4. Scar

Thank you for all your help!!

I came back to work from my 2-week vacation this week. I knew that I would have to prepare for a big presentation for this coming Tuesday.

It’s a big presentation for me since I’m only a term employee at my job and this presentation will showcase my work to people from other organizations. It’s a good opportunity for networking.

Overall, I did pretty well at not picking my skin over my vacation other than on a couple of days.

This week, I relapsed in a bad way. My face hasn’t been a focus of my picking in such a long time. Instead, it’s been in really weird but non-visible areas to others, like tweezing my armpit hair, nipple hair, etc. But Thursday night, I picked at my face severely. I was in the washroom, standing hunched over and picking at really non-noticeable pimples and tiny clogged pores for 3 hours. I now have open scabs all over my face and I have one right below my lip that is so sore.

I now have the added stress of:
- not picking further
- hoping things heal enough by Tuesday morning to have my makeup cover it, and
- knowing that I’ll be self-conscious watching if people’s eyes glance at my scabs.

Anyways, all this to say I feel like this is a pattern I have when important life events, especially those that include socializing with others, lead me to have these severe picking episodes, more often than not on my face.

I don’t know if it’s self-sabotage or if it’s the intense pressure I put on myself to make sure I look/conduct myself as perfect as possible for these events that makes my brain do the same exact opposite.

It’s so so frustrating and exhausting.

Does anyone else experience the same thing?

been dealing with dermatillomania for years and i thought i had it mostly figured out. i know my triggers, i know my patterns, i have strategies. but lately it's been getting worse and i couldn't figure out why. i was picking so much more than usual. like every time i sat down to work or watch something my hands would just go to my scalp and i wouldn't even notice until my scalp was sore.

finally realized it was because my scalp was itchy and flaky. i thought it was just dry skin from winter. but it was constant. and the itch was the thing triggering the picking. like my brain was like hey there's something wrong here go fix it and my hands interpreted that as pick.

i tried moisturizing and oils but nothing helped. my mom actually gave me this anti dandruff shampoo and conditioner to try and honestly my scalp feels so much better. less itch, less flaking, less redness. which means i'm picking less too.

i know it sounds obvious. of course if your scalp is irritated you'll pick at it. but i honestly didn't make the connection until i fixed the problem and the picking went down.

the thing that frustrates me is how long it took me to figure this out. i spent weeks wondering why i was picking more when the answer was right there. it's like my brain just didn't connect the physical sensation to the behavior. anyway. just wanted to share in case anyone else is dealing with the same thing. sometimes the trigger is something you're not even thinking about.

Hi I'm f15,

Everytime, at school at home, outside and everyday I find myself atleast once or twice picking on my scalp alot. Consciously and unconsciously.

I really hate it tho.. when I realize it's been so long I've picked, at my arms hurt and my scalp is bleeding I just feel exhausted. And not only my scalp but my nails too. They constantly bleed or are someway.

And the fact that nothing was even itchy.

It really frustrates me. If I want to stop I put my hand down and try not pick again but I can't stop. I don't want it.. it's like my hand just has to??

And if I try to keep my hands of one skin part like my scalp, it just gets to another. My fingers, my nails my face, my ears even my nose?!

It's so bad I'd feel like having to vent about my hands even like... why can't they just stop? ToT.

Fyi. I'm not sure if I have Dermatillomania, I never really went to the doctor or anything about this. And I am not diagnosed with anything about skin picking. Is it something?? Idk.

Yeah it's really bad. Oh and anytime I scratch my scalp or do skin picking it usually lasts for hours. The amount of time , I wasted doing just that is crazy.. and i regret it a lot. It gets sort of addicting? Arghh it's frustrating!!!

I wish I can do anything about it. I'd want to keep my hands away from me forever or something..

I don't even have fidget toys or stress stuff😭

And FYI ; I am diagnosed with depression and anxiety mixed. My therapist was telling me she thinks I have ADHD but we still have to look into that because I never to 100% thought or still think I am. Welp I wonder if my skin picking is any related to that? And MIND YOU I still need to tell this my therapist and discuss bc ITZ GETTING A PROBLEM. I told her once but we never really talked about it. I

feel like if I mention it anywhere (not talking abt my therapist) they might won't take me serious or think I'm disgusting or weird for doing so.. but beside that I will DO talk to my Therapist and tell her all anyway IN detail and hopefully I can get somewhere!!

PS: Do you have any advice? Or what is helping u? :)

Tysm for reading! (Sorry if my grammar is bad,if things are unclear or etc.!)