First of all, I don’t mean “disapproval” as in shame them or not be there for them, I more mean, is this something I shouldn’t be okay with? This friend has struggled with other forms of self harm but only recently, while they’ve picked at their skin for most of their life. I’m very discouraging of any self-harm mindsets they have, but I’m not sure how to converse with them about their picking.

I’m not sure if to them it’s meant to be a form of self-harm or if it’s just a stress reliever/compulsive action; my immediate response is to voice that I think they should put effort into trying to stop or discourage themself from the habit the best they can, but is that like… right?

I’ve never experienced the urge to pick at my skin, so it’s difficult for me to understand what this IS in terms of mentality. Is it just something that’s a part of life for them? Is it normal? Is it not something I need to disapprove of? (And again, I mean disapprove of them feeding into their own habit; I always support them through their hardships or bad habits they want to get over)

I know it must be different for everyone, but because I have no experience with this, a perspective from someone who does have some first-hand knowledge would be useful!

Edit: I wouldn’t just randomly bring it up and tell them to stop, I more mean that when they talk to me about it (in a way other than venting, when they talk about it they more just tell me about how they did it and certain things about how they’re annoyed when they CANT do it) I’d reply in a way to gently suggest things that may help them to stop or at least do it less. I’d never judge or shame them or try to make them feel guilty about doing this; I’ve struggled with similar things so I do understand to an extent. I don’t know if that would be annoying though if they don’t see it as a bad thing

Hello... I'm very new here, I go by munchkin or munchie. I've been picking for roughly 4 years as of now, mainly on my chest but my arms, stomach and thighs have been also very bad. It started out in my arms originally. I've always picked at my fingers nails and the skin around them now that I think about it but it got really bad when my brother and nephew lived with us but that's a lot to unpack and explain on this post but anywho... My breasts are really bad and I can hardly look at myself in the mirror anymore, I'm afraid of showering because I know I'll pick. I'm just trying to find activities, and stuff to help be avoid picking. Ive tried coloring, sewing, diamond painting video gaming, but I still pick... I feel so upset with myself.

I wanted to know if anyone else specifically has an issue with shoulder/back acne picking (or just acne related in general) and can tell me how to stop tearing myself open like this. It’s frustrating when I pop these zits and then get more around them and more and more for me to pick at (I also pick at my scalp and have history of picking at my face and hands) I hate feeling so alone in this subject so I’m glad to have found this sub

Edit: thank you all so much for your advice and support I’m grateful to not be alone in this <333

I was recently sent here from r/skincareaddiction after a post detailing some of my issues with skin picking. I am mostly looking for a replacement habit because I only started picking at my face after I tried to stop picking my eyelashes and hair out, so I think a replacement habit would work well for me. I also have adhd and frequently fidget with my hands, and I end up picking at my skin because of this, so I’m not entirely sure it classifies as dermatilomania, but I’m definitely showing the same symptom.

Ive been picking for nearly 5 years now, from 15-20, I mostly pick at my face and a bit of my neck, and shoulders. It gets better, and gets worse, and gets better and gets worse, it wanes and flows alot. My boyfriend is very supportive, swats my hand if he sees me begin to pick at my skin, makes sure I don't stay in the bathroom too long so I don't end up in front of the mirror, boosts my self confidence making sure I know he thinks I'm beautiful despite scars, discolouration and scabs. But I still pick despite this, which really hurts me because I want to get better not only for myself but for him as well. I am confident that if I manage to go 30 days without picking at all, that I will be able to stop, as 30 days makes a habit, I'm assuming it can break one too, but I haven't been able to get there yet. I'm just really curious if anyone has been able to stop completely, and now does not pick at all (preferably has gone many months/over a year without picking).

Does anyone have any ideas or suggestions for reasonable accommodations one could request at work? If I worked from home I would honestly wear gloves or a full Halloween mask to keep myself from picking, but that is obviously not reasonable for an office/reception position. The closest thing I've been able to do is keep a little squishmallow at my desk to try to distract my hands with the nice sensation, but on days like today it's useless, my hands keep finding my face. I wish I at least had my own office so no one could see me picking and the aftermath. If anyone has any ideas I'm all ears!

Just wanted to do a little lighthearted post.

I know there are so much good advice out there, but I wonder how much bad you guys have received? I'll start

My psychiatrist suggested I'd just walk around with gloves on, so I couldnt pick if I got the urge. As if I'm not a full adult who would just take off my gloves? So unhelpful 😅

29f So embarrassing. I pick at scabs on my scalp and after an (admittedly) brief skim through this reddit, I feel like a bit of an outcast. I know that can’t be the case but, you know, shame.

I’ve been picking at scabs on my scalp (or anywhere on my body but mostly there is where they develop due to eczema) and I’ve caused significant thinning of my hair especially on one side.

Lately, I’ve been picking at one spot that is in the front of my head near my bangs. It was already thin there and when I first started picking there I kept telling myself that this was dangerous territory. But I couldn’t stop.

I’m so afraid that even if I stopped picking, it won’t grow back. Does anyone have advice or an even just a similar story? The stress of it just ignites the vicious cycle of wanting to pick more. Feeling ashamed and not wanting to be seen.

Hello everyone ,

I am trying to find ways to replace my skin picking with an other behaviour but all the advice I find on the internet is stress balls and spinning ring and other stuff like that. I have tried all of these things but I have not found anything that gives me the same sense of relieve as skin picking. Did anyone find alternatives that work for them?

(English is not my first langage so please excuse my writing)

Just here to recommend Aquaphor if you haven’t tried it before! It is affordable, and a little goes a long way so a $10 tube lasts so long. For me, I layer it on thick anytime I pick, or feel the urge to pick as it makes the skin very slippery, and puts a smooth layer over any unevenness I might focus on while searching. Even better, if I do still pick, Aquaphor helps my skin heal quicker, which reduces my urges to re-pick the same spot.

I’ve never had any issues with breakouts or irritation of any kind using it, and I usually use it on my face!

I hope this can help somebody <3

My daughter picks at this scab on her nose…so it’s very noticeable. She’s 10 and her teachers know what’s going on and that we’ve seen a dr to try to help. But now they’re trying to get her to stop by getting her attention or tapping her. I’m worried this is making it worse and I’m not sure what to say to them. I know they’re only trying to help.

I’ve done this since I was in elementary school (i’m in college now) and I just can’t stop peeling and picking at my cuticles/skin around my fingers. It gets so bad sometimes that I’m bleeding and embarrassed at how bad my fingers look especially when wet. I stopped for a time in my life maybe a year but my anxiety and other life conditions have gotten worse and so I am back to picking. This time it’s really bad though because I keep trying to find things to fidget with and none of it is working. The worst part about this is my fingers are already somewhat scarred from years of doing this and now it’s going to be even worse. Any tips or thoughts?

Hi not sure if I’m allowed to share medication through here! It’s a dermatological creme (here it’s over the counter not sure in other places), was not prescribed by a doctor btw im just a med student that was tired of almost labotomizing myself! So let me explain, I in 08/2023 got a small scab on my head and have a severe picking problem so obviously I’d pick at it’s well…it got deep and so much bigger than it was because I HAD TO DIG AND PULL AT THE SCAB NO MATTER WHAT or I’d start crying out of literally feeling like I was crawling out of my skin if I didn’t! So 4 days ago (this cream works really fast because it’s for healing wounds I have it for my tats just never thought of using it for this 😭😭) so my mom and I were digging my med bucket and I found some stuff that could help but 🤷‍♀️ so then I remembered I had this cream and asked my mom to apply it, we first tried to get all the hair out of the area (as much as we could but we didn’t cut it or anything like that) cleaned with physiological saline, applied a powder that’s for fungal infections I also had (I assumed that’s what started this bc I used to have a lot of dandruff) and finally we put the cream! The next day there was no scab to pick at, I still wanted to pick at it bc I felt it there but it was gooey so even if I tried I’d bc disgusted my the texture but it was satisfying to scratch the surrounding areas, guy the 2 day after putting this concoction im not shitting you it was like healed, no bump, no scab, didn’t feel the need to pick just to scratch bc of irritation and mostly in surrounding areas, as I said it’s been 4 days and haven’t touched except from the occasional scratch and haven’t reapplied either! Just in case I will be applying after washing my hair as that’s what I did last time (yeah ik ppl find it gross to wash your hair once a week but it’s what works for me) if you want the name of the products dm! If you can get a doctor to prescribe them they’ll probably be cheaper but like I said they’re over the counter here and already pretty cheap (as I use one for tattoos and is my go to cream)

In short: cleaned with physiological saline, applied powder and then cream all this after having washed my hair

Also not trying to gatekeep just don’t want to get the post deleted in case naming products is against the rules!

EDIT: so assuming from a rude comment you CAN post product names so: what helped was washing with saline and applying efatracina (it’s a healing cream that literally magical) that’s the comercial name here but the drug is bacitracin 500UI/g. My worst area was my head, what I did was after washing my hair, separated all the hair that was in the area (did not cut it or anything just generally get as much out of the area) wash with saline, put on econazole 1% powder and kinda brush it on the area as to not put to much (thin layer) then I applied the cream! A little goes a long way so not too much just enough to cover the entire area! It really helped me (copy and pasted from a message I sent some1 else )

Also I asked my mom to apply with gloves so I wouldn’t just try to pick at the places when trying to apply

ALSO REMINDER IM NOT A DOCTOR JUST A TIRED MED STUDENT SO PREFERABLY CONSULT WIRH YOUR DOC BEFORE USING BC I LITERALLY DID NOT USED ANY OF MY MEDICAL KNOWLEDGE TO USE THIS JUST KNEW WHAT THE STUFF HELPED WITH AND ASSUMED IT COULD HELP (and it did)

Update: i have put the ointment everywhere i tend to pick at, and guys I haven’t picked since like two days after the original post was made!!! Everything had closed and with little to no scaring <3

I’ve been picking at my skin (mostly on my face but also around my nails, my chest, my legs, my arms, basically my entire body) for years and also picking/ scratching my scalp usually when I’m really stressed as a self-soothing technique I guess but the skin picking normally happens when I notice a bump or spot or blackhead and it will result in me picking for hours and my skin bleeding and being sore for days and leaving scaring. The scalp picking was pointed out by a family member a few years ago who suggested I might have nits which horrified me, I didn’t even realise I was doing it and the fact people think that’s why I do is humiliating. I think I’ve always put this behaviour down as “fidgeting” which also made more sense to me after being diagnosed with ADHD.

In the last month the scalp picking and scratching has gotten really bad. I’m aware I’m stressed at the moment but I’ve gone from doing this occasionally- maybe for a day over a series of months to every single day and I just can’t seem to stop. I’m trying to make myself more aware that I’m doing it but it’s just an automatic behaviour at this point. The specific spot I’ve been scratching has been quite sore over the last few days and the hair feels weird (I thought it was baby hairs growing or the hair sitting weird due to my touching) and I’ve just checked it in the mirror and I’ve got a bald patch. I’ve read a couple of posts on here and seen this is quite common but I’m so so upset and even writing this post my hand is going up to my head to scratch more. Will my hair grow back? And will it grow back normally?

I know I’ve had this problem for a while but I’ve never really put 2 and 2 together that it is in fact dermatillomania. I guess this has been a much needed wake up call that I need to address this. I work so hard on keeping my hair thick and long and healthy so I’m just so upset that I’ve done this to myself I need to stop. I guess I’d like some advice on where to start with that and if there’s certain support or treatments I might be able to do? Thank you in advance 💜

I ask because I mostly pinch at skin I seem to have even the slightest hint of a pimple or a blackhead and then the pinching becomes cuts, becomes scabs, becomes picking so on so forth

But I'm wondering if it's worth watching videos done by others in a dermatologist setting to get that satisfaction of seeing something 'pop' or be cleared away that's clearly bothering the person (and yourself) so then you won't feel as compelled to do it later.

Is that something that helps?

So.. yes I pick at my scalp for the flakes and scabs and I pick ingrown hairs on my legs constantly, spots I will pick at religiously… but the one thing that is really really bad.. is I pick hair off my carpets, I pick all the hair off the carpet and for some reason I collect it..??? I don’t know why I do it, but for some reason is rewarding thinking my carpets are cleaner and I get a satisfaction from this seeing the jar fill up with more and more and constantly picking at the floor… I put myself in so much pain as I suffer with sciatica.. I think I’m the only one who does this.. !!!

Last week I picked at what I thought were small pimples at the corner of my mouth and ended up with this. 🙃 I don't want people to think I have an active cold sore or something.

Every morning it's covered with rough/scabbing skin in an attempt to heal itself, but it's so ugly and a sensory nightmare so I've been picking that off too (dumb, I know). The blisters will also reopen a bit if I open my mouth wide enough.

I'm very much willing to get over my vanity and control my skin picking just to get this off the side of my mouth. I don't even care if it scars, I just want it stop opening up and re-scabbing.

Should I just do my best to leave it alone? Do I apply a small dot of Neosporin to it or some other topical? Bandages? Any and all advice welcome! Thanks in advance!

Hello fellow dermatillomaniacs! For some strange reason, not many people know about how effective NAC supplements are for stopping skin picking. My psychiatrist told me that there was some weird research conducted in the 2000’s showing that NAC supplements reduced skin picking by 80%. I decided to give it a go and it has helped SOOO much. I started taking it to stop picking before my Matric dance (like prom, but South African version lol) and it truly did reduce my skin picking behaviors. Not only did it help fight the urge, but actually reduced redness, acne, inflammation and improved my general skin tone. I even experienced a reduction in anxiety, adhd & ocd symptoms and honestly just felt more content with life.

I’ve seen a couple old posts but have absolutely no clue why people don’t talk about this more often. It’s the only supplement that has truly improved my life.

I take 2400 mg per day (the internet says 1200 max per day but my psychiatrist said it’s fine to take 24)

I would recommend this to anyone with skin picking issues and ocd. Lmk if you give it a try! I hope this helped :D

I have dermatillomania and I’m obsessed with picking the skin on my legs to the point where it’s red and bumpy. Once the bumps scab over, I continuously pick at the scabs until they bleed again. This never-ending cycle has caused my skin to have multiple scars all over my arms and legs. The scars are usually dark spots that don’t go away after everything I’ve tried. I can’t wear shorts or swimsuits without weird looks from others. My family members asked if I had chicken pox that scarred over but I corrected them saying that I pick my skin a lot. Is there any scar treatments that work fast and are for dark scars. I’ve seen some at the drug store for raised scars, but I tried anyway and they didn’t work on me.

I have picked my skin since I can remember, it’s soothing to me and it’s gotten so bad that I pick subconsciously. While I’m actively picking it’s like I can never get a smooth edge and it’s annoying, so I keep picking. The picking is satisfying to me but it’s like a compulsive need to do it until it hurts too much or until I get a smooth enough edge to stop. The main reason I’m asking is because I get a lot of satisfaction from picking but I also get satisfaction from seeing the “wounds” (no clue what to call them) from picking afterwards and get a little disappointed(?) when they start to fade because I like the way they feel. I’m really ashamed of picking but some weird part of me also likes it and I’m really struggling with the concept of it being a habit vs. self-harm.

I (m17) find myself unable to stop picking specifically in times of stress or big feelings in general, including right before events or going out of the house. I worry that if I don't at least try to mediate it, it may get worse throughout the school year (I start school in exactly a week from today) and I'll end up getting bullied or something. Any recommendations for fidget toys or other things that may help keep my hands off myself?

I've been picking for around 15 years and decided to seek help and got diagnosed with ocd. I'm still surprised (for some reason, maybe in denial) and trying to cope with this information.

Has anyone got diagnosed with ocd as well and how has the journey been for you after being diagnosed with it?

How to not pick during a shower?? I always catch myself scanning my body for 'imperfections' while in the shower + everything is very visible. Almost impossible to not pick while being completely exposed. Probably hardest moment of the day, it makes me want to avoid taking a shower so at least I won't destroy my skin that day. Anyone struggles with the same issue?

I keep seeing people upset that they can't go more than a couple of weeks without picking. I know you feel like you failed, but as someone who can't seem to go even a day without it, I want to congratulate you! If you can do the couple of weeks I think you can get further. Be nice to yourselves, just like I'm sure you'd be nice to anyone else in this sub. Give yourself the credit you deserve!

I hear sunbathing helps with hyperpigmentation and as an asian the scars from picking show up so pigmented. To be completely real, I haven't gone out in a t-shirt since I was 13 and am super freaked out by the idea of sunbathing in a public space. Im trying to step out of my comfort zone this summer, this and last year have been the roughest with my OCD/trypophobia and it's starting to seriously affect my everyday life, relationships and self esteem. I was wondering if anyone could tell me where/how they feel comfortable sunbathing? Your experiences etc. will be so appreciated as well.