dermatillomania

[fimimifi]

Anyone else suffer from dernatillomania or skin picking disorder?

I pick the skin around my nails (ends up being most of my finger a lot of the time) until they bleed and can't seem to stop. I tell myself I just need to pick one more bit to make it neat and then I'll stop but there's always more to pick. It looks awful and I'm in pain a lot of the time - especially now I'm constantly having to wash my hands and put on hand gel.

I'd love to hear from others with the same problem so I don't feel so alone. Also love to hear from anyone who has overcome or found tools to help get it under control.

Thank you.

I haven't quit picking but I've turned it into something slightly more productive... i got a nice set of tweezerman tweezers and I now sit and take all the hairs out of my legs. It's very relaxing. (And so weird to people who don't get it. But you know how it is.)

Obv only works when I'm at home but has been quite a good distraction

I do it to my scalp. I've managed to stop for a while but I will start up again I always do.

Me! I've done it for over 30 years! Fingers and lips. Sertraline made me almost completely stop so it must be anxiety related. Not on that anymore though due to side effects being bothersome. Hand cream and lip balm help. I've just had to accept it as something I do. I kinda love it tbh It can be the best feeling in the world

I do this but bite the skin round my nails and also hair pulling. I always have been an anxious person so I think it must be self-soothing behaviour, but it got a lot worse recently due to stress and was driving me crackers. I started sertraline a few weeks ago and it has all calmed down quite a lot and every now and then I realise I'm sitting still, relaxed and not fiddling with something.

No, but I hair pick & my hair is a state as I pull it out all the time so have a halo of different length strands that stick out. Would love to stop. I keep catching myself doing it in online work meetings - before lockdown I managed to control it during work hours.

I do this. I have a couple of small areas I scratch at until they bleed then they heal and I repeat.
When my anxiety is high I subconsciously scan with my fingers any bumps or scratches etc on myself to scratch at.

@Summer776

I do this. I have a couple of small areas I scratch at until they bleed then they heal and I repeat. When my anxiety is high I subconsciously scan with my fingers any bumps or scratches etc on myself to scratch at.

This is me. I rub my scalp and shoulders looking for any bumps that can be scratched.

Fingers and lips - since I was a child. Drives dh mad - he says i'm self harming.

Definitely stress related. Am feeling very tense at the moment due to my inability to get to sleep and have been picking at my thumbs really badly for the last couple of hours. I don't make them bleed very often these days though.

I've been doing this since I was little too. I pick my scalp. Always going back over newly healed scabs so the sore never gets better. I've given myself some nasty skin infections.
I've also got trich. When I'm not picking my scalp I'm pulling hair out.
They both feel so good and are so soothing that I can't find anything more healthy to do that will make me stop. Following here hoping for some good suggestions. I quite like the tweezering of the leg hair I'm going to give that a go.

I do this.
The skin around my nails looks so awful when it's really bad.
I've stopped before but have always gone back to it, this time I have stopped and it has been 2 months! I'm actually so proud of myself.
It has literally just been willpower, plus I started a new job and didn't want them to see my fingers.

Even though the skin around my nails has healed it's still so red looking from years and years of picking, I don't think that will ever go away.

Me. Except I pick my face which is a rather shit idea as it's now full of tiny scars. I can't stop though.

I also do this, and it is definitely worse during stressful periods. Fascinated to find out I'm not the only one!

Scalp picking - been picking tonight for 4 hours and just can’t stop.