Advice on how to stop skin picking?

[yanny]

Dd is 12 and has picked behind her ears until they are weeping. Tonight both ears are a bit of a weepy/scabby mess. This has been happening for about 4 weeks, anyone have any advice?

A visit to the GP to ascertain whether there's a physical cause and then, in the absence of that, a referral for CBT, it's so early in its development that therapy could put a stop to it quite quickly.

I would see the GP to see if it's infected (as it's weepy). Does DD have eczema?? I do and it's almost impossible to leave it alone.

DS (4) picks at his nails and skin too. I have given him squashy toys to play with to keep his hands busy. It has had some (but not perfect) success. For him it's a tic (he gets other tics off and on) so it may pass soon. Does your DD do any other 'odd' things that could be tics?

Thanks for replying. Dd has some sensory issues but no tics. She has NVLD (nonverbal learning disorder) and due asd assessment in May. Any ideas on what to use to keep her hands busy? Seeing the GP on Friday.

I went to a shop like Hawkins Bazaar and got lots of weird looking squashy toys. Some of them light up too. Also you cuold try stress-balls. I got a cheap one from The Works for only 99p - it's a balloon filled with flour, with a face on the front and wool hair. It's quite satisfying as it stays in shape when you mould it.

I suppose it could be a sensory thing for her x

Thanks for the ideas

DS is a nail/skin picker and we've been putting lots of lotion on his hands to keep them a bit greasy so he can't get a good grip. It works if we remember, but then he's straight back to it. When it's really bad, we put plasters on both thumbs so he can't grip anything... gives us a few hours to come up with something else!

Sorry I don't have any brilliant ideas, but good to see the other tips here.

I give my son different things to keep his hands busy when I notice him starting to pick/scratch at his skin. We've got a box of things like stress balls, spiky balls, putty, stretchy lizards, 'Tangles' (a bit like bracelets with twisty sections). It doesn't always work though. We also try to make sure that he's nails are trim.

I am a skin picker. DS is on the spectrum (very obviously) and I have a LOT of traits but no dx.

I used to pick behind my ears at this age, think it started as a bit of excema and became irristable. I pick mainly at my face now and view it as an OCD/stimming kind of thing that I just can't seem to stop doing.

I'd definitely persue a referral for CBT/other kind of therapy for her.

DS2 picks at the skin on his fingers, but it seems to be something he does for awhile, then stops, then does it for awhile again.... When he is doing it more, he has gloves to wear (you can buy white cotton gloves at Lloyds for a few £). As long as they are on, he can't GET to the skin (and for some reason, he keeps them on, even in school). And it also means we can put lotion/cream on his hands at night and he can wear them to bed without getting the cream all over the place. We had to resort to the gloves, as he was literally picking all the skin off and his hands were bleeding.

ooops. meant to add, obviously gloves won't work behind the ears, but if she wears gloves, she can't do the actual picking, right?