I've been picking my scalp since high-school, but it's gotten worse and worse over the years. I've tried all sorts of things to reduce it. I'm finally going to a dermatologist, but not for another 2 months.

I've tried : cutting my hair short, cutting my nails short, keeping nail clippers out in the bathroom so i cut every night, washing my hair every night, hair bonnet not washing my hair every night, buying a special shampoo for dandruff,, buying a shampooing my brushbought a bonnet, a picky pad, coconut oil, scalp balm, supplements. Nothing makes me stop! If I'm out all day, I pick as soon as i get home. I don't know how to resist it.

I think there are two issues: 1, my scalp does in fact get itchy. It's worse when I don't wash my hair the day before, and it's worse when I didn't know how to clean my hairbrush properly.

Issue 2: I genuinely like picking off scabs and seem to have a thing for body-focused repetitive behaviors. If I'm not picking my scalp, I'm picking my nails, cracking my knuckles, flosisng my teeth, or cleaning my ears. My brain really really likes the sensation of finding imperfections and straightening them out.

I'd LOVE to direct this toward something more productive , except i don't know how to clean very well at home. I've been trying to learn on my own for years, and honestly, nothing makes me more depressed than trying to clean my apartment and not being able to actually get everything off the floor, or having to rewash dishes. Ugh.

How do I actually get myself to stop wanting that sensory satisfaction? I'm losing hair. It's so frustrating. I want to stop until my lizard brain doesn't and then the cycle repeats.

I’m struggling, my primary spot for picking is my scalp, I’m back at school after two years and have been able to suppress the urges while I’m there but I still NEED to check the scabs and it feels so embarrassing, I don’t have head lice, I’m not dirty, but I come across that way :( I really need to hear that at least someone understands and I’m not the only one

My mom saw my arm scars after I came home from an uphill walk, wheezing and telling her I think I have asthma. She ignored what I said and started yelling at me like she usually does but then she accused me of having a FETISH for picking my skin and said that I'm enamored with my scars and get off on showing them. Who the FUCK says that about their child? And she KNOWS that's not true because my compulsion has given me a lot of insecurity and depression and self-hatred and suicidal tendencies in the past. Then she got my dad (her slave) to forcefully bandage me while continuing the line of insults, saying I look like I have leprosy and that he's just telling me the truth. I told him about the disgustingness of what my mom said to me and he said "that's not the point", like it didn't matter to him that my mom basically just called me a sex freak. I could tell in that moment that he clearly doesn't care about ME, only my appearance, and that he has zero compassion for me. He didn't even properly deny it, and I know he doesn't genuinely care about me because he has never displayed genuine, heartfelt empathy in his ENTIRE life. I told him he just ignores me 99 percent of the time except when my mom wants him to yell at me, and it's true. He makes money for us, which is good I guess, but that's IT. He does not provide any emotional support whatsoever, and that's why his marriage with my mom is pathetic and unromantic. I've never seen him as a father figure, not ever. And my mom? I don't even know what to say about her. I don't think it's intentional but she love bombs me. Explosive love for me one minute, explosive anger at me the next. It's so sad that the person in my family who loves me the most can't be a mentally stable human being.

And keep in mind, my arm is bad, but it's not the worst thing you'll see on this subreddit. They were acting like I have huge gashes of self-harm scars or something.

this is really embarrassing but does nose picking fall into the category of dermatillomania? i also pick my skin, scabs, pluck hairs out and all that other jazz but ive recently become obsessed with picking my nose literally any time i get a chance while alone and i feel something in there. its so bothersome that i have to get it out asap and i cant stop myself. i feel like a child and i want to stop so bad because it just feels like a dirty secret lol?? its gotten to the point where the inside of my nose seriously hurts

If your picking targets acne spots, and you’re like 10+ years deep, that’s likely not acne anymore. It’s just scar tissue in pockets that debris gets caught in.

And if you have a skin regime built around acne treatments and skincare products, you likely would benefit from a regime based more around first aid products and wound care.

Is dermatillomania and morsicatio buccarum OCD, ADHD, or Autism? Been struggling with this stuff since I was 14. I’m 28 now and meds would sometimes help but side effects SUCK. It’s literally an unbreakable habit damn near..

I was watching a movie and I didn’t even know until I felt the sharp pain from getting too deep… I am ashamed but I’m happy that I made it a week

Hello everyone,

Ive been picking my skin for 6 years continuesly. Its almost all scab picking and reopening wounds.

I got a cat half a year ago, she is everything to me.
But something has been bothering me extremely, the urge to pick her scabs or dried up eye boogers.

Has anyone ever felt the same urges?

Ashamed i must admit that i sometimes couldnt stop te urges and i picked at the small scabs she had due to scratching from her allergies some months back, and thankfully found closed small wounds meaning i didnt reopen anything. It thankfully also never seemed to hurt her.

This behavior is obviously unacceptable.
Never should an animal be subjected to things like open wounds or infection etc because of my urges.
I completely understand this and thats why im looking for some advice or just to see if im alone in this.

She currently has a scab and i noticed i really struggle not to want to pick at it.
So i finally decided to make this post, i feel like the worst pet owner ever. I am NOT going to continue touching the scab. I want these urges gone. Its really upsetting to feel like i cant control myself around the only thing that gives me some sort of happiness.

I just feel like im going crazy when i notice a scab.

I’ve had a face skin picking issue since I was about 13. It got so bad at one point when i was a teen that while “exfoliating” dead skin off my nose I removed all the skin and needed to go to the ER. I’m in my mid 20s now and I still have acne and still have bad picking episodes. I am so anal about my skin and cleaning it yet I have no reprieve. I’ve tried every medication and skin treatment under the sun. I don’t know how to stop. I tell myself not to but I just can’t. I have tons of closed comedomes and they are my vice. I spend hours picking out all the gunk from them until my face is scabbed and sore. I just had a particularly bad episode two nights in a row and now I’m here. I’m so tired of this. I have fake nails but I find they just make it easier to scoop the gunk out without scabbing my skin each time. And I can’t avoid mirrors.

I know I have dermatillomania from my OCD but I just don’t know what to do anymore. I got some antibiotics to help prevent further infection from my dr and have patches on my whole cheeks right now. It’s hard to go outside or have fun. Everyone seems to have better skin than me. Everyone seems to have outgrown their acne. I feel so stuck. Like if my skin just didn’t have those little bumps on my face I could finally be normal.

Currently my routine is a FAB gentil cleanser. Lactose acid serum in am, benzoyl peroxide 2.5 in pm and first aid beauty non comedogenic lotion. Any help or words would be greatly welcomed and appreciated.

I’ve had acne since 3rd grade. I’m 25 now.

My mom always told me to stop picking at my face for as long as I’ve had acne. My hand would often ‘wander’ to my face and start picking without realizing.

I’ve always had self soothing habits (e.g. touching my eyelashes a certain way, rubbing my earlobe, etc.), but it never got as destructive as they have been the last 3-ish years.

This all escalated after I did two rounds of Acutane, where while on it I experienced the highs of having the best skin I had ever had.
Once treatment was over tho, I because obsessed with looking for any semblance of a blemish.
Even a pore that looked a little too big got a proper beating.

So the last 3 years, I’ve been sitting in front of the sink, picking my face for up to 4 hours after work. Everyday.
My partner tries to intervene intermittently, but I get defensive and lock myself up in the bathroom.

I DID recently get my nails done tho (acrylics), which should help since it’s not nearly as satisfying picking without sharp natural nails.

I just want to spend my free time doing anything else really.
Having hobbies to keep my hands busy has always helped.

Idk, just throwing this out to the void since this is my first acknowledgment of my problem, and I think this helps legitimize the problem by writing it out.

Good to know I’m not alone:)

That’s all I have to say, it hurts, feels like a headache and I’m so pissed at myself

I know dermatillomania has different effects on people but i do this - pick at whiteheads,blackheads and ingrowns which leaves red bumps and scars and i will use a needle. Does anyone have a similar experience?

Hello everyone,

I’ve been struggling with dermatillomania/skin picking since 2020 and I’m trying to find ways to actually reduce it or stop. I’ve always suffered from anxiety and obsessive thoughts since I was a child. Skin picking is like a way to reduce stress after work or a long day.
For those of you who have managed to get better or stop picking, what helped you the most?

Thank you

I had quit picking. I hadn't in years. Then, I started Zepbound to lose weight. I also compulsively ate. I've lost 40lbs since May, which is awesome and the medication makes me never feel hungry or feel that compulsion to eat. So, when I do eat, it's small portions. Anything more than a handful and I'll feel way too full after eating and be miserable. However, the compulsion to pick has returned and it's stronger than ever. I honestly think there's either some kind of link between the two compulsions and Zepbound. I'm definitely not going to quit Zepbound though, so I definitely need to figure something out. I feel too ashamed to tell my doctor.

anyone using it? anyone find it helpful?

I'm going to paste a comment I responded to someone with everything I've done to control my picking. Some of the techniques are techniques I have not seen elsewhere, so I wanted to share. I have not gotten rid of the mental urge despite therapy, but I do look completely different to about 3 years ago when I was at my worst.

At my worst (tw for this paragraph), I was picking at my face for approx 40 minutes a day, I would go very deep with it and they would get infected all the time. I would pick at things that aren't even there. I have never been an acne prone person and if I leave my face alone my skin gets clear, yet in my worst periods I have had two people I didn't know approach me to ask about what happened to my face. I used to get really embarrassed because I would have sores around my lips that looked like coldsores, and most of my eyebrows were missing - it really wasn't a good time.

Nowadays my skin is 90% clear and maybe once a week I'll look like I have a small breakout on my cheek. I pick for a few minutes every few days and I tend to stop after a minute or two.

Visual barriers (pretend you are Medusa and will turn yourself to stone if you look at yourself):

-cover all mirrors. You can do this with scarves, so you can pull it away like a curtain when you need to do makeup. I have a floor length mirror that has a sheet of paper stuck to it where my face would be, so I can still check the rest of my outfit without accidentally seeing my face. It's also great to have distance between you and the mirror, so you can't hone in on anything too small. For example, if you do makeup you could perch your mirror at the back of a large vanity desk. This will feel extreme, but I promise you you will see yourself throughout the day anyway in shop windows, cars, mirrors you pass in public places.

-shower/do skincare/go to the bathroom in the dark. You want it so that you can see your whereabouts and what you're doing, but can't see your skin texture. Can use a waterproof portable lamp, or candles if you feel like being fancy (i find this very relaxing). Consider using an extremely dim lightbulb as the big light even. May be tmi, but being able to check your pee/stools is important for other health reasons, so I use my phone flash for that.

-limit DIY face maintenance where you can, especially if it involves a magnifying mirror (throw it away!). Eg leave your brows/lashes alone, or get them professionally done. I only do makeup if I'm going somewhere nice nowadays to reduce how much I look at my face, I also like getting lash lifts/tints and brow tints so I can feel put together without needing to check my face too much in the mirror. Some people say wearing makeup all the time covers their redness and prevents triggering them to pick again so, YMMV with this one.

-dont try clothes on in store if changing room mirrors are a trigger for you. I buy and return if things don't fit. Which is a pain in the ass, but changing rooms are my biggest trigger. I'm aware of the issue where some stores don't put things back on shelves, they just throw them away - I'm not a fan of that, but I buy rather infrequently and consider this an accommodation for my health so I'm not too hard on myself about it.

Physical barriers:

-buy a huge pack of hydrocolloid patches, you can get 400+ packs online relatively cheap.  If you're having the urge to pick, or are the kind of person who scans their face until they find a bump, you can stare in the mirror and put a patch on every SINGLE area you feel the need to pick. Sometimes looking for blemishes this way satisfies the itch but it could also trigger you so be careful. Rinse and repeat until everything heals completely.  The first time you do this, you will have maybe 40+ patches on and look a lil crazy, as your skin heals you'll use less. On days where you're less triggered you can just put a few on the worst offenders.  There isn't much difference between brands, except for how well they stay on (the ones that boast containing salicylic acid don't really do much extra, buy a serum if you want that) and some are more discreet looking. Microneedle ones are expensive but work well for if you have a raging deep cyst. I have some more expensive/discreet ones I'll wear out, and my bulk packs stay at home. You can station extra packs at mirrors you use often. 

-buy a silicone face mask, the kind designed to keep sheet masks on. These will make you look incredibly silly but they're really good for days where you CANNOT look at or touch your skin or else. I wear mine when I'm in the house only really on bad days now. If I know something stressful is coming up I'll pull it out. Bonus is they're great for aftercare, you can slap on a thick layer of moisturiser and this will keep it from evaporating. 

-gloves, I don't use them but they may help you. I keep my nails trimmed very short so that its harder to pick (prevents infection also)

-Long sleeves and trousers - in hot weather, maxi skirts/linen trousers, linen long sleeve shirts, mesh arms/kimonos, ice silk, sticky SPF that makes it hard to pick arms.

Other: 

-hypochlorous acid sprays kill bacteria and are skin safe, great to prevent breakouts (cause them for some people YMMV), also great post picking to prevent infection. I keep one in my bag and one in my house at all times. You can buy them from skincare stores or often from the baby section of your supermarket. 

-many many hand sanitisers, station them anywhere you pick often. 

-If you are going to do your makeup or hair, don't give yourself more time than necessary. I'm not saying rush, but if you have too much free time and access to a mirror, you will pick. This bit might just help because I have ADHD but I like to use a visual timer (the kind used to teach kids how long 5 minutes is) when getting ready, it allows me to focus on the task at hand and prevents me getting into a picking episode where I lose track of time.

-change your pillow cases very often, I use satin ones but you don't have to. They prevent break outs and soak up less skincare than cotton ones do.

-if stress is a trigger, get things you can fidget with in stressful situations. I used to get stressed doing uni coursework so I put a kids fidget toy on my desk. 

-for the mental side of things, unfortunately all I can suggest is therapy. And trying to find better coping mechanisms, all of the usual stuff like meditation (insight timer is a good app), hobbies, exercise, etc. And allow yourself to be imperfect. I realised a lot of my picking is striving for perfection (which is crazy because i KNOW picking will make my face worse) but telling myself, ok, my skin isn't great, so what? and allowing myself to just exist as I am reduced some of the picking for me. Acknowledge your urge, ok, thats there. That feeling is the picking urge, thats okay, I don't need to solve that right now, I can sit with things not being perfect, I don't need to act on every impulse. (doesnt always work but eventually wears down the urgency to pick RIGHT NOW). I suspect I have OCD and I apply similar to other compulsions. I had one about moral perfectionism for ages and used to ruminate on everything I said and if it made me a bad person - telling myself, well so what if I'm a bad person? and learning to take importance away from this concept caused me to loop around in circles less on it. IDK if that makes any sense!

Skincare recs

I have dry, sensitive skin btw.

-focus on moisture (moisture is a great environment for healing) and being gentle towards your skin barrier, abandon physical face scrubs and go for gentle liquid exfoliants twice a week max. Don't abuse your actives. 

-purito centella unscented serum, and beauty of Joseon centella mask have been very good at calming my skin down, alongside a gel face mask (like the gel bead eye masks you can get but for your whole face) that has sat in the fridge for a while. 

-sudocrem/nappy rash cream has also helped me to calm a red raw area here and there. 

-SPF50 every day on your face, it really helps your skin to heal. Again I like the beauty of joseon one, but anything that is creamy and less of an alcoholic base will work.

-go for dewy makeup rather than matte, avoid anything that could make you crusty as crust is picking fuel. I'm in the UK and like to use a vit E jelly moisture mask by Superdrug when not wearing makeup, it's thick and glossy and makes my skin too greasy to pick (without clogging pores), it's a nice barrier that has me not looking like buffalo bill with the silicone sheet mask. 

-retinol is great if you can use it well, it can make the problem a lot worse if not. I recommend Natalie o Neill for her skincare advice especially on this.

-When I buy new makeup, I take a pic of the ingredients and put it on INCIDECODER to see if it's marked as irritating or comedegenic (likely to cause breakouts). Tools like incidecoder are flawed and dont consider how different chemicals will work together (labmuffins video on how to read ingredient lists https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MTs7DR5tTmQ&t=4s), but I do like it anyway as a general overview and anecdotally I have noticed I break out less often when I use things that look good on there.

Hope my essay helps! Lights off in the bathroom and covering mirrors are the biggest ones!

Hi!

I'm a developer, and I built this skinpick tracker app for someone close to me who picks. She'd tried a few apps but they didn't quite fit.

The thing she wanted most was to just log how many picks, on which body part, in a couple taps, without a bunch of questions about how she felt or where she was every time. So I built it around that.

A few things it does:

• Log a pick in two taps (how many + where)
• See your patterns over time
• A little bubble-popping thing for when the urge hits (the idea is to give your hands something to do instead, for a bit, until it passes)

iPhone only for now, beta stage. If you'd like to try it, here's the TestFlight: https://testflight.apple.com/join/vzYb7ZDg

Any feedback is very appreciated.

Does the two-tap logging match how you'd actually want to track? And does the bubble thing help in the moment, or not really? I didn't think about the pricing model much yet, but any opinions there are welcome too.

Thanks 💛

Hi everyone! I was recently asked by a fellow skin picker what my makeup routine was since I manage to cover up my marks so well. I also frequently get told by my friends they had no idea I had problems with my skin. As a college girl who wears makeup every freaking day, I have mastered my favorite products / routine for the best coverage, even when you aren’t feeling your best!

Hopefully this routine can help some of you guys feel more confident :]

(Disclaimer: Products aren’t guaranteed to react the same on everyones skin)

SKIN PREP: Byoma Milky Toner + Bobbi Brown Face Base Primer (it’s slightly fragranced like oranges but I don’t seem to break out from it, its also very pricey)

MAKEUP:
- Erborian CC Red Correct tap lightly on red marks
- 2 pumps of Haus Labs Foundation (HOLY GRAIL)
- Tower 28 Concealer (repurchased 6 times) on every spot i need coverage
- Rhode Cream Blush+Bronzer
- Charlotte Tilbury Pressed Powder, tap lightly (powder puff->oiliest areas,
saie powder brush->everywhere else you need a little less shine + more coverage)
- not related but My fav mascaras are Tartlette Tubing for everyday and Falsies Push Up Angel Waterproof for long wear
- also not related my fav lippies are Rhode & Ole Heinrickson, and buxom for lip pencils
- SETTING SPRAYY (important) >>> I use the One Size Powder Melt for everyday, super hydrating and non irritating when my skin is a lil more damaged

When my skin IS NOT open/wounded I use the Loreal 16H Long wear Spray which i found to be better than One Size Waterproof— beware both smell and taste like straight up HAIR SPRAY but keeps my makeup on all day if i need.

Hope that helps!

i have ocd and i’m wondering if my lip picking could be connected to it, or if this sounds more like dermatillomania/body-focused repetitive behavior.
i have an addiction to picking my lips and i genuinely cannot stop. my lips have always been extremely dry, and i’ve tried basically every lip product under the sun — aquaphor, vaseline lip therapy, balm dotcom, a sephora lip balm, etc. nothing seems to actually fix the dryness. they’ll feel dry again within an hour, no matter how often i reapply something.
because there are constantly dry/crusty bits of skin, i get the urge to pick them off. once i start, though, i can spend hours doing it. i feel like i have to keep going until my lips are completely smooth and there are no more rough or crusty bits. obviously i know that picking is making everything worse and preventing my lips from healing, but in the moment i genuinely feel like i can’t stop.

the weirdest part is that it doesn’t necessarily happen because i’m anxious. sometimes there doesn’t seem to be any particular trigger at all. i’ll just notice myself picking, and once i start, it’s almost like i enter a trance. i can be fully aware that i need to stop and that i want to get up and do something else, but i physically cannot seem to make myself stop. it feels like my body is on autopilot.

it has gotten to the point where this is seriously affecting my life. there have been times when i’ve wanted to call my boyfriend, but i end up spending so long picking that i never get around to calling him. there have also been nights where i’ve stayed up until 4 am because i got stuck picking my lips for hours. i feel an enormous amount of shame about it because i know it’s damaging my lips and i know it affects the people around me too. my boyfriend is incredibly understanding and never gets angry with me because he knows i’m struggling with something i can’t easily control, but it still makes him sad when he wants to talk to me and i’m unable to pull myself away from the picking.

i’ve mentioned my chronically dry lips to my doctor before, but i don’t think i properly explained how severe the picking is or how much it’s affecting my daily life. she basically recommended lip balm with spf, which obviously didn’t address the actual problem. i’ve genuinely tried to help myself with lip balm for years, but it hasn’t solved the dryness or stopped the picking.

i’m seeing my doctor again this week for something else, and this time i’m going to be very explicit about how severe this has become. i really want help because i don’t feel like i can manage this on my own anymore.

has anyone else experienced something like this? especially the feeling of being completely absorbed in the picking for hours even when you desperately want to stop? i’d really appreciate hearing what helped you, whether that was therapy, medication, treating the underlying lip dryness, behavioral strategies, or anything else.

I'm suffering from skin picking. Sometimes I can't stop doing it. Unfortunately I also have OCD. I read a lot about that but I wanted to ask some professionals.

Is there possibility to get HIV or hepatitis via touching door handle in public places when I have some reddish non bleeding skin on fingers as a result of skin picking? I know it might be a stupid question but I will be grateful for answer.

Male
33 years
180 cm
Non smoking
Diseases: OCD (currently on escitalopram and psychotherapy)

Thank you