my legs look awful they’re covered in scars and dark spots and idk how to stop. i have trichotillomania too and i tweeze my leg hair, and when i do i dig into my skin to get the hair out sometimes and it looks awful. i’ve gotten things that you can pick and pull at but none of it feels the same. nothing helps and idk what to do. if you have advice please help. it’s also starting to get warm out and my skin is going to be showing and i don’t want it to look awful or get infected when i go swimming and stuff. please help and thank you

I’ve been hearing it all my life of course but never wondered before. But recently I had a deep pimple and squeezed it and there were five very loud pops in a row, like little gunshots.

There wasn’t even much that came out, just a bit of liquid/oil. After a day with a hydrocolloid some thick shit had come to the surface and it came out very easily. A few more days with hydrocolloid and the infection was gone and the skin mostly healed.

But what were the explosions?

I've been skin picking for a year by now. I actually have been scratching/hurting myself unnintentionally but nowadays it has gotten pretty much worse with me picking my face and my chest to the point where it bleeds. I really need on some advice on how to stop it for real because or else i fear it might just go down from here

I have skin picked for a while. It used to mostly be my face and back. Recently it switched to my scalp, and just after that I started vyvanse. I'm not sure if the escalation since has been from discovering a new better place to pick, or the vyvanse. If the vyvanse helps me which other areas of my life, I don't want to stop taking it. Has anyone been prescribed another medication alongside vyvanse that has helped with skin picking?

currently writing this in bed on the verge of tears. i started memantine as suggested by my psych exactly 1 week ago with the hopes of managing my picking which has historically been pretty severe. i usually pick for at LEAST an hour before bed during my nightly routine, often a lot longer if i have time and no one home to make me concious abt taking up the bathroom for that long. today i took a shower, washed and shaved my face, and fixed my hair in the mirror and didn’t have the immediate compulsion to start searching for things to start picking. i did my whole routine and didn’t look over my whole body for a pimple to pop or a scab to peel. i just left the bathroom and got dressed. i didn’t even realize until awhile later and oh my god??? this is insane i’m over the moon it’s been YEARS since ive been able to do that. i’ve been picking for as long as ive had acne (since i was 12/13) and ever since my efforts to not pick for even a night were almost entirely futile. i can’t believe it

Hello, so I started picking at my legs about 4 months ago when I stopped pulling my hair, and I relapsed about a week ago so I haven't picked at my legs in a few days. With that being said there's some patches with pretty big scabs. The rest I can cover as razor burn. With summer coming I've been trying to make more of an effort to stop, but the issue I'm having right now is that I'm able to wear shorts to work on Tuesday. I thought about wearing jeans or leggings like usual but there's several problems. 1. I'll be outside and on recess duty for about 2 hours, I typically work in the library. 2. I had a baby almost 10 months ago and I'm still having hot flashes and run hot. 3. It's supposed to be mid to high 70's and we live in Nebraska where it's very humid.

Do I risk trying to cover spots with make up and it running? Or do I just give the spiel I planned... Razor burn, I bruise easily - which crawling around on the floor a lot doesn't help with - so I typically wear jeans so I don't freak people out

So I’ve always picked at my skin and scalp but it has gotten so bad. I never got pimples on my neck and right under my jaw line until recently. They started to show and of course I popped them then more and more showed up and I got them on my face and it left horrible sores. Recently I’ve been trying to avoid picking at them by putting acne patches on them. Now I have this pain/soreness on my throat when I look up. Anyone experienced throat pain from neck acne? Or something similar?

hey guys, im new to this subreddit and thought it seemed like a good place to find support. i don't know if i have dermatillomania or if its just lack of impulse control or what, but i am constantly searching for things to pop and pick at on my body. i have popped the same 4 pimples so many times that they keep trying to scab up and heal but i keep popping the blood out of the scabs and then peeling off the scabs just because i know i can. they are now basically craters in my skin and i'm starting to worry because i really dont want to keep doing this to myself. i also am constantly itchy LITERALLY EVERYWHERE on my body especially when i am sweaty or after a shower. this has lead to me perpetually digging at my skin to the point of blood, and then it scabs up, and i repeat it the next day. i dont know what to do, i feel so disgusting and im just digging myself further and further into a hole. any tips?

Hi guys I’ve been picking my lips since I was a little kid. I remember my dad getting mad at me over it. Well it seems to have gotten worse over the years (32 years old now). It is so painful but I cannot stop on my own free will it seems. My psychiatrist kind of blows me off when I have told her , she gave me some low dose antipsychotic med but it only helped a little. Anyway , it’s embarrassing. The only time I can manage not to pick them is when I’m around other people , and if I’m comfortable around the person then I will do it. If I’m not around people I’m constantly biting or picking them. I’m thinking of trying wearing gloves and going to an OSPA Meeting. I am currently in another 12 step program so why not for this … isn’t there just a pill I can pop for this ??? Thanks for reading. Any suggestions welcome.

I've been dealing with this compulsion for a few years now. And though it has gotten better, I'm just wondering if BRFB's are permanent. Like can they only be managed and reduced but are incurable? I'm personally kind of okay with that since people are afraid of skin texture and scars and treat it as ugly, so I guess I want to go against that by keeping my scars. Also do scars completely fade? I'm black so I don't know if it works differently.

I’ve been a chronic skin picker since 7-8 yrs old. When i was young i picked all my fingers, now that im 30 i just pick my 2 thumbs. I noticed that when i do manicures i dont pick my nails. That was the only thing that worked. No fidget toys, band aids, petroleum jelly, lotions, covers, etc… because i would always pick since it’s a compulsion.

Do i just have manicures for the rest of my life or is it worth it to check with a psychiatrist for meds? Im starting psychotherapy next week too for other life struggles :)

I was on this Reddit last year looking for solutions. Someone recommended

All Health Advanced Fast-Healing Hydrocolloid Gel Bandages

They have been working well for me in terms of covering up a scab/wound I’ve been picking at and ending my picking cycle for that wound. I think I need work on putting the bandages on faster or immediately when I notice a new break in my skin, but when I do notice and make the action to put on the bandage, they really do a good job at preventing further picking

Just thought I would share to the community

Whenever I get a stye I tend to pull out all the eyelashes surrounding it to try and find it? I guess lol. When I think stye I’m like ohh something I can pop. I know dermatillomania is the “sister” to trichotillomania (compulsive hair pulling) bc they’re both BFRBs and I occasionally pull other hair if I’m panicking. Long story short I just wanna know if yall do this when you get styes in your eye as well!

This would be so much easier to explain with a picture but I found on Amazon fingercaps that are made of silicone. They are meant for guitar players, cashiers so on and so forth. They have a gap over your finger nail, but not so wide you can get to the skin on the sides. They have tiny holes on the pad of the finger for airflow (which also make a very satisfying texture, grippy sensation when rubbed againstnare skin).

Basically it's just a block but it's reusable and way less annoying than bandaids and tapes. So far it's worked for me during the work day, which is one of my favorite times to one-handed pick at my thumbs. Might help someone else.

Anyone else? Been going on daily for so long now, have gotten so many infections the nails are so messed up can barely tell if it’s nail bed or nail. Constantly digging out little pieces feeling it’ll cause relief when it just continues the vicious, painful cycle. Need to find a way out of this nightmare. I used to have such perfect toes and now it’s a good day if I can walk without being in pain. Can rarely ever wear open toed shoes unless I’m in a good streak of just little picking and can paint them to the best of my ability (until it starts all over again). So embarrassing. So mentally and physically taxing.

Hi,

I'll keep this vague and brief. Someone I know and care about has a child who's experiencing this quite bad. The parent is beside themself and feeling a bit hopeless - they've tried therapy and group sessions, but it's usually things more targeted towards OCD instead of just excoriation. I hate seeing them feel so hopeless. Are there any good programs for adolescent kids (10-14) in New England/general Northeast USA?

hello! i work at an emotional growth center and provide services to a child with wiedemann steier syndrome (a rare genetic disorder).

we are picking every day, bandages just get sweaty when he runs around and then he'll peel them off. tried every fidget we have in our arsenal- which is a lot

he has a therapist who helps him with anxious thoughts but this poor fellas crawling out of his skin trying so hard not to tear into himself. ):

i play various games with him that can distract him momentarily, but it's getting worse and worse because the more he picks, the more scabs there are to pick at. does anyone have experience serving children with dermatillomania?

I have it myself as an adult, but obviously have more impulse control than he does (even if i struggle with it a lot)

Hello all,

I'm a middle school counselor and I met a child today who I am pretty certain has Dermatillomania. She checks off all the boxes & symptoms. I'm not quite sure how to help her because I have no experience with this. I'm coming here to see if the community might have some suggestions for how to help this student? She is an 11 year old girl, super bright with very high grades, and no behavioral issues. She can't explain why she does it, but she feels very ashamed over it. She has tried to stop dozens of times, but she cannot help herself.

Any advice you have for me, as her counselor, or advice that I can share with her teachers, would be super helpful for me in working with her.

Thanks

Looking in the mirror makes me feel... Argh!

This is the first time I talked about this without taking the issues as an afterthought. I think that's the biggest problem for me, even though I know this is getting serious, it always ends up being just and afterthought.

A few years ago, I found this "habit" of mine has a name, but until now, I didn't feel I could find a place to vent or ask for advice.

Maybe since I was a child I was kind of obsessed with popping pimples or scratching the cuticles of my parents, eating my own cuticles and scabs. When I started puberty (I think) I found a new focus.

As a preteen and teen I didn't have acne, but I live in the highlands and my arms have this "goose" skin even if I don't feel cold. And that's what started it.

It began with only my arms, later in University, after I catched chickenpox, it advanced to my scalp and my back, and prt of my chest. Lately, my legs became also parts of my body that I am hurting...

I cannot bear looking at myself in the mirror for a long time. I scratch or pick my skin until it bleeds, when I find a bump or a pimple I pop it, and if it is almost healed, I scratch it again to eat the scabs. It is a neverending cycle..

I suppose I needed to vent, to know that people out there can understand a bit... And more than anything, I need advice, some kind of tricks you found useful to avoid this compulsion. And maybe things that can help with my scars.

I'm sorry for the long text, and the spelling (English is not my first language).

Thanks...

So i have a severe lip picking habit and everytime i feel intense pain in the moment i pick, i get a very strong subtle low blood pressure sensation, dizziness, sort of a chest pain... It only lasts for a few seconds. I don't know if this is a natural body response to any pain or it's more of a specific symptom i can't find the name. I didn't find any posts talking about it so i wonder if anyone feels that to.

Hello!

I was curious and wanted to ask if you yourself, or know someone else who has a bfrb or multiple bfrbs, take any supplements such as Inositol and or N-acetylcysteine (or any other) and saw any improvements after taking them? Were these behaviors somewhat treated in any way afterwards?

Because I was considering probably getting some supplements for the first time in regards to my multiple bfrbs (such as impulsive nail biting which is my main problem, skin biting like on the fingers and on my lips until they bleed, skin picking especially at the scalp, occasional hair pulling sometimes as well), but I’ve never been professionally diagnosed with anything else in my life, so I don’t really know where all of this might stem from or if there are any underlying causes.

Would it still be okay to take some type of supplements? What do you think? And what are your experiences with it if you happen to have any?

a huge part of my picking is popping pimples. ill sometimes dig down into and under my skin to find the smallest little bit of gunk or pus. i watch a lot of pimple popping videos. do you guys find that watching pimple popping videos helps or hurts? i cant tell if it satisfies my urge or makes me want to do it more

i hate myself. i hate what i do to myself. i pick when i feel like i hate myself to make me feel better. i’ve tried therapy and medication. neither worked. idk what to do. i feel so embarrassed and scared to wear shorts in public. i’ve started hiding my body from my family because of how embarrassed i am. Ever since i was very young i would pick at this one spot on my leg. i’ve never stopped. there isn’t a day i don’t scratch or pick at the scabs there. it’s gotten so bad that almost me entire leg is covered in scar tissue. if i press down on the skin it creates a literal dent that stays for a while. i hate myself. i just wanna be pretty. i wanna feel pretty. i wanna go to the beach without worrying that im gonna be stared at for my disgusting leg. i’m just so sick and tired of it all. sorry for the vent. i’m new to the sub reddit and seeing everyone post their stories makes me feel like i’m not alone, but it still doesn’t help me in the long run and idk what to do..

needing some support. Avid skin picker for years. Have mostly stopped on my face for now (accutanes helping) but my fingers and toes. I’ve had the worst ingrown toenail I’ve ever experienced to the point where I thought I might need to go to the er for help. And my fingers are raw with ingrowns on almost every finger which stings even under warm water. Advice, support, kind words appreciated. I know we are all tired of feeling this way. <3 lots of love

Meaning the longest period of time without skin picking. Mine was 55 days, now I’m lucky if I can get to 7 🫠

Part of my dermatillomania presents as picking at dry skin on my lip. I've tried a lot of chapsticks, balms, etc and haven't really found one I love that don't end up leaving my lips feeling dry later on. I know not having dry skin on my lip isn't a permanent solution but I really think it'd be a good starting place. What are some brands/kinds of lip stuff yall have found that helps keep your lips from drying out?

I’ve been trying to stop. But I can’t. I rub thinning parts of my scalp, I pick at scabs on my scalp or bumps, I notice an itch on my nose I’ll scratch or rub it. I can’t get myself to stop. If it’s not the scalp, it’s the face, if it’s not the face it’s the back of neck. I’ve used ketoconazole and I’ve tried to stay clean but nope it just doesn’t work. I don’t know how I’ve gotten this far but I know it’s probably from the compulsive weed smoking and letting go of myself because of depression. Now I’m mentally stronger yet this habit sticks. It’s such a bad look. I look like a crackhead itching my scalp. That’s if I catch myself….

Hello I have been doing this for way too long and I looked up some advice online as well I found something that I think might help others and I'm trying it myself as well. I went on a website like temu and I found these little chicken silicone stretchy things with it. I also got a blunt syringe and you fill it with water and hair conditioner or whatever, you poke it into the silicone toy, and it creates a pimple like substance then after you're done with that you just pop it it kind of releases the same things and it's not on your body I suggest you looking it up it may help it seems to be okay with me so far so hopefully it helps someone else.

Hi, new here and just needed somewhere to vent/get some advice I’ve picked at my fingers for as long as I can remember and I have tried everything to stop it but I just can’t. It’s an anxiety and a fidget thing for me but so far I haven’t found anything that brings me the same entertainment or relief that picking does. I always find something to use to pick at my fingers (push pins, safety pins mainly) even to the point of where I will fold paper in half multiple times to make a point just sharp enough to get rid of that one piece of skin that’s bothering me. And every professional I have spoken to about this don’t really seem to be interested in helping me stop and I highly doubt I will ever be able to. Im on antidepressants to help with my mental health problems but even still it doesn’t help with the need to pick at my skin. Im tired of my fingers hurting and getting blood on everything I touch but I just don’t know what will help.

Hiii. So it’s the result of two years constant picking that I’ve stopped in December. Haven’t touched it since and I’m kinda proud of it but my scars are soooo dark, especially when my hands are a bit cold and that makes me really ashamed in public.

Any tips for quicken the fading? 😭 (using Contractubex rn but doesn’t really helps)