(15f) I’ve had kp since I was like 8 and I’ve been nonstop picking at it ever since and my arms are always splotchy with pink and purple from all the scarring plus red bumps from all the new bumps that I picked at and I want to try to heal it but I’m not sure if there’s any point considering how bad it is so I just wanted to ask if anyone in a similar situation was able to heal severe dermatillomania kp scars. this is how it looks

Hi so I’ve always picked my fingers til they bleed but it’s been worse recently. I’ve been putting bandaids on my fingers and it helps but when I take the bandaid off the skin is like pale and soft and it’s sooo much easier and more tempting to pick. It’s like does anyone have advice on how to cover your fingers without making it worse?? Thanks yall

hi this is my 2nd time on here i had the worst picking episode of my life I'm fully covered in wounds and scars i fucked my skin really bad. I did everything one can think of from taking nac,fidget toys ,avoiding triggers,pimple patches. I even went to a therapist and as always he dismissed my dermatillomania saying just shift your focus somewhere else (if i could then why would i have come to see you in the first place , i remember how disappointed i felt when I left his office).I feel devastated that i have to deal with this hell. now i have to stay home for weeks because I look so ugly and scarred.

My picking has gotten way worse recently, and I never talk about it because I often forget most people don’t do this, because I do it constantly. I started picking before 8 years old, I don’t have many memories from my childhood, but I do remember bleeding a lot and getting embarrassed for being called out for blood running down my arms/legs from picking. I look at pictures of me from my childhood and you can see the scars on my arms, you can see it get progressively worse as I get older. I used to only pick my arms, then I started to pick my legs when I couldn’t find anything else on my arms, then my face, and now I’ve started to pick my boobs. It’s breaking me, I can’t stop. I’ve been in therapy for years and I still can’t stop. At my worst, I’ve picked literally all night 7+ hours, at my best maybe 30 minutes- hour a day. I’ve been accused of doing drugs throughout my teen years because of it, I was hospitalized for psychiatric problems at 17 and the nurse accused me of doing meth because of my arms. Strangers have straight up just asked me “what’s wrong with your skin?”. I got tattoos on my arms thinking that would make me stop, but I’ve actually ruined my tattoos instead from picking scars. It’s always embarrassing going into the bathroom at work/social gatherings and picking mindlessly just to come out red and welted. I’ll even get distracted while I’m driving when I feel my skin, I’ll start to try to pick and drive (which is horrible and dangerous I know, I’m actively working on it, I try to scratch my steering wheel until I’m out of the car.) But I’m scarring so badly, I don’t feel like I’ll ever be able to stop, I feel like my picking is a disease that is spreading all over my body. Once one area is too scarred, I’ll move to another body part. I’ll tell myself “I’ll never pick here” and then over time, I do. My body feels tainted because of it. I never used to think twice about it, but then I grew up and people say things now, ask why I look like this, if I have a rash, it’s embarrassing. No fidget toy or distraction has ever helped, I’ve asked my partner to lay on my hands because I don’t even think about it, I just do it. I thought I was helping myself when I was younger and getting all the yucky stuff out. But I’m just squeezing the ever loving shit out of my skin. Sometimes I use needles and tweezers for things that don’t even need it, I’m scared of getting an infection. But again, I don’t know how to quit. It’s been a battle almost my entire life, and I even have the urge to pick others skin. and I’m sorry if this post is very dramatic but I have never just let all my emotions out about this and talked about it like this and it feels like word vomit. I know it’s not an uncommon thing, but I’ve never met anyone that does this, especially not to the extreme I have. I hate everyone here is struggling with this, but it feels so nice not to be alone. The only thing that has semi-helped me is a sensory brush and brushing my skin, but it just wasn’t the same. But yeah, that’s kinda my vent/story about skin picking. Feel free to share your experiences too

I just learnt this word and I'm not sure if I have it or not. sorry if its not related. I just feel so bad now.

since I'm little I'm always picking my lips and making my lips bleed. I just did it again like every day and it's bleeding. it looks horrifying and it hurts but I don't know why can't I still stop? it makes me hate myself. I try to hide my lips but I just end up doing it again. it makes me feel like I look like a monster. and my mom is scaring me about it saying it'll always be ugly like this if I don't stop biting and picking it but it just makes me more anxious and I pick more :( for info I have anxiety and ptsd and I realized I do this when I'm anxious or just bored.

would this be dermatillomania? I don't even know if I should be asking this here I just feel awful now. I'm sorry again if it's not relevant.

ive struggled with dermatillomania for about 6 years now, and ive pretty recently found that aquaphor diaper rash cream used as a general spot treatment works WONDERS for healing skin and getting rid of redness. its a thick paste and it doesnt burn/sting or cause any irritation. it sounds a little odd but its been so helpful and i thought it might be able to help somebody

Does anyone with skin picking disorder like to be friends on our recovery journey to plain skin? I’m London based but international friends would be cool! 🧚🏼‍♀️🧚🏼‍♂️

If so, comment two of your interests and a vague reason as to why you pick!

I occasionally get so annoyed with my dandruff that I will do my best to pick at my scalp until I do not see flakes. I have pinpoint bleeding in some areas under my nail. Will those areas lose hair? Or will it help as some people microneedle the hair?

I’m ruining my face. I decided to stop using make up for a while to let my skin heal and just do a minimal skincare. I thought letting my skin breathe will help but seeing my bareface stresses me out. I have acne prone and oily skin and I tend to pick my skin more because of the bumps and deadskin. my face hurts already because of the wounds

I wanna isolate myself and I don’t want anyone else to see my face and I’m even more embarassed because i’m living with my boyfriend. he caught me multiple times we even had a deal that I’ll pay him when he caught me picking at my face. I feel so embarassed because I can see he’s starting to get fed up telling me stop doing it.

I’m just thankful that he’s not getting tired reminding me even if he knows i’m not listening. but I feel so ugly. he doesn’t complement me anymore. sometimes I get to a point that I just wanna break him up and want to isolate myself from the world. because I feel like no one understands me even my family. I can see they judge me by doing it. I feel helpless I keep doing it even if I don’t want to. I’ll just realize i’m already doing it.

sorry I’m not good at writing.

I really can’t believe how long I just stood in the mirror, “entranced” as I like to say, squeezing and picking my skin. Now there is more scabbiness than clear skin on my face. I feel so alone. Like there is no one out there with as bad of skin as I have, does anyone else ever get this way?

9:30pm-12:10pm. This is a new low

I am someone who picks on their head, lips, fingers, and who bites their nails. Have been doing it my whole life, on and off. I know some healthy habits that help it go away for myself: exercise, keeping my hands busy with silly putty at night, not touching my head and keeping my skin moisturized and dry, etc. Basically controlling anxiety and controlling triggers. My skin picking is on and off, but lately it has gotten to the point where I do it from the time I wake up until the time I go to sleep, and to the point that my finger joints literally ache. It has become my way of coping with major life changes and stresses.

I want to create an accountability post for myself so that I can monitor my progress in breaking my current picking spiral, and so that maybe this can help others get out of a picking spiral too. I know I won't stop 100%, but if I can lessen it even 50%, I'll be so much happier. I'll comment every day at the end of the day, maybe in a thread, what was helpful and what wasn't helpful, along with my progress. Please comment too every day if you want to also use this thread for self accountability.

I pick at my skin very intensely, especially on my face to the point it is covered in circular scabs ranging in sizes. I compulsively pick at any sort of bump or acne on my skin, no matter where it is on my body, and I am so completely embarrassed of how I look. The scabs become infected (the scabs are a green/yellow colour and sometimes are full of clear or a whiteish/yellowish pus) very easily and only continues the cycle of my picking habits which causes it to only worsen and become bigger, I don't know what to do I am so ashamed I look so disgusting I don't want to go out in public anymore and it's my own fault because I can't stop picking them. I desperately need help on how I can properly treat them:

How do I properly treat fresh picking wounds to prevent these infections and also how do I treat them after they have gotten infected? I can't use bandaids as my face is completely covered and I would look like a moron. I already get bullied, please help

Hi everyone !! 23f. I recently got an indented scar on my face from a shave biopsy. It occurred 3 weeks ago and now I am left with a red circular mark that is slightly raised on the edges but indented in the center.

I had a question about silicone products for scar treatment. It's my understanding that silicone works best for raised scars (keloids). My scar is more so indented, like an acne scar.

While I am aware silicone isn't used for indented scarring, there doesn't seem to be any other scar treatment that is effective. Does it hurt to use silicone products on the indented scar? I heard it reduces collagen which concerns me since indents need collagen. But like I said silicone is the only known effective scar treatment and I don't want to miss the opportunity to use something good while my scar is still fresh

My question is will the silicone products cause further indentation or make the indented scar worse? Has anyone had improvement in their INDENTED scar's appearance from silicone?

Hello <3

First post ever on here! I just wanted to share a little tidbit after seeing people sharing what messages to put on a mirror. Analysing my skin in the mirror is a hard habit to break for me, so this morning I wrote a new message to myself to stick to my mirror. It is something that my ex once said to me and that is: "You deserve to love your skin". This has been such a positive reminder for me and I hope it can help anyone else out there looking for some kind things to tell yourself <3

Yall. Ive struggled with picking at my skin my whole life (turns out I've got OCD plus some other contributors) but I didn't know there was a name for it until a few years ago (I'm 24). I don't know why I didn't even think to go to reddit to find more people like me but I've been shamed for it my whole life (my mom's favorite tactic was to threaten to take me to my dermatologist cousin to tell me how awful it looks) and it just created a barrier or something, idk but i had the random thought to search it up today and there's a whole community of beautiful people who struggle with the same thing as me and that just made me feel so much less alone. Thank you I've met someone online and I'm trying super hard to not pick at my skin before we meet in person but my face is full of acne scabs and it's soooo hard to not just zone out and reach for my face. I've recently been trying picky pads (little silicone square with beads to pick out) and that's been helping when I consciously get urges but how do you stop the zone-out-reach?? I dont want to look like a zombie with scabs everywhere on our first date, im trying to let these heal

Hello!!

I might've found a good and healthy alternative to skin picking, or at least a coping mechanism.

Today I put a few layers of clear nail polish on my hand, I saw tiktokers doing it on their face to recreate scars for Halloween make up and wanted to try it on myself

Well I gave up after 2 coats and forgot about it, until right there. I decided I didn't want clear nail polish on my hand and tried to pick it off and it felt near identical to picking a thin bit of skin, it also looks pretty close to a scar.

I keep seeing picking pads and honestly I hate them, I don't think they would help at all, because for me, when I struggled with dermatillomania I did it for the sensory expirence (and the need to have smooth skin)

I don't know if this will help anyone but as someone who used to struggle I can say that it is very similar, and maybe a good alternative if you have the craving but don't want to act on it and harm yourself

Be warned though, it is very nippy, maybe putting nail varnish remover on it first might soften it, but I don't have any on hand, so I just had to bear the nip lol

I finally connected that if I drink hot coffee it dries out my lips. And dry lips for me is a minefield for picking. I’ve had this reaction so many times for forever and I thought it was the caffeine but I’ve been drinking almost exclusively decaf and still have this happen, so I did more research and I think it’s either the acidity of the coffee against my lips, the heat, or the tannins. Either way—I’m going to try stopping drinking any hot coffee, and possibly hot tea. It doesn’t happen nearly as much with cold coffee and possibly because of the straw or just the temperature, not sure.

I’ll try to report back on results. I’ve had some success with this in the past but not nearly as categorical as I am going to be now.

Also writing this post in case this helps anyone, too.

I have been picking at my nose for my entire life but about 2016 I got acne and would pick so much that I would be covered in facial scabs. I would pick every second and I would have to wipe away during class because I would be bullied. Around 2019 I started picking at my feet until it was so painful to walk. I finally stopped picking at my face (for the most part) but I replaced it with picking at my legs.

My therapist/psychiatrist (60M) makes me feel like I’m being super overdramatic and he scoffs whenever I tell him wearing pants or bandages doesn’t stop me. I am low income college student and I don’t know if I can get a new therapist. :( I’m just venting but if anyone has positive experiences with any online therapy platforms please let me know </3

I have a particular problem with unconsciously picking the skin around my nails, and some damage almost goes around the whole finger. I can see multiple layers, and they sting to the touch. For years I've been trying to cover my fingers up with bandaids, but they always slip off when I wash my hands, and I won't have enough bandaids to last the day. Is there any better way to let them heal? I want to at least get to the point where there are no 'flaps' left for me to peel/pick/bite off.

I’ve heard that the thickness of fake nails helps to stop picking but I cannot afford monthly salon visits so I resorted to press ons. It worked for a couple days but now even this isn’t stopping me from picking and the difficulty with the press ons only makes me dig into my skin more violently and leave bigger wounds. I’m hoping to go back to the first days of being able to stop myself but idk have they worked for anyone else??

update: it’s kinda comforting knowing it hasn’t worked for others too when I was so convinced this might make the picking more mild. I guess I’ll keep looking for other ways

I picked at my face a lot last night because it was dry and flaky. This morning it’s raw.

Any recs out there for a product I can put on my face after a bad episode that reduces the redness and rawness? Thanks.

Does anyone else feel like this is ruining there life? Like I am still able to live my life but barely ...? No meds are working for me and I've tried so many.... I can't get myself to try a pick method my therapist gave me because when the urge to pick is so high I can't find the willpower to even divert my brain to think of anything else ... I don't want to go back to therapy until I find a medicine that could help even like 10% but no luck .... I know it's heavily combined with my OCD. I can barely survive in the bathroom or shower . It messes up my sleep, the clothes I wear... I can't get laser hair removal on my private and legs because I won't ever let them heal.... I can never be intimate with a boy... I just feel so defeated I hate to say this but at this point I wish I was a drug addict or lost an arm or a leg instead... like this is actually the worse. I just want some hope or advice or to see if anyone feels the same. Sorry for all the dots haha! :( I think that's just how I express myself sometimes.

Anybody have any hat/head covering recommendations that can be worn in a professional environment? I feel I have no control over scratching my scalp and my best solution is to cover it

Has anyone tried scalp oils for scalp picking? If so, what gave you tried, what's worked? What's not???

I’ve been picking my skin on my arms and legs for years now. I have keratosis Polaris and sometimes I’ll spend hours a day just picking at my skin. I had a baby six months ago so I’m home a lot and I’ll just pick my skin throughout the day. I’m so embarrassed of how I look, I’ll only wear clothes that cover my arms and legs because I have absolutely ruined my skin. How do I stop?

I have been struggling with dermatillomania for what feels like forever. My skin, particularly my face, is absolutely ravaged by my picking, and it physically hurts and burns everyday, 24/7. Its physically so painful, but also my mental health is suffering too, as I never want to leave the house anymore due to the way my face looks. My boy has seen how hard this has been for me, and recently found a small skincare company called Carter+Jane. He spotted they have some products specifically for helping with skin picking and ordered them for me. They finally came and I tried them tonight for the first time. When I tried their PickFix oil in particular, I started crying. The burning and stinging stopped, and my skin felt less flakey. I have been in pain for months because I can’t stop picking and let my skin heal, and the inflammation isn’t as bad. I can’t wait to continue using these products, and if y’all want, I’ll keep you updated! But, I just can’t believe I’m not in pain right now.

my legs are so scarred, atp, i might resort to getting tats on my legs💀 my friend fr told me the other day that it looked like i had malaria or leprosy and i'm like bro that doesn't help.

it basically looks like a bunch of dark bug bites on my legs.

Hey guys, been struggling with picking at whatever can be picked at, mostly on my face and upper body, scalp too. It started when I was about five, and it’s been fifteen years with periods of severity. I only recently was able to admit that it’s worse when I’m more anxious, but it’s just a loop of causing anxiety and whatnot. You all know what I mean.

There’s a bunch of garbage going on in my life that is very much not helping, but I’m in a place right now where my main priority is addressing a bunch of mental health stuff I’ve been burying for a long time and so deeply that I didn’t know about it until it was all to much. One of the things I want to work on is my skin picking.

There have been many times in the past where I picked to the point I had to put pressure on wounds for several minutes to get them to stop bleeding, only for me to do it again right after. Specifically, this happens a lot when I have to leave for class or work in a couple of minutes, and then I just skip out of shame. When come back to earth after it’s done, I just don’t know what to do. I have tried skincare routines but I just can’t stick to them. Even basic ones like just cleanser and moisturizer. Face wipes aren’t bad, but they’re expensive.

What I really want to know is: how do you guys take care of yourself after? Like directly after? And how do you go about your day when all you can focus on is that mistake you can’t seem to ever learn from?

I didn’t pick yesterday or the day before and that’s the first time in years. I haven’t picked today and I’ve been up since 6am so I’ve been to the bathroom many times and haven’t caved. That never happens. This is the very first time I have no active open or bleeding wounds in my face. What has worked has been depression. Going through pictures of a back then and missing my face and how confident I was even though my body teeth and hair are better now. What has worked has been missing that girl. Thinking about everything I’ve missed out on or messed up because the insecurities of my skin got in the way. Missing taking pictures with friends, looking people in the eyes when I speak. I miss not hiding at the beach or from my kids teachers. I miss how good I used to feel before all of this. I will get better get laser facials and feel ok again.