Idk if I should TW this but just in case I am going to talk about what I did to my skin and mention blood.

I have two bad scabs on my back, they started as pimples then I picked them open. After about a week I had turned one into a wound the size of a dime and the other is probably a little less than an inch wide but is almost two inches long. This bigger one is near the top of my right shoulder. My long distance significant other came to visit and obviously told me to stop picking and helped me by putting neosporin on my wound and covering them in bandaids. My SO was only here for four days but I did try to keep my hands away from the wounds after they left and did manage to do that for almost a week. Unfortunately, I have returned to square one.

The one on my shoulder is so easy for me to touch even accidentally which makes it the most tempting to pick. I was unable to stop myself and peeled away the scab that had formed. I wasn’t able to get it in one piece so I ripped off half of it which didn’t hurt at all but the second piece did. As I was pulling the second piece I could tell that I wasn’t just pulling the scab off, I was also pulling off skin that was previously unaffected by my picking and it hurt really bad but I couldn’t stop until the whole thing was taken off. My fingers were very bloody and after this piece was taken off I could feel the blood starting to drip down my back and I thought “aw shit, I need to deal with this”. So I went to the bathroom and looked in the mirror to see it bleeding way more than my wounds usually do. I cleaned up all the blood on my shoulder and back and did have to use pressure to help stop the bleeding. The wound is slightly bigger than it was now and is also super tender. I didn’t tell my significant other about it bc I’m ashamed of doing it again but I feel bad for not telling them. I know they won’t be mad or anything but they might be disappointed that I ruined the healing that had taken place so quickly. Idk but I needed to share this somewhere and I have nowhere else to go

im a 13 year old boy and i KNOW i suffer from dermartillomania, however i cant seem to get anyone in my life to take me seriously. i meet all the diagnose criteria, but since i dont have a history of OCD (but i have a history of anxiety/panic disorder) they wont do anything about it. i have tried to get on an ssri to help, but again, no one takes me seriously enough. i have bald spots on my head from scalp picking (the only place i pick) and even get bullied at school because of the "red spots" (scabs) on my head. its taking a toll on my mental health for sure. i have about 3 sores the size of my thumbnail on my scalp, they are very very painful to pick, but i cant stop. its starting to impact my daily life to the point i cant even shower. its just so painful to even wash my hair and i know that if i even touch the top of my head ill start picking. i really want to stop. any advice or tips? please keep in mind i am a teenager, so i wont be able to get any expensive devices. all and any advice is needed.

Anyone else’s picking get really bad during the holidays??? I’m struggling right now 😫😫

Diagnosed with OCD since childhood. I have scars everywhere on my body due to skin picking. I cannot get myself to stop no matter how many techniques I try. It prevents me from studying or engaging in any activity requiring mental effort as I easily lose focus and dissociate.

I tried wearing extra clothing on areas I would pick, never worked. I’ve tried distracting myself with hobbies, exercise and fidget toys, never worked. I tried many medications and combinations such as Clomipramine, Abilify, Rexulti, Lamotrigine, Memantine, Zoloft, Escitalopram, Risperidone and Fluvoxamine and a GLP-1 med (Ozempic) most if not all at therapeutic doses, never worked. In addition I’ve done CBT and ERP, never worked.

I’m so helpless and don’t even know what to do anymore. I’ve feel like I’ve exhausted so much effort all for nothing. Please, can someone recommend any ideas on what to do next?

So I frequently get asked about my scars. They cover my body since I've had this issue from a very young age. I especially have scars on my hands and ankles, resulting in people asking about what they are.

It just feels awkward every time. I wish people wouldn't ask but also I know people always will.

Hoping in time I can lessen this and they'll fade

We are all here to support one another, share our stories & so much more. Up until about 4 months ago, I thought I was all alone & finding out I’m not, seriously helped change my outlook on my skin. We all want to help one another & there is no judgement here for the individual suffering from this disorder. This group has changed my outlook on myself & my skin & I am as so incredibly grateful.

Any advice on how to cover up a scab on my lower lip? It’s on the part of my mouth where the skin stretches so the scab cracks whenever I eat, yawn and talk. I cover most of my scabs with a Band-Aid but bandaids don’t hold well when I move my mouth. I pick my feet too but I just put a sock on my feet but I can’t do that with this scab :(

https://www.etsy.com/listing/1784181403/pullypad-original-free-shipping-picky

https://www.etsy.com/listing/1799477045/magnet-putty-picky-pad-feelin-ferrite?ref=share_v4_lx

So i’ve been researching at home ipl hair removal devices. And i’m trying to be careful considering my scars on my arms and legs. It says on Ulike’s website (ipl product) that ipl is not recommended to those who have a known skin disorder or eczema.

Does anyone use ipl hair removal at home? If so, how has it worked? How did you figure out that was the best device for you? Did it hurt your scars? Thanks!!

Does anyone else pick your skin cause of fear of skin cancer?

I mean I pick at spots under the incorrect thought that if I pick at some spots and it comes off it can’t be cancer, which to my knowledge isn’t really true.

It’s like I have to get any little spot off of me and I almost feel like I disassociate from myself when I get into that state and will pick, scratch, probe etc till I can get the spot off.

Believe me l know how much damage I could be doing and it scares the $hit out of me.

It doesn’t help that I have had skin cancer before and OCD with health anxiety.

I would not wish this on others, but if anyone can relate I would appreciate hearing from someone cause I feel really alone right now.

Trashed a

Just had a bad picking episode, and the urges seem to be getting worse. What started as me simply picking my face has become my neck, shoulders, chest, back, genitals, nipples, legs, arms, armpits, gums, and scalp.

Now I am beginning to pull the hair out of my head too.

I don’t know why I cannot help myself. I know what the result is, and I do it anyways.

I am really wanting to give up because I don’t feel as though I have control over myself. I will literally skip meals to pick. I have lost a lot of weight because I skip meals pretty much every single day because I am picking.

I hate that I do this. I hate myself so much it is almost unbearable.

started taking NAC this week to try to treat my dermatillomania, haven't noticed any changes just yet but there's something that has eluded me. in my research i found one blog post chronicling somebody's experience trying NAC for their excoriation disorder that mentioned they developed a kidney stone months later that was supposedly due to not supplementing vitamin c while they were using NAC.

this concerned me so i looked around a little more and found a few interesting reddit comments - one quoted a couple articles that now redirect to dodgy looking pages, but apparently once said that taking three times as much vitamin c as NAC will prevent it from being oxidised, becoming insoluble then forming kidney stones. they also quoted the webMD page on NAC, and sure enough after checking the wayback machine it did once say that in rare cases NAC can cause kidney stones. another comment mentioned that taking an equal amount of vitamin c to NAC is supposed to help prevent kidney stones, but suggested not to bother since "NAC degrades really quickly." another said that vitamin c increases the cellular uptake of cysteine.

i can't find any primary resources covering this, only hearsay from internet randos. what i did find out however is that NAC is a methionine derivative, and cysteine (which is the "C") is related to cystine. cystine is formed by the breakdown of methionine, but too much cystine in the urine leads to cystinuria which results in cystine kidney stones. i could absolutely be wrong, but i imagine that this is the reason a small proportion of people who take NAC develop kidney stones. the most effective way to prevent cystinuria seems to be staying hydrated, avoiding salt and reducing methionine in the diet by reducing animal protein and increasing vegetable protein, so i'll be prioritising those things.

i'd love to know whether anybody here knows any more about this - should i be taking vitamin c with NAC? and why does it occasionally cause kidney stones? thanks in advance.

I’m a 41yo female and I’ve been picking the same places on my head for years until they bleed. It’s like I have holes in my head because I dig so much😢 My partner hates it and I just want to stop. I hope the hair grows back from the bald areas and scars on my head - I feel so gross. I used to have the longest thickest hair… Thanks for your help!

ok so not 100% sure this is dermatillomania related but i also have had a major skin picking issue for years, mostly face, back and scalp, so wouldn’t be suprised if this is part of same issue. basically like every so often i decide its time i gotta ‘fix’ (destroy) my toenails and go at the corners with tweezers, sewing needles, nail clippers and nail scissors. i remove the sides of toenails right down to the beds and rlly dig in there and rip everything out. do i have a reason to actually be needing to do this? literally not at all i have no discomfort in my toes before doing this. but AFTER i am in pain for sometimes weeks and makes it difficult to walk and is a major pain at work. Ive had to get antibiotics multiple times for infections from me doing this. i literally know the outcome is gonna be me being in terrible uncomfortable pain for ages but i cannot stop myself and have been doing this for years so many many occasions of ripping my toes apart. it feels like some sort of compulsion cause i cant get myself to stop until ive digged out enough of the toenail and it feels like clean and tidy enough. i also could genuinely spend hours at a time doing this like i get so much enjoyment from it?? im actual getting like rather concerned im gonna fuck up so bad one time and get a toe so infected its gonna needa be amputated.

i've been picking at my scalp for years. it started with this intense fear of dandruff i have, and with that i am constantly running my nails over my scalp, picking at any inconsistency that could be dandruff. this, obviously, in turn, creates more dandruff. i dont even have a dandruff problem- i never have, but the thought of it freaks me out and it becomes this loop of picking for it/ just picking in general, and then creating more, and then standing there shaking it out. its fucking disgusting. i get this disgusting satisfaction from raking it up on my scalp and shaking it out, while simultaneously fearing it and panicking at the thought or sight of any amount of dandruff. i pick at my scalp all day, but when i get home it gets worse. i'll stand there doing nothing but brushing my hair and then picking or scratching and shaking and then repeating and i dont even know how or who to tell because its gross. i cant stop. i'm scared i'm starting to thin my hair/create bald spots. i don't even see anyone on here with this kind of fixation on dandruff and i just feel lost. i have ocd and pretty bad anxiety and that often manifests in obsessions with cleaning bodily functions and products the most

I’m 31F and typing this is crazy realizing I’ve been a serial picker for at least 26 years. If I feel any “edges” whether it’s a scab or hangnail I cannot physically rest until it’s gone. To make matters worse I am a mosquito magnet and have little self control for scratching bites and live in the south. If someone I’m with tells me to stop (as a way to help) I will literally leave the room to be alone to pick to get rid of scab or whatever. Never been to therapy or anything. Is this a sign I have OCD and this is how it manifests? Or not necessarily?

I’m also pregnant and I am worried this could manifest in my child which has me thinking about it a lot more. I wouldn’t wish this on anyone.

13 years is a way too long time for me to stop. I’ve desperately tried to stop since I was 12 years old but it only gets worse whenever I try. I still do it everyday multiple times and everything around me gets stained. The worse part is when I dig too deep, I pass out. Literally fainting. I have a phobia of my own addiction.

I’ve done it in my sleep for all my teen years. I do it when I’m distracted. I do it doing any hobby. I rarely even notice I’m doing it that’s how accustomed I am to it.

My scars are horrific. I haven’t worn much of what I actually wanted to in front of others for over 7 years.

I have to swim with clothes on. People point out my dotted legs. Mom complains about my white clothes being ruined. All I ever want is for it to go away.

Yet every night and day, in order for me to be able to calm down and relax I HAVE to do it. My brain loves exploring my body for things to pick at. My washed hair becomes oily after 12 hours. My sheets need to be changed all the time.

I notice I pick less when I have longer nails but my nails always break and then i absolutely slander my skin. I hate the feeling of my oily skin cells beneath my nails. And the smell is the worst. But I can’t stop.

I've recently began to really crack down on my almost lifelong scab peeling problems and have been making decent progress. However, I am faced with the problem of that annoying itchy scab feeling that happens when a wound is in the healing process. The feeling isn't tempting me to relapse back to picking, but I've always had huge issues with itchy sensations on my body and controlling the urge to scratch or disturb them. I know there's probably nothing really that can be done to stop the itching, but does anyone have any tips for ways to distract from the sensation or temporairly lessen it?

Yesterday had an argument with her about me and my picking habits. Not the first time and it's not gonna be the last time either. Usual stuff: "I'm tired of it why don't you stop? You're making it overly complicated just stop. You once stopped for 3 months so it's not hard. You and your picking it's as if you're a drug addict. Even drug addicts can stop though. Just look at you. It's awful. No girl does that. And don't go and tell me it's a disorder. You're just looking for an excuse. Are you deranged? Do you want us to take you to a psy since you're crazy?" I tell her she might as well since nothing's working. She looks at me shocked, disgusted and tells me: "Therapy is for crazy people. It would be a shame to bring you there." Later claims she's hurt I'd ever think of going to a psy. Who's supposed to feel hurt here? Seriously. I think my only solution is to go to therapy once I'm 18. I can't take this shit logic seriously anymore.I wish stopping was as easy as they pretend it is.

Heyoo so Ive been ruining my lips for years as part of my OCD compulsions and something thats always made the rough healing process easier has been the brand of chapstick. I hope this isnt considered against the advertising rule, but O’Kieffe’s cooling lip repair seriously fixes me up so quickly all my friends are always borrowing it too. I personally find it doesnt dry you out worse like a lot of the ones out there, and it keeps the raw skin moisturized for hours.

also, ive found that free chapsticks (like the kind you mighr find at a random company’s table that they just give out with their logo) with the most basic ingredients do wonders compared to store bought brands. theyre my substitute for o kieffes. Idk felt like dropping these ideas especially since winter coming in makes it suck so much worse, hope they make anybody’s day a little easier!

I wanted to share this in case it helps just one person out there. for years i had a really bad habit of picking my skin and nails. i would get infections and my face was always a mess. this is what worked for me, it may not work for you but it’s helped me almost completely stop picking my skin.

what you need: coconut oil

any time you know you’re going to be picking your skin (for me this was any downtime at home) slather your face (or wherever you pick) in coconut oil. there’s a couple reasons why this helps:

1. when you try to pick your hands get coated in the oil which isn’t pleasant and kinda reminds you to stop
2. if you apply a thick enough layer it is next to impossible to get a good enough grip on your skin to pick.
3. it moisturizers your skin which helps with scars and such.
4. even if you do find a way to pick with the oil it will be way less destructive.

this may not work for everyone and if you have oily skin then i’m sorry it may not be for you but id highly recommend this to anyone who struggles with picking.

I had this habit since age 20. I can’t stop picking my gums… Any help?

Hello! I have been picking at my scalp for about 4 years, started with a sunburned scalp. I now have a bald spot about the size of a quarter on the top of my head. As i'm sure most of you know the feeling of constantly worrying it's showing or what people will think if they see it. I have stopped picking for 3 days which is a long streak for me, only ever done it one other time. I really want to stop this time, I got a figet ring and a silicone pad with seed beads in it to pick at which have helped so far. My question is when it starts to get itchy is when I want to pick at it the most how do you stop that impulse? Also would love to hear from others with dermatillomania as I feel so alone in this and that no body understands. Thank you and much love.

I have always been picking at my skin and nails also have tricholomania and I just now finally realised what I do isn't normal because I will literally go to my room to pick at my nails to the point I bleed, i hate it so much i have adhd and ocd and I realised that people with ocd pick at their skin and nails 😪 I am just so tried of doing it but it soothes me in a way :((

i have african origins so i use something similar to a shower flower to wash expect it's a bit more agressive on the skin if that makes sense so everytime i take a shower after a fresh picking session, it's like i'm being punished for ruining my skin and the aspect of body/face a little more each time i do it

I am super stressed at work and during my break I just couldn’t help but pick all over my face. I came back from break super red and swollen and my boss noticed and was like “Did you sit in the sun? Or is it stress?” I didn’t know how to answer. I’m so ashamed and just want to stop.

That’s it. That’s the post. Weeping eczema is extremely gross and I make it so much worse.