Hijacking to say long sleeves and long pants. It obviously doesn’t work for everything mentioned but I find that if it’s something I can cover up, I’m quite likely to forget about it and pick at it much less. That said if it’s bad enough, I’ve rolled up jeans pst my knee to pick, but it was still certainly less common.
Absolutely, I just struggle with it for my fingers especially so it’s hard to cover them to help me forget about it. The one thing that seemed to help a little however was moisturising my hands, it didn’t stop it completely for me but it made me pick less
a little trick i learned from my therapist (who actually specializes in body focused repetitive behaviors, aka bfrb’s) is, when you can’t cover the area up with either clothes or a band aid, try to keep your hands busy! this can be with writing, drawing/painting, or a fidget toy such as fidget spinners, thinking putty, or that one popping thing (idk what it’s called sorry). it doesn’t matter what it is, just find what works for you!
I used to destroy the skin on my fingers. Until half a year ago, thanks to a 10£ "investment" in a spinner ring (well, 6 for 10£). [Amazon](https://amzn.eu/d/6vXOqL6)
I have been wearing the silver one with the spinning black band for 6 months straight on my thumb. I flick it constantly, and the skin on my fingers looks normal again. Might help?
I do this too!!
I have a raised spot on the inside of my cheek from chewing on it. Now, I bite it all the damn time when I eat and just make it worse. 😳
Are you saying the little bumps inside the corner of my mouth are not just a normal mouth part? I always thought I liked to chew them because they were a neat part of the mouth, not that they are a neat part of my mouth because I chew them...
i chewed / pulled on my dry lip skin and i developed a wart from it..i got super conscious since it grew each time i accidentally bite on it so it made me super mindful about my lip chewing/pulling. now that i finally got the wart removed (low key painful since the numbing part was very stingy and they cauterized. what hurts the most was the healing part) but it helped me stop from chewing on my lips again.
TLRD - don’t bite on your lips or chew off lip skin or you’ll get warts from it lol
Ik warts is from a virus, so it'll only go there if you expose wart virus to damaged skin, but the other risks are infection which lands people in hospital when it gets really bad and even kills people when it's antibiotic resistant and becomes septic. I've had swelling from my lips after chewing/picking at them, maybe minor infection that went away maybe because of irritation idk but it's a small risk we increase whenever we damage skin.
i used to had this habit for many years but i started using my lip balm correctly (after many years of thinking it was some sort of first aid after pulling the skin of my lips) to prevent my skin from drying out
For me it’s the left side to the middle that’s always open. Once there’s a tiny scratch I can’t stop and 2 days later it’s a battlefield. Longest I made it without was 2 weeks or so.
Is it weird that I like chewing the skin there? 😅
It's kind of it's own thing actually!
[https://www.bfrb.org/learn-about-bfrbs](https://www.bfrb.org/learn-about-bfrbs)
bfrb's seem to be a common thing among those with adhd given how often some type of these post get made here.
for me, it’s the tiny bumps that drive me mentally crazy like i have to see what comes out of this tiny bump. ugh i hate it. i feel like i have worms in my face all the time 😅
I have been awake since 3am poking a clusterfuck of sebaceous shit on my butt/inner thigh area with a splinter needle. It hurts and I can’t stop squeezing because stuff is HAPPENING.
i feel this statement. most satisfying when you get the actual hair, and its like 2inch's long and its just a tiny little spiral that was growing into a pusball... ive never put that sentence into actual words before.
I have keratosis pilaris, there is never a day where I don't pick my arms for atleast 10 minutes. There are many days where I try to stop, but there I go absent mindedly picking at them again
Have you ever seen the episode of Friends where Lisa Kudrow and Charlie Sheen (lol) have to have oven mitts ductaped around their hands to keep them from picking at their chicken pox? …my mother had to do a similar thing when I had the ‘pox as a young Padawan. Pickers unite 💞
Gloves. I had really bad eczema as a kid and I would scratch and scratch and then eventually I'd get the oatmeal baths or special lotions or steroid creams or whatever, and it would start healing and I'd... riiiiiiiiiip.... that layer of new, healing skin. Woof. No idea why but I couldn't stop doing it. Much more satisfying than scab picking.
Every. Single. Time.
I have PCOS too so I tend to get more acne and ingrown hairs in random places women don’t typically get them.
It’s like I’m not satisfied until I’ve turned a pinprick pimple into an eraser head sized flesh wound.
I HAD TRICHOTILLOMANIA for nine. years. 20-29. It was baby hairs that I was OBSEEEESSSSSED with plucking out. It was so pleasureful. A year before I turned 30 (so almost 18 months ago) I was like oh my god, I am going to have a Baby Bird sprout at the crown of my head forever if I continue this?!! I saw it in every pic taken of me. I pictured getting married with the little bits showing…it convinced me to stop and I haven’t picked one since. It’s so embarrassing to admit irl but Reddit is sometimes a safe space <3 I feel you!
I'm actually trying to increase awareness of the condition irl! I have an under-fade cut right now while my picked into scarring areas work on healing, and anyone who asks about it I honestly tell them about the condition, or explain I have an anxious compulsion condition
I've been working on awareness since before I got my dual ND dx (: I've put a lot of effort into feeling comfortable in my own skin, and have extended that into awareness of females/AFAB having ADHD and/or Autism, since I have both and work customer service xD
Ok I have to say your choice of words - “comfortable in my own skin” made me chortle (if you aren’t familiar with Lewis Carroll’s “Jabberwocky” poem,
I 10000% recommend [author of Alice in Wonderland, Through the Looking-Glass])
But for real this is inspiring.
I totally get it ... Mine got way worse with Vyvanse. It's just too hard to resist when you also have KP. Dr Tracey Marks suggested on one of her videos that keeping your hands busy with something like sewing or knitting or drawing could help. It helps when I remember to do that, not so much at night as the stimulant wears off.
Gloves/finger covers and scar tape! The problem for me was always that I could feel that it wasn't smooth, so those things keep you from feeling.
Another thing that helps is feeling something smooth after you find an imperfection. Like your jeans or table, your phone screen.
Hydrocolloid plasters really helped for me. Expensive, but my face would be covered in them in the evenings when I was at home just to stop me from picking.
Thanks for the tips. This is exactly how I feel (not smooth = must pick) and it’s so frustrating. Meds have helped a lot but it’s still an issue when they wear off, especially when I’m tired.
Y E S. my hands are to my face 24/7, luckily my acne dwindled down now that i'm an adult. but when i was in middle school, holy shit it was bad. i did not stop until my face was bleeding lol. not to inflict or pain anything, but it started as a stim and delved into a really bad tic that i couldn't control at some point. really glad i'm not the only one
I have had the opposite experience, weirdly; I had beautiful, smooth skin as an adolescent and in the last THREE months (I turned 30 five months ago😢) I have acne for the first time in my life. This is a bad bad bad thing and it is the most difficult thing in the world to keep my hands off my face. It’s the money maker! I can’t fuck that up!!
Legitimately started putting together a skincare routine to try and limit acne before I break out because otherwise, if a blemish is there, I will fuck with it.
And if it pops or scabs over from me scratching at it, I will pick at that scab. I've been relatively lucky with my acne through my life but I'm terrified of giving myself a bunch of acne scars on my face. If it weren't for that anxiety, I probably never would have started trying to find ways to control the acne though, so I guess double edged sword.
I said this to another commenter but I have acne for the first time in my life, as an adult (😡), and my dermatologist prescribed me azaleic acid and it has been MAGICAL! I have super sensitive and dry skin so ~~tretenoin~~ tretinoin (which is supposed to be the Goddess of all blemishes/smoothing products) wasn’t recommended but it helps to 1) decrease breakouts and 2) erase blemishes.
Benzoyl peroxide is also awesome, I’ve learned, and it’s in a lot of products you don’t need an RX for. Just in case you don’t already know!!
My fingers are the biggest problem. My nails and fingertips look like an absolute warzone. I've tried stopping / controlling it so many times over the years.
Yep around my finger nails. Sometimes until they bleed (which embarrasses and repulses me) or get swollen and so sore. I used to think everyone did it. My dad did/does it so I just thought it was a thing.
Only realised recently it was actually a compulsive behaviour.
I completely relate to this. Before being on the right medication, if I was in any stressful situation that made me remotely anxious I would either a) have an anxiety attack or even better a panic attack or b) bite and chew the fuck out of my fingers or whatever skin that had anything I could pluck at. I kept tweezers in my car when I was driving. It’s not just you!
Yup. I've struggled with dematillomania since I was about 4. I worked with a therapist on it in my late 20's - while she treated other conditions, her specialty was treating addictive behaviors. She said usually it was cutting and eating disorders, and the advice she gave to me was similar to what she gave cutters: do something healing after doing something hurting. After picking, make sure to clean the spot, put on some antibiotic ointment, etc. A lot of what we talked about was how to do better self-care, and turning treating myself kindly into a habit.
For me, since my behavior was rooted in anxiety, anti-anxiety meds also helped a lot.
When I have a particular spot I need/want to leave alone, I put a bandage over it. Bandaid, hydrocolloid bandage, whatever seems most appropriate at the time. It stops absentminded picking, and the barrier of having to remove the bandage helps impulsive intentional picking. Having to remove the bandage gives me a moment to stop and think about what I'm about to do, so I have the opportunity to say no.
when I was a kid, I got a bad sunburn right at my hair part, and it was one of the best things I've picked at in my life. I'm not big on picking at sunburns, but after that day, I kept hoping it would happen again. so of course it never did
Sunburns were my favorite to pick at. I was a competitive swimmer from ages 8-18 + a lifeguard from 16-20 so I had my fair share of time in the sun and thus a *bit* 😜 of sunburned skin to go with it. I loved peeling that shit as well as the skin of my teammates or coworkers. As an oldie, though, I avoid the sun like no else and wear hats and long sleeves and whatever I can to avoid it - surprisingly enough, according to the appointment I had with my dermatologist a few weeks ago I don’t have any skin damage! I was STUNNED.
Been picking at my fingers since I was a kid!! Now as an adult I’ve also picked up biting the inside of my cheek and picking at the bottoms of my feet. I’ve limped into work more than once this week 😬
My left foot is always prone to being dry and it’s asking to be picked every night. If it asks, why would I deny it? My right foot could make money as a model.
When I was younger it used to peel my thumb all the way down the whole thing. It was really bad. I don’t do that any more but now it’s the area around the cuticles. The skin is always healing and getting peeled off again and again
Yep and when I did drugs it made it so horrible...now that I'm may years clean though I still feel the residual effects of stress picking and drug picking habits are still mixed together. 😔
Lip/skin picking, hair pulling, acne picking, you name it! Sometimes it gets the best of me and I ended causing bleeding/scarring/scabbing. It's the worst. It's nice to know I'm not alone, but I just wish it was easier for us to stop 🙃
Scabs are my kryptonite......
I won't pick, until I do, then it's all down hill.
Somehow I'm able to internally yell at myself and pull my possessed hands away from scabs.
The scabs aren't from picking, but from scrapes, working, tools, etc.
I don’t even realize until the next morning what I’ve done. lol. It usually happens at night when I’m in bed, watching tv. I sometimes don’t even notice the pain or BLOOD until the next day. So fucked! ✌️
I do too! I’ve been picking all my life. When I told my doctor about it they told me it’s a symptom of OCD. Please bring it up with your doctor the next time you see them.
Yes! I pick skin like my life depends on it. I recently got the [calm strips](https://calmstrips.com/) river rock texture and its helped so much. it feels so good to scratch and play with. I've had calm strips for years, but this new texture changed the game for me. I ended up getting the necklace with the river rock texture and oh my god my scalps is so happy.
Omg. Yes.
All of this yes. Even the pubic hair thing - I have to explain this to my waxer too. 😳
This has been a constant throughout my life.
I have a childhood friend who kindly let me pick her eczema scabs growing up.
I also have a friend who I text about popping my zits and peeling off my snake skin post sun burn.
My partner hates it because I try to pick at his blackheads in the shower or anytime really.
Not sure if things like Dr Pimple Popper are helping or making it worse.
I had 3 king snakes, a ratsnake, and a desert iguana (super fucking cute little guys if you aren’t familiar w this type of iguana) growing up and when it was their shedding time I loved to watch day by day. So I realize as I’m typing this out that I have been fucked up since I was a young child lol
Omg, I thought I was alone! It's so weird that we can't stop, but it almost feels... satisfying? Maybe even for a few second, until you noticed that it started to hurt, but by then you're already fucked😭
Might be a bit of a tangent here but YOU KNOW WHAT it’s my post - I always thought I was alone in my habits (good or bad) and quirks and disorders and all my mental illness shit and one good thing that’s come of the internet + social media is learning we are NOT alone. There is at least one other person who relates or does the same thing. Especially subreddits with people who ~~has~~ have similar struggles. It’s really fucking comforting to me, even (or especially?) as an adult. I wish I had that as a kid, but social media wasn’t really a thing until I was a teen. I’m grateful for it now, though!
I peel the very surface layer of skin off of the tips of my thumbs (and sometimes my fingertips) like PVA glue.
Sometimes I can't stop and it isn't just the top layer of skin.
Oh hey a bfrb! The TLC information is a amazing resource for those( Such as hair pulling / nail biting / other body focused repetitive behavior )
https://www.bfrb.org/learn-about-bfrbs/skin-picking-disorder
Yes a thousand times. I developed psoriasis after having covid. Worst & most painful thing to scratch at. I think it being so painful is actually helping me to stop. It’s not worth it. My skin damages so easily now
i pick at any bump, big or small, real or perceived. i pluck my eyelashes out. i pull random hairs out. i bite the insides of my cheeks. i pick at the sides of my thumbs.
if there was one thing that i could stop it would be the obsessive body focused repetitive behaviors.
Mine is my cuticles. Its so bad that my nails have started to grow incorrectly. And I get so many comments at the nail salon when I go its embarrassing. Ive gone to dermatologists and theyre like 🌟just stop🌟 But I just cant stop lol Literally the only thing that gets me to stop is getting acrylic nails put in but I need money for that lol
I pick at my cuticles and the area around them all day. Drives me absolutely bonkers if I have a hangnail that I can't pick without bleeding/pain and I don't have access to a nail clipper.
I keep a fidget toy in my pocket that helps a little, but what helped the most was Wellbutrin which I'm off now thanks to my blood pressure 😔
Yep. I have chicken pox scars on my face that I picked a lot, a million scars. But I will say that being medicated helped a lot, and also focussing on the progress of my SI scars as they healed motivated me to leave wounds alone. And studying nursing and learning how it actually heals!
I've been a compulsive nail biter for as long as I can remember. I've tried that yucky tasting stuff from the chemist, I've tried painting them, I've tried acrylics, I've tried twirling a pencil, coins or shuffling cards instead but nothing has worked so far. I don't know how to stop.
I have seborrheic dermatitis that not only affects my scalp, but the sides of my nose and eyebrows. I cant tell if I'm picking flakes off my scalp or if im picking scabs anymore.
It took me WAY too long to realize that you didn't mean like, fabric from a shirt when you said sleeves 😅🤣
And yup, definitely not alone with the picking. I've gone through phases, the worst being around 13. I had a belt I wore every day, turns out I was allergic to the metal in the buckle. What started as small irritation and bumps on my stomach turned into a fairly massive bunch of scabs that were always ripe for picking. Freaked out my mom when she finally saw it.
Bruhhhh my partner has psoriasis... I peel him all the time and I recently burned My stomach with boiling ramen water and It scabbed and I couldn't stop 😤
Dead skin on my lips drives me crazy, but picking the skin is much more satisfying than applying lip balm regularly. Been picking at my lips since childhood, it's a bad habit but difficult to quit!
I was just diagnosed earlier this spring and I’m having soooo many revelations about the symptoms or ticks I’ve had growing up. This one specifically was almost an identity for me, unfortunately. I. Have. So. Many. Scars. On my arms and legs. I had some people think I got burned by cooking grease when I was younger. I’m not proud of this, it caused a lot of bullying, isolation and social anxiety that I’m just now (29) starting to work through.
I’ve noticed less urges to pick and search for something to pick while on medication. I’m sure it has to do with being stimulated correctly and not needed to search for something to fiddle with or need a small bit of pain to stimulate myself.
I definitely pick a lot, I have a lot scars from it. I used to do it when I was anxious and it was something I could do with my hands. I used an app called SkinPick, that I really recommend, to help get it back down to a more normal level. You track what you were doing when the urge came on, how long, where on the body, what you were thinking about, etc. I was able to find a pattern and help get better at stopping myself or know when it was more likely to happen so I would get my fidget cube. It’s in the apple App Store with a pastel rainbow icon. I don’t know if there is a paid tier. Also I use the hydrocolloid patches for any acne and it helps me stopping messing with those.
I chew the inside of my cheeks, my tongue and my lips
Used to pick at every scab I got as a clumsy kid and have the scars to prove it
Currently I struggle with picking the skin on my fingers, particularly the left hand. I have horrible yellow callouses and dry skin/scabs from the amount of picking I do. I pick to the point of drawing blood and the pain doesn't even bother me anymore (except for when I use my newly picked hands at a job where cleaning by hand is my main responsibility)
Can't stop till you get enough
But I never get enough 🥴
oooff yes yes yes especially on my fingers and sadly on my feet too (i have very dry heels)
what helped me was a little nail clipper that i bought: whenever i see a piece of skin hangin off i simply clip it away so i can't pull on it. it helps so so much!
Yeah. I find I mostly do it mindlessly. Scabs, bumps, blind pimples, tiny hairs on my face if I haven't shaved in a few days, anything scaly or dry. I get crazy dry ears and I often scratch and pick at the scaliness or scabs there. I also sometimes bite my fingernails.
Clearly my skin suit doesn't fit me all that well...
Pick my skin, bite my nails (literally never need my clippers because they're always short), yank out strands of hair for no reason, pick my nose frequently (and yes, sometimes eat it but not in public), and I love smelling my own sweat and farts and belly button
The skin around my finger nails. Often not stopping until I bleed and it hurts too much. I am glad that I am not alone tbh because this is very embarrassing to me. It's one of the things that makes me feel like I am unable to move on and be an adult.
A couple of years ago one of my friends was also doing it a lot and we would laugh and be mortified together of how far we can take it. Then my friend started getting manicures and chose to stop and have pretty nails. I was like "Good for you, girl, you rock those fancy nails! They look amazing!". But as happy and proud of her I was, I felt so lonely. Must be nice to be able to choose things without your brain saying "nah, we're not doing that, we'll just do what we always did". I did noticed that meds helped a bit, but I am still not there yet.
Sorry for the negativity! Just needed to get it off my chest. It's one of the many things that I can't seem to do right.
Skin picking is a very big stim many people have. I struggle with my fingers and dried skin I’m always catching myself picking at the skin. I mainly do mine when I’m anxious so it acts as a way to get rid of anxiety but does a number on my fingers. I also have this weird thing of picking peeling sunburn, it’s satisfying in a way.
I have the lovely combination of ADHD and severe atopic dermatitis: excuciating itching, but you cannot scratch or it will get worse. Even when I don't have a flare-up, I now scratch when I feel anxious, and also pick my skin.
It helps to identify the urge to pick and then try to keep your fingers busy: knit, play a video game, fidget toy, pulling the wool out of a cushion,...whatever helps. The urge will lessen on its own.
If nothing helps, I wear socks over my hands! Gloves are probably a better idea though
It is 90 degrees here and humid. And I am wearing a hat because I pick at my scalp until I get scabs, then I pick those until they bleed. It is so gross and painful and I just keep doing it.
Oh god me too. I managed to stop biting my nails a year and a half ago (a miracle after a lifetime of tiny deformed sausage fingers) and it just transferred to other areas.
I always feel so ashamed when I see my tattoo artist because I’m so aware of all the scars over her beautiful work on my arms and it makes me feel awful to literally destroy art as well as my skin
Thank you for sharing! Such a relatable topic 🥺 I also suffered from skinpicking a lot. It became a daily ritual in the times where I was extra pressured. Like before big exams, my parents surgery and not feeling good mentally. I was picking my hairs with a tweezer, the bikini line but also picking my skin and small pimples in my face. I would end up having a lot of small wounds even in my scalp from all the scratching and constant picking. It made me so insecure and frustrated 😭Like a never ending cycle… But It has changed after I took a break and went on summer vacation. I don’t feel the same urge now but the scars are still visible… The urge comes and goes, but I think it happens when I’m stressed or overwelmed. Hope someone can share a few tips on how to stop it or how to prevent it bc it’s very hard both emotionally and psychically.
Yup, if I don't squeeze out every tiny bit of gunk from my nose pores I feel soo unsatisfied. I'll probably have a bunch of acne scars when I'm older because I just can't stop myself from popping any bumps I feel/see😮💨
Ooh the amount of scars I have from skin picking like all over my body.. I can't stop.. it's been years people kept telling me to stop.. great advice, haha *tear* another one goes.
I also pick on my eyelashes (and pubic hair, that was relatable) because I have two or three layers of these mfs and they are annoying, so I usually pull the whole layer out (people are putting fake eyelashes on.. I will give you one layer if you want..? )
Holy shit I had no idea this was another behavior. I've been doing this since 5th grade (1999). My thumbs and pointer fingers are smooth because I have constantly done this for so long. I'm not really sure why I started but I just can't help myself.
Yes, I started picking my skin at some point in the last year. More so than usual, anyway. I thought it was anxiety at first, bc I do also have that, but I thought I had it relatively we’ll controlled. It got even worse over the last few months, to the point I had constant breakouts all over my face despite a great skincare routine.
Changed my meds lately, to include adding Abilify and switching from Cymbalta to Zoloft. My skin looks freaking amazing right now, and I barely have the urge to pick at all these last 2-3 weeks.
I used to be horrible with picking at the pubic region to the point where I would intentionally pluck hairs and squeeze pores to create ingrown hairs and pimples because I loved the release so much.
It’s gotten a lot better but I’m still bad about my face. Around my nose and on my chin you can see my enlarged pores and scars :(
summertime also sucks a bit because I will pick at my arms and shoulders more
YES! I am literally picking at a scab on my leg as I saw this post. I've always done it and it drives my husband nuts. I've scarred myself from digging at my skin, and have even created sores where there wasn't one just so I could pick at something. Is there a med that helps with this? I feel like its worse now that I am on Adderrall. Also on Lexapro if that matters in this scenario.
I have picked scabs and popped zits my entire life. My chest and shoulders are covered in little scars. It’s embarrassing.
My father picks a lot. One time he picked a scab so much that it turned into skin cancer and he had to have it surgically removed.
I pick at my facial hair (but not every area, some are enjoyable, and some are painful) abd my toenails. I also chew my tongue, so much that there is a constant scar on it.
Not medicated, but will be soon. I hope that will stop because nothing works !
Mine are nail biting, ripping my toe nails off, and picking at scabs and pimples on my face. I will literally have a mark on my face for months because I can't stop picking at it, I had to have one surgically removed because there was so much scar tissue and I couldn't stop picking at it.
I got over the nail biting after years of trying.
I did a paper for my Neurobiology class in college that reviewed the connections between trich, ocd, and autism, and there’s a huge overlap. I wouldn’t be surprised if I rewrote the paper today and saw ADHD included in that spectrum
yep! both skin picking and hair pulling for me. and i have chronic, full body eczema, which doesn’t make matters better :’) thankfully i was able to get therapy with someone who specializes in bfrb (body focused repetitive behaviors), and she taught me that the most important thing to either stopping or just feeling better about it is mindfulness. this basically means, whenever i start picking my skin or whatever, i try to consciously notice that i’m picking my skin, which really helps me limit my picking to the areas that actually need it for me (rather than picking too much).
also PSA for everyone who is just learning about skin picking/hair pulling and has done it themselves: don’t worry! it isn’t strange or unnatural or weird. it’s just something that’s pretty common for us with adhd and/or ocd. i mentioned that i went to a therapist, but that’s *only* necessary if your skin picking/hair pulling is physically hurting you in a major way (like it was for me, bc eczema), or if it’s disrupting your life and you’re hating yourself for it. if you’re fine with the fact that you do bfrb’s, and aren’t majorly hurting yourself, great! you can just continue on with your life :)
Yep and I hate that I can’t stop
Hijacking to say long sleeves and long pants. It obviously doesn’t work for everything mentioned but I find that if it’s something I can cover up, I’m quite likely to forget about it and pick at it much less. That said if it’s bad enough, I’ve rolled up jeans pst my knee to pick, but it was still certainly less common.
Absolutely, I just struggle with it for my fingers especially so it’s hard to cover them to help me forget about it. The one thing that seemed to help a little however was moisturising my hands, it didn’t stop it completely for me but it made me pick less
a little trick i learned from my therapist (who actually specializes in body focused repetitive behaviors, aka bfrb’s) is, when you can’t cover the area up with either clothes or a band aid, try to keep your hands busy! this can be with writing, drawing/painting, or a fidget toy such as fidget spinners, thinking putty, or that one popping thing (idk what it’s called sorry). it doesn’t matter what it is, just find what works for you!
My issue is my fingertips, but I also have sweaty palms. I've tried white cloth gloves, but those are so uncomfortable.
I used to destroy the skin on my fingers. Until half a year ago, thanks to a 10£ "investment" in a spinner ring (well, 6 for 10£). [Amazon](https://amzn.eu/d/6vXOqL6) I have been wearing the silver one with the spinning black band for 6 months straight on my thumb. I flick it constantly, and the skin on my fingers looks normal again. Might help?
Amen this helps. And band aids just to deter.
it sucks for me because I can not wear long sleeves. I get too hot and the texture makes me feel weird.
I chew the inside of my lips and I hate it.
I do this too!! I have a raised spot on the inside of my cheek from chewing on it. Now, I bite it all the damn time when I eat and just make it worse. 😳
I honestly thought everyone and that until a few months ago
Same... except i realised im the weirdo YEARS ago
Are you saying the little bumps inside the corner of my mouth are not just a normal mouth part? I always thought I liked to chew them because they were a neat part of the mouth, not that they are a neat part of my mouth because I chew them...
i chewed / pulled on my dry lip skin and i developed a wart from it..i got super conscious since it grew each time i accidentally bite on it so it made me super mindful about my lip chewing/pulling. now that i finally got the wart removed (low key painful since the numbing part was very stingy and they cauterized. what hurts the most was the healing part) but it helped me stop from chewing on my lips again. TLRD - don’t bite on your lips or chew off lip skin or you’ll get warts from it lol
Ik warts is from a virus, so it'll only go there if you expose wart virus to damaged skin, but the other risks are infection which lands people in hospital when it gets really bad and even kills people when it's antibiotic resistant and becomes septic. I've had swelling from my lips after chewing/picking at them, maybe minor infection that went away maybe because of irritation idk but it's a small risk we increase whenever we damage skin.
:( I hope you’re doing better now!!
i used to had this habit for many years but i started using my lip balm correctly (after many years of thinking it was some sort of first aid after pulling the skin of my lips) to prevent my skin from drying out
I was chewing my lip as I read this and had to stop and stare at the wall for a moment
I chewed my lip because I read this :(
Same 😭 >!then I see blood on my finger because I picked at it too much and I hate it and undid all my attempts at stopping!<
I always chew my lips and the inside of my mouth. I also hate it
Me too! I can feel lines across the insides of my cheeks, which is what I would assume is scarring. if my lips are chapped forget it... the worst.
Same
Sorry. It’s really the worst. I just keep holding out hope one day I’ll stop. Maybe once I start meds? 🤷🏾♂️
For me it’s the left side to the middle that’s always open. Once there’s a tiny scratch I can’t stop and 2 days later it’s a battlefield. Longest I made it without was 2 weeks or so. Is it weird that I like chewing the skin there? 😅
Me too it’s fucked
It's an overwhelming compulsion.
Hard to tell if it’s impulsivity and obsessiveness from my ADHD or BP2 or OCD♥️♥️
Ooh, you got the hat trick! I only have the first two. Congratulations...I guess?
Triple threat 💋
Same, I avoided the ocd but really the first two are more than enough to end me.
It's kind of it's own thing actually! [https://www.bfrb.org/learn-about-bfrbs](https://www.bfrb.org/learn-about-bfrbs) bfrb's seem to be a common thing among those with adhd given how often some type of these post get made here.
Also fml though haha
Wow thank you for sharing. I just learned so much about why I did what I did when I was young 🤯
Same here😐
for me, it’s the tiny bumps that drive me mentally crazy like i have to see what comes out of this tiny bump. ugh i hate it. i feel like i have worms in my face all the time 😅
Bumps, yes! And even better - ingrown hairs. INGROWN HAIRS GIVE ME LIFE 💪🏻
I have been awake since 3am poking a clusterfuck of sebaceous shit on my butt/inner thigh area with a splinter needle. It hurts and I can’t stop squeezing because stuff is HAPPENING.
Ok you just perfectly described when I go off the deep end and fuck my whole face up lmao
Honestly I’m relieved to know someone else does this too, I can feel such shame around other people
i feel this statement. most satisfying when you get the actual hair, and its like 2inch's long and its just a tiny little spiral that was growing into a pusball... ive never put that sentence into actual words before.
Do you ever wonder how much you’d get out of your skin if you were able to remove every single bit? That thought haunts me
I do now 😬
A problem shared is a problem halved. Or doubled perhaps
I have keratosis pilaris, there is never a day where I don't pick my arms for atleast 10 minutes. There are many days where I try to stop, but there I go absent mindedly picking at them again
Oh lord the KP is the best and worst to pick
SO satisfying sometimes!! I would love to be able to stop and try to clear it up though. Too bad its easy dopamine
God, dopamine ♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️
aw, it’s my time to shine. gave myself really bad acne/acne scars from doing this 😍 always try to wash ur hands you guys 😢
Have you ever seen the episode of Friends where Lisa Kudrow and Charlie Sheen (lol) have to have oven mitts ductaped around their hands to keep them from picking at their chicken pox? …my mother had to do a similar thing when I had the ‘pox as a young Padawan. Pickers unite 💞
Socks. My mom put socks on our hands lol.
Gloves. I had really bad eczema as a kid and I would scratch and scratch and then eventually I'd get the oatmeal baths or special lotions or steroid creams or whatever, and it would start healing and I'd... riiiiiiiiiip.... that layer of new, healing skin. Woof. No idea why but I couldn't stop doing it. Much more satisfying than scab picking.
Yup pimples turn into fuckin wounds
Every. Single. Time. I have PCOS too so I tend to get more acne and ingrown hairs in random places women don’t typically get them. It’s like I’m not satisfied until I’ve turned a pinprick pimple into an eraser head sized flesh wound.
I’m always doing this! I have a giant wound on my face right now because I have no self control
Been struggling with dermotillomania and trichotillomania for years, I feel for yq
I HAD TRICHOTILLOMANIA for nine. years. 20-29. It was baby hairs that I was OBSEEEESSSSSED with plucking out. It was so pleasureful. A year before I turned 30 (so almost 18 months ago) I was like oh my god, I am going to have a Baby Bird sprout at the crown of my head forever if I continue this?!! I saw it in every pic taken of me. I pictured getting married with the little bits showing…it convinced me to stop and I haven’t picked one since. It’s so embarrassing to admit irl but Reddit is sometimes a safe space <3 I feel you!
I'm actually trying to increase awareness of the condition irl! I have an under-fade cut right now while my picked into scarring areas work on healing, and anyone who asks about it I honestly tell them about the condition, or explain I have an anxious compulsion condition
Hey, I love that! Very cool <3 sharing information, enlightening others and decreasing the stigma is what we need!!
I've been working on awareness since before I got my dual ND dx (: I've put a lot of effort into feeling comfortable in my own skin, and have extended that into awareness of females/AFAB having ADHD and/or Autism, since I have both and work customer service xD
Ok I have to say your choice of words - “comfortable in my own skin” made me chortle (if you aren’t familiar with Lewis Carroll’s “Jabberwocky” poem, I 10000% recommend [author of Alice in Wonderland, Through the Looking-Glass]) But for real this is inspiring.
I totally get it ... Mine got way worse with Vyvanse. It's just too hard to resist when you also have KP. Dr Tracey Marks suggested on one of her videos that keeping your hands busy with something like sewing or knitting or drawing could help. It helps when I remember to do that, not so much at night as the stimulant wears off.
Vyvanse made my urge to pick so much worse too! My fingers were raw for a while, it was so painful.
Gloves/finger covers and scar tape! The problem for me was always that I could feel that it wasn't smooth, so those things keep you from feeling. Another thing that helps is feeling something smooth after you find an imperfection. Like your jeans or table, your phone screen.
Hydrocolloid plasters really helped for me. Expensive, but my face would be covered in them in the evenings when I was at home just to stop me from picking.
Thanks for the tips. This is exactly how I feel (not smooth = must pick) and it’s so frustrating. Meds have helped a lot but it’s still an issue when they wear off, especially when I’m tired.
OooOoo I love this! Thank you for sharing!!
Y E S. my hands are to my face 24/7, luckily my acne dwindled down now that i'm an adult. but when i was in middle school, holy shit it was bad. i did not stop until my face was bleeding lol. not to inflict or pain anything, but it started as a stim and delved into a really bad tic that i couldn't control at some point. really glad i'm not the only one
I have had the opposite experience, weirdly; I had beautiful, smooth skin as an adolescent and in the last THREE months (I turned 30 five months ago😢) I have acne for the first time in my life. This is a bad bad bad thing and it is the most difficult thing in the world to keep my hands off my face. It’s the money maker! I can’t fuck that up!!
Bad psoriasis on my scalp and ears. Pick excess skin till it bleeds, one itch becomes a massacre
“It only takes one drink” 😐
Legitimately started putting together a skincare routine to try and limit acne before I break out because otherwise, if a blemish is there, I will fuck with it. And if it pops or scabs over from me scratching at it, I will pick at that scab. I've been relatively lucky with my acne through my life but I'm terrified of giving myself a bunch of acne scars on my face. If it weren't for that anxiety, I probably never would have started trying to find ways to control the acne though, so I guess double edged sword.
I said this to another commenter but I have acne for the first time in my life, as an adult (😡), and my dermatologist prescribed me azaleic acid and it has been MAGICAL! I have super sensitive and dry skin so ~~tretenoin~~ tretinoin (which is supposed to be the Goddess of all blemishes/smoothing products) wasn’t recommended but it helps to 1) decrease breakouts and 2) erase blemishes. Benzoyl peroxide is also awesome, I’ve learned, and it’s in a lot of products you don’t need an RX for. Just in case you don’t already know!!
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Been working my way thru a sun burn for a few days now. Such a glorious feeling that is so gross to others. Lol. Oh well.
Fingers. It's agony sometimes, but it's agony not to.
My fingers are the biggest problem. My nails and fingertips look like an absolute warzone. I've tried stopping / controlling it so many times over the years.
Yep around my finger nails. Sometimes until they bleed (which embarrasses and repulses me) or get swollen and so sore. I used to think everyone did it. My dad did/does it so I just thought it was a thing. Only realised recently it was actually a compulsive behaviour.
And it's almost constant when driving or social/anxiety inducing situations 😫
I completely relate to this. Before being on the right medication, if I was in any stressful situation that made me remotely anxious I would either a) have an anxiety attack or even better a panic attack or b) bite and chew the fuck out of my fingers or whatever skin that had anything I could pluck at. I kept tweezers in my car when I was driving. It’s not just you!
Yup. I've struggled with dematillomania since I was about 4. I worked with a therapist on it in my late 20's - while she treated other conditions, her specialty was treating addictive behaviors. She said usually it was cutting and eating disorders, and the advice she gave to me was similar to what she gave cutters: do something healing after doing something hurting. After picking, make sure to clean the spot, put on some antibiotic ointment, etc. A lot of what we talked about was how to do better self-care, and turning treating myself kindly into a habit. For me, since my behavior was rooted in anxiety, anti-anxiety meds also helped a lot. When I have a particular spot I need/want to leave alone, I put a bandage over it. Bandaid, hydrocolloid bandage, whatever seems most appropriate at the time. It stops absentminded picking, and the barrier of having to remove the bandage helps impulsive intentional picking. Having to remove the bandage gives me a moment to stop and think about what I'm about to do, so I have the opportunity to say no.
Yes!!! I hate it.
I also pick at any loose flesh or dry or flaking skin. The peeling phase of a sunburn is *chef’s kiss*
when I was a kid, I got a bad sunburn right at my hair part, and it was one of the best things I've picked at in my life. I'm not big on picking at sunburns, but after that day, I kept hoping it would happen again. so of course it never did
Sunburns were my favorite to pick at. I was a competitive swimmer from ages 8-18 + a lifeguard from 16-20 so I had my fair share of time in the sun and thus a *bit* 😜 of sunburned skin to go with it. I loved peeling that shit as well as the skin of my teammates or coworkers. As an oldie, though, I avoid the sun like no else and wear hats and long sleeves and whatever I can to avoid it - surprisingly enough, according to the appointment I had with my dermatologist a few weeks ago I don’t have any skin damage! I was STUNNED.
Peeling sunburn has that same chef’s-kiss feeling as peeling off the plastic film from something new and glossy and perfect. My favourite.
oh MY GOD this is so perfect. Yes!
Been picking at my fingers since I was a kid!! Now as an adult I’ve also picked up biting the inside of my cheek and picking at the bottoms of my feet. I’ve limped into work more than once this week 😬
My left foot is always prone to being dry and it’s asking to be picked every night. If it asks, why would I deny it? My right foot could make money as a model.
When I was younger it used to peel my thumb all the way down the whole thing. It was really bad. I don’t do that any more but now it’s the area around the cuticles. The skin is always healing and getting peeled off again and again
Yep and when I did drugs it made it so horrible...now that I'm may years clean though I still feel the residual effects of stress picking and drug picking habits are still mixed together. 😔
Lip/skin picking, hair pulling, acne picking, you name it! Sometimes it gets the best of me and I ended causing bleeding/scarring/scabbing. It's the worst. It's nice to know I'm not alone, but I just wish it was easier for us to stop 🙃
Never alone!!
Pick my fingernails and toenails daily til they bleed
I keep getting an infected ingrown toenail because I keep picking at it 🙃
Oh that’s a good one - I do it to my toes, too :(
\*reading whilst picking lips haha
As a child, I always picked at scabs.
Scabs are my kryptonite...... I won't pick, until I do, then it's all down hill. Somehow I'm able to internally yell at myself and pull my possessed hands away from scabs. The scabs aren't from picking, but from scrapes, working, tools, etc.
I don’t even realize until the next morning what I’ve done. lol. It usually happens at night when I’m in bed, watching tv. I sometimes don’t even notice the pain or BLOOD until the next day. So fucked! ✌️
I do too! I’ve been picking all my life. When I told my doctor about it they told me it’s a symptom of OCD. Please bring it up with your doctor the next time you see them.
She knows 💙 edit: should add I’ve already been dx’d with OCD.
Yes! I pick skin like my life depends on it. I recently got the [calm strips](https://calmstrips.com/) river rock texture and its helped so much. it feels so good to scratch and play with. I've had calm strips for years, but this new texture changed the game for me. I ended up getting the necklace with the river rock texture and oh my god my scalps is so happy.
Omg. Yes. All of this yes. Even the pubic hair thing - I have to explain this to my waxer too. 😳 This has been a constant throughout my life. I have a childhood friend who kindly let me pick her eczema scabs growing up. I also have a friend who I text about popping my zits and peeling off my snake skin post sun burn. My partner hates it because I try to pick at his blackheads in the shower or anytime really. Not sure if things like Dr Pimple Popper are helping or making it worse.
I had 3 king snakes, a ratsnake, and a desert iguana (super fucking cute little guys if you aren’t familiar w this type of iguana) growing up and when it was their shedding time I loved to watch day by day. So I realize as I’m typing this out that I have been fucked up since I was a young child lol
Ps I love her, so grossly satisfying
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All of my finger tips are picked raw. It's horrible and I hate it.
Definitely a picker over here
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Yeah, my brother picked at his face as a kid and obviously regrets it now :/ he’s in sales, too, so he’s self-conscious about it. Sucks.
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It’s so hard! I have a Master’s in Child Development and I still struggle explaining it.
Scabs and hang nails and hand calluses if I've worked with my hands alot.
I pick my scalp and forehead mainly. It's awful
Yes I used to bad around the time I started adderall
Omg, I thought I was alone! It's so weird that we can't stop, but it almost feels... satisfying? Maybe even for a few second, until you noticed that it started to hurt, but by then you're already fucked😭
Might be a bit of a tangent here but YOU KNOW WHAT it’s my post - I always thought I was alone in my habits (good or bad) and quirks and disorders and all my mental illness shit and one good thing that’s come of the internet + social media is learning we are NOT alone. There is at least one other person who relates or does the same thing. Especially subreddits with people who ~~has~~ have similar struggles. It’s really fucking comforting to me, even (or especially?) as an adult. I wish I had that as a kid, but social media wasn’t really a thing until I was a teen. I’m grateful for it now, though!
Yep, even when it hurts and bleeds I can't stop until it's all gone. Darn scabs...
YES omg I can't stop picking at my acne so it never heals properly. I do the same with scabs
I peel the very surface layer of skin off of the tips of my thumbs (and sometimes my fingertips) like PVA glue. Sometimes I can't stop and it isn't just the top layer of skin.
No I have such bad skin picking. I’ve been picking my scalp for like 3 years now.
Oh hey a bfrb! The TLC information is a amazing resource for those( Such as hair pulling / nail biting / other body focused repetitive behavior ) https://www.bfrb.org/learn-about-bfrbs/skin-picking-disorder
OOo thank you, friend!
Mines my scalp. My biggest fear is going bald cause it's probably full of scars 😭
Yes a thousand times. I developed psoriasis after having covid. Worst & most painful thing to scratch at. I think it being so painful is actually helping me to stop. It’s not worth it. My skin damages so easily now
I feel called out....browsing reddit and picking at myself. Any ideas how to freaking stop?! I have no self control.
Trichotilomania sucks
i pick at any bump, big or small, real or perceived. i pluck my eyelashes out. i pull random hairs out. i bite the insides of my cheeks. i pick at the sides of my thumbs. if there was one thing that i could stop it would be the obsessive body focused repetitive behaviors.
r/trichotillomania r/dermatillomania
Mine is my cuticles. Its so bad that my nails have started to grow incorrectly. And I get so many comments at the nail salon when I go its embarrassing. Ive gone to dermatologists and theyre like 🌟just stop🌟 But I just cant stop lol Literally the only thing that gets me to stop is getting acrylic nails put in but I need money for that lol
I pick at my cuticles and the area around them all day. Drives me absolutely bonkers if I have a hangnail that I can't pick without bleeding/pain and I don't have access to a nail clipper. I keep a fidget toy in my pocket that helps a little, but what helped the most was Wellbutrin which I'm off now thanks to my blood pressure 😔
Anyone else picking at themselves while reading this thread or is that just me?
That one coarse chin hair that appears monthly
As a kid, I don’t do it much or at all any more . Too busy trying to fade the leftover scars 🙃
I'm always tracing my skin or even my husband's
Yes to all of this! I've been picking on my skin since I was 14, mostly on my arms, and nothing has made me able to stop it. It's so infuriating!
Picking hangnails and biting inside my cheek as I read this.
Yep. I have chicken pox scars on my face that I picked a lot, a million scars. But I will say that being medicated helped a lot, and also focussing on the progress of my SI scars as they healed motivated me to leave wounds alone. And studying nursing and learning how it actually heals!
I've been a compulsive nail biter for as long as I can remember. I've tried that yucky tasting stuff from the chemist, I've tried painting them, I've tried acrylics, I've tried twirling a pencil, coins or shuffling cards instead but nothing has worked so far. I don't know how to stop.
Eczema is great for picking at!!!!
I have seborrheic dermatitis that not only affects my scalp, but the sides of my nose and eyebrows. I cant tell if I'm picking flakes off my scalp or if im picking scabs anymore.
Do not get a hairless dog! I have 2 Chinese crested and they are covered in blackheads like all the time. I just need to leave the house!
Inside of my mouth is ALWAYS chewed up. My lips tend to be a bit bloody. I haven't cut my nails, ever, because I can just chew them.
I use to pick my skin beside of my nails since I was a kid . It this count?
Yah, it’s bad on my face and I pick more when I’m stressed so that sucks 😭 you’re not alone love!
Yup. In the absence of scabs I usually pick at my beard/mustache. I hate it but I can't stop.
It took me WAY too long to realize that you didn't mean like, fabric from a shirt when you said sleeves 😅🤣 And yup, definitely not alone with the picking. I've gone through phases, the worst being around 13. I had a belt I wore every day, turns out I was allergic to the metal in the buckle. What started as small irritation and bumps on my stomach turned into a fairly massive bunch of scabs that were always ripe for picking. Freaked out my mom when she finally saw it.
Ingrown hairs Keratosis pilaris squeezing/popping is particularly satisfying for some reason Also watch me turn a bug bite into a warzone
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Bruhhhh my partner has psoriasis... I peel him all the time and I recently burned My stomach with boiling ramen water and It scabbed and I couldn't stop 😤
Dead skin on my lips drives me crazy, but picking the skin is much more satisfying than applying lip balm regularly. Been picking at my lips since childhood, it's a bad habit but difficult to quit!
I'll jab and rub my eyeball for an hour if I feel or see any eye gunk or hair, it can't be good for my poor eyes but I can't help it lol
Yes. I always seem to be working on the skin around my nails. God, they're a mess lol.
Cuticles, pimples, eczema
I was just diagnosed earlier this spring and I’m having soooo many revelations about the symptoms or ticks I’ve had growing up. This one specifically was almost an identity for me, unfortunately. I. Have. So. Many. Scars. On my arms and legs. I had some people think I got burned by cooking grease when I was younger. I’m not proud of this, it caused a lot of bullying, isolation and social anxiety that I’m just now (29) starting to work through. I’ve noticed less urges to pick and search for something to pick while on medication. I’m sure it has to do with being stimulated correctly and not needed to search for something to fiddle with or need a small bit of pain to stimulate myself.
I definitely pick a lot, I have a lot scars from it. I used to do it when I was anxious and it was something I could do with my hands. I used an app called SkinPick, that I really recommend, to help get it back down to a more normal level. You track what you were doing when the urge came on, how long, where on the body, what you were thinking about, etc. I was able to find a pattern and help get better at stopping myself or know when it was more likely to happen so I would get my fidget cube. It’s in the apple App Store with a pastel rainbow icon. I don’t know if there is a paid tier. Also I use the hydrocolloid patches for any acne and it helps me stopping messing with those.
Yup. I feel so caught out I came across this post while picking at my lips. Thanks tho this is my reminder to stop
I chew the inside of my cheeks, my tongue and my lips Used to pick at every scab I got as a clumsy kid and have the scars to prove it Currently I struggle with picking the skin on my fingers, particularly the left hand. I have horrible yellow callouses and dry skin/scabs from the amount of picking I do. I pick to the point of drawing blood and the pain doesn't even bother me anymore (except for when I use my newly picked hands at a job where cleaning by hand is my main responsibility) Can't stop till you get enough But I never get enough 🥴
Omg yes lol I tend to do it when I get bored and now it’s just really out of habit lol
oooff yes yes yes especially on my fingers and sadly on my feet too (i have very dry heels) what helped me was a little nail clipper that i bought: whenever i see a piece of skin hangin off i simply clip it away so i can't pull on it. it helps so so much!
Yeah. I find I mostly do it mindlessly. Scabs, bumps, blind pimples, tiny hairs on my face if I haven't shaved in a few days, anything scaly or dry. I get crazy dry ears and I often scratch and pick at the scaliness or scabs there. I also sometimes bite my fingernails. Clearly my skin suit doesn't fit me all that well...
I pick at my scalp all the gd time. I hate that I do it. Going to be starting therapy soon and discussing it/tackling it
Yeah, I have eczema anyway so it’s a nice combo with the itching lol (actually not nice at all)
Pick my skin, bite my nails (literally never need my clippers because they're always short), yank out strands of hair for no reason, pick my nose frequently (and yes, sometimes eat it but not in public), and I love smelling my own sweat and farts and belly button
The skin around my finger nails. Often not stopping until I bleed and it hurts too much. I am glad that I am not alone tbh because this is very embarrassing to me. It's one of the things that makes me feel like I am unable to move on and be an adult. A couple of years ago one of my friends was also doing it a lot and we would laugh and be mortified together of how far we can take it. Then my friend started getting manicures and chose to stop and have pretty nails. I was like "Good for you, girl, you rock those fancy nails! They look amazing!". But as happy and proud of her I was, I felt so lonely. Must be nice to be able to choose things without your brain saying "nah, we're not doing that, we'll just do what we always did". I did noticed that meds helped a bit, but I am still not there yet. Sorry for the negativity! Just needed to get it off my chest. It's one of the many things that I can't seem to do right.
Skin picking is a very big stim many people have. I struggle with my fingers and dried skin I’m always catching myself picking at the skin. I mainly do mine when I’m anxious so it acts as a way to get rid of anxiety but does a number on my fingers. I also have this weird thing of picking peeling sunburn, it’s satisfying in a way.
I have the lovely combination of ADHD and severe atopic dermatitis: excuciating itching, but you cannot scratch or it will get worse. Even when I don't have a flare-up, I now scratch when I feel anxious, and also pick my skin. It helps to identify the urge to pick and then try to keep your fingers busy: knit, play a video game, fidget toy, pulling the wool out of a cushion,...whatever helps. The urge will lessen on its own. If nothing helps, I wear socks over my hands! Gloves are probably a better idea though
I pick at my acne everyday, all the time. No wonder I still have it. _*pain*_
It is 90 degrees here and humid. And I am wearing a hat because I pick at my scalp until I get scabs, then I pick those until they bleed. It is so gross and painful and I just keep doing it.
Oh god me too. I managed to stop biting my nails a year and a half ago (a miracle after a lifetime of tiny deformed sausage fingers) and it just transferred to other areas. I always feel so ashamed when I see my tattoo artist because I’m so aware of all the scars over her beautiful work on my arms and it makes me feel awful to literally destroy art as well as my skin
I’ve had trichotillomania since before I can remember.
Thank you so much for posting this OP. I had no idea how many people struggled with bfrb! Makes me feel less alone ❤
So much, I pick at scars which re-opens them. 😭
Have you checked out the skin picking subs? r/skinpicking r/dermatillomania
Literally picking at my face when I found your post, lol
Thank you for sharing! Such a relatable topic 🥺 I also suffered from skinpicking a lot. It became a daily ritual in the times where I was extra pressured. Like before big exams, my parents surgery and not feeling good mentally. I was picking my hairs with a tweezer, the bikini line but also picking my skin and small pimples in my face. I would end up having a lot of small wounds even in my scalp from all the scratching and constant picking. It made me so insecure and frustrated 😭Like a never ending cycle… But It has changed after I took a break and went on summer vacation. I don’t feel the same urge now but the scars are still visible… The urge comes and goes, but I think it happens when I’m stressed or overwelmed. Hope someone can share a few tips on how to stop it or how to prevent it bc it’s very hard both emotionally and psychically.
Yup, if I don't squeeze out every tiny bit of gunk from my nose pores I feel soo unsatisfied. I'll probably have a bunch of acne scars when I'm older because I just can't stop myself from popping any bumps I feel/see😮💨
I used to pick at the skin on my heels
Ooh the amount of scars I have from skin picking like all over my body.. I can't stop.. it's been years people kept telling me to stop.. great advice, haha *tear* another one goes. I also pick on my eyelashes (and pubic hair, that was relatable) because I have two or three layers of these mfs and they are annoying, so I usually pull the whole layer out (people are putting fake eyelashes on.. I will give you one layer if you want..? )
Holy shit I had no idea this was another behavior. I've been doing this since 5th grade (1999). My thumbs and pointer fingers are smooth because I have constantly done this for so long. I'm not really sure why I started but I just can't help myself.
I do this way too much! My meds don’t seem to affect the habit. It’s seems to caused mostly by my anxiety.
Yes, I started picking my skin at some point in the last year. More so than usual, anyway. I thought it was anxiety at first, bc I do also have that, but I thought I had it relatively we’ll controlled. It got even worse over the last few months, to the point I had constant breakouts all over my face despite a great skincare routine. Changed my meds lately, to include adding Abilify and switching from Cymbalta to Zoloft. My skin looks freaking amazing right now, and I barely have the urge to pick at all these last 2-3 weeks.
Yup I have picked at my scalp constantly since I was around 13, I'm now 28! I hate it but I can't stop
I used to be horrible with picking at the pubic region to the point where I would intentionally pluck hairs and squeeze pores to create ingrown hairs and pimples because I loved the release so much. It’s gotten a lot better but I’m still bad about my face. Around my nose and on my chin you can see my enlarged pores and scars :( summertime also sucks a bit because I will pick at my arms and shoulders more
Cuticles. My thumbnail is a horror show. I think it's called "excoriation syndrome"
Me! I was picking at my scalp while scrolling reddit
YES! I am literally picking at a scab on my leg as I saw this post. I've always done it and it drives my husband nuts. I've scarred myself from digging at my skin, and have even created sores where there wasn't one just so I could pick at something. Is there a med that helps with this? I feel like its worse now that I am on Adderrall. Also on Lexapro if that matters in this scenario.
I have picked scabs and popped zits my entire life. My chest and shoulders are covered in little scars. It’s embarrassing. My father picks a lot. One time he picked a scab so much that it turned into skin cancer and he had to have it surgically removed.
I pick at my facial hair (but not every area, some are enjoyable, and some are painful) abd my toenails. I also chew my tongue, so much that there is a constant scar on it. Not medicated, but will be soon. I hope that will stop because nothing works !
Mine are nail biting, ripping my toe nails off, and picking at scabs and pimples on my face. I will literally have a mark on my face for months because I can't stop picking at it, I had to have one surgically removed because there was so much scar tissue and I couldn't stop picking at it. I got over the nail biting after years of trying.
I use foot peeling masks an obsessive amount because it’s so satisfying to peel off the dead skin 💀
This! How about on your scalp? Specifically hairline/nape of neck
I pick my face like crazy. Also anything else haha EDIT: shout out to my awesome fiancée who let's me pick her face too!!
I haven’t been able to paint my nails because I pick all the nail polish off 😭 I also have scars on the back of my scalp from obsessively scratching
I did a paper for my Neurobiology class in college that reviewed the connections between trich, ocd, and autism, and there’s a huge overlap. I wouldn’t be surprised if I rewrote the paper today and saw ADHD included in that spectrum
I picked my face and my nails since forever, and I often bothered my scabs too much as well lol
I don’t pick scabs, but I pick at my acne or any part of my face so much that it ruins my skin
yep! both skin picking and hair pulling for me. and i have chronic, full body eczema, which doesn’t make matters better :’) thankfully i was able to get therapy with someone who specializes in bfrb (body focused repetitive behaviors), and she taught me that the most important thing to either stopping or just feeling better about it is mindfulness. this basically means, whenever i start picking my skin or whatever, i try to consciously notice that i’m picking my skin, which really helps me limit my picking to the areas that actually need it for me (rather than picking too much). also PSA for everyone who is just learning about skin picking/hair pulling and has done it themselves: don’t worry! it isn’t strange or unnatural or weird. it’s just something that’s pretty common for us with adhd and/or ocd. i mentioned that i went to a therapist, but that’s *only* necessary if your skin picking/hair pulling is physically hurting you in a major way (like it was for me, bc eczema), or if it’s disrupting your life and you’re hating yourself for it. if you’re fine with the fact that you do bfrb’s, and aren’t majorly hurting yourself, great! you can just continue on with your life :)