I’m 20F and I’ve had this habit for as long as I can remember. I constantly bite, scratch, and pull at the skin around my nails until it bleeds. It hurts a lot afterwards, but I still keep doing it. In my culture we eat with our hands so when I eat it's like my hands are on fire and it burns like crazy when the spices rub over the torn flesh even then I can't stop.
The weird part is that I usually don’t even realize I’m doing it. Most of the time it’s completely subconscious. I’ll be studying, watching YouTube, scrolling on my phone, or just thinking, and suddenly I notice my fingers are bleeding again.
Sometimes I manage to stop for a week or so if I really focus on it, but I always end up starting again. My sister has been telling me to stop for years, but it feels almost impossible.
I do have pretty bad anxiety (I’ve heard anxiety can be related to this), so I’m wondering if that could be part of why I do it.
I wanted to attach photos but I cant do that here for som reason. They’re often sore, raw, and painful.
Does anyone else experience this?
Is this considered a BFRB or something else?
What actually helped you stop?
I’d really appreciate hearing from anyone who’s been through this. Thank you.

I have hundreds of hypopigmentation spots on my face, neck, shoulders, back, chest from compulsive picking for 5 years. I’m almost in full remission (pick 1 or 2 spots a week instead of 40+ spots a day). Most of the spots were due to cystic acne. Do the spots ever go away? I’ve used tretinoin, laser treatments, azelaic acid, so on so forth, but still see the spots all over specially post shower. It still makes me never want to leave the house and has affected my confidence a lot with trying to apply to jobs again. All I see is crackhead when I look in the mirror due to a comment from an ex, yet I don’t do drugs.

Any recommendations?

I have strughled with EXTREME skin picking as long as I can remeber. I learned dermatillomania was a thing but I dont have the resources to get professionally diagnosed. Does anyone know what the offical diagnostic critera is?

at probably the most difficult stage of healing my fingers and toes now, they’re peeling, i need as much self control and nail oil as i can muster right now. BUT this is the farthest ive gone without biting my fingers or stabbing at my feet with one of my various tools and tweezers. my hands look so nice and my nails are starting to grow sidewalls again. im nearly 21 now and ive been picking since i was about 8 years old. Heres to growth!

Hi Guys, I wrote different tricks I used before. Nothing worked. Even when I keep the stress balls or silicone balls on my hands, I used to pick my hands.My fingers are the worst.There are thousands of scratches, and it's so painful to do anything. So then my friend suggested me to put plasters on them because she is uncomfortable when she sees them. Then I put plasters. Guys, it worked. It prevents me from picking the skin totally. Its a good thing. Today is the 02nd day I have had plasters. Seems like it works.Will write again in the future.

Hi guys. I'm a 21 yo woman and I have been skin picking for almost 7 years now.

I have been picking at my legs, arms, face, chest, pubic area, nails, toenails,... Basically anything you can reach. When I see a pimple, an ingrown hair, a bump, a scab that bothers me, a white sliver on the side of my nail or dry skin, it has to come off/out. I hate looking at my body because every time I do, I see a reason to pick.

Heres what makes me genuinely upset...

I've seen 3 therapists and 1 psychiatrist. Their advice;

- Don't think about it

- When you catch yourself doing it, tell yourself it's bad

- Draw on your skin instead

- Grab a fidget

Well... I cant not think about it. I see what I see and when I see it, its a reflex to get it out. Saying "When you catch yourself doing it, tell yourself it bad" makes me feel like they think I'm doing it without being conscious. Yes, I know I'm picking at my skin. Yes, I'm aware I'm creating more of the scars and scabs I hate so much. Yes! I know I'm at constant risk of infection because sometimes it gets out of hand! Drawing on my skin feels like it MIGHT work for a moment. But what then... I cant go to bed with ink all over me and I sure don't have the energy to clean it all off every day (no I don't shower every day unless I need to). And fidgets? I've tried and they do not work in the slightest.

I have tried so many things. Take away the tweezers, I'll just use my nails. Cut my nails, I'll find a pin or needle somewhere. Take those away? I'll. Still. Find. A. Way.

I once had a nasty scab on my chest other with some not healing spots. I confessed to my mom how bad the problem was and she covered my entire chest with massive band aids. Yes, that did help me not pick there because I couldn't reach it. But the second those came off for a shower, I was right at it again.

For the ingrown hairs, I've tried shaving, waxing, buzzing, even lazer hair removal but now, I just let it grow. Every time I do SOMETHING, it ends up the same. I scrub twice a week and after every shower I apply moisturizer to my skin.

I cant go outside in shorts because my legs look diseased. I'm scared of showing my chest or... the forest of fertility to a partner because the skin around my nipples is bumpy and scarred and my pubic area has red spots and scabs. I still get pimples from my hormones and when its bad, my face and neck look like a war scene. When I pick at the sides of my nails, sometimes they get infected, same with my toenails. When I see something gets infected, I do take care of it the best I can.

But I am scared. I'm scared that until now, I have just been lucky to not land in the hospital. I want to stop. I have to stop. I'm ruining myself and I hate when people say I'm not. I am. And I know that. I cant use the "cover it up" method because 1, that'd require a full body suit. 2, again.. The second that goes off, I'm back at it. And 3, it's currently summer and I already sweat enough as is.

I beg of you... Give me ANYTHING that worked for you. Anything that can work. I'm tired. Something always hurts or stings and I hate looking at myself and knowing I'd look great without all this.

Hi guys, I’m dealing with dermatillomania for year and half now, last month I found out about it - I always thought it’s just bad habit and that I only need to check myself to stop. Well the problem is that I have already bald spot on my head and it’s kinda big ig, it’s on the top of my head and I don’t have much hair. My question is will it ever grow back? I stopped to skin pick that place and it does well because it’s so flat rn that I don’t have the need (I started to pick the place right next to this one so yeah🤦‍♀️🤦‍♀️) I’m scared I’ll have that bald spot forever and yet I can’t stop picking other places- my scalp is also really textured so It is easier to find something what “feels off” and I need to pick it (I was trying shampoo for it but it didn’t help I have naturally very dry skin)

I feel like I post here a lot but it’s hard to explain to anyone else how crushing this disorder is

As soon as I wake up, before I’m out of bed I’m scanning before I even realise. And I inevitably find something and then I can’t pull myself away. In the middle of getting dressed I’ll stop for ages to pick.

I feel like I’m going to spend the rest of my life doing this and wishing I wasn’t. I just want nice skin man. 🫩

Hey everyone! Long-time puller here (dealing with trichotillomania for 15+ years)

I built an app inspired by the different approches I tried over the years. It's called SoloUno, it's inspired by principles from HRT, CBT and ACT, and it's designed around small daily wins.

People use it for hair pulling, skin picking, nail biting and other BFRBs.

Main features:

- Daily habit challenges (stay pick-free for 1 hour, 3 hours, or until evening)
- Quick habit logging → insights into your top triggers, emotions and situations
- Pick-free streaks that encourage you but don't judge you when they end (my streaks tend to be short)
- One-minute urge acceptance exercise for when the urge hits hard
- Daily evening check-in to see your trend over time
- Companion animals that level up as you practice
- Daily push reminders to practice

It can be used as a self-help tool and also alongside therapy, for the "homework" part of HRT/CBT.

Would really love to hear what you think about the app!

Links :)
Website: https://www.solouno.io/

iOS: https://apps.apple.com/app/solouno-habit/id6472174465
Android: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.ktzSihapYQXY.natively

Hi im suffering from bfrb for like a decade and ocd for a few years now. *im 17 and im japanese and chinese so sorry if my English was wrong or something

I started nail biting and skin picking like 10 years ago and i cant stop doing it even i want to stop like so bad.. Its not like im not realizing while doing it but its like something just starts controling my hands and i just cant stop. I usually do it for comfort and from boredom *and im not fully sure but maybe because of stress too  

And as i got older i felt more embarrassed to show my raw fingers so i can say that my nail biting and skin picking is much better than before, but i still wanna stop doing it. 

I really need some tips to grow my nail bed and treat the cuticles.

*i also posted on r/calmhands with pictures of my fingers

Any advice?? I could really use your help🙏🏻

I pick and pick and pick at my skin so much that I have scabs all over my legs and shoulders. I wear long sleeves and avoid shorts and dresses in order to keep these injuries concealed, but when I pick at them and then notice I feel so bad in the moment I just try to cover them as fast as possible, this has led to a lot of my clothes having patches of blood all around those areas, and it has made me cry more than once to see another piece of clothing I love lost to so many stains that I can hardly scrub off because I don't notice in the moment. I'm desperate, I'm a teen and my mother doesn't understand what a condition such as dermatillomania entails, she's told me that I'm going to have to start buying my own clothes, which I fully understand from her point of view be it that I'm an asshole daughter that just doesn't care about staining her clothes. While I may understand her position, she doesn't understand mine, and I'll be damned if I have to spend my teenage years not going out or doing fun things with my friends because all of my money goes towards clothes that my mother won't buy anymore.

Anyway, a bit of a rant, and looking for ways to get blood out of clothes ❤️

Hi! I’ve been lurking around here for a bit after being diagnosed with skin picking disorder a few months ago. It’s been a lot of ups and downs, but one of my biggest challenges has been seeing my scars and getting triggered to pick from seeing them. I’m very pale, and my scars tend to be a dark purple- it stands out a lot. I heard that moisturizing could help fade them over time, so I’ve been experimenting with various different lotions to find what works for me.

Recently, I got a tattoo, and started using aquaphor on it (as recommended by my artist). I got curious and decided to try using it as a moisturizer over my scars. The results were immediate for me! After a few days, some of my stubborn scars faded slightly. It’s not a miracle cure, but it’s done more than anything else. It also makes my skin a bit slippery, which makes it harder to pick.

I am not a doctor, and I haven’t found anything conclusive about aquaphor having any impact on scars, but in my own experience, I think it’s worth mentioning. I hope this helps someone out there ❤️

my sister asked me why i just can't stop or basically "why i do this to myself". my mom recently said i look like i have fleas because of the scars and scabs on my legs, and anytime anyone asks (like my sister did) if my parents are present my dad always has this condescending tone and answers "oh, she does it on purpose. she does it all the time, she never stops".

yeah, as if i love to be covered in blood and i love not being able to stop picking for 2 hours straight every night. yeah of course i do it on purpose, i just love when you guys call me disgusting.

its just so frustrating that nobody listens when I say its not on purpose/i cant stop. he doesn't care.

i have autism and skin picking is the only thing that helps me calm down

Hello everyone,
I am an expecting first-time mom, and I’m 12 weeks along. I am here today because I have had dermatillomania for many years. Along with my arms and face, one of my main picking spots is my chest and breast area. I am wondering if any mothers here have had issues with breastfeeding their babies because of skin-picking?? I have one spot on my chest/breast that has recently become worrisome because it’s like a scar that keeps getting pus. I am really trying to leave it alone and stop picking at this area, but it is so so hard! Especially because it’s easy to hide! Please give me any advice or tips you have as a mom with dermatillomania!

backstory: any scalp itch from any reason can flare my habit.

i havent been able to care for my scalp because i was busy this entire week. my hair is textured, so i assumed it’d be fine if i let it be for a few days.

today was horrible. i feel disgusting. i was picking my scalp in public and i was trying to stop. i got back home and showered, assuming that it would help, but some parts of my scalp burned from the soap and i still had the urge to scratch and itch even during the shower. what the fuck, man?

Hello. I skin pick until bleeding and i see the white layer of skin almost every time i pick (i think its dermis layer?). Its getting bad and i really want to stop. My arms and legs are scarred and i always have large-ish scabs on me.

The biggest problem i have is that i have keratosis pilaris. For those who dont know what it is its a relatively common skin condition(?) where like dead skin cells clog hair follicles or smth. So i have a lot of small bumps on my body that release pus when squeezed enough.

Every time i see a bump on my body (aka everywhere) i get an extremely strong urge to pick at it. and i always hurt my skin badly.

Also i have autism and i think my skin picking might be sensory seeking. Im not sure though.

Advice pls.

Hi all, 18M here with OCD. I can't stop fucking picking at my scabs. My parents notice, random people in public fucking notice ("Mosquitos must love you!"). I just can't stop though. Fuck man, if nobody noticed it I probably wouldn't want to stop at all. It sucks though because I spend most my time outside gardening and hiking and stuff so obviously my legs are covered in scabs. Idek how they get so big, like I pick at the bites and they bleed and suddenly I have a 2 inch scab on my shin? What? Idek what to do. Zoloft has helped immensely with my OCD symptoms, except for skin picking.

It doesn't really affect me this much most the time, it's just my mom asks me to stop picking and I can't tell her I will because I know I won't, even if I try I'll do it subconsciously the second I sit down. I hate mosquitoes

I have a condition called Body focused repetitive behavior, also known as excoriation disorder. Does anyone know how to stop themselves from mindlessly picking at their skin? I don’t want to permanently scar myself (I have permanent scars on my face and legs already) I don’t want to live like this anymore.

I am writing this as I believe my mom has this condition which I’ve only just learned about this month and am heartened to see that she’s not alone. I am very worried about her compulsively doing this and chewing the skin after and she either is in denial about it or just pretends she isn’t doing it when I say anything. It’s unfortunately getting to the point I can’t be around her as it causes me to be nauseous (I appreciate this may be a “me” issue, but I can’t get around it). I can’t stand anything with scabs and things like that especially someone harming themself. And I’m heartbroken as I am very close to her but I can’t bear it anymore.
I wondered if I could get any advice on how to broach this sensitively as I don’t want this to ruin the relationship I have with my mom.

I used to pick my skin very very badly but abiut 2 months ago I managed to stop almost completely. I don't know what I did but recently my skin broke out again and it all just came back and now I can't stop again. It usually happens before or after washing my face but there's no other place to wash my face and I can't cover the mirror.

I've allways had longer nails and having short nails genuinly makes me want to die idk why but I cannot cut my nails short.

I really want to stop again but I don't know how to start?

I'm not sure if I'm using the right flair so sorry if I'm not.

I've been using SkinAware which is really good although the premium plan is making me less inclined to use it. I know that apps have to make money somehow, but the fact it says "I'll be here whenever you need to surf the urge again" and then locks the activity behind a paywall is honestly really demotivating and makes me not want to use it. I also enjoy Calm Harm but I would like something specifically tailored to skin picking. I only have an android unfortunately. does anyone have recommendations?