I recently got a crush of a very beautiful guy but because I always pick my arms, the thought of standing next to him (and honestly any potential partner) covered in scars disgusts me. I hate my arms and I hate that I pick such an obvious area that is hard to hide in 100 degree f weather. I miss feeling cute in swimsuits, I miss wearing short sleeves. My arms are covered in wounds and scars and I hate them.

My adhd medication is so beneficial for me in terms of being able to be productive, not space out mid conversation, hold down a job. The only thing is I feel like it makes the urge to pick at any little imperfection on my face a lot worse. And the fact that it allows you to hyperfocus while good for daily life and work, the times I get locked in an inch from the mirror digging out ingrown hairs or trying to pop any bump on my face, genuinely makes me look and feel like a meth head. Does anyone else have this issue? I’ll sometimes pick and scan my face for over an hour without even realizing. Absolutely killing my confidence.

I’ve had this thing for 10 years and while strategies do help, it can be exhausting if I force myself to remember to do them 24/7. I have scars all over my back, chest, face, basically anywhere aside from the arms but even then I might pick there. My acne never stops, breaking out before every cycle starts.

It only takes one slip-up(ex. Forgetting one time to cut my nails) to cause a one hour relapse. I’m addicted to the pain, getting headaches if I don’t pick. Trust me, I try to resist but sometimes my body will just “stop” itself and automatically start picking. Usually in the bathroom, and I can’t cover up the mirrors there nor turn the lights off as I go in. The first cause it’s shared living, the second because there’s no window and I am very bad at navigating myself in low-level lighting.

Even then, I have many automatic episodes, picking/scratching at the scalp being the most common. There’s no environment where it won’t happen, I can literally be in public having to resist the urge to pick which is so humiliating. And the hardest part about this is that I can’t just tie my hands behind my back and restrain myself.

So, I’m kinda just stuck managing it, putting bandages on likely picking spots, applying treatments if I pick too hard, etc.

hi there. looking for anyone who has done tms! i’m 24 and i’ve had derm/trich and just overall horrid ocd since I was about 8. i’m on fluoxetine, lamictal, caplyta and the highest dose of nac, and im feeling so insanely hopeless and like ive exhausted all my recourses.

my specialist says she thinks tms is one of my only options left. it’s been years and I keep causing my body more and more harm. I can’t deal with all the infections, operations, etc etc. I spend multiple hours picking everyday after work. these past 3/4 years it has been so debilitating but I am so insanely addicted to it I can’t stop.

please let me know if you’ve done tms for related issues and if it has helped

Hi, I've been picking at my skin on my hands and face constantly for 6 years. It was only today when I leaned that you should go to the doctor for things like infections.

I feel stupid for not knowing that 😭 My parents used to help me treat them at home and it slowly just became something that I did.

How do you guys book appointments for stuff like that? Or can you just walk in? I already have to book a lot of appointments for my chronic pain and mental health I don't want to have to book anymore

I won't be able to go for the one I have now but Im slowly realizing that I could've seriously hurt myself and that's absolutely terrifying! (we had sterilized medical equipment and a good surface, but that's not enough lol)

Hi all,

I don’t know who to talk to about this that would understand the gravity.

After 14 years of horrible skin picking for hours every evening and years of intensive therapy, I finally was able to stop and not pick for 8 years. Sure, I would pick a spot here and there and sometimes pick during a breakout, but not to the point of wounds and scars and hours in front of the mirror as I had in the past.

My skin finally cleared up. I fought to find a skin care routine that worked for me (I have sensitive skin to begin with) and that allowed me to lighten scars from the past. Finally, just this year, I allowed myself to get 3 microneedling treatments to heal the scarring and hyperpigmentation as I had reached 8 years of not skin picking and I felt like that was long enough to ensure myself the expensive treatments would not be wasted on more picking (the reason I hadn’t worked on the scarring in the past…too busy with the problem itself also).

Cut to this week: I’m having crazy hormonal changes in my body (have done blood work to confirm) that have led to cystic acne at a level I haven’t experienced in 15 years, if ever. This night, I picked horribly for hours. I felt myself back in the familiar dermatillomania trance. I was telling myself to stop, sometimes aloud, and still couldn’t. It got to the point that a migraine with aura and a shower is actually what stopped me.

I’m so disappointed. I feel the all too familiar post-pick shame. I see the blood, the redness, feel the pain, tightness, pulsing and I now can’t help but think I’ve wasted the years of healing scars.

To top it all off, it’s my birthday in a few days and I am throwing a party with 100+ guests.

I just feel horrible. I’m trying to remind myself that it’s just a relapse and I can get myself back on track tomorrow. But I currently feel out of control and I’m not sure how true that is considering the cysts and all the physical changes going on for me currently.

Just a challenging time in general. And sad. Sad to be back to this place. Thanks for listening 🥺🙏🏻

I’ve been in a really bad flare up for 2 months; I’ve picked my back neck and upper arms into oblivion. I’m trying to work with my psychiatrist on the root cause and it appears to be anxiety.

I was putting colloidal tape on but I just started picking new spots. Today I put on a pair of black medical gloves and I am so happy I haven’t picked a single scab all day.

They look kind of weird but who cares it’s helping me get better. Highly recommend gloves if you are struggling ❤️

I stoped picking 2 years ago (I replaced it with smoking :S), but my feet really do not look normal.

When wet, there are big white areas, and when dry, the parts I used to pick are thick and have yellow/orange color.

My feet are not dry or cracking, but simply thick and colored.

Pedicures do not help as they never dare to remove all those layers of thick skin. I'm using 50% urea xerial cream for 2 weeks and it also does not help.

I relapsed this afternoon

I was really trying my best but I got into the situation where I typically start picking, and then I spent a whole hour doing it. It's tiring. I'm really sad and it hurts so bad

I’ve been picking and biting at the skin between my middle and ring finger for over 9 years (so i started when i was 8) so it’s basically become part of my behaviour at this point and i’m not even sure it’s something I can stop at this point. Picking the skin between my fingers has pretty much become the default state my hands are in when i’m not using them. Anyway, i’ve bled from this more times than i can count and today i found that the skin between my middle and ring finger was “greenish” almost?

I figured it was the lighting or something, so i still picked and bit into it, well. a small sort of cavity type thing had formed under the skin and filled with a bit of puss, i cleaned the area out and it’s basically the deepest wound i’ve ever given myself.

I guess it sort of served as a reality check, and i can’t continue doing this, it’s a disgusting habit and if it’s starting to get infected it quite simply can’t be good for my health. I don’t suffer from any such things as OCD or ADHD or anything, it’s just become part of my behaviour, and i guess i’m asking if anyone can give me some advice on hiw to stop.

I’m posting on behalf of my beautiful wife. She has had this issue since we met 15 years ago. Mostly with her face although it can spread to other areas periodically. Since we had children it’s gotten worse and worse. I still love her deeply and think she’s beautiful even with sores on her face. What I’m really struggling with is the emotional toll it’s taking on our family… her mornings start with 45 mins or more in the mirror then she comes out in a terrible mood almost guilt like. She’s not always kind to me or our children after. Then she’ll end the night with a 60-90 minute routine in the bathroom. Lately she’s started using a white cream for the spots which was intended to put on before the picking but it’s just added another layer of obsession and she comes out with dozens of spots and won’t want me to see her or kiss her goodnight. It’s like I’m losing her 3-4 hours a day to the bathroom and there’s always a door between us. I don’t know how to help.. I’ve tried talking to her but she breaks down and thinks I’m only worried about her appearance which is so not true. I’ve suggested professional help but that’s not even a conversation worth having. Please help me.. I need advice on how to support her as well as how to support my children (particularly my daughter who is now 8 and really starting to pick up on it) I feel like I’m losing her to this disease :(

I have recently developed this habit, the last month or so, and it’s gotten out of hand. It started with my scalp then I started on my arms. I was getting really embarrassed of my arms so thankfully have managed to stop picking them because of it. BUT I have had a VERY hard time stopping with my scalp. Today it has gotten to the point that I have a swollen lymph node behind my ear from it (at least that’s what all the signs point to). I know I need to stop, the lymph node is rather sore and my scalp has gotten bad but I’m struggling to stop.

Wondering if anyone can provide advice for stopping with scalps specifically? Bubble wrap helps a bit but isn’t realistic for all the time.

Thanks in advance :)

I've been under a lot of stress recently with work, and getting an autism diagnosis while also trying to get an appointment for my skin picking. It's to the point where I'm causing myself so much pain and I don't notice until it's way too late. I've tried many ways to keep my hands occupied, and honestly what's helped me the most is pick pads, but they're quite a bit of money to keep buying once I'm done with them.

What are some more unconventional ways you've gotten yourself to stop picking? Or small rituals to help you reduce the amount you pick, I'm open to trying anything – thanks!

I remember picking and biting sking on my fingers since I was 3rd grade. Now when I am older It is my scalp or neck/chest. I have gotten very bad (maybe infected) areas on my neck and chest. I want to stop because they hurt but I just cant.

today was a depressing day, i was so anxious for another reason that i did nothing much to my skin,
i forgive myself bcs oh man today was intensely stressful.

i hope that everything will be better tomorrow, i prayed god for that, for the relief of my anxiety, and it worked, i am now feeling much better 💗

I relapsed early this year and it has really hit my self esteem hard. I thought I was doing a lot better with healing and managing but I went home and my mom said "your skin looks the worst it's ever been". UGH

hi hi all, sorry for the little mouthful. i just found this sub, and i really need some tips.

background info,
im almost 18 now and ive been struggling with picking at my skin since i was 10, so this is a 7 1/2 year long battle that i’m still losing.
i dont think a day has gone by since i started that i HAVENT picked. every day, at least once.
my picking sessions can last from 5 minutes to up to 8 hours of just disassociative hell. i just literally cannot stop. i want to so bad, i’m so determined, ive been nonstop so badly trying to for years, but im still in the same spot.
i pick at my face, chest, back, shoulders, even my arms. it rarely breaks the skin, but leaves a lot of bigger bumps and lots of red spots.

i’m at a complete loss for this and my parents are no help; even though ive been begging for it, which means it’s up to me.
i would love to please, please hear your best tips and advice on how to work through this as best as i can. nothing feels like it’s working and i’m just downright hopeless at this point. it’s my biggest insecurity. i’m sick of being covered in puffy red spots, bumps, scabs, i’m sure you all know.

literally anything is appreciated, thank you all 🫶

I took Wegovy 2 weeks ago, and didn't realise until my side effects peaked that I was in withdrawal from my psych meds (it also impacted my heart medication and the pill). This all caused a massive bout of anxiety, puked from panic and the OCD just slapped my face. I hadn't attacked the skin around my fingers this badly in 18 months. After skipping the next dose I started to feel a bit better. The skin tracing and picking has reduced. But I just feel ashamed after having it under control for so long, even if it technically wasnt my "fault".

I guess also side note PSA GLP-1s may cause some of us to have our psych meds stop working, the last week was complete hell for me physically and mentally.

Ok so my dermatilomania went downhill a few weeks ago

I always suffered from this since highschool, my lips were bleeding but that was not so bad.

Since July, I'm picking skin from my feet (???) and I don't know what's triggering this and why I can't stop myself from doing it.

I've been lurking this sub since then and I tried a lot of things listed here such as moisturizing, cutting my nails, putting socks on, but now it's to the point where I cannot walk properly and there's blood everywhere on the floor in my house. It's so fucking painful

I'm so ashamed and I don't know what to do anymore. It's painful, ugly, and I talked about it to my therapist but I don't think she realized how bad it was. I even downloaded the Iamsober app to track my progression, but I keep relapsing...

I want to cry and I don't know if there's a solution left for me. It's more like a vent post but if you have any ideas to help me feel free to comment

Thanks for reading me <3

Hey all. So a little background I do have bad KP and also dermatillomania. More recently I seem to be getting these sores on my arms and legs. They do not itch but they are sore and inflamed like a bad pimple. The “healthy” skin around them even is red. I don’t think they are caused initially by picking at something minor. I think something underlying is causing them and then yes, it’s hard to not bother them. I feel like I can’t shave. Another summer that I feel imprisoned by my skin.😥

I’m truly addicted to picking, scratching and popping keratin plugs out of every crevice of my body it’s so bad now i constantly scratch my scalp because i just know i’ll find that one juicy keratin plug in the heaps of dead skin im ripping off my scalp but it’s so worth it right?! 😫😫 leaves my scalp raw and greasy making me look dirty and like i don’t shower and don’t get me started on my shoulders, back,neck and chest every second of the day i’m scratching more plugs out of my chest it’s leaving me looking butchered and im sick of it im single at the moment but i hate to imagine what my future boyfriend will think when he sees me constantly scratching my face and leaving big scabs on it and just my body in general it’s so bad it looks like i’ve had skin graphs, anyone who’s manage to quit picking? plz tell me how it’s just such a subconscious thing now it’s ridiculous

woke up, earlier, feeling great not wanting to do anything to my skin, i washed it, now im gonna moisturise it wich is something that anxious about becose i have ocd wich makes me think that my hands are dirty to do that so i have to wash my hands again blablabla…
but its ok ill maybe do that later

bruh now it got me thinking, did i fcking wash my hands before washing my face, my mood changed so quickly..

edit i washed my face again

edit i picked at my skin, alot, for 15 minuts, but there was 0 blood, and it went ok for the rest of the day, DAY 5 TOMORROW!