Breaking a habit: skin picking

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I need some help, guys. One of my worst habits is picking at my skin (primarily my face, but also my back, shoulders, arms, chest and scalp) and I decided that I need to put a stop to it because it hurts physically and harms my self esteem because I have so many scars and red spots on my face.

I determined that this is called dermatillomania, but I don't know how to stop it completely. I have alternate stim/fidget toys out the wazoo, but my hands never seem to want to use those more than picking my face. As I'm typing this, I'm trying to resist picking as much as I can. I really want this to stop, picking my skin has no benefit to me besides it being a satisfying stim for only a short amount of time, and then being something I regret.

Does anyone else have this problem too? How do you cope with it? Is stopping this something that's better solved with a punishment system or a reward system? I'd really like to stop skin picking (at least almost) completely!!

I get into phases when I tear my fingers to bits daily, often to the point of blood. When I catch myself doing it, applying lotion to my fingers (oh, that hurts sometimes) helps me to stop. I might wind up massaging the lotion in for an unnecessarily long time, but at least I'm not shredding my fingers and sapping energy from my body/life for the repairs.

Dunno if that helps; I hope so.

I'll pull bits of dry skin off my lower lip until it's bleeding. The only way I've found to prevent it is to wear gloves or to keep my nails so short I literally can't get a grip on the skin.

Hi,

I have this problem too, but just with my scalp. The biggest impact on me is just the time wasted; it can take up multiple hours/day sometimes. I am sorry that for you it has happened with other areas of skin too.

I have tried fidget toys. They sometimes work for me in a preventative way (for example I can hold a fidget toy if I am going into a place where I tend to pick my scalp) but they haven't magically stopped it.

My latest approach is to put sticky tape over my fingernails at times when I might do it. As opposed to glove wearing (another possibility?) it doesn't interfere much with typing etc and I still physically can't get the skin under my nails. I don't yet know if it will be successful but I hope I will get out of the habit. I should also note that it is more of a problem for me when no other people are around, so I don't know whether these strategies (which might look odd in some situations) will be feasible in your situation.

Good luck!

I neurotically tear at the skin around my fingernails when I'm anxious. Sometimes to the point of bleeding. I've been trying to stop too, but I haven't been able to yet. I know you said you've already tried various stim gadgets, but I've been having at least moderate success with a spinner ring that I found recently. I still tear at my fingers, especially if I'm stressed, but when I notice that I'm doing it I try to use the ring instead. The spinner ring has been more helpful to me than other fidget toys because I can wear it on my hand all the time so it's easier to get in the habit of using it instead of my fingers.

I've had dermatillomania since I was a child. I try to make sure to keep creams on my cuticles, face, etc,... There have been times that I put gloves on my hands in order to stop myself. I haven't been able to break the habit, but I do know how to stop from hurting myself.

Picked my skin for many many years. When i was tiny I picked then bit the skin on my thumb so badly I took a layer of skin off and it was red raw. Since my teens I’ve picked my scalp constantly. Could it be a stim? Try wearing wool gloves it makes it hard to pick. I have very long nails for a couple of reasons one is I stroke my arm and face etc and my nails make it feel better,but also so I can pick.

I pick at the skin on my fingers, lips, and acne on my face. I rarely do it to the point of drawing blood, but on the occassion that I do, it scares me out of skin picking until I forget. I only pick at dry skin that is already coming up. I used to pick at my scabs until my mother explained to me why that's not healthy.

Maybe try white glue? Put some on your arm or wherever if you know you’re going into a situation you’re going to pick and you can pick the glue instead of your skin. I always picked scabs and acne. I have a lot of scars from mosquito bites to the point when I was a kid someone asked if I was burned with cigarettes

Definitely keep your skin moisturized!

Same here. Well you could go to the cosmethologist's for a series of chemical peels to lessen your red spots. I couldn't completely eliminate scalp scratching. I do it unconsciously so I notice when already doing. As a child I scarred my scalp. Bald areas. So my parents noticed and I got treated for allergic reaction. The sensation of creams on your scin, scalp etc reminds of the problem so you don't do it. For a while, at least.
Same with nail biting. When you got manicure you are less likely to engage in the activity.

I do the same! I’m not that worried about it because it doesn’t hurt me and the only bad consequences it has in my life are some ugly dots in my face and the lost time I spend engaged in this behavior, though. I also have the bad habit of biting my nails. I haven’t made any serious attempt to stop it yet, but I’ll probably do it in the near future because my mother hates it and always complains about my skin picking.

Spots, scabs... any kind of bump my fingers can feel on my skin. Same places too - scalp, arms, shoulders, chest, face... back if i can reach. It's crazily stimulating to do so, but it can get to a point where i make myself bleed and i can occasionally go purposefully looking for a bit of skin to pick if i can't find any subconsciously. Been doing it since I was a teen. It's kind of one of those things where I want to stop... but i also don't because it feels too good :-/