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What is dermatillomania?
Dermatillomania, also known as CSP (Compulsive skin picking) is a compulsion to pick at your own skin.
It is a behaviour that is linked to OCD and anxiety. It can also be linked to stress. People under stress can display symptoms of CSP (skin picking) and CHP (Hair pulling) but not suffer from it long term.
And similar to trichotillomania (The pulling of hair), sufferers can pick at any skin on their bodies. (Usually on the scalp, face, arms, shoulders, legs or any skin within reach ).
It can become progressively worst and Sufferers can cause holes in their skin, sores, scarring and even sepsis. Sufferers are also known to eat the scabs and skin and even slice off chunks of skin with tools or nails.
Is it bad to do this/Will it get worse?
The ritual of checking for spots or normal dry skin has become obsessive. Every single trip to the toilet results in scraping at my shoulders for any bumps and picking at my face.
Found myself doing it everywhere now. On the bus, at my desk at work.
But now creating scabs to pick at, I will pick and scratch healthy skin and create imaginary flaws and itches so I can claw at it with my nails.
To begin with it started with my arms and fingers. But now it's whatever I can reach including the ears, hairline, neck and damaging the skin around my hairline to the point where hair is not growing back.
Am I a freak?
Honestly, I'm very pro 'Be who you are'. But this, this scares me. I thought it was self harm but it isn't and I keep telling myself "this isn't self harm, this isn't self harm, you can't help it".
I'm not a freak, and any Sufferers out there. Neither are you..It's a compulsion..Not self harm. A compulsive behaviour that you can't help.
Can it be fixed?
There's cognitive therapy and therapy to stop obsessive behaviours which is the usual route to stop Compulsive behaviour.
I've tried therapy and it did not work for me, It just made me more aware and angry at myself when I continued to pick. If I'd have seeked help earlier then it may have made a difference/Was informed by my doctor that it would have but I left it too long.
Seek help as soon as possible and talk to your GP. Cognitive behavioural therapy may work for you.
You may also be experiencing temporary symptoms due to stress. If this is the case then talk a friend or doctor. If the symptoms are permanent then please see the link below( there is also a Facebook help page).
Please share your thoughts/experience. If therapy has worked for you with your obsessive behaviour.
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What Girls & Guys Said
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Thanks for this! I have the same thing. I do it on my shoulders, mainly. I am seeing a psychologist but it doesn't work. Only thing that helps for me is wearing turtle necks, but in summer that's not practical. That's why I cut my hair short - so I can't cover my shoulders with my hair. That way I have to force myself to not pick at it, as it would look worse than when I leave it alone.
No worries.. I only noticed recently it getting worst and mostly use make up to cover it. Clothing doesn't really work for me and hairstyles haven't made me think twice about doing it.
I'm hoping I'll find something that will deter me/ of at least lessen it.
Thanks for your opinion x
Thanks! It is difficult but it used to be worse in the past (used to do it on my face as well)
I still do it on my face but less now as it's on my face I'm a little more Awre of it.. It's getting worst on my thighs and my hairline/Around my jaw.
If you know what triggers it when it gets worst please let me know/Keep me up to date. It's nice to know I'm really not a freak x
Having acne on these places is related to stress, hormones and... touching your face with dirty hands.
For me, it's related to hormones as I get a breakout of zits around my period. When I don't have that anymore, the acne on my face is gone (but it used to be very different).
We're not weird. Most people can't resist touching anything that pops up on their face. For us it's just a bit extreme.
Thankyou. When you don't understand why you can't stop picking at yourself it was hard. It felt like self harm for a while and I didn't understand why. Same with me, just before my period so I now dread it more than ever. The inside of the ears have become a new & strange fixation (After cleaning them I still pick at the inside of my ear), behind the ears.
and the hairline.
Think I'll stick to that too.. Your right, it's just a bit more extreme :) x
Yeah I recognize that. If you want to stay in contact, I could send you a private message if you like?
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