The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) list ADHD as “one of the most common” neurodevelopmental conditions among children. People with ADHD may develop skin picking disorder in response to their hyperactivity or low impulse control.
Some studies suggest that the picking might be similar to a tic-like behavior. It is called tic/OCD disorder. The stimulant medications used to treat ADHD can exacerbate a tic disorder. First, stop the ADHD medication and focus on treating the picking disorder.
Hyperfocusing on picking their skin, pulling/eating their hair, or chewing their nails/cheeks can send kids with ADHD into a “trance” to escape from feeling overwhelmed by a day of executive demands.
Also called dermatillomania or excoriation disorder, skin picking disorder is where you cannot stop picking at your skin. There are things you can try to help yourself, but some people may need professional treatment.
In cases of comorbidity with ADHD the question is often raised as to whether ADHD in fact causes compulsive skin picking. While there may be a correlation between ADHD and the onset of dermatillomania, there is no evidence to suggest a causal relationship.
Other types of BFRBs include pulling or picking of the hair or nails that damages the body. It is classified in the DSM-V (a compendium of psychiatric diagnoses) as a type of obsessive compulsive disorder because of the compulsive urge to perform repetitive behaviors.
Self-stimulatory behavior, often called “stimming,” is when a child or adult repeats specific movements or sounds as a way to self-soothe or remain engaged in a situation, often referred to as “fidget to focus.” Many people assume that only individuals with autism engage in self-stimulatory behaviors.
Make it harder to pick
You can also try distracting your hands with any number of items including silly putty, stress balls, fidgets, and tangle toys.
Skin picking disorder is currently classified as an impulse control disorder. Skin picking disorder is also sometimes referred to as a “body focused repetitive behavior.” It is also sometimes referred to as an “obsessive compulsive spectrum disorder” (or “OC spectrum disorder”) because it shares features of OCD.
“Post-picking, you want to keep your skin in a moist environment for optimal healing,” Nava Greenfield, M.D., a dermatologist who practices in Brooklyn, said. “Aquaphor is great until the skin has healed and then Bio-Oil or a silicone gel as a scar prevention.”
Hyperactivity with Sensory Disorders
Hyperactivity and impulsivity can be symptoms of a sensory disorder as well. A child who can't sit in his seat may be “seeking” more sensory input, or trying to escape an overwhelming sensation.
Stimming is Self-Soothing
Engaging in stimming behaviours such as rocking, repeating words, or skin-picking can help them cope with their external sensory experience and can help them to stay calm.
Skin picking disorder is often linked to sensory processing disorder, and the act of skin picking is referred to as a “sensory seeking behavior.” As a result, one way to help reduce or eliminate your skin picking episodes is to consciously replace skin picking with another form of sensory stimulation.
Because dopamine and serotonin are thought to play a role in skin picking, drugs from the methylphenidate group, those most commonly employed for the treatment of ADHD, interact with the same neurotransmitters. Body-focused repetitive behaviors, which include skin picking, exhibit obsessive-compulsive characteristics.
Some prescription medications can cause skin picking as a side effect. A common example is stimulant medications used for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) treatment.
While skin picking itself is the obsession in excoriation disorder, skin picking is an effect of the obsession in body dysmorphic disorder. The main focus here is on physical appearance, and individuals engage in skin picking in an attempt to improve or fix perceived defects.
Excoriation (skin-picking) disorder (SPD) is often conceptualized as a behavioral addiction in which aberrant reward processing may play an important role.
Compulsive self-injurious behavior (SIB), including hair pulling, nail biting, skin picking (SP), and scratching, is habitual, repetitively occurs, and is frequently observed as a comorbid condition in various psychiatric disorders, such as borderline personality disorder (BPD), post-traumatic stress, depressive, ...
CBT and other forms of therapy can help a person identify any psychological, physical, or environmental factors that may be contributing to their skin picking behavior. SSRIs, anticonvulsants, and antipsychotics can also help treat skin picking disorder.
Postural sway refers to your body's horizontal balance-seeking movements. This involves your muscles and sensory system working together to keep you upright. Greater postural sway can indicate balancing problems and is commonly seen in people with neurodevelopmental disorders, such as ADHD, autism, and dyslexia.
Music relies on structure and the use of rhythm and timing. Since ADHD often involves difficulty with tracking timing and duration, listening to music might help improve performance in these areas. Listening to music you enjoy can also increase dopamine, a neurotransmitter.
Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRIs)
Several studies have examined SSRIs in treating trichotillomania and skin picking. The SSRIs include: fluoxetine (Prozac), fluvoxamine (Luvox), sertraline (Zoloft), citalopram (Celexa), escitalopram (Lexapro), and paroxetine (Paxil).
Dermatillomania is a mental health condition where a person compulsively picks or scratches their skin, causing injuries or scarring. Also known as excoriation disorder or skin-picking disorder, this condition falls under the category of obsessive-compulsive disorders (OCDs).
Some kids pick at their skin because it makes them feel good, and it can be triggered by stress or anxiety. Many children do not even know they are doing it. Skin picking can cause bleeding, scabs, infection and scars. It can also cause shame and embarrassment if other people see the damage.