Also called dermatillomania or excoriation disorder, skin picking disorder is where you cannot stop picking at your skin.
Excoriation disorder (also referred to as chronic skin-picking or dermatillomania) is a mental illness related to obsessive-compulsive disorder. It is characterized by repeated picking at one's own skin which results in areas of swollen or broken skin and causes significant disruption in one's life.
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.
ADHD. Many ADHDers experience understimulation because dopamine receptors in ADHD brains often struggle to pick up dopamine signals. This leads to issues with impulse control, leading some people to rely on body-focused repetitive behaviors (BFRBs), including skin-picking, as common ways to lead to greater stimulation.
People pick their skin for different reasons. For example, they may also have a mental health condition, such as OCD or ADHD. Repetitive behaviors such as skin picking are also common symptoms of ASD. Without treatment, skin picking disorder can lead to open wounds, scars, and significant emotional distress.
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.
Skin picking disorder is related to obsessive compulsive disorder, where the person cannot stop themselves carrying out a particular action. It can be triggered by: boredom. stress or anxiety.
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).
Dermatillomania, or excoriation disorder, is a psychiatric condition wherein a person repeatedly picks, scratches, or rubs at their skin. The International OCD Foundation says that common areas a person may pick at include the: head.
This condition is called excoriation disorder, and it's also known as dermatillomania, psychogenic excoriation, or neurotic excoriation. It's considered a type of obsessive compulsive disorder. “Skin-picking is quite common,” said Divya Singh, MD, a psychiatrist at Banner Behavioral Health Hospital in Scottdale, AZ.
SSRIs (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors) such as Prozac are the best-studied class of medicines for skin picking. Early studies also have begun to examine the possible value of some anticonvulsant medicines, such as Lamictal (lamotrigine) and some supplements such as N-acetyl cysteine.
Medication Summary
N-acetylcysteine, an amino acid that appears to restore extracellular glutamate concentration in the nucleus accumbens, has been shown to significantly reduce skin-picking symptoms, and it is well tolerated.
“While a typical kid might want to squeeze the pimple or pick at the nail, they're able to control their urges and stop themselves.” But kids with ADHD have poor impulse control. They start squeezing or picking to rid themselves of the distraction and persist, although they see that they're scarring their skin.
A case report suggests that BFRBs, which include Dermatillomania, are commonly comorbid with OCD and other related disorders. The most frequent comorbid psychiatric conditions are depression, anxiety, and Substance Use Disorder. But, generally, it is leaning toward being a part of OCD symptoms.
In addition to these core features, individuals with Autism may demonstrate self-injurious behaviors including head banging, biting, and skin-picking, also known as excoriation.
Compulsive skin picking is done to self-soothe or deal with anxiety or other negative emotions. This behavior is very much like a kind of hair pulling. “It's a way to tune out the world. It's almost like a drug,” explains Dr.
Self-Soothing: When stressed, many people feel a need for self-soothing and find they feel better when they pick. Skin-picking has a kind of soothing effect on their nervous systems, and reduces over stimulation.
These replacement behaviors might include: Keeping the hands busy with something else. Putting gloves on when the urge to skin pick arises. Waiting longer and longer before picking at the skin.
One such disorder is body dysmorphic disorder (BDD), characterized by obsessions about and preoccupation with perceived defects in physical appearance (American Psychiatric Association, 2013). Individuals with BDD may pick their skin in attempts to improve the appearance of perceived skin flaws.
We can conclude that trauma may play a role in development of both trichotillomania and skin picking. Increased duration of trichotillomania or skin picking was correlated with decreased presence of post-traumatic stress symptoms.
Excoriation can result in the release of endorphins, which elicits feelings of euphoria and pain relief.
Studies have shown a linkage between dopamine and the urge to pick.