Genetics: Individuals who experience dermatillomania are more likely to have at least one first-degree relative (parent or sibling) who also has this condition.
There aren't any confirmed causes of dermatillomania, but experts suspect a few different factors might play a role, including: Genetics. People with dermatillomania are much more likely to have at least one first-degree family member (meaning, a parent, a sibling or a child) who also has this condition.
The exact cause of skin picking disorder remains unknown. That said, it may develop alongside other health conditions, such as obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), or autism. Skin picking disorder can significantly impact a person's quality of life and overall health.
People pick for different reasons. People may pick out of habit or boredom, and, at times, may not even be aware that they are picking. People may also pick in an attempt to cope with negative emotions (e.g., anxiety, sadness, anger) and/or in response to feelings of mounting stress and tension.
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.
Adult ADHD Struggle With Skin Picking
So, I researched a bit about Skin Picking and found out that it is more likely related to Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, another mental health condition. A case report suggests that BFRBs, which include Dermatillomania, are commonly comorbid with OCD and other related disorders.
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.
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.
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.
We can conclude that trauma may play a role in development of both trichotillomania and skin picking.
Common Body Areas Affected by Skin Picking
Arms: Skin picking on the arms accounts for 20% of those with the condition. Face: An estimated 32% of people with dermatillomania pick at the skin of their face. Legs: Approximately 17% of people with excoriation disorder focus most of their picking on their legs.
One simple way is to put a band-aid over the area, but most kids need therapy or medication. Medication for anxiety or depression can help with feelings that cause picking. Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) teaches kids to notice the things that make them feel like picking.
The repetitive scratching (usually with the fingernails) causes severe skin damage and clinically significant distress or impairment in important areas of functioning. Self-injury (e.g., skin cutting, scratching) is also very prevalent in borderline personality disorder (BPD).
Why do people pull their hair or pick their skin? Sometimes it is related to anxiety but not always. It can be more common in kids with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Sometimes it's a way of soothing.
Dermatillomania or skin picking disorder (sometimes called excoriation disorder, neurotic picking, psychogenic excoriation) is characterized by repetitive skin picking leading to tissue damage. Skin picking may result in significant tissue damage and often leads to medical complications such as localized infections.
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.
Studies have shown a linkage between dopamine and the urge to pick.
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.
If, on the other hand, an individual with ADHD loses interest in an activity, his nervous system disengages, in search of something more interesting. Sometimes this disengagement is so abrupt as to induce sudden extreme drowsiness, even to the point of falling asleep.
The mild pain associated with picking a scab also releases endorphins, which can act as a reward. Scab picking, like many grooming behaviours, is also a displacement activity that can help to distract us when we are bored, stressed or anxious.