# Skin picking leaving me so scarred



## destroyX (Nov 20, 2010)

I'm 20, but since I was 15 I've been picking the skin on my upper arms. It's embarrassing, and I know it's a symptom of OCD but I don't have health insurance or access to drugs that could maybe help me. As a result, I have so much scarring (thousands of white/circular spots) spotting my arms. Some are raised because I picked/squeezed them repetitively. I wear long sleeves or 1/3 sleeves all the time in public. No one (not even my family) knows that I do this to myself...they think it's a result of arm-acne breakouts. Does anyone else do this and how can I stop? I hate the way they look so much.


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## Neptunus (Oct 29, 2007)

The only way you can stop this is to become more aware of your habit and its triggers. As soon as you start doing it, make yourself stop immediately.

Either that, or try using an object such as power putty or a stress ball, something you can pick at, as a replacement.

You might be able to cover some of those white marks with a self-tanner. It will probably take a few applications, though. Something to consider.

I did a quick Google search and found these sites:

http://facepick.proboards.com/index.cgi

http://www.stoppickingonme.com/

http://www.skinpick.com/skin-picking-forum

Perhaps they can help you.


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## Starch (Dec 15, 2010)

I too have this problem ,and lately kept it in check by using putty, and not mentally beating myself every time i did it.
Try the putty like neptune suggested.Weird, but kind of works.


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## xTKsaucex (Jun 23, 2010)

casting10 said:


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wow - some people aren't subtle.

Yes I pick my skin - tends to be around thumbs. I'm sure mine isn't OCD but something related to my Bi Polar called Psychomotor agitation. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Psychomotor_agitation

I admit I do pick till bleeding -not sure why, feels good and stress relief.


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## sas111 (Oct 20, 2010)

Me AND my sister both pick at our upper arms, I only have a few scars that aren't even noticable unless you look real closely but my sisters arms are severely scarred with white & red spots...you can't help but to stare at her damaged upper arm area. I suggest you buy a dermabration kit exfoliate twice a week & use vitamin E oil as a moisturizer..drinking lots of will speed up the healing aswell.


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## CrazyCatLady (Feb 8, 2011)

I pick my scalp. It started a few months ago. It actually started with a patch of dry skin on my eyebrow. I didn't want it breaking off and looking like dandruff on my eyebrow so I would pick it off. It got to the point that while I was on the phones at work I would pick at that eyebrow constantly, now there is a big bald spot with a scab on that eyebrow. My mother asks me about it whenever she visits.

The problem is it didn't stop there, afterwards I started running my fingers through my hair (which I remember I used to do in school when I was little, searching for abnormalities or ticks). While doing that I felt a bump and picked at it. This started a few months ago and now I simply can't stop picking. My head hurts and I end up with blood on my nails. 

I started doing this at home too. Mostly because when I lie on the couch I put my arm over my head and rest my hand on my head... then I end up picking whether I realize it or not.

When I do realize it I make myself stop but I really really want to put my hand back there and it just starts again. I do have OCD but this is very very new and doesn't really have the same "if I don't do it something bad will happen" feeling, but I don't doubt that they are related.

My scalp hurts.


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## BlindedByBlood (Dec 1, 2010)

Yeah I've done this to my arms, face, chest, and back. As a result all are scarred to some extent. I was once very beautiful and now the picking has left me ugly.


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## ghost cat (Feb 6, 2011)

I've had a history of picking my scalp too and the back of my neck. I started when I was an early teen and it ceased during the middle of last year. On inspection I haven't noticed any scarring, which is weird because I did it for so long and was pretty ruthless about it. I have no idea why or how I stopped, but I'm glad I did. It's very odd that I stumbled upon this post today because only yesterday did I find two tiny bumps on my scalp similar to the bumps that would appear when I used to pick. I scratched one as it felt itchy and it bled. Atm I have no desire to re-pick it. The last few weeks have been difficult for me. A lot of stress and tears because of my limitations in life due to SA...I'm assuming this is why the bumps appeared, just part of how my body reacts to stress. I really have to chill out or I'm worried there's a good chance it could flare up again. I know picking will be hard to resist if I get one too many bumps and cause them to bleed as well.


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## Honos (Jan 6, 2011)

I pick the sides of my finger and itch everything til it bleeds I don't even know I am doing it and I have done this as a small child it drives my husband mad.
Honos


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## Bl00no (Feb 11, 2011)

I have a massive problem with this as well! ): I pick the skin on my chest, shoulders, arms.. ugh it's awful. Been trying to stop for a long time now. No idea how it started. I can just sit there and pick for up to an hour sometimes, in a trance. 

It's stupid! haha!

I think the best thing to do is just realise and acknowledge what you're doing before it gets into trance-mode. Like stop yourself just as you go to do it... >_< Distract yourself with something else, get your hands busy and away from your skin. It works best for me.  Good luck stopping! You can do it!


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## Tess4u (Feb 6, 2011)

I pick at my lips alot and peel the skin, trying to stop cause I heard the scarring and scabbing can get to the point my lips will never look normal again


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## IfWinterEnds (Jun 4, 2010)

It's weird how you really lose yourself in it, like just picking/thinking. Probably worrying, but it's calming.

I've chewed the inside of my cheeks for as long as I can remember and I started picking the side of my ankle when I got started college a few years ago. I guess I was careful to pick (haaa) areas that are easy to hide but am thinking holding my leg sometimes at such odd angles can't be too good for it.


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## Jessie203 (Feb 20, 2008)

Maybe if you kept your nails really short?


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## LittleSister (Jan 22, 2011)

I do this too... My face, back, arms... Any kind of scab, raised skin, anything! 

I do it a lot less now mainly because I made myself aware of it rather than subconsciously doing it. 

Don't worry too much about the scars, trust me they'll fade A LOT.


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## Tangerine (Feb 16, 2010)

Yeah, I have a picking problem too.  I stopped for a year but it came back. I've been doing it for as long as I can remember..Scalp now. It sucks..Using other things does help..like the putty idea, but it still doesn't give you the same temporary urge satisfaction/stress relief.


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## Honos (Jan 6, 2011)

I did not think I had an OCD problem its just kinda happens even when I put plaster on I find myself picking at them. I thought I did it because I was bored a lot, still make little sense though
honos


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## slightlyawkward (Feb 16, 2011)

I have so many scars on my back, shoulders, and arms from picking at my skin. I've been doing it since I was 13 or 14...So about 7 years. 
I can't get myself to stop.


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## Honos (Jan 6, 2011)

Its really hard to try and stop, I try and do different thing like clean my nails as a further distraction, but I still end up with bloody finger, I am not award of doing it till hubby shouts at me.


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## Freiheit (Dec 8, 2008)

I've had a picking problem ever since I was a kid. I typically pick when I'm stressed out, and when I find a raised bump that appears to be a little swollen I pick at it until it bleeds and when it scabs up, I pick at it again. I have terrible scars all over my back and arms from years of picking. What's worse is that even when I stop to think that I shouldn't do it, I can't seem to stop myself and keep doing it. 

I think it's some type of disorder that's OCD related because I just HAVE to pick when I notice a bump because if not, I get really fidgety and on edge/uncomfortable, and can't stop thinking about that bump and wanting to pick at it. Basically I don't get relief until I pick it. My parents used to yell at me a lot when I was a kid when they saw the scabs, but I got good at hiding them overtime. I try to restrain myself from doing it though (especially on my face since I have acne) and I did improve from when I was a kid but I still do it.


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## Implicate (Feb 1, 2011)

The last time I tried to wear short sleeves my sister grabbed my arms and told me I look terrible and shouldn't go out in public that way. I've been doing it about ten years now. I am finally not really picking much, but it has taken about ten years to stop. My advice, hide the things you can pick with, tweezers, nail clippers, exacto knives, razor blades, etc. Keep your fingernails short, and since I pick my hands I also try to devote time I would normally use to pick my skin to pamper it. A couple of weeks ago my hands and arms were so scabbed and bloody I couldn't bend at the joints, so there is hope I guess


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## pinkcupcake (Mar 2, 2011)

I didn't really do it when I was younger but it got bad in my 30's- not as bad as some people's stories. it was usually my upper arms, parts of leg. I would wear long sleeve shirts in summer and long pants- that would help a little because I wouldn't be looking at it. right now it's not too bad. But I still make sure i have long pants and shirts on all the time. I think keeping busy and making no time for it helps too.


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## Salus (Feb 27, 2011)

Why don't you try wrapping a bandage around where you pick so you can't get at it...or rub a thick layer of vaseline on it, so when you try to pick you can't?


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## LilA67 (Jan 14, 2011)

I have always had this problem when I'm exhausted or stressed out. If I feel like picking, I usually put lotion on instead and then I can get away with not picking at it.


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## katling (Mar 3, 2011)

IfWinterEnds said:


> It's weird how you really lose yourself in it, like just picking/thinking. Probably worrying, but it's calming.


Yeah, I know that feeling, it's like getting caught up in your thoughts, but it's not just thinking, it's picking (and hair-pulling, also, in my case). It's kind of scary to think of how many hours of my life I have wasted just purely picking/pulling at my body. Especially considering that I have been doing this since I was nine.:|

Has anyone ever tried medication specifically for this? Every year or so my psychiatrist gives me a different SSRI, but I'm pretty sensitive to the side effects, so the benefits do not outweigh the costs, for me. The thing that works best for me is just wearing a pair of gloves, or just finding something to keep my hands busy.


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## Blue4ever (Mar 5, 2011)

It's funny I remember accidently getting dirt in my hair when I was 8 or so and like the feeling of picking it out. Since then, I am 31 now, I haven't stopped picking at my scalp, face, chest...etc. Its torture trying to control myself from doing it and inevitably I give in. The worst is doing it at work...because I know my coworkers are on to me...even asking me what happened to my head because my scalp is bleeding. Saying I burnt myself with the curling iron isn't really all the believable!!


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## slightlyawkward (Feb 16, 2011)

Is there any sort of scar treatment (like a topical cream) that will help with scars that I've gotten from picking?


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## lheyden (Apr 8, 2011)

*Scars of Shame*

Hello everyone.
I wanted to let you know that I am working on a meaningful documentary to help people understand and deal with their skin picking disorder. And to finally make people realize Dermatillomania is real and people have to respect and help each other. 
Please take a minute to review my fundraiser and documentary trailer:
http://www.indiegogo.com/sos

Thank you for your time,
Lisa


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## kgolden1234567890 (Oct 4, 2011)

*Help using NAC*

I have had a LOT of luck with the amino acid N-acetyl cysteine, which is sometimes sold as N-acetyl L-cysteine, for my 11-year-old daughter who severely picks her skin (arms and legs). I'm hoping that everyone on this group will check it out. We started out at 1200mg each day, 600mg in the morning and 600mg in the evening. Then we worked up to 2400mg, 1200 mg in the morning and 1200 mg in the evening, within about 3 or 4 weeks. The study that was done in 2009 showed the best results were after 9 weeks of continuous treatment with this amino acid, also just known as NAC. We saw great results after 6 weeks. Please consider trying it. I am not a doctor, so please weigh out the risks for yourself. It has truly been a godsend. My daughter used to pick to the point of staph infections. She has scars all over her body. It works by regulating the URGE to pick. You can download the summary text of the 2009 study on this website - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19581567. The study was for hair-pulling, but skin-picking and nail-biting result from similar sets of urges.


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## xTKsaucex (Jun 23, 2010)

lheyden said:


> Hello everyone.
> I wanted to let you know that I am working on a meaningful documentary to help people understand and deal with their skin picking disorder. And to finally make people realize Dermatillomania is real and people have to respect and help each other.
> Please take a minute to review my fundraiser and documentary trailer:
> http://www.indiegogo.com/sos
> ...


wow, extreme, I'm nowhere near that bad I just rip around finger tips, the wolf biter that I am. Interesting though.


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## cafune (Jan 11, 2011)

xTKsaucex said:


> wow - some people aren't subtle.
> 
> Yes I pick my skin - tends to be around thumbs. I'm sure mine isn't OCD but something related to my Bi Polar called Psychomotor agitation. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Psychomotor_agitation
> 
> I admit I do pick till bleeding -not sure why, feels good and stress relief.


Yeah, I pick at the skin around my thumbs too... I've tried to stop but half the time, I don't even notice that I'm doing it. Usually it's not to the point where I'll bleed though.

----------------

I dunno how you could prevent skin picking other than actively stopping yourself. :?


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## Ridleyzimmer (Aug 28, 2013)

Hi, I'm really glad I came upon this thread even though it might be a bit late, so glad in fact I even created an account just to post here... Well I do kinda suffer from SA so I will probably take a peek at other threads. It's nice to know you're not alone, not that I wish suffering on the masses but it's just... Nice I guess. I'm 16 now and I already have a few scars so I'm pretty worried about my future if I don't stop. It started at 11 when was doing what Ghost Cat was doing, running my fingers through my hair feeling for imperfections I could pick at. I often picked till I bled but I didn't think much of it seeing as the satisfaction from picking outweighed it hugely and it was a good pastime in a boring lesson, of course them I would have to do it incognito. It progressed onto picking pimples and scabs, basically any 'impurity' on my skin that I wanted rid of. Now I have many scars mainly on my upper arms and I still pick and this is a very bad combo if you, like me have acne. I make an effort to not pick but I'll just find my fingers going at a scab for example and I'll tell myself to stop but i will still brush my fingers against the scab and when the scab partly detaches I convince myself I might aswel take the whole thing off. So I'm getting no where. Has any one found a way to stop apart from the stress putty method which is not working for me personally and is there a way of fading scars quickly like say in a period of 1 month


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