# skin peeling



## nork123 (Oct 22, 2009)

I guess more of an obsession/compulsion than a disorder

I am always peeling the skin off my fingertips, toes, heels & balls of feet using my fingernails, teeth, nail clippers etc. Its annoying because it ends up making my hands and feet sore or I do it too much and they bleed, plus it isn't a very attractive look having the skin peeled off all over your hands and feet lol, I try to let them heal but I cant help doing it again, even sometimes looking forward for it to heal so that I can do it again

Does anyone else do anything like this? or am I just a weirdo lol


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## tehuti88 (Jun 19, 2005)

I do the same! Mostly chewing/peeling dead skin off my lips, which made my psychologist worry that I was getting dehydrated because my lips looked so chapped! I'm just so used to them peeling and bleeding and whatnot that it doesn't even bother me, I don't even use chapstick.

Ditto with loose bits of skin elsewhere, if I can peel it off I will. It's not at such a bad point that it's unsightly or painful or anything (I don't deliberately injure the skin so I can peel it off, usually it's already peeling a little), but at least you're not the only one.


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## Cashew (May 30, 2010)

I can relate. I do it to my fingertips and my lips. Not really sure how to stop


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## Soliloquitious (Aug 27, 2012)

I do the same **** every day. Its probably just that our skin is delicious. Wouldn't over analyze it with the amount of things the average person with SA has to cope with. Try gum or various things to keep your mouth/hands occupied, best thing I've found so far.


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## Lokis Whispers (Feb 24, 2012)

It's called dermatophagia. I've got it, too. Just my fingers though, they wind up looking all sore and calloused and they sting and bleed  I've found rubbing cuticle cream on my fingers curbs it a bit, because then it looks smooth and wet and I don't like the feel of it.


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## nork123 (Oct 22, 2009)

Glad i'm not the only one, yeah I looked it up and read that it is related to stress and anxiety, which explains why others on here also do it, yeah I do it to my lips and inside of my cheeks as well.

Lol I looked up dermatophagia on wikipedia and it says sufferers can also be called wolf biters :lol

Will give some creams a try and see if they can help with the soreness


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## sadunicorn (Aug 23, 2012)

I used to think I was the only one who peeled and picked at my skin.

I have eczema, so more often than not my skin already looks bad,
and when I have dry, flaky and chapped areas I can't help but pick at them.


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## nork123 (Oct 22, 2009)

sadunicorn said:


> I used to think I was the only one who peeled and picked at my skin.
> 
> I have eczema, so more often than not my skin already looks bad,
> and when I have dry, flaky and chapped areas I can't help but pick at them.


I get a similar thing, usually in the summer where I get itchy bubble type things in my fingers that get all dry and flaky and I cant help but scratch, pick and peal them and get sore patches that scab up as a result, and its hard to resist picking at them to, so it takes even longer to heal


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## hamsterbaby6 (Apr 23, 2013)

Hello. I've been suffering with this condition for 5 years now, and over the past 20 days, I've had a miracle recovery. I have tracked my journey and provided tips for recovery on this tumblr site, http://dermatophagiaddiction.tumblr.com/page/3
I really want to help as many people as I can with this, so please check it out and spread the word.

Really, what triggered me to start my recovery was when my friend asked me if I had cut or burnt my fingers. I could not say anything else but agree, because I was too embarrassed to confess that I had dermatophagia. Furthermore, it was getting to be a real hassle because I could not focus or think without having to rip out skin from my cuticles and taste the blood and skin against the back of my throat.

I was, too, getting very sensitive to other people who have dermatophagia. I would get really disgusted when I see other people doing their thing, and I would have a deep self-hatred because I would, too, be picking at my fingers under the table.

So, what is my true secret for recovering from this? I learned to love myself. Instead of treating my fingers as the enemy, I treated them as my baby. I used cuticle massage creams, lip balm, Polysporin, nail polish, and a lot more knacky ways to help myself.

I've posted all my methods on my Tumblr site (http://dermatophagiaddiction.tumblr.com/page/3), so please follow along with pictures of progress, and help yourself.

All the best!

Hamsterbaby6


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## Ory (Apr 23, 2013)

Yes, all of these things!! Mainly my hands and feet.


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## msTrouble (Apr 23, 2013)

You are not alone. I actually did burn my thumb months ago, but once it started to heal i seemed to have developed some kind of nervous tick that causes me to pick at it. Its the only spot i mess with but sometimes i go overboard and peel too much and it'll hurt or bleed a little. I do it when i feel anxiety and think too much. I hate having to hide my thumb all the time.


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## DermaToSaviour (Nov 13, 2014)

Hi - I recently set up a support resource on Instagram for those living with Dermatophagia & other BFRB disorders. Please feel free to come have a Look, Like, Follow or spread the word.

Thanks so much &#55357;&#56395;&#55357;&#56911;✌

www.instagram.com/DermaToSaviour


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## DermaToSaviour (Nov 13, 2014)

Hi - I recently set up a support resource on Instagram for those living with Dermatophagia & other BFRB disorders. Please feel free to come have a Look, Like, Follow or spread the word.

Thanks so much &#128075;&#128591;✌

www.instagram.com/DermaToSaviour


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## SwtSurrender (Nov 24, 2014)

nork123 said:


> I guess more of an obsession/compulsion than a disorder
> 
> I am always peeling the skin off my fingertips, toes, heels & balls of feet using my fingernails, teeth, nail clippers etc. Its annoying because it ends up making my hands and feet sore or I do it too much and they bleed, plus it isn't a very attractive look having the skin peeled off all over your hands and feet lol, I try to let them heal but I cant help doing it again, even sometimes looking forward for it to heal so that I can do it again
> 
> Does anyone else do anything like this? or am I just a weirdo lol


Yeah, I do it to my lips with my teeth, I do it to my fingers with my teeth, I peel my pimple scars with my fingers/sometimes tweezers, probably I have dermatillomania/dermaphagia ? And along with this goes an OCD of always touching that place over and over again to check it and if it bothers me I scratch at it and peel at it, it's a nice OCD, but I hope this god***** prozac worked for it better. The body focused repetitive behavior thing, prozac doesn't seem to work that well, like dermatillomania and trichotillomania, but I guess it helps a little, or it just makes me feel better mooded about myself and how the world sees me.

Yea this peeling that I do makes me feel calm, it must be something created to cope with our social anxiety, it is like grooming too, why do we have to be perfect that we wound ourselves lol, we are so OCD.


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## Grog (Sep 13, 2013)

A ripper sun burn is the best for that . I will see how big I can peel one piece of skin before it breaks . Only good thing about sunburn


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