Many people pick at their skin every once in a while. However, there are some that pick a bit too much. For those, it might be a sign of a condition called excoriation, a skin picking disorder.
Excoriation happens when a person picks at their skin too often. For example, if they pick at a scab or the skin surrounding the fingernails, it becomes so intense and frequent that it results in sores, bleeding, and scars. Some people who have excoriation will repeatedly scratch, trying to remove what they see as an imperfection or flaw in their skin.
Do you have the signs?
It’s difficult to say when skin picking goes from a mild, nervous habit to a more serious and severe problem that requires treatment. Here are a few questions people can ask to help find out.
- Do you find yourself picking at your skin a lot throughout the day?
- Are there noticeable scars from skin picking?
- Do you find yourself feeling upset when you think about how often you pick at your skin?
- Does picking at yourself get in the way of regular activities? For example, avoiding the pool or beach because of scars. Or, maybe you spend a lot of time covering up scars before work or social gatherings.
This skin picking disorder can happen with children and adults. It can also start at any age; it isn’t something that begins at a particular time.
Excoriation often develops in one of two ways:
- After some sort of rash, skin infection, or a minor injury. A person might pick at a rash or a scab leading to further damage that keeps the wound or rash from healing. More itching results in more picking and scabbing, which begins the vicious cycle.
- During stressful times in a person’s life. A person may absentmindedly pick at scabs or their skin repeatedly, finding that it helps relieve some stress levels. From that point, it can become a bad habit.
This skin picking disorder is typically considered a type of repetitive “self-grooming” behavior called BFRB or Body-Focused Repetitive Behavior. Pulling or picking at nails or hair that have damaging effects are other types of BFRB.
BFRB is classified as a type of obsessive-compulsive disorder because of the compulsive desire to perform repetitive behaviors.
Can you relate? There’s hope!
Excoriation disorder is treated using therapy and medication. Habit reversal training and stimulus control are two of the primary treatments used to treat this disorder.
Stimulus Control is a therapy that involves making necessary changes to the environment to help curb the habit of skin picking. Something like wearing gloves or bandages to help prevent the urge to pick at the skin. Covering mirrors is another technique that stops a person from seeing any facial blemishes that cause the picking. Basically, it’s all about removing the triggers and opportunities.
HRT or Habit Reversal Training includes a therapist helping a person identify the stresses, situations, and other factors that trigger skin picking. Once the therapist has helped find out the triggers, they will help you find something else to replace the harmful habit. Using a stress ball might help ease stress and occupy a person’s hands to keep them from picking at themselves.
If you or someone you know may be dealing with this skin-picking disorder, please know that treatments are available to help ease the stress and eliminate the urge to pick.
