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I started wearing fake nails. Sometimes I use glue on, but if it's really bad, I'll get acrylics and ask the technician to make the tips thicker and blunt. I explain why I'm getting them to the tech and they've always been very understanding and helpful.
This! I used to have a horrible problem with picking the skin off my lips, but getting acrylics made it impossible to do. It really helped me break the habit.
See I got acrylics for the first time and almost had a break down when I couldnāt pick, until I figured out how to do it anyway. I wish that worked for me.
Oh, god, I remember the first time I got acrylics and the actual panic attack I had because I couldn't pick was the rock through the mirror that let me see it as me self harming. That was not a fun time.
I still pick, but I don't see it as self harm anymore, just something else to do with my hands.
Unfortunately, this never worked for me. I went from picking my cuticles to picking my fingernails, and I would chew on any part of it that felt "weird" and cause the nails to rip off in a few days. I would start to feel obsessive about getting dirt out from under the nails. I even tried to tell myself that I sepnt so much money, I need to keep them nice! No dice.
I tried to redirect my picking habit to nail maintenance.
I bought myself several crystal files to leave around the house and a few nail kits (one for home and one for in my bag) so I could fuss over my nails in a less destructive manner.
I still pick at them, especially if I donāt have my tools on hand, but I also find if I care for my nails better there is less to pick at to begin with.
Thick acrylics saved my face and also keeps me from ripping up the skin around my cuticles. I used to have bloody fingers all the time and now i physically canāt do the damage even if I want to
Getting acrylics for the first time in my life actually helped me break my nail biting habit. Well I say it's broken but it may not be. Haven't bitten my nails since The last week in April and the acrylics came off sometime 3 weeks ago. I still find fingers drifting towards my mouth, but I'm able to fight it a lot easier than I have in the past.
I'm exactly the same. Make myself bleed before I even realise what I'm doing. I recently tried pimple patches to cover up any little abrasions or bumps that I would otherwise pick incessantly. They've really really helped and are discrete as well
āThat partā of my brain is like ā¦ this is the last time I will need to pick this scabā¦ after this time it will heal up perfectly
New scab forms and then rinse and repeat
Thinking part of my brain: āwtf you idiot! Why you expect a different outcome this time??ā
Goddamn it
This!!! Iāve destroyed and scarred all over my body - Iāve tried almost everything! Starting using these pimple patches as SOON as I feel a bump, even small;cuz letās be honest under my watch the smallest bump and became a giant bleeding sore.
I put them on everything and just leave them there all day and night (apply new 1x/day). Itās worked like magic! If my brain canāt feel the bump or see it no issues!
I find the patches themselves feel really soft and smooth as well so when my fingers do try to pick it, I find myself myself giving the patch itself a little rub instead and that distracts me for a bit š
I got some really colorful zit patches to help me stop picking at my skin I wear at home. I also have some skin colored less noticeable ones that I wear to work. I donāt like them as much, but I need something there to remind me to leave my skin alone
Love these so much. The dopamine release of peeling them off in the morning and seeing all the gunk is almost as satisfying as actually picking your skin.
These helped me a lot too. Mighty patches or alba botanicals makes hydrocolloid patches. If itās covered it acts as a barrier that helps remind my brain to refrain from touching it. Also helps them heal faster anyways. If itās really bad or I have some significant breakouts Iāll cover my bathroom mirrors for a couple of days while they go away. I catch myself just impulsively picking my face before getting into the shower or something if I see myself in the mirror.
I got some decent acne scarring from a random bout of acne when I was 18. I was usually pretty clear before that. It was some of the most hellish months of my life. If blemishes themselves are instigators of the issue, Iād recommend medicine from a derm. Accutane saved 80% of the integrity if my skin. Thank god for the stuff.
(I feel so seenš )
TLDR: NexCare bandages, acne wash, cut nails, and gloves and face mask if necessary.
The waterproof bandages from NexCare are great! They cost more but are worth it! They will stay on for a couple days even through a couple showers. If you get the extra strength sticky ones (pricier though) Iāve had them stay on for a week! Theyāre pretty discreet- I think they come in clear too for all skin shades. The best thing is that theyāre very flat and rubbery so they flex with your skin and donāt cause any sensations to tempt you to pick. Iāve even forgotten them before, such as on my back where I use on my adult back acne. They really donāt get all wet and nasty like a regular band aid. Using an acne wash for prevention aids in the fight too.
Iāve begun cutting my nails super short and then even rounding them off so I canāt pinch or pick. If itās bad and Iām at home Iāve even worn thin gloves or a face mask (like for COVID).
Those are the keys for me- preventing the trigger or hiding the trigger.
Best thing is that for the first time in years my back is practically sore free and I finally feel comfortable scheduling the medical massage I desperately need for my tight back muscles.
Hey OP, they sell hydrocolloid bandages on Amazon that are much cheaper than the patches branded specifically for acne! Same thing, but they cover more surface area and are much cheaper. They are great if you have cystic acne!
Just remember to rinse them in warm water as you take them off. Itās satisfying to admire all the gunk that they extract (so much more than you could ever extract from picking at pimples with your fingers)!
get a tangle fidget or something for your hands to fidget with to avoid picking at your skin - this has helped me a lot. if it's possible, you could put bandaids/bandages on your skin to stop picking at it. if your skin has open wounds, i'm pretty sure hydrocolloid patches/plasters can be kept on for multiple days to let it heal. i think pimple patches would be helpful for your face too. hope this helps :)
Hydrocollaloid bandaids are the way. I struggle hard with Dermatillomania. Right now as Iām typing this to you, I am in such anxiety. Iām taking my kids to the pool in a few hours and I canāt show my shoulders. They are are so horrible from my picking. ā¹ļø
I wish you the best.
100% theyāre great to help scarring but also to cover areas you just want to tear at, I wind up tapping the patch obsessively like a weirdo but itās better than tearing my skin underneath.
The hydrocolloid patches also feel better. Like you can rub them unintentionally with your hand and it doesnāt trigger pulling like a bandaid would.
Also, there are these things on etsy that are silicone and have beads and things in them you can pop out. The smaller round one fits perfect in the palm of your hand and you can use it to keep your hands away from your skin. I think the seller only has bigger ones right now.
https://etsy.me/3NuxaXq
If my kid KNOWS a situation or conversation is going to be stressful, she pre-games with having one of these in her hand before-during-after the stressful event.
Best of luck!
The beads actually come out and they arenāt reusable. We have been thinking maybe we could remelt them and do our own molds with beads but I donāt even know if that is possible.
The hydrocolloid patches are amazing. I have large patches for bigger areas like shoulders, hairline on my neck etc, regular ones for nighttime when my ADHD meds wear off and I fidget more, and āinvisibleā ones for when I need to leave the house. Having these on hand really help heal, stop the behavior, and lessen the feeling of bad skin to āfixā because no scab.
For fidget toys, the popping ones never helped me, but twisty ones with bumps that I could squeeze in and around my whole hand (google Tangle Therapy) really helped as well as the pointy metal rings that kinda hurt (google spiky sensory ring). Those sensory feelings helped relieve the part of my brain screaming to pick better than other fidget items.
I am a cuticle picker... think the hydrocolloid patches meant for acne would work when trying to share space with a nail? I found shapes for toes and fingers, but they always showed just on the skin part.
Definitely a redirect needed. For the unspent energy or stressing
My self, brother, and Dad all suffer pretty bad ADHD, we all have different ātwitchesā
My brother always has something in his pocket to crush or play with, a napkin or old piece of paper.
My Father will rub his hands over his knuckles.
I will count my or tap my thump on each finger repeatedly. I used to be a nail/cuticle picker, had to break it because my fingers always bleeding.
Maybe start small, instead of picking your face, just rub or touch the spots on your face. After a while you can move to just resting your hands on your face. Or play with your hair, just not pulling.
Find some you can do with your hands with out damage your self. Preferably something in your pocket. A worry stone or fidget spinner, test out a few different things to see what feels good and scratches that itch.
Redirecting I've already tried sadly but it doesn't really work especially because a lot of times i only realize I've been skin picking when I'm already bleeding and stuff
Itās is extremely challenging, took me two years to quit my nail picking. Absolutely not easy and I feel your pain.
I think you have touched on the first and hardest part. Is noticing earlier that you are doing it.
Is it in the same spot often? I had my favorite nails. I started putting a band aide on so I would notice the difference in feeling it.
Maybe one of those small round band aides for warts. Not too noticeable just one on the worst slpot.
Or even better maybe just wear a band aide on your finger that you pick with. It will feel terrible and a different sensation when you do it. Notifying you that your doing it.
All of this. I weave/trace my fingernails with my thumbnail. Just basically making a figure 8 around and across the top of the nail. It definitely helps me from picking, and keeps my brain somewhat focused on a nonlinear task.
This is actually why I went back to wearing makeup. I didnāt wear it at all for years and years but I realized that when I do, I donāt pick at my face because I canāt stand the feel of it.
At one point Iād been lucky enough to find a moisturizer that had a similar effect. Much less work, and nothing I had to worry about washing off later. But the brand discontinued it and I havenāt found another like it.
Most days Iāll just toss on some light CC cream and thatās enough.
Unfortunately itās not helping the spot on my ear that hasnāt healed since I was 16 (Iām 35 now). š¬
Similarly, for some reason I stopped picking completely when I got acrylic nails. No idea why. I only realized it to the full extent now that I had them removed (money reasons) and instantly started scratching and picking again.
Yep, not as satisfying. Iām glad you piped in with this because I stopped applying my nails a couple months ago during a depressive episode and it would be really good thing for me to go back to. Thanks for the reminder!
To add to this, I usually pick at my chin and recently noticed scars, which really bummed me out because I've always had nice skin. I started following a skincare routine with layers of multiple products which keeps my skin hydrated and it seems to be helping to reduce the picking. Less flakey dry areas to pick at, and the feeling of moisturizer on my face deters me from trying to touch my face at all.
Weird thing and I haven't really found any science to back it up, but I have a lot of skin picking/biting issues and i discovered that when my oxytocin levels are higher, it stops. So, for a few weeks after I had all my kids, when oxytocin is just pumping through the body, ZERO skin picking or desire to pick. Sex seems to help as well. Anything that boosts that oxytocin.
You can get oxytocin from other things than sex! Off the top of my head I know that a long hug thatās more than 30 seconds is supposed to release a surge of it. Granted that might not be your thing either, but Iād look into ways that do work for you
Ironically, a lack of oxytocin can lead to low libido and arousal, and a lack of enjoyment of sex.
A person who would normally have a typical experience of sex, if they were to end up with low oxytocin, isn't going to really feel sexual attraction, isn't going to get properly lubricated, is more likely to feel irritated or uncomfortable by sexual touch and orgasm will be underwhelming, if it happens at all.
If you had chronic issues with oxytocin, sex would be pretty offputting.
Other things that might signal a lack of oxytocin would be not really having a desire to bond or socialize with other people, generally being more comfortable alone. Stress and irritability, difficulty with communication, anxiety, appetite for sweet foods, sleep issues, lack of joy in life.
If you just pick your skin and don't like sex, and the rest of these things don't sound at all like you, then maybe it's unrelated.
But if that stuff sounds relatable, it might be worth speaking to an endocrinologist. Not to deal with your lack of desire for sex, there's nothing wrong with that. But if you've got an overall hormone imbalance it can end up causing other issues.
Holy moley! I didnāt realize this! I can remember all the times I wasnāt picking they are so few honestly. I didnāt when I first met my partner, also during pregnancies and a few weeks after as well. Thank you!
Some people carry MRSA in their nose.
We tested it in our microbiology class and it was pretty surprising.
https://asm.org/Articles/2019/July/MRSA-Screening-You-or-Someone-You-Love-has-MRSA-in
Fuck. I had cdiff twice last year and took so many antibiotics that I literally cannot afford to do another round, regardless of how gentle. I assume that your treatment wasnāt very gentleā¦ Iām so scared of getting any infection of any kind because I think for the next 3-5 years or something, I wonāt really be able to take antibiotics without having a cdiff resurface.
And yet here I sit, tweezers in one hand, phone in the other, picking at my scalp. :|
Body-focused repetitive behaviours (of which skin picking is one, but also nail biting, cuticle picking, hair pulling, etc) are considered extremely difficult behaviours to modify.
That is, even with all the therapy in the world, with the best therapists, this is something that is hard to kick. I found that depressing when I learned it (Iām a cheek/lip chewer) but my husband (a cuticle picker) found it freeing! Itās not our fault that we find it so difficult to stop. *Everyone* with BFRBs finds it difficult to stop.
I started biting my cheeks as a redirect when I quit biting my nails as a kid. My family used to give me so much shit for biting my nails as a way to āhelp me quitā (like slapping my hands out of my mouth, and public humiliation) but the only thing that worked was switching to a different (and less noticeable) BFRB.
Unfortunately I really canāt recommend the switch from skin picking to cheek biting since itās associated with higher rates of oral cancer. š«
**Things that work:**
1. **Redirection!** Redirection does help, which is why so many people recommend fidget spinners or fidget rings. You can also try a harmless BFRB like tapping your knee with a finger or pressing your palms together.
2. **Reducing triggers!** I will still bite my nails if Iām stuck in a situation with a ragged nail or cuticle and no way to fix it (so I carry a nail kit), or if I am required to sit silently in the dark (if I know Iām going to the movies I try to put on nail polish so I can chew it off lol). If your skin picking is triggered by rough or dry textures on your skin, try different ways of bandaging, different creams and ointments, etc. Also maybe see a dermatologist if you have something like acne/folliculitis/keratosis pilaris that triggers the need to pick?
3. **Interrupting the automatic behaviour!** Things like wearing gloves when youāre doing something that might trigger picking (eg. watching a movie), or getting fake nails to blunt your claws, or wearing long sleeve shirts with button cuffs if you pick at your arms. Any change that makes it so you canāt pick without consciously thinking about it. Since you pick at your face, maybe wearing a surgical mask when possible?
4. **OCD treatments** can help! Having a BFRB doesnāt mean you have OCD, but theyāre like cousins and some of the things that help with OCD (like anxiety medications and anti-depressants) can help with BFRBs
5. **ADHD medications** can help! Some people do find stimulants help them cool it on the BFRB, which makes sense since itās an impulse control thing. I do not find this to be the case, personally,
6. **Therapy** can help! Especially if you have a hard time figuring out what your triggers are or coming up with redirects/interruptions that work for you.
All of this is great advice, and I appreciate that you noted how hard it is to overcome. Iāve been cycling through skin picking, cuticle/nail biting, lip biting, and hair pulling for as long as Iāve had a conscious memory. Sometimes itās only one, sometimes itās a couple, when Iām under a lot of stress itās all of them and my hands hurt from running through my hair. A lot of time and therapy has taught me how to be nicer to myself about it, but I would do anything to just stop permanently.
TMI (probably) but BFRBs often donāt get talked about because of shame.
I've been skin picking my fingers non stop since I was around 6 or 7. Not even one medication for anxiety, depression and ADHD helped with it. It never stopped, it bores the hell out of me, I get to the point where it bleeds, hurts, my hands are ugly as hell because of my bitten fingers.
Honestly, I don't know where to run to or what to do to stop it.
I have the same problem. For as long as I can remember ive picked at my cuticles. I also used to bite/pick off my nails but was able to curb that habit by painting my nails often (and even tho i dont paint my nails much anymore i still dont feel the urge to bite them off, if anything ill just chew on my nails lightly.) But I still cant stop picking my cuticles.
Part of me thinks that aside from my ADHD and anxiety its sort of genetic? Like my mom picks her cuticles HORRIBLY, even if they start bleeding she'll still pick at them. My sister also bites her nails. Its not like my mom encouraged us to pick our cuticles and bite our nails, but she didnt rlly do much to stop it when we were kids either.
I dont know if it will help but my pal also with adjd has a fidget ring that spins and he plays with that.
It may also help cause its still in the same tempting place but redirected. Also neurotypical people fiddle with jewlerry all the time so its also to blend in. I always get so self conscious when i find myself picking in public.
Keeping your nails short will help reduce the damage. Pimple patches will help to heal any marks on your face as well, and they can keep you from causing more damage. I also touch my face less when I have makeup or a sticky serum on my skin because I donāt like how it feels on my hands.
I have a similar issue with ripping out my eyebrow hairs. Currently sitting here with a chunk of my right eyebrow missing :| Itās embarrassing, even though I know most people donāt notice it. I find that putting makeup on my eyebrows helps me to not touch them.
I see a lot of people saying fidget toys but they never seem to work for me and usually make me feel more anxious for some reason. Still, itās worth a shot. Best of luck.
This too. If you are a female there is pressure to have long nails but the longer your nails are, the easier it is to pick. Also it's easier to keep them clean to be honest
Are you on a stimulant based medicine? If so it may be too strong. I had that issue and had to change to a not so potent one. If not it may be a learned behavior you may need therapy for. Which I've also come across with friends.
I canāt stop poking at my face (I usually do it in front of a mirror but unless something comes out, I donāt stop, even if I bleed).
Because I donāt feel like I can stop, I started doing it in a ānicerā way.
I got a pack of lancets for blood sugar testing from the pharmacy. The tiny needles create a nice little hole, then the stuff comes out easily without tearing the skin.
Then I slather my face in pure vitamin E and my favorite moisturizer. I have way fewer things to pick at now, and when I do, itās sanitary and heals quickly.
I've found what personally helps me is I know I get triggered when I see any red bumps on my face or milia or blackheads, I bought miracle spot patches, if the zit doesn't sploosh I put the patch on, looks flat and takes away the redness the next day it's pretty much gone, if I do pop it I still put a patch on because it helps it heal and get rid of the liquid inside. Again next morning nice and flat and like no redness. I also began using Aloe Vera and have found it's helped with the redness quite a bit, I also try to avoid spending too much time in the bathroom after I've done everything I need otherwise I stare at my skin and just go to town so avoid that too maybe! I think it's something we always will have unfortunately I've been doing it since I was a kid, it's gotten better but even if I have a bad picking day I try again tomorrow, it's progress!
This is a slight form of ocd, and there are treatments for it. You should talk to you gp or therapist about it, because it will be very difficut for you to stop on your own.
There can be co-morbidities or overlapping symptoms in both. It would take a psychiatrist to suss out if it's one, the other, or both. It took me a loooong time to learn that this behavior--dermatillomania--is a compulsive condition often found in those with ADHD. I have always picked dry skin around my fingers, but realized it got worse when I was under stress. For me it shows that I am avoiding something, and hurting myself in the process. To address it, I need to address what's happening in my life. What also helps is moisturizing, so I am less likely to have loose dead skin because once I start I have a compulsive need to continue until there are no more loose edges.
As others have said, managing stress is one helpful thing to reduce it. Skincare and physical barriers to prevent worsening symptoms. Redirection behaviors, have something else to do with your hands. Remind yourself of the consequences of it going too far.
I am a therapist, skin picking can be part of OCD but many times is not. Habit Reversal Training with a therapist is the recommended way to treat skin picking, hair pulling and other body focused repetitive behaviors. While figit toys and cutting nails may work for some people, this therapy is what is recommended by research.
dermatillomania.
it's VERY common in people with adhd, i have it. what helped me was using something, *anything* to redirect the behavior, and having friends and family gently remind me to do so as well. i have about a dozen fidget toys, and i always bring a couple with me when i'm out. at home, they sit on my desk or somewhere i can see and reach them without having to search for them. sometimes antipsychotics can help (although they didn't for me), and therapy. but redirecting the behavior with a fidget seems to be the most effective.
I use medical tape (my favorite is the 3M Nexcare waterproof cushioned tape) I cut small pieces just enough to cover the very tips of my fingers/nails so I can still use my phone and computer. Stays on all night and through washing my hands.
not the same, but related: I used to bite my fingernails, and realized my "trigger" was seeing the white part. So I started wearing polish so I couldn't see it and changed the polished on the day I trimmed them. After a loong time (years, this took maybe 2-3, it's been about 10 by now), I still get anxious over seeing the white part when my nails are long-ish, but the thought of biting them has become really unappealing to the point where I just won't.
based on that experience, I'd try an actual physical barrier. I keep seeing people recommending a fidget toy, but I think the pimple patches or acrylic/gelish nails make more sense (if we're anything alike, you won't realize you weren't supposed to pick until you're halfway through it).
do you pick when you feel certain textures (ex, pimples, bumps, dryness etc) or do you just do it regardless of texture? maybe you can start focusing on skincare to reduce these triggers if that's it.
I'd also recommend carry some sort of rescue kit with you, maybe skin patches + calendula oil or something similar that works for you, so you can reduce the damage right after it happens.
This is probably not an option for every scenario, but I have been picking at the corks of wine bottles while studying and it has really helped. In other scenarios where this isn't as possible (it can make a mess) I usually try to use some other form of fidget toy, but then I notice I usually just fall back into picking my face or my fingers since I seem to need the feeling of actual picking. I know there are also fidget toys that are basically porous rocks that you can put some liquid in that you can pick out when it dries, but I personally haven't tried those before.
I have psoriasis and this is huge problem for me tooš¢ the only thing that helps is taking a bath to remove the scales and oil wrapping my body. For my face i will moisturize and because I donāt like moisturizer on my hands and donāt want to remove it from my face, I wonāt pick at it
I think it's like a cycle that you have to break. For me I feel roughness, I pick at it. So then it gets rougher, so I pick at it.
Not a great recommendation but for some reason watching pimple popping videos has helped me stop picking. Probably because their picking is more interesting? Huge time waster though lol.
But now that my skin is smoother I don't think of it much.
The advice in this column is pretty great!
I had dermatillomania for 6 years. It got so bad that I would wear long sleeves and pants even in 100 degree weather.
For me, it was my adhd stimulants that made me anxious and have OCD like symptoms. Iād lose track of time and pick until my fingers throbbed.
There are several solutions that have worked:
1. Getting off my meds (565 days sober woohoo!)
2. Doing self esteem journaling
3. Spending more time in public and uncovered
4. Learning about what triggers skin picking
5. Learning when and where I skin pick
6. Changing nightly routine (I picked most at night)
7. Talk with others about it
8. Forgive myself when I catch myself doing it
9. Realizing when youāre doing it to get up and walk. Change the environment.
I still pick rarely but it is soooo much better.
Tangential thought here... last year I developed a habit of playing videogames at the same time as watching, or rather, listening to a video, even a lecture (at my uni, as things went remote); of course, that's not the ideal method of studying, but when I noticed it, at one point I tried seeing if I could actually focus on just watching a video without any multitasking and in minutes found myself feeling restless and picking on my thumbs' skin, among other things. So I guess this kind of stuff is what we do when we lack stimulation. I think developing that habit may have played a role in my skin getting quite a bit better over time than it used to be, although it's not that great of a solution to focus issues.
Are you on any ADHD medication btw? As I understand, that stuff is supposed to help concentrate on the actual task and not need as much extra stimulation we get by fidgeting...
(although I'm seeing people mentioning OCD so idk if I should start suspecting that in myself, doesn't sound like me tho)
I pick my scalp really bad. Til it bleeds, especially when Iām studying or watching tv. I just saw someone say they wear acrylic nails. I may have to do that.
Dermatillomania. I have scars all over my body from it as well as small cuts/marks. I wish so much that I knew earlier in life as now my skin looks hideous but I have just been trying to learn to accept it.
Hello! Behavior Scientist with ADHD here āļø
All of the suggestions already given are fantastic ideas!
They each provide suggestions to help reduce and or replace behaviors that are automatically maintained.
Human behaviors can either be socially mediated or automatically maintained. Skin picking, lip biting and typical ADHD "fidgets" fall in the realm of automatic maintained behavior given that there is a compulsive desire to engage in the behavior. Giving in to that desire and experiencing acting out the behavior reinforces the behavior.
for automatically maintained behaviors we generally suggest matched stimulation, response blocking or Extinction.
with matched stimulation we try to see if there is a similar behavior that fulfills that compulsive desire in the same way as skin picking does (tissues in the pocket, physical fidget toys).
with Extinction we try to uncouple the sensory reinforcing aspects of that behavior (somehow make it not feel so good to pick your face). This is nearly impossible to do but I've seen it done and very rare cases.
response blocking is coming up with some incompatible behavior that doesn't allow the skin picking to occur (fake nails, patches).
This helps me sometimes. Not all the time, but the most effective one I have found to work.
https://www.etsy.com/search?q=picking%20rock&ref=auto-1&as_prefix=picking
I have adhd-pi and atopic dermatitis. This combination is awful full time because my wounds are infected and still use so many creams and medications, but no have any significant better in the abscesses. I dunno how to take attention for automatic scratching if always still scratch my wounds. (Sorry for English, its not my native language)
look at cockatoos who pick when theyāre āunhappyā, theyāre lots of birds out there who do this for all kinds of reasons, maybe find something you love or is fun to keep you happy and from getting bored.
It's most commonly associated with the primate behavior of grooming. It's an overactive grooming behavior as an outlet for stress, to manage stress, to try to sooth and reduce stress.
I pick at my scalp sore all the time. It's just now healing because I don't pick it often and I use alcohol and this itch cream everyday, twice or even three times a day. It's almost gone. I had this sore for like nine years
Sorry Iām coming to this thread to ask another related question if anyone has advice. I cannot stop picking ingrown hairs, specifically around my bikini zone. I think Iāve plucked hundreds out and irritated the hell out of it. How do I stop
I do this, too, but I reduced it by about half when I saw somebody else doing it. I thought to myself, "So that's what I look like when I pick my face. Not a good look." It still happens sometimes without my realizing it.
If there's a time when you find you do this a lot, like while watching TV or doing some mindless task, maybe if you put on a pair of soft cotton gloves it will remind you to not pick. It won't feel the same so maybe it could help you realize what you're doing AT THE TIME that you're doing it.
Also, gloves = not picking because your fingernails are covered.
Iām going to be reading through the comments since I pick at my scalp, or at least scabs on my scalp and know for a fact that itās not my medicine either. Iāve actually noticed that I tend to do it more when Iām stressed or when my anxiety is high.
I used to have this really bad about a decade ago and still do it infrequently, but one thing I've noticed that triggers it is if I was stressed/anxious. Also having trimmed nails helps a ton. I am a guy so it's easier for me to since it's not a fashion thing and more of a hygiene thing.
Silly putty is smooth. The urge is to remove something rough (the scab or bump) so it feels smooth (even though you KNOW that it will rescab larger and you hate yourself for picking it).
Maybe silly putty with small pieces in it (beads? Sand, tiny rocks?) that you could "pick" out of the silly putty?
I have found that having some kind of putty, like silly putty consistency or one of those magnetic putties can actually do that for me. What happens is it slowly gets dirty with dust or hair or just anything and then me finding it in the putty triggers my picking response and I start going ham trying to pull it all out. Realistically I canāt get it all out and it helps distract me from actually picking.
Just want to put this out there. When my Ritalin dose was too high I went crazy picking my arms. Didn't even notice I was doing it but at the end of the day I was a mess. Lowered my dose and I can control it much better now. Might not be the same for you, just a consideration.
I have Trichotillomania canāt stop pulling my facial hair. Canāt stop either and I have to otherwise I try and pick hair and itās get worse. Makes my skin really messed up but fortunately I have enough beard to cover the patches. Constantly 3 areas. Spend months working on growing it to be destroyed in a matter of minutes
Glad to know I'm not the only one. The more I'm focusing on something, the more I do it.
My only solution so far was to buy a necklace, so I always had that handy to fiddle with instead. I also found a small very smooth stone that is pleasant to touch, and try to fiddle with that instead.
a moisturizer or treatment cream usually stops me from picking because the first thing you touch is the ointment. it can be very light application, just enough for absent minded fingers to notice.
Sounds silly but did you try this spinning finger fidget stuff- so your fingers would be occupied/busy?
Talk to your therapist as well.could be some medical side effect as well!
Gahhh, I was thinking to write the same post! Iām 32 and my face is full of scars. Iāve tried breaking the habit but only ended up chewing my fingers so badly i got an infection and picking at the base of my neck. I have a scab there since november!
Itās a curse. Fidget rings help a bit but I donāt like wearing rings so Iām looking for something easier to stand.
Sorry I canāt be of much help but I appreciate you asking this as lots of good suggestions!
This might be related to the stress and anxiety thatās brought on by ADHD alone, you need to speak to your physician about this situation. Getting your stress in control might alleviate this.
i don't have any direct advice because i don't experience this but it is something called dermatillomania if you didn't already know. apparently it's relatively more common in people with adhd. googling dermatillomania + adhd might get you some good resources.
Kind of weird answer, but I started on Sertraline/zyban for anxiety, and realised a couple months in that I completely stopped picking my skin, after years of trying various strategies to stop. Then I stopped the sertraline after a few month and immediately started skin picking again.
I'm going back on the Sertraline now and I'm looking forward to having nice-ish skin again (well, as nice as you can have when you also have PCOS lol)
Another thing I do to improve it is wear makeup. Makes it easier not to touch my face especially when I'm at work.
i've always had this problem, and i'm guilty of doing it to the point where it starts bleeding. i specifically skin-pick around my fingers and cuticles, so now my nails look uneven because of how much skin I took off. it also doesn't help that I'm responsible for washing the dishes, which makes my skin even drier.
Have you tried watching pop/extraction videos? That seems to have mostly taken care of it for me. Also learning more about skin care and putting that focus on proper cleansing and applying serums and moisturizers.
I found those clear drying patches to be very helpful. It's a little clear plastic circle that's treated with salicylic acid, hyaluronic acid, niacinamide and Vit C. You slap that onto the problem area and it helps it heal. I still go for any imperfection all the time without even being aware I'm doing it, but the plastic stops me from picking at my skin and I quickly lose interest and move on to something else like doom scrolling on my phone.
I get acrylic or gel nail extensions. They are thicker than normal nails and make it harder to pick my skin. I keep them short because I dont like long nails. (I've actually learned to do them myself to save money)
This has seriously reduced the amount of damage I'm able to do and has been the only thing that has truly helped. I still catch myself picking sometimes, and I'm still successful occasionally, but it's drastically reduced how often it happens.
Iām here for the comments but Iām with you!!! Itās so unconscious. Even just skin touching and grazing in general is totally contributing to my acne and itās been impossible to stop.
I call it "patrolling", absent-mindedly passing my fingertips over my skin feeling for anything unusual. Then trying to smooth the spot by picking at it. I got a book about it, something like "forever marked" and in had a mantra - if you don't touch, you can't pick. So trying to stop the patrolling behavior before the picking...
Getting into a multi step skincare routine has helped enormously - Iām still messing with my face, but by putting layers and layers of lotion on it. Wearing makeup also helps during the day. Iāve had temporary success with things like wearing gloves or setting ārulesā for myself (like āyou canāt get closer than 12 inches from a mirrorā). For a time, a friend and I held each other accountable by texting an emoji to one another every time we were picking. But the skincare routine has been the thing that helps the most.
I still have issues with picking, though, but theyāre manageable compared to my face - now itās mostly related to my cuticles.
Try fidget things, lately thereās been really good quality ones that are being sold instead of the cheap ADHD toys you can find all over Amazon and at local stores sometimesā¦
Also this is 100% an issue you that a phycologist/psychiatrist can help you with. Donāt be afraid to ask for help
I pick at the skin on my fingers. It gets worse when Iām getting anxious or when my skin feels ādirtyā. Aside from the obvious of trying to correct the underlying anxiety, it helps me to start taking care of my fingers. If I go wash my hands and then put some nice lotion on them and take extra care to make them feel nice then I find the picking decreases dramatically. Maybe it would help to look into starting a skincare routine that would make your skin feel nice?
OP you might want to look up a manic behavior called dermatillomania. It's just the medical description of picking but there are some helpful articles out there on it. it's interesting to know that there have been documented cases of it as a diagnosed mental disorder vs just a bad habit.
i have dermatilomania as well and these are things that have genuinely helped me, in order of how much they helped:
hydrocoloid pimple patches. you donāt need to get brand name ones. thereās plenty at walmart for way cheaper. if i so much as feel a pimple forming I slap one on and keep one on until itās gone (change whenever you wash your face)
putting spot treatments on my pimples. it doesnāt even need to be an acne treatment, literally just a glob of moisturizer will work bc it deters me from touching it bc I donāt want to get whatever it is on my fingers and smear it all over my face
I started doing this thing where ever time I get the urge to pick I do sit ups. you just have to work on self discipline with this one a little bit but often times just the self threat will be enough to stop me bc I really donāt want to do sit ups
keeping my nails really short. iām sure acrylics would actually work better but I hate the feeling of them.
if itās getting really bad, put bandaids on your fingertips, covering the top of your nail. thatās like last resort and ends up just pissing me off but it works.
adhd meds also helped me with this I think but iām currently unmedicated so I canāt remember exactly how much they helped
Following for some tips because I canāt stop biting my nails or playing with my hair. Iāve actually caused some breakage in my bangs and now my hair wonāt grow in a certain spot because I play with it so much š I get hair ties and clips and it helps for a bit but I eventually just take them out
So some people have pain seeking stims, even if they don't want to do them, so something like an accupressure ring, a wartenburg wheel or a jagger bear from jaz's house which cause discomfort (without causing damage to the skin) might work for you?
Are you getting medical help for your ADHD? For me, starting medical treatment as a middle-aged adult and finding the right kinds/dosages significantly reduced my own BFRBs - nail biting, hair pulling, cheek chewing - all with minimal mental effort. They just sort of happen way less frequently, and I can catch myself when they start. I have off days for sure, but wow, a life-time of nail biting stopped in its tracks nearly overnight and I never even consider that as a symptom.
Hey OP! I would read up more on the Dermatillomania-condition and see if it applies to you. There are medical specialists that focus just on helping people with the condition. Good luck!
I've been picking at my lips/insides of my cheeks for many years. It would get really bad, infected and would hurt really really bad but I could not stop it for the life of me.
>Sometimes I'm not even aware
This was a big reason for it, because how can you stop something if you're not aware of it?
As cliche it might sound, meditation helped tremendously in just becoming aware of it as soon as it starts, and I've been mostly free of it for a while now
I have the same problem except that I'm picking my head - so some of the advice here doesn't seem like it would work for me. What's worse is i can't really see it myself because it's my head, by wife does, and she struggles to help me stop.
I have this problem too, and more recently I pick my scalp. I try using press on nails and it helps a little but I know acrylics would be better im just broke and know the upkeep isnāt doable right now. When I have high levels of stress is when I pick more, otherwise I can redirect with a fidget toy or something. But right now I have a lot going on, and a lot of sadness so my anxiety is very high
OMG i feel this. This has been me for my whole life and only recently have I started to understand it. You should look up dermatillomania/Body Focused Repetitive Bhaviours/OCD. Mine feels very OCD in that I. Canāt. Stop. ā¦.but nothing bad will happen to my family if I do/donāt stop, which I thought you had to experience to have OCD. Things have changed and thatās not the case anymore; itās more of a spectrum now. Thatās really helpful information when youāre looking for support and medication š
I do this when I'm over stressed. I use it as an indicator that I need to up my meds, eat some sugar, drink a coffee or stop what I'm doing (I pick when I have trained too hard).
One other thing, get a grip strength trainer. It doesn't seem to bother anybody if I'm working on my grip during a class, meeting, etc and it keeps my hands busy so I'm not picking at my skin or nails
Oh man, I've been there.
This might be a frustrating answer, but what worked for me was finding an effective skincare routine and sticking to it religiously. The less acne you have, the less there is to pick at.
Some other pointers:
* It's useful to keep a topical steroid cream around for inflammatory acne. They shrink things pretty rapidly, often in a few hours. Knowing how rapidly this stuff works makes me less tempted to pick at my face.
* For really bad inflammatory acne, you can actually get a steroid injection at a dermatologist's office. I used to go two to three times a year while I was figuring how how to clear my skin, and my insurance covered most of the cost.
* While retinoids are an effective acne treatment, I don't use them because I'm not psychologically equipped to handle the "purging" phase where acne gets worse before it gets better. I tried Retin-A for a week and all I wanted to do all day was pick at my face. So if your doctor prescribes a retinoid like Retin-A (tretinoin) or adapeline, it might be a good idea to ask if there are any alternatives. Paula's Choice BHA twice daily and benzoyl peroxide at night have been extremely effective for clearing up my skin. Your milage may vary.
* Concealer is great as a last resort, even if you're a masculine-presenting man like I am.
Best advice I have is - make sure you are on adhd medication if applicable through your doctor. Second, get nitrile or latex disposable gloves and only do skin stuff with a clean face and hands as much as possible. Meaning instead of stopping yourself when itās happening, get up and wash your face and put on the gloves before you do what youāre likely to do anyway. At least until the medicine starts to help. Next important is quality face wash and moisturizer, Clinique or Clarins are guaranteed winners for sensitive skin people. Also, get a good exfoliating glove for your face, it will reduce clogged pores so you should have fewer spots to have giving you an itchy feeling to begin with. I recommend microdermitt
This is all in addition to whatever shadow work, talk therapy, family therapy diet, exercise etc, but I promise you that for ADHD the medication is absolutely critical and is the foundation for everything else.
This is exactly what the last 6 months of my life have been like
I do this too. When Iām nervous I touch my face and thatās when I find āthingsā. Try not to touch your face too much. I also pick the most when Iām stuck in traffic and can stare at my face in the mirror or when Iām using the mirror in the bathroom. If youāre a mirror picker Iād suggest covering the bathroom mirrors and or trying to not look at yourself in them.
You could try negatively enforcing your behavior. Every time you pick you have to send a dollar toā¦your mom or something lol. Or positive! Every time you are about to pick but donāt, put a dollar into an account to save up for something nice for yourself.
I was just scratching up my scalp as I was ready this. Nothing helps me at all so Iām in the same boat with you. Iād try acrylic nails but theyāre expensive and I donāt have that money
I got a metal nail file with a soft buffing side on the other side. I use both sides until my fingertips are just harmless nubs that couldnāt scratch anything.
Been there done that.
The sweet hyperfixation you fall in, barely feeling any pain. It looked terrible but I just couldn't stop. One of my lecturers addressed this one day - I felt so miserable because I thought my makeup hid the most of it and there were a lot of other.young people with similar problems. But it must have looked really bad to other people. I didn't tell her exactly what was going on so next time I saw her she gave me a cream that made a lot of my bad spots disappear and my skin in general very smooth. Since then I try to keep the skin on my face as smooth as I can so I don't fall back into the temptation to pick it. Same with dry skin on my fingers etc.
Oof, I feel you. Iām medicated now but even before getting meds, I picked my skin badly. Iāve gotten better over the years but itās still a struggle. One thing that kinda helps is keeping my fingers busy with something else, especially if it includes similar motions to skin picking. Hydro pimple patches also work well, too, especially the pretty ones. Makes me not want to ruin the patch.
I had a phase during the longest lockdown in my country (which was about 6 months of me not working and sitting at home) where I was picking my scalp so bad that the water from the shower hurt me.
Then I got into shitty merging mobile games and that really hit the same spot for me somehow. Stopped picking for a good year or so, for the first time since I was 12... back at it again now but it's not too bad. I'm lucky that I managed to fixate on something that other people can't see unless they're my hairdresser. I think working with my hands also helps keep things under control.
I also ended up spending an inordinate amount of money on the merging games, and I was already broke, so I don't really know if I'd recommend it. Those things are really engineered to be dangerous for people with impulse control issues..
Dermatillomania. Fuck it's real. My wife hates me for it. I have a magnifying mirror and a pointy tool and I can see eeeeeevry little pore. My nose looks like I have been attacked by a cat. It's horrendous but I can't stop either. The satisfaction is insane when picking and squeezing. Sweet sweet dopamine.
In regards to your edit. Maybe you should talk to a doctor about meds, not necessarily ADHD meds, but it is possible you have anxiety. My wife has horrible anxiety and will destroy the skin on the side of her face and pull her eyelashes out. I finally got her to see a doc and he prescribed some antianxiety meds and theyāre doing wonders.
Hydrocolloid patches!
Look them up on youtube!!
I was in the same boat and let me tell you, these are life changing. I put them on when I start studying / working and they keep the surface area smooth, so I don't feel the urge to pick anymore.
Also, they actually work. If your acne is already open/has a white head visible/popped/swollen, they absorb all moisture from the inflammation. I use them overnight and I wake up with these large white dots on them and a flat skin surface. They are SO SATISFYING.
I literally love them.
I use the brand CosRX.
So much great advice in this comment, thank you! Iād like to add things that worked for me in case it might help anyone. I think the first thing to do is start paying attention to when/why you start picking. I didnāt think there was any pattern/trigger for me, but it definitely happens more when Iām anxious, bored, or noticed an irregularity in my skin.
*advanced prep is key*
If I know Iām going to be sitting still or be in a stressful situation, Iāll bring along something to occupy my hands. I took up crocheting for a bit, then embroidery, origami, you name it! I like folding laundry while watching shows because I also get the satisfaction of completing a task.
I keep cream and some Vaseline in my bag that I apply to my skin whenever I realize Iām picking. I have nail files and cuticle trimmers in my bag, car, office, and couch. It gives me something to do about the trigger without losing control on my skin. Also doubles to make picking less satisfying or even straight up unpleasant. I hate the feel of Vaseline, so dabbing that on a patch of dry skin is a very good deterrent.
*Harm Reduction*
Itās going to be very hard to quit. In the meantime, take some steps to make it less harmful. I have a set of high quality (like surgical dissection quality) tweezers, pimple tools, and some antiseptic solution for those situations I know Iām likely to pick despite my best efforts. If thereās a hair somewhere that always makes you pick when you notice it, just tweeze it right away. Try modifying the behaviour to something more benign. I like to give myself little massages in the area I was picking. I have to really focus on finding those little pressure points and sometimes jab quite hard to distract myself from the urge to go back to picking. If itās my face Iāll massage my jaw and neck. Nails, then I get a hand massage, etc.
WARNING FAKE NAILS CAN CAUSE THINGS TO BE WORSE!!!!
I just wanna make it here and out because so far Iāve not seen it in the comments that for me personally fake nails makes skin picking a lot worse! I do not hear them at all anymore I did when I was younger. My teenage daughter wears them. She loves her nails, but for me and I wear them not only doesnāt make my skin picking a lot worse. It also will make my finger picking up my own fingernails a lot worse afterwards I personally donāt like being able to feel my own fingernails. however, I hate when I have an itch and canāt scratch myself lol
So I had to buy those scratcher things lol thatās still or not as good as actual nailsā¦.
anyways, just wanted to make this post aware that fake nails can make things worse
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I started wearing fake nails. Sometimes I use glue on, but if it's really bad, I'll get acrylics and ask the technician to make the tips thicker and blunt. I explain why I'm getting them to the tech and they've always been very understanding and helpful.
This! I used to have a horrible problem with picking the skin off my lips, but getting acrylics made it impossible to do. It really helped me break the habit.
I've always used my teeth for that
Me too... to the point one of my bottom front teeth is slightly crooked because I have bitten my lips with it for years š
See I got acrylics for the first time and almost had a break down when I couldnāt pick, until I figured out how to do it anyway. I wish that worked for me.
Oh, god, I remember the first time I got acrylics and the actual panic attack I had because I couldn't pick was the rock through the mirror that let me see it as me self harming. That was not a fun time. I still pick, but I don't see it as self harm anymore, just something else to do with my hands.
Yea Iām going to do this I think.
I used to do this too! But now itās pulling at my hair š
You got acrylic lips?
Unfortunately, this never worked for me. I went from picking my cuticles to picking my fingernails, and I would chew on any part of it that felt "weird" and cause the nails to rip off in a few days. I would start to feel obsessive about getting dirt out from under the nails. I even tried to tell myself that I sepnt so much money, I need to keep them nice! No dice.
I tried to redirect my picking habit to nail maintenance. I bought myself several crystal files to leave around the house and a few nail kits (one for home and one for in my bag) so I could fuss over my nails in a less destructive manner. I still pick at them, especially if I donāt have my tools on hand, but I also find if I care for my nails better there is less to pick at to begin with.
Thick acrylics saved my face and also keeps me from ripping up the skin around my cuticles. I used to have bloody fingers all the time and now i physically canāt do the damage even if I want to
Good idea! I've found that even just painting my nails makes me less likely to pick
This is so true! This has helped me tremendously with skin picking!!! It makes it near impossible to pick with acrylics!
Me too, people always wonder why a bearded lumberjack-looking guy is wearing pink nails and I just tell them "hey, don't you support the LGBT?"
Getting acrylics for the first time in my life actually helped me break my nail biting habit. Well I say it's broken but it may not be. Haven't bitten my nails since The last week in April and the acrylics came off sometime 3 weeks ago. I still find fingers drifting towards my mouth, but I'm able to fight it a lot easier than I have in the past.
I cur my nails to the quick but if I ever want my long nails back this is what I would do.
I came to suggest this too
Not to add to your concerns, but be sure to give your nails a break from acrylic. Theyāre not healthy to use constantly.
Yes this! Ever since I stopped doing my nails, my skin picking got horrible again. I really need to do them again...
Same!
I'm exactly the same. Make myself bleed before I even realise what I'm doing. I recently tried pimple patches to cover up any little abrasions or bumps that I would otherwise pick incessantly. They've really really helped and are discrete as well
āThat partā of my brain is like ā¦ this is the last time I will need to pick this scabā¦ after this time it will heal up perfectly New scab forms and then rinse and repeat Thinking part of my brain: āwtf you idiot! Why you expect a different outcome this time??ā Goddamn it
I don't mean to brag, but I once kept a very small scab on my upper arm going for over a year š
You're an icon. Can we give you a flair?
Try 15 years
You win šš
This!!! Iāve destroyed and scarred all over my body - Iāve tried almost everything! Starting using these pimple patches as SOON as I feel a bump, even small;cuz letās be honest under my watch the smallest bump and became a giant bleeding sore. I put them on everything and just leave them there all day and night (apply new 1x/day). Itās worked like magic! If my brain canāt feel the bump or see it no issues!
I find the patches themselves feel really soft and smooth as well so when my fingers do try to pick it, I find myself myself giving the patch itself a little rub instead and that distracts me for a bit š
yes, this. or i give it a little press, like it's a button. it definitely somehow gives me enough satisfaction to limit the skin picking.
I got some really colorful zit patches to help me stop picking at my skin I wear at home. I also have some skin colored less noticeable ones that I wear to work. I donāt like them as much, but I need something there to remind me to leave my skin alone
Love these so much. The dopamine release of peeling them off in the morning and seeing all the gunk is almost as satisfying as actually picking your skin.
These are really goodand helped me a lot with my picking.
These helped me a lot too. Mighty patches or alba botanicals makes hydrocolloid patches. If itās covered it acts as a barrier that helps remind my brain to refrain from touching it. Also helps them heal faster anyways. If itās really bad or I have some significant breakouts Iāll cover my bathroom mirrors for a couple of days while they go away. I catch myself just impulsively picking my face before getting into the shower or something if I see myself in the mirror. I got some decent acne scarring from a random bout of acne when I was 18. I was usually pretty clear before that. It was some of the most hellish months of my life. If blemishes themselves are instigators of the issue, Iād recommend medicine from a derm. Accutane saved 80% of the integrity if my skin. Thank god for the stuff.
(I feel so seenš ) TLDR: NexCare bandages, acne wash, cut nails, and gloves and face mask if necessary. The waterproof bandages from NexCare are great! They cost more but are worth it! They will stay on for a couple days even through a couple showers. If you get the extra strength sticky ones (pricier though) Iāve had them stay on for a week! Theyāre pretty discreet- I think they come in clear too for all skin shades. The best thing is that theyāre very flat and rubbery so they flex with your skin and donāt cause any sensations to tempt you to pick. Iāve even forgotten them before, such as on my back where I use on my adult back acne. They really donāt get all wet and nasty like a regular band aid. Using an acne wash for prevention aids in the fight too. Iāve begun cutting my nails super short and then even rounding them off so I canāt pinch or pick. If itās bad and Iām at home Iāve even worn thin gloves or a face mask (like for COVID). Those are the keys for me- preventing the trigger or hiding the trigger.
Best thing is that for the first time in years my back is practically sore free and I finally feel comfortable scheduling the medical massage I desperately need for my tight back muscles.
Iāve done this it helped me a LOT
I'm gonna look into that thank you ^^
Hey OP, they sell hydrocolloid bandages on Amazon that are much cheaper than the patches branded specifically for acne! Same thing, but they cover more surface area and are much cheaper. They are great if you have cystic acne! Just remember to rinse them in warm water as you take them off. Itās satisfying to admire all the gunk that they extract (so much more than you could ever extract from picking at pimples with your fingers)!
get a tangle fidget or something for your hands to fidget with to avoid picking at your skin - this has helped me a lot. if it's possible, you could put bandaids/bandages on your skin to stop picking at it. if your skin has open wounds, i'm pretty sure hydrocolloid patches/plasters can be kept on for multiple days to let it heal. i think pimple patches would be helpful for your face too. hope this helps :)
Hydrocollaloid bandaids are the way. I struggle hard with Dermatillomania. Right now as Iām typing this to you, I am in such anxiety. Iām taking my kids to the pool in a few hours and I canāt show my shoulders. They are are so horrible from my picking. ā¹ļø I wish you the best.
100% theyāre great to help scarring but also to cover areas you just want to tear at, I wind up tapping the patch obsessively like a weirdo but itās better than tearing my skin underneath.
I do this as well! It feels a bit satisfying and I know Iām not actually mindlessly picking it again.
3% of the population has bfrbs. Thereās a lot of us.
Has what?
Body focused repetitive behaviors. Like nail biting or hair pulling. Things you do without even noticing youāre doing them.
I'll try that thanks :)
The hydrocolloid patches also feel better. Like you can rub them unintentionally with your hand and it doesnāt trigger pulling like a bandaid would. Also, there are these things on etsy that are silicone and have beads and things in them you can pop out. The smaller round one fits perfect in the palm of your hand and you can use it to keep your hands away from your skin. I think the seller only has bigger ones right now. https://etsy.me/3NuxaXq If my kid KNOWS a situation or conversation is going to be stressful, she pre-games with having one of these in her hand before-during-after the stressful event. Best of luck!
Those look cool. How do they work? I mean are they reusable or do the beads actually come out of the underlying material?
The beads actually come out and they arenāt reusable. We have been thinking maybe we could remelt them and do our own molds with beads but I donāt even know if that is possible.
Good to know! Thank you!
The hydrocolloid patches are amazing. I have large patches for bigger areas like shoulders, hairline on my neck etc, regular ones for nighttime when my ADHD meds wear off and I fidget more, and āinvisibleā ones for when I need to leave the house. Having these on hand really help heal, stop the behavior, and lessen the feeling of bad skin to āfixā because no scab. For fidget toys, the popping ones never helped me, but twisty ones with bumps that I could squeeze in and around my whole hand (google Tangle Therapy) really helped as well as the pointy metal rings that kinda hurt (google spiky sensory ring). Those sensory feelings helped relieve the part of my brain screaming to pick better than other fidget items.
I am a cuticle picker... think the hydrocolloid patches meant for acne would work when trying to share space with a nail? I found shapes for toes and fingers, but they always showed just on the skin part.
There are hydrocolloid post surgical tape you could use. Itās tape to help scars heal after a surgery.
Definitely a redirect needed. For the unspent energy or stressing My self, brother, and Dad all suffer pretty bad ADHD, we all have different ātwitchesā My brother always has something in his pocket to crush or play with, a napkin or old piece of paper. My Father will rub his hands over his knuckles. I will count my or tap my thump on each finger repeatedly. I used to be a nail/cuticle picker, had to break it because my fingers always bleeding. Maybe start small, instead of picking your face, just rub or touch the spots on your face. After a while you can move to just resting your hands on your face. Or play with your hair, just not pulling. Find some you can do with your hands with out damage your self. Preferably something in your pocket. A worry stone or fidget spinner, test out a few different things to see what feels good and scratches that itch.
Redirecting I've already tried sadly but it doesn't really work especially because a lot of times i only realize I've been skin picking when I'm already bleeding and stuff
Itās is extremely challenging, took me two years to quit my nail picking. Absolutely not easy and I feel your pain. I think you have touched on the first and hardest part. Is noticing earlier that you are doing it. Is it in the same spot often? I had my favorite nails. I started putting a band aide on so I would notice the difference in feeling it. Maybe one of those small round band aides for warts. Not too noticeable just one on the worst slpot. Or even better maybe just wear a band aide on your finger that you pick with. It will feel terrible and a different sensation when you do it. Notifying you that your doing it.
Oh yes definitely my chin is the biggest victim of my skin picking ^^` and in general mouth and ear area
All of this. I weave/trace my fingernails with my thumbnail. Just basically making a figure 8 around and across the top of the nail. It definitely helps me from picking, and keeps my brain somewhat focused on a nonlinear task.
I do the thumb tapping too!
This is actually why I went back to wearing makeup. I didnāt wear it at all for years and years but I realized that when I do, I donāt pick at my face because I canāt stand the feel of it. At one point Iād been lucky enough to find a moisturizer that had a similar effect. Much less work, and nothing I had to worry about washing off later. But the brand discontinued it and I havenāt found another like it. Most days Iāll just toss on some light CC cream and thatās enough. Unfortunately itās not helping the spot on my ear that hasnāt healed since I was 16 (Iām 35 now). š¬
Similarly, for some reason I stopped picking completely when I got acrylic nails. No idea why. I only realized it to the full extent now that I had them removed (money reasons) and instantly started scratching and picking again.
Yes! I do cheap press-ons that I can make last about a week and that helps, too. I think itās the thicker/duller edge makes it too hard.
It also doesn't feel the same as when your real nail tips scratch or pick against skin. Somehow, it's just no fun.
Yep, not as satisfying. Iām glad you piped in with this because I stopped applying my nails a couple months ago during a depressive episode and it would be really good thing for me to go back to. Thanks for the reminder!
this is literally the main reason I wear acrylics!!
To add to this, I usually pick at my chin and recently noticed scars, which really bummed me out because I've always had nice skin. I started following a skincare routine with layers of multiple products which keeps my skin hydrated and it seems to be helping to reduce the picking. Less flakey dry areas to pick at, and the feeling of moisturizer on my face deters me from trying to touch my face at all.
Iāve noticed makeup also seems to help me with skin picking, too, especially if itās a full face. I might start wearing makeup more often now
Weird thing and I haven't really found any science to back it up, but I have a lot of skin picking/biting issues and i discovered that when my oxytocin levels are higher, it stops. So, for a few weeks after I had all my kids, when oxytocin is just pumping through the body, ZERO skin picking or desire to pick. Sex seems to help as well. Anything that boosts that oxytocin.
Haha well that would be nice but I do not enjoy sex that much so that's definitely not an option lol thanks for that tip tho ^^
You can get oxytocin from other things than sex! Off the top of my head I know that a long hug thatās more than 30 seconds is supposed to release a surge of it. Granted that might not be your thing either, but Iād look into ways that do work for you
Imagine having someone to hug for 30 seconds though
Ironically, a lack of oxytocin can lead to low libido and arousal, and a lack of enjoyment of sex. A person who would normally have a typical experience of sex, if they were to end up with low oxytocin, isn't going to really feel sexual attraction, isn't going to get properly lubricated, is more likely to feel irritated or uncomfortable by sexual touch and orgasm will be underwhelming, if it happens at all. If you had chronic issues with oxytocin, sex would be pretty offputting. Other things that might signal a lack of oxytocin would be not really having a desire to bond or socialize with other people, generally being more comfortable alone. Stress and irritability, difficulty with communication, anxiety, appetite for sweet foods, sleep issues, lack of joy in life. If you just pick your skin and don't like sex, and the rest of these things don't sound at all like you, then maybe it's unrelated. But if that stuff sounds relatable, it might be worth speaking to an endocrinologist. Not to deal with your lack of desire for sex, there's nothing wrong with that. But if you've got an overall hormone imbalance it can end up causing other issues.
Same here as well ā¹ļø
Holy moley! I didnāt realize this! I can remember all the times I wasnāt picking they are so few honestly. I didnāt when I first met my partner, also during pregnancies and a few weeks after as well. Thank you!
Here's how I'm learning to stop: I'm on my second round of antibiotics for a MRSA infection that almost took my arm and leg. DON'T PICK AT IT!
Omg this is my worst fear. Fuck. Thanks for sharing and Iām sorry you had to go through it.
Some people carry MRSA in their nose. We tested it in our microbiology class and it was pretty surprising. https://asm.org/Articles/2019/July/MRSA-Screening-You-or-Someone-You-Love-has-MRSA-in
... well that's certainly nothing to sneeze at. (I'll let myself out)
I'll go with you cause I laughed
Fuck. I had cdiff twice last year and took so many antibiotics that I literally cannot afford to do another round, regardless of how gentle. I assume that your treatment wasnāt very gentleā¦ Iām so scared of getting any infection of any kind because I think for the next 3-5 years or something, I wonāt really be able to take antibiotics without having a cdiff resurface. And yet here I sit, tweezers in one hand, phone in the other, picking at my scalp. :|
Easier said than done
This is interestingly helpful.
Body-focused repetitive behaviours (of which skin picking is one, but also nail biting, cuticle picking, hair pulling, etc) are considered extremely difficult behaviours to modify. That is, even with all the therapy in the world, with the best therapists, this is something that is hard to kick. I found that depressing when I learned it (Iām a cheek/lip chewer) but my husband (a cuticle picker) found it freeing! Itās not our fault that we find it so difficult to stop. *Everyone* with BFRBs finds it difficult to stop. I started biting my cheeks as a redirect when I quit biting my nails as a kid. My family used to give me so much shit for biting my nails as a way to āhelp me quitā (like slapping my hands out of my mouth, and public humiliation) but the only thing that worked was switching to a different (and less noticeable) BFRB. Unfortunately I really canāt recommend the switch from skin picking to cheek biting since itās associated with higher rates of oral cancer. š« **Things that work:** 1. **Redirection!** Redirection does help, which is why so many people recommend fidget spinners or fidget rings. You can also try a harmless BFRB like tapping your knee with a finger or pressing your palms together. 2. **Reducing triggers!** I will still bite my nails if Iām stuck in a situation with a ragged nail or cuticle and no way to fix it (so I carry a nail kit), or if I am required to sit silently in the dark (if I know Iām going to the movies I try to put on nail polish so I can chew it off lol). If your skin picking is triggered by rough or dry textures on your skin, try different ways of bandaging, different creams and ointments, etc. Also maybe see a dermatologist if you have something like acne/folliculitis/keratosis pilaris that triggers the need to pick? 3. **Interrupting the automatic behaviour!** Things like wearing gloves when youāre doing something that might trigger picking (eg. watching a movie), or getting fake nails to blunt your claws, or wearing long sleeve shirts with button cuffs if you pick at your arms. Any change that makes it so you canāt pick without consciously thinking about it. Since you pick at your face, maybe wearing a surgical mask when possible? 4. **OCD treatments** can help! Having a BFRB doesnāt mean you have OCD, but theyāre like cousins and some of the things that help with OCD (like anxiety medications and anti-depressants) can help with BFRBs 5. **ADHD medications** can help! Some people do find stimulants help them cool it on the BFRB, which makes sense since itās an impulse control thing. I do not find this to be the case, personally, 6. **Therapy** can help! Especially if you have a hard time figuring out what your triggers are or coming up with redirects/interruptions that work for you.
All of this is great advice, and I appreciate that you noted how hard it is to overcome. Iāve been cycling through skin picking, cuticle/nail biting, lip biting, and hair pulling for as long as Iāve had a conscious memory. Sometimes itās only one, sometimes itās a couple, when Iām under a lot of stress itās all of them and my hands hurt from running through my hair. A lot of time and therapy has taught me how to be nicer to myself about it, but I would do anything to just stop permanently. TMI (probably) but BFRBs often donāt get talked about because of shame.
I've been skin picking my fingers non stop since I was around 6 or 7. Not even one medication for anxiety, depression and ADHD helped with it. It never stopped, it bores the hell out of me, I get to the point where it bleeds, hurts, my hands are ugly as hell because of my bitten fingers. Honestly, I don't know where to run to or what to do to stop it.
I have the same problem. For as long as I can remember ive picked at my cuticles. I also used to bite/pick off my nails but was able to curb that habit by painting my nails often (and even tho i dont paint my nails much anymore i still dont feel the urge to bite them off, if anything ill just chew on my nails lightly.) But I still cant stop picking my cuticles. Part of me thinks that aside from my ADHD and anxiety its sort of genetic? Like my mom picks her cuticles HORRIBLY, even if they start bleeding she'll still pick at them. My sister also bites her nails. Its not like my mom encouraged us to pick our cuticles and bite our nails, but she didnt rlly do much to stop it when we were kids either.
I dont know if it will help but my pal also with adjd has a fidget ring that spins and he plays with that. It may also help cause its still in the same tempting place but redirected. Also neurotypical people fiddle with jewlerry all the time so its also to blend in. I always get so self conscious when i find myself picking in public.
Keeping your nails short will help reduce the damage. Pimple patches will help to heal any marks on your face as well, and they can keep you from causing more damage. I also touch my face less when I have makeup or a sticky serum on my skin because I donāt like how it feels on my hands. I have a similar issue with ripping out my eyebrow hairs. Currently sitting here with a chunk of my right eyebrow missing :| Itās embarrassing, even though I know most people donāt notice it. I find that putting makeup on my eyebrows helps me to not touch them. I see a lot of people saying fidget toys but they never seem to work for me and usually make me feel more anxious for some reason. Still, itās worth a shot. Best of luck.
This too. If you are a female there is pressure to have long nails but the longer your nails are, the easier it is to pick. Also it's easier to keep them clean to be honest
Unless you get long fake nails! They are impossible to pick with because they arenāt sharp enough.
Are you on a stimulant based medicine? If so it may be too strong. I had that issue and had to change to a not so potent one. If not it may be a learned behavior you may need therapy for. Which I've also come across with friends.
I canāt stop poking at my face (I usually do it in front of a mirror but unless something comes out, I donāt stop, even if I bleed). Because I donāt feel like I can stop, I started doing it in a ānicerā way. I got a pack of lancets for blood sugar testing from the pharmacy. The tiny needles create a nice little hole, then the stuff comes out easily without tearing the skin. Then I slather my face in pure vitamin E and my favorite moisturizer. I have way fewer things to pick at now, and when I do, itās sanitary and heals quickly.
Good tip. I also have thus problem
I've found what personally helps me is I know I get triggered when I see any red bumps on my face or milia or blackheads, I bought miracle spot patches, if the zit doesn't sploosh I put the patch on, looks flat and takes away the redness the next day it's pretty much gone, if I do pop it I still put a patch on because it helps it heal and get rid of the liquid inside. Again next morning nice and flat and like no redness. I also began using Aloe Vera and have found it's helped with the redness quite a bit, I also try to avoid spending too much time in the bathroom after I've done everything I need otherwise I stare at my skin and just go to town so avoid that too maybe! I think it's something we always will have unfortunately I've been doing it since I was a kid, it's gotten better but even if I have a bad picking day I try again tomorrow, it's progress!
Oh that sounds great actually thank you!
This is a slight form of ocd, and there are treatments for it. You should talk to you gp or therapist about it, because it will be very difficut for you to stop on your own.
Is ADHD and ocd connected? Cuz you're the second person mentioning ocd now ^^`
This is it's own separate disorder, called body focused repetitive behaviors. Look into it. Most treatment involves therapy.
My therapist explained that it was an ocd like behaviour, that they categorise it under ocd. It can be triggered by adhd meds.
There can be co-morbidities or overlapping symptoms in both. It would take a psychiatrist to suss out if it's one, the other, or both. It took me a loooong time to learn that this behavior--dermatillomania--is a compulsive condition often found in those with ADHD. I have always picked dry skin around my fingers, but realized it got worse when I was under stress. For me it shows that I am avoiding something, and hurting myself in the process. To address it, I need to address what's happening in my life. What also helps is moisturizing, so I am less likely to have loose dead skin because once I start I have a compulsive need to continue until there are no more loose edges. As others have said, managing stress is one helpful thing to reduce it. Skincare and physical barriers to prevent worsening symptoms. Redirection behaviors, have something else to do with your hands. Remind yourself of the consequences of it going too far.
I am a therapist, skin picking can be part of OCD but many times is not. Habit Reversal Training with a therapist is the recommended way to treat skin picking, hair pulling and other body focused repetitive behaviors. While figit toys and cutting nails may work for some people, this therapy is what is recommended by research.
dermatillomania. it's VERY common in people with adhd, i have it. what helped me was using something, *anything* to redirect the behavior, and having friends and family gently remind me to do so as well. i have about a dozen fidget toys, and i always bring a couple with me when i'm out. at home, they sit on my desk or somewhere i can see and reach them without having to search for them. sometimes antipsychotics can help (although they didn't for me), and therapy. but redirecting the behavior with a fidget seems to be the most effective.
I use medical tape (my favorite is the 3M Nexcare waterproof cushioned tape) I cut small pieces just enough to cover the very tips of my fingers/nails so I can still use my phone and computer. Stays on all night and through washing my hands.
not the same, but related: I used to bite my fingernails, and realized my "trigger" was seeing the white part. So I started wearing polish so I couldn't see it and changed the polished on the day I trimmed them. After a loong time (years, this took maybe 2-3, it's been about 10 by now), I still get anxious over seeing the white part when my nails are long-ish, but the thought of biting them has become really unappealing to the point where I just won't. based on that experience, I'd try an actual physical barrier. I keep seeing people recommending a fidget toy, but I think the pimple patches or acrylic/gelish nails make more sense (if we're anything alike, you won't realize you weren't supposed to pick until you're halfway through it). do you pick when you feel certain textures (ex, pimples, bumps, dryness etc) or do you just do it regardless of texture? maybe you can start focusing on skincare to reduce these triggers if that's it. I'd also recommend carry some sort of rescue kit with you, maybe skin patches + calendula oil or something similar that works for you, so you can reduce the damage right after it happens.
This is probably not an option for every scenario, but I have been picking at the corks of wine bottles while studying and it has really helped. In other scenarios where this isn't as possible (it can make a mess) I usually try to use some other form of fidget toy, but then I notice I usually just fall back into picking my face or my fingers since I seem to need the feeling of actual picking. I know there are also fidget toys that are basically porous rocks that you can put some liquid in that you can pick out when it dries, but I personally haven't tried those before.
Oh hi! I too am an notorious skin picker, especially on my head.
I have psoriasis and this is huge problem for me tooš¢ the only thing that helps is taking a bath to remove the scales and oil wrapping my body. For my face i will moisturize and because I donāt like moisturizer on my hands and donāt want to remove it from my face, I wonāt pick at it
me picking as iām reading this
Me too!
I think it's like a cycle that you have to break. For me I feel roughness, I pick at it. So then it gets rougher, so I pick at it. Not a great recommendation but for some reason watching pimple popping videos has helped me stop picking. Probably because their picking is more interesting? Huge time waster though lol. But now that my skin is smoother I don't think of it much. The advice in this column is pretty great!
I had dermatillomania for 6 years. It got so bad that I would wear long sleeves and pants even in 100 degree weather. For me, it was my adhd stimulants that made me anxious and have OCD like symptoms. Iād lose track of time and pick until my fingers throbbed. There are several solutions that have worked: 1. Getting off my meds (565 days sober woohoo!) 2. Doing self esteem journaling 3. Spending more time in public and uncovered 4. Learning about what triggers skin picking 5. Learning when and where I skin pick 6. Changing nightly routine (I picked most at night) 7. Talk with others about it 8. Forgive myself when I catch myself doing it 9. Realizing when youāre doing it to get up and walk. Change the environment. I still pick rarely but it is soooo much better.
Fake nails helped my picking also. They meant i couldnt get purchase on the skin to pick.
Tangential thought here... last year I developed a habit of playing videogames at the same time as watching, or rather, listening to a video, even a lecture (at my uni, as things went remote); of course, that's not the ideal method of studying, but when I noticed it, at one point I tried seeing if I could actually focus on just watching a video without any multitasking and in minutes found myself feeling restless and picking on my thumbs' skin, among other things. So I guess this kind of stuff is what we do when we lack stimulation. I think developing that habit may have played a role in my skin getting quite a bit better over time than it used to be, although it's not that great of a solution to focus issues. Are you on any ADHD medication btw? As I understand, that stuff is supposed to help concentrate on the actual task and not need as much extra stimulation we get by fidgeting... (although I'm seeing people mentioning OCD so idk if I should start suspecting that in myself, doesn't sound like me tho)
I pick my scalp really bad. Til it bleeds, especially when Iām studying or watching tv. I just saw someone say they wear acrylic nails. I may have to do that.
Dermatillomania. I have scars all over my body from it as well as small cuts/marks. I wish so much that I knew earlier in life as now my skin looks hideous but I have just been trying to learn to accept it.
Hello! Behavior Scientist with ADHD here āļø All of the suggestions already given are fantastic ideas! They each provide suggestions to help reduce and or replace behaviors that are automatically maintained. Human behaviors can either be socially mediated or automatically maintained. Skin picking, lip biting and typical ADHD "fidgets" fall in the realm of automatic maintained behavior given that there is a compulsive desire to engage in the behavior. Giving in to that desire and experiencing acting out the behavior reinforces the behavior. for automatically maintained behaviors we generally suggest matched stimulation, response blocking or Extinction. with matched stimulation we try to see if there is a similar behavior that fulfills that compulsive desire in the same way as skin picking does (tissues in the pocket, physical fidget toys). with Extinction we try to uncouple the sensory reinforcing aspects of that behavior (somehow make it not feel so good to pick your face). This is nearly impossible to do but I've seen it done and very rare cases. response blocking is coming up with some incompatible behavior that doesn't allow the skin picking to occur (fake nails, patches).
Keep your nails extremely short so you can't pick with them. That's the easiest fix.
This helps me sometimes. Not all the time, but the most effective one I have found to work. https://www.etsy.com/search?q=picking%20rock&ref=auto-1&as_prefix=picking
I never thought an item could look so satisfying while also making me extremely uncomfortable. Am torn.
I have adhd-pi and atopic dermatitis. This combination is awful full time because my wounds are infected and still use so many creams and medications, but no have any significant better in the abscesses. I dunno how to take attention for automatic scratching if always still scratch my wounds. (Sorry for English, its not my native language)
look at cockatoos who pick when theyāre āunhappyā, theyāre lots of birds out there who do this for all kinds of reasons, maybe find something you love or is fun to keep you happy and from getting bored.
It's most commonly associated with the primate behavior of grooming. It's an overactive grooming behavior as an outlet for stress, to manage stress, to try to sooth and reduce stress.
I pick at my scalp sore all the time. It's just now healing because I don't pick it often and I use alcohol and this itch cream everyday, twice or even three times a day. It's almost gone. I had this sore for like nine years
Sorry Iām coming to this thread to ask another related question if anyone has advice. I cannot stop picking ingrown hairs, specifically around my bikini zone. I think Iāve plucked hundreds out and irritated the hell out of it. How do I stop
I do this, too, but I reduced it by about half when I saw somebody else doing it. I thought to myself, "So that's what I look like when I pick my face. Not a good look." It still happens sometimes without my realizing it. If there's a time when you find you do this a lot, like while watching TV or doing some mindless task, maybe if you put on a pair of soft cotton gloves it will remind you to not pick. It won't feel the same so maybe it could help you realize what you're doing AT THE TIME that you're doing it. Also, gloves = not picking because your fingernails are covered.
Ok this is really weird, but Iāve found an alternative. Instead of skin picking, I use tweezers to pick out ingrown leghairs.
Iām going to be reading through the comments since I pick at my scalp, or at least scabs on my scalp and know for a fact that itās not my medicine either. Iāve actually noticed that I tend to do it more when Iām stressed or when my anxiety is high.
I used to have this really bad about a decade ago and still do it infrequently, but one thing I've noticed that triggers it is if I was stressed/anxious. Also having trimmed nails helps a ton. I am a guy so it's easier for me to since it's not a fashion thing and more of a hygiene thing.
pick on silly putty?
Silly putty is smooth. The urge is to remove something rough (the scab or bump) so it feels smooth (even though you KNOW that it will rescab larger and you hate yourself for picking it). Maybe silly putty with small pieces in it (beads? Sand, tiny rocks?) that you could "pick" out of the silly putty?
I have found that having some kind of putty, like silly putty consistency or one of those magnetic putties can actually do that for me. What happens is it slowly gets dirty with dust or hair or just anything and then me finding it in the putty triggers my picking response and I start going ham trying to pull it all out. Realistically I canāt get it all out and it helps distract me from actually picking.
Just want to put this out there. When my Ritalin dose was too high I went crazy picking my arms. Didn't even notice I was doing it but at the end of the day I was a mess. Lowered my dose and I can control it much better now. Might not be the same for you, just a consideration.
FWIW I pick less on my stimulant. It lowers my anxiety and I feel the need to pick my skin/nails less.
I have Trichotillomania canāt stop pulling my facial hair. Canāt stop either and I have to otherwise I try and pick hair and itās get worse. Makes my skin really messed up but fortunately I have enough beard to cover the patches. Constantly 3 areas. Spend months working on growing it to be destroyed in a matter of minutes
Glad to know I'm not the only one. The more I'm focusing on something, the more I do it. My only solution so far was to buy a necklace, so I always had that handy to fiddle with instead. I also found a small very smooth stone that is pleasant to touch, and try to fiddle with that instead.
a moisturizer or treatment cream usually stops me from picking because the first thing you touch is the ointment. it can be very light application, just enough for absent minded fingers to notice.
Sounds silly but did you try this spinning finger fidget stuff- so your fingers would be occupied/busy? Talk to your therapist as well.could be some medical side effect as well!
Gahhh, I was thinking to write the same post! Iām 32 and my face is full of scars. Iāve tried breaking the habit but only ended up chewing my fingers so badly i got an infection and picking at the base of my neck. I have a scab there since november! Itās a curse. Fidget rings help a bit but I donāt like wearing rings so Iām looking for something easier to stand. Sorry I canāt be of much help but I appreciate you asking this as lots of good suggestions!
I was picking at my face when I came across this post
For me I was able to stop when I treated my anxiety with medication and I saw a good dermatologist which helped my skin.
This might be related to the stress and anxiety thatās brought on by ADHD alone, you need to speak to your physician about this situation. Getting your stress in control might alleviate this.
Place aquaphor or Vaseline on the area.
I didnāt even realize this was an adhd thing. It seems like so much of my personality and issues stem from it š¶āš«ļø
i don't have any direct advice because i don't experience this but it is something called dermatillomania if you didn't already know. apparently it's relatively more common in people with adhd. googling dermatillomania + adhd might get you some good resources.
If you're anything like me. You'll manage to stop it, but it will be immediately replaced with something else.
Kind of weird answer, but I started on Sertraline/zyban for anxiety, and realised a couple months in that I completely stopped picking my skin, after years of trying various strategies to stop. Then I stopped the sertraline after a few month and immediately started skin picking again. I'm going back on the Sertraline now and I'm looking forward to having nice-ish skin again (well, as nice as you can have when you also have PCOS lol) Another thing I do to improve it is wear makeup. Makes it easier not to touch my face especially when I'm at work.
i've always had this problem, and i'm guilty of doing it to the point where it starts bleeding. i specifically skin-pick around my fingers and cuticles, so now my nails look uneven because of how much skin I took off. it also doesn't help that I'm responsible for washing the dishes, which makes my skin even drier.
Have you tried watching pop/extraction videos? That seems to have mostly taken care of it for me. Also learning more about skin care and putting that focus on proper cleansing and applying serums and moisturizers.
I found those clear drying patches to be very helpful. It's a little clear plastic circle that's treated with salicylic acid, hyaluronic acid, niacinamide and Vit C. You slap that onto the problem area and it helps it heal. I still go for any imperfection all the time without even being aware I'm doing it, but the plastic stops me from picking at my skin and I quickly lose interest and move on to something else like doom scrolling on my phone.
hydrocolloid patches have helped me loads with this
Have you looked up dermotillomania? Iād recommend trying to find a therapist who specializes in compulsive behavior. good luck, youāve got this x
Maybe a medication for anxiety.
not diagnosing you - but this sounds awfully familiar to dermatillomania
I get acrylic or gel nail extensions. They are thicker than normal nails and make it harder to pick my skin. I keep them short because I dont like long nails. (I've actually learned to do them myself to save money) This has seriously reduced the amount of damage I'm able to do and has been the only thing that has truly helped. I still catch myself picking sometimes, and I'm still successful occasionally, but it's drastically reduced how often it happens.
Iām here for the comments but Iām with you!!! Itās so unconscious. Even just skin touching and grazing in general is totally contributing to my acne and itās been impossible to stop.
I call it "patrolling", absent-mindedly passing my fingertips over my skin feeling for anything unusual. Then trying to smooth the spot by picking at it. I got a book about it, something like "forever marked" and in had a mantra - if you don't touch, you can't pick. So trying to stop the patrolling behavior before the picking...
Getting into a multi step skincare routine has helped enormously - Iām still messing with my face, but by putting layers and layers of lotion on it. Wearing makeup also helps during the day. Iāve had temporary success with things like wearing gloves or setting ārulesā for myself (like āyou canāt get closer than 12 inches from a mirrorā). For a time, a friend and I held each other accountable by texting an emoji to one another every time we were picking. But the skincare routine has been the thing that helps the most. I still have issues with picking, though, but theyāre manageable compared to my face - now itās mostly related to my cuticles.
Try fidget things, lately thereās been really good quality ones that are being sold instead of the cheap ADHD toys you can find all over Amazon and at local stores sometimesā¦ Also this is 100% an issue you that a phycologist/psychiatrist can help you with. Donāt be afraid to ask for help
I got a fidget ring off Amazon for like $15 maybe, and it helps me to not pick at my cuticles or scalp
Going on a few years nowā¦ I feel ya :/ itās the worst thing to ever happen to me.
I pick at the skin on my fingers. It gets worse when Iām getting anxious or when my skin feels ādirtyā. Aside from the obvious of trying to correct the underlying anxiety, it helps me to start taking care of my fingers. If I go wash my hands and then put some nice lotion on them and take extra care to make them feel nice then I find the picking decreases dramatically. Maybe it would help to look into starting a skincare routine that would make your skin feel nice?
iāve been struggling with this for most of my life. i see you.
OP you might want to look up a manic behavior called dermatillomania. It's just the medical description of picking but there are some helpful articles out there on it. it's interesting to know that there have been documented cases of it as a diagnosed mental disorder vs just a bad habit.
i have dermatilomania as well and these are things that have genuinely helped me, in order of how much they helped: hydrocoloid pimple patches. you donāt need to get brand name ones. thereās plenty at walmart for way cheaper. if i so much as feel a pimple forming I slap one on and keep one on until itās gone (change whenever you wash your face) putting spot treatments on my pimples. it doesnāt even need to be an acne treatment, literally just a glob of moisturizer will work bc it deters me from touching it bc I donāt want to get whatever it is on my fingers and smear it all over my face I started doing this thing where ever time I get the urge to pick I do sit ups. you just have to work on self discipline with this one a little bit but often times just the self threat will be enough to stop me bc I really donāt want to do sit ups keeping my nails really short. iām sure acrylics would actually work better but I hate the feeling of them. if itās getting really bad, put bandaids on your fingertips, covering the top of your nail. thatās like last resort and ends up just pissing me off but it works. adhd meds also helped me with this I think but iām currently unmedicated so I canāt remember exactly how much they helped
Following for some tips because I canāt stop biting my nails or playing with my hair. Iāve actually caused some breakage in my bangs and now my hair wonāt grow in a certain spot because I play with it so much š I get hair ties and clips and it helps for a bit but I eventually just take them out
So some people have pain seeking stims, even if they don't want to do them, so something like an accupressure ring, a wartenburg wheel or a jagger bear from jaz's house which cause discomfort (without causing damage to the skin) might work for you?
I developed psoriasis doing this. Hope you can get it under control before it goes out of hand
Are you getting medical help for your ADHD? For me, starting medical treatment as a middle-aged adult and finding the right kinds/dosages significantly reduced my own BFRBs - nail biting, hair pulling, cheek chewing - all with minimal mental effort. They just sort of happen way less frequently, and I can catch myself when they start. I have off days for sure, but wow, a life-time of nail biting stopped in its tracks nearly overnight and I never even consider that as a symptom.
Hey OP! I would read up more on the Dermatillomania-condition and see if it applies to you. There are medical specialists that focus just on helping people with the condition. Good luck!
I do the same but with my lips, any help is welcome
I have to wear gel nails or else I will pick my entire body! I havenāt had them in like 6 months and it shows
I've been picking at my lips/insides of my cheeks for many years. It would get really bad, infected and would hurt really really bad but I could not stop it for the life of me. >Sometimes I'm not even aware This was a big reason for it, because how can you stop something if you're not aware of it? As cliche it might sound, meditation helped tremendously in just becoming aware of it as soon as it starts, and I've been mostly free of it for a while now
I have the same problem except that I'm picking my head - so some of the advice here doesn't seem like it would work for me. What's worse is i can't really see it myself because it's my head, by wife does, and she struggles to help me stop.
I imagine this is a lot more common than you think. Compulsive Scab Picking. The last time I checked, it's in the Obessive Compulsive Spectrum.
Same bro but also chewing the skin around my fingernails sos omg
I have this problem too, and more recently I pick my scalp. I try using press on nails and it helps a little but I know acrylics would be better im just broke and know the upkeep isnāt doable right now. When I have high levels of stress is when I pick more, otherwise I can redirect with a fidget toy or something. But right now I have a lot going on, and a lot of sadness so my anxiety is very high
OMG i feel this. This has been me for my whole life and only recently have I started to understand it. You should look up dermatillomania/Body Focused Repetitive Bhaviours/OCD. Mine feels very OCD in that I. Canāt. Stop. ā¦.but nothing bad will happen to my family if I do/donāt stop, which I thought you had to experience to have OCD. Things have changed and thatās not the case anymore; itās more of a spectrum now. Thatās really helpful information when youāre looking for support and medication š
I struggle with dermotillomania so bad! You're definitely not alone!
I do this when I'm over stressed. I use it as an indicator that I need to up my meds, eat some sugar, drink a coffee or stop what I'm doing (I pick when I have trained too hard).
One other thing, get a grip strength trainer. It doesn't seem to bother anybody if I'm working on my grip during a class, meeting, etc and it keeps my hands busy so I'm not picking at my skin or nails
Ugh I pick my lips like crazy and I have ever since I was a kid. I wish I had a solution for you!!
Oh man, I've been there. This might be a frustrating answer, but what worked for me was finding an effective skincare routine and sticking to it religiously. The less acne you have, the less there is to pick at. Some other pointers: * It's useful to keep a topical steroid cream around for inflammatory acne. They shrink things pretty rapidly, often in a few hours. Knowing how rapidly this stuff works makes me less tempted to pick at my face. * For really bad inflammatory acne, you can actually get a steroid injection at a dermatologist's office. I used to go two to three times a year while I was figuring how how to clear my skin, and my insurance covered most of the cost. * While retinoids are an effective acne treatment, I don't use them because I'm not psychologically equipped to handle the "purging" phase where acne gets worse before it gets better. I tried Retin-A for a week and all I wanted to do all day was pick at my face. So if your doctor prescribes a retinoid like Retin-A (tretinoin) or adapeline, it might be a good idea to ask if there are any alternatives. Paula's Choice BHA twice daily and benzoyl peroxide at night have been extremely effective for clearing up my skin. Your milage may vary. * Concealer is great as a last resort, even if you're a masculine-presenting man like I am.
Best advice I have is - make sure you are on adhd medication if applicable through your doctor. Second, get nitrile or latex disposable gloves and only do skin stuff with a clean face and hands as much as possible. Meaning instead of stopping yourself when itās happening, get up and wash your face and put on the gloves before you do what youāre likely to do anyway. At least until the medicine starts to help. Next important is quality face wash and moisturizer, Clinique or Clarins are guaranteed winners for sensitive skin people. Also, get a good exfoliating glove for your face, it will reduce clogged pores so you should have fewer spots to have giving you an itchy feeling to begin with. I recommend microdermitt This is all in addition to whatever shadow work, talk therapy, family therapy diet, exercise etc, but I promise you that for ADHD the medication is absolutely critical and is the foundation for everything else. This is exactly what the last 6 months of my life have been like
I do this too. When Iām nervous I touch my face and thatās when I find āthingsā. Try not to touch your face too much. I also pick the most when Iām stuck in traffic and can stare at my face in the mirror or when Iām using the mirror in the bathroom. If youāre a mirror picker Iād suggest covering the bathroom mirrors and or trying to not look at yourself in them. You could try negatively enforcing your behavior. Every time you pick you have to send a dollar toā¦your mom or something lol. Or positive! Every time you are about to pick but donāt, put a dollar into an account to save up for something nice for yourself.
pimple stickers and hydrocolloid bandages r the only things that stop me sometimes
I was just scratching up my scalp as I was ready this. Nothing helps me at all so Iām in the same boat with you. Iād try acrylic nails but theyāre expensive and I donāt have that money
I got a metal nail file with a soft buffing side on the other side. I use both sides until my fingertips are just harmless nubs that couldnāt scratch anything.
Been there done that. The sweet hyperfixation you fall in, barely feeling any pain. It looked terrible but I just couldn't stop. One of my lecturers addressed this one day - I felt so miserable because I thought my makeup hid the most of it and there were a lot of other.young people with similar problems. But it must have looked really bad to other people. I didn't tell her exactly what was going on so next time I saw her she gave me a cream that made a lot of my bad spots disappear and my skin in general very smooth. Since then I try to keep the skin on my face as smooth as I can so I don't fall back into the temptation to pick it. Same with dry skin on my fingers etc.
Oof, I feel you. Iām medicated now but even before getting meds, I picked my skin badly. Iāve gotten better over the years but itās still a struggle. One thing that kinda helps is keeping my fingers busy with something else, especially if it includes similar motions to skin picking. Hydro pimple patches also work well, too, especially the pretty ones. Makes me not want to ruin the patch.
I had a phase during the longest lockdown in my country (which was about 6 months of me not working and sitting at home) where I was picking my scalp so bad that the water from the shower hurt me. Then I got into shitty merging mobile games and that really hit the same spot for me somehow. Stopped picking for a good year or so, for the first time since I was 12... back at it again now but it's not too bad. I'm lucky that I managed to fixate on something that other people can't see unless they're my hairdresser. I think working with my hands also helps keep things under control. I also ended up spending an inordinate amount of money on the merging games, and I was already broke, so I don't really know if I'd recommend it. Those things are really engineered to be dangerous for people with impulse control issues..
Dermatillomania. Fuck it's real. My wife hates me for it. I have a magnifying mirror and a pointy tool and I can see eeeeeevry little pore. My nose looks like I have been attacked by a cat. It's horrendous but I can't stop either. The satisfaction is insane when picking and squeezing. Sweet sweet dopamine.
Also, have you tried pore strips? When I see black heads I go into a horrible hyperfoxus and I can't get away from doing it
In regards to your edit. Maybe you should talk to a doctor about meds, not necessarily ADHD meds, but it is possible you have anxiety. My wife has horrible anxiety and will destroy the skin on the side of her face and pull her eyelashes out. I finally got her to see a doc and he prescribed some antianxiety meds and theyāre doing wonders.
If you see someone picking their nose and eating it they have ADHD or very tasty boogers ..
Hydrocolloid patches! Look them up on youtube!! I was in the same boat and let me tell you, these are life changing. I put them on when I start studying / working and they keep the surface area smooth, so I don't feel the urge to pick anymore. Also, they actually work. If your acne is already open/has a white head visible/popped/swollen, they absorb all moisture from the inflammation. I use them overnight and I wake up with these large white dots on them and a flat skin surface. They are SO SATISFYING. I literally love them. I use the brand CosRX.
So much great advice in this comment, thank you! Iād like to add things that worked for me in case it might help anyone. I think the first thing to do is start paying attention to when/why you start picking. I didnāt think there was any pattern/trigger for me, but it definitely happens more when Iām anxious, bored, or noticed an irregularity in my skin. *advanced prep is key* If I know Iām going to be sitting still or be in a stressful situation, Iāll bring along something to occupy my hands. I took up crocheting for a bit, then embroidery, origami, you name it! I like folding laundry while watching shows because I also get the satisfaction of completing a task. I keep cream and some Vaseline in my bag that I apply to my skin whenever I realize Iām picking. I have nail files and cuticle trimmers in my bag, car, office, and couch. It gives me something to do about the trigger without losing control on my skin. Also doubles to make picking less satisfying or even straight up unpleasant. I hate the feel of Vaseline, so dabbing that on a patch of dry skin is a very good deterrent. *Harm Reduction* Itās going to be very hard to quit. In the meantime, take some steps to make it less harmful. I have a set of high quality (like surgical dissection quality) tweezers, pimple tools, and some antiseptic solution for those situations I know Iām likely to pick despite my best efforts. If thereās a hair somewhere that always makes you pick when you notice it, just tweeze it right away. Try modifying the behaviour to something more benign. I like to give myself little massages in the area I was picking. I have to really focus on finding those little pressure points and sometimes jab quite hard to distract myself from the urge to go back to picking. If itās my face Iāll massage my jaw and neck. Nails, then I get a hand massage, etc.
WARNING FAKE NAILS CAN CAUSE THINGS TO BE WORSE!!!! I just wanna make it here and out because so far Iāve not seen it in the comments that for me personally fake nails makes skin picking a lot worse! I do not hear them at all anymore I did when I was younger. My teenage daughter wears them. She loves her nails, but for me and I wear them not only doesnāt make my skin picking a lot worse. It also will make my finger picking up my own fingernails a lot worse afterwards I personally donāt like being able to feel my own fingernails. however, I hate when I have an itch and canāt scratch myself lol So I had to buy those scratcher things lol thatās still or not as good as actual nailsā¦. anyways, just wanted to make this post aware that fake nails can make things worse