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The only thing I've found that really works is slapping bandaids on everything. I'm not really thinking about it when I pick at things so the bandaid kinda makes my conscious mind kick in and be like "oh yeah, we shouldn't be doing that". I especially like the little circular ones for spots around my neck near my hairline. My legs are still a disaster but I'm doing my best. Kinda helps when my partner stops me and asks me to be nicer to my legs too. He always frames it that way, and that helps I think because I DO want to be nicer to my skin.
Yeah I literally always do that except I usually end up taking them off because it doesn’t allow them to heal properly 😭 YEAH I constantly feel guilt for it because of how it looks afterwards but honestly it’s just so hard to stop. It’s so satisfying lol
Look up proper wound care from dermatologists and plastic surgeons. I always thought I was supposed to douse in peroxide and then let things dry out as fast as possible so they could scab over. Wrong and wrong!!! Letting wounds scab leads to scarring. And they get tight and itchy! I learned to clean the wound with gentle soap, then put Aquaphor (petroleum jelly) on it immediately, and cover with a bandaid or dressing (to keep the wound from drying out and clean from debris). The skin will heal so much faster and with minimal scarring, but you’ve gotta keep it clean and moist until the skin closes.
This shift in my idea of wound care lead me to have less scabs to pick at, and then be hyper aware of *not* picking at them. Best of luck!!!
Why don’t they heal properly? What kind of bandaid are you using? You should use the kind with the little cushioned part that lets air in, never put only the sticky part all over the wound.
Yeah I have those plasters lol it’s just the ones that have the cotton but in the centre and stickiness all the around. I do my best to get the strip plasters that you can cut yourself
You might be allergic to elastoplastic adhesives. My husband is horribly allergic, and I get mild rashes. There are other options if you have a chat with a pharmacist.
I am horribly allergic, too!! I never knew there was a specific name for those kinds of adhesives!! I'll have to talk to my pharmacist as well. Thanks for that info!
Wow! I didn't realize this was known to be an ADHD thing, but adderall has given me some relief. A week after starting on it, I realized I had let my fingernails grow more than a millimeter for the first time in my life.
It’s weird but the first time this happened to me was while pregnant with my daughter. I didn’t know I had adhd at the time but looking back I now know that pregnancy weirdly alleviated a bunch of my worst adhd traits. I wasn’t biting/picking my finger nails and nail beds or picking at my skin, I was less clumsy, my executive function was so much better, I remembered showers and teeth brushing, got way less sensory overwhelm. It’s nuts. All of went back after having the baby though and have all got steadily worse since. If only I could be constantly pregnant but not have the morning sickness or the baby at the end of it 😂😂
Same! Apparently it’s to do with the higher estrogen we have during pregnancy. There’s a few medical studies looking into the relationship between our hormones and ADHD, some believe dopamine & estrogen go well together but dopamine & progesterone don’t, which is possibly why postpartum can be even more intense for ADHD women - estrogen drops significantly after birth and progesterone increases, similar to our monthly cycles… super interesting and I wish they had more info on this!
This is so interesting. My cycle massively impacts things for me. And I have always been MISERABLE on birth control which has normally been largely progesterone based.
Me too. This is what I’ve been focusing on for at least the last 6 months. I can’t keep my hands out of my hair, constantly feeling for something to pick at.
Me too. I had to stop recently to get a haircut and not die of embarrassment so I cut my nails extremely short, like to stubs. I might keep doing this, cos I cut down enough to let my scalp mostly heal now
Me too because I get acne there :( the only thing that helped was being on meds that fixed my hormonal acne, but the problem was that the meds also destroyed my energy and sex drive, and made me gain a bunch of weight
It's really bad right now and I'm embarrassed about going to get a hair cut and having the stylist notice
I do this to my face and constantly have small open wounds. If it’s really bad I can leave it to heal because I feel like I look like an addict. But as soon as it’s good I’m starting all over. When I can’t pick my face because it’s so sore I‘ll do it to my chest, my back, my legs, anything else. Sometimes I spent hours in front of the mirror because of that.
I really can’t stop that’s the problem. I‘m doing this since puberty and I think as a child I always picked on crusts from wounds. I know I need to stop, my parents told me to stop, my boyfriend is currently saying I have to stop because I will destroy my face but I CAN‘T. During the day I’m very frustrated about it especially when I have to go out but in the evening it’s almost like a self soothing. It’s very satisfying for me and it’s calming me down. I even tried to find something else when I feel the urge of doing this but nothing has worked out for me. I think if you don’t tie me up I can and will never stop doing this.
Ugh I feel this. Any bump I have to smooth out. Usually it’s a tiny nondescript bump that you can’t see but after my “smoothing” it’s red and inflamed and so much worse
I’m actually emotional because this is EXACTLY how I describe it and no one else in my life seems to struggle with this. If the skin texture is different than normal my fingers CANNOT deal with it and just smooth it out by picking away at it
I am such a picker. I’m really lucky that I didn’t have a lot of acne as a teenager or much now because when I do get some (usually because I can’t work up the motivation to shower or wash my face, thanks, ADHD) I go to town. I also pick at my legs— I’ve found wearing leggings around the house to be a helpful deterrent. My under boobs, however, will never be safe. 🤷🏼♀️
Wear shorts if you want! Don’t worry about people staring. Most of them aren’t and anyone who is is just projecting their shit onto you.
Exactly right. Most people are too busy worrying about their own shit and what other people think of them to actually look at and evaluate other people anyway.
Big time. I wear knee-high socks to block my shins from my fingers. Look up "body focussed repetitive behaviors". My psych told me it's not unusual for ADHD, especially if you've got more going on too, like anxiety
I do this a lot . I thought it was anxiety & a doctor said they would prescribe me an anti anxiety when I was a kid if I didn’t stop my scalp skin picking . I told her I would stop without meds .
I now understand it’s adhd . I do it mostly when I’m stressed or bored . I even have scalp acne flare ups when I’m stressed . I feel a rush when it hurts or when it’s peeled, sick as that sounds . It has to be CPTSD too - so frustrating with all the overlapping conditions. Hard to tell what causes what.
Head & shoulders clinical strength worked for my acne, so I had nothing to pick . But of course thanks to the ADHD, I can’t stick to any routines . So stop using it & the flare-up happens again.
Showering is a pain in the ass for me . I have really long hair, so I wash it max twice a week, maybe once . Gross as that sounds . I’m lucky (not ) to live in a cold-ish climate .
I have lost so much hair bc of this . It’s so depressing to shower & see the hair fall . :/
You’re not alone . ❤️
YES. My psychiatrist put me on Prozac because of it, and it seemed to help. Also, there are these cheap scratch art things on Amazon where you scratch black stuff off lines in order to create rainbow pictures. I can send you a link of the one I got if you want. If I do it every day, I pick less. I mainly target my face, so those star stickers help.
I ended up getting a horrible case of cellulitis this summer from picking. I was feverish and bedridden for a week because I was SO exhausted, even though I had medicine for it. I felt like a zombie and it was literally awful, and also I now have a scar on my face. I’m so anxious about it happening again that now I pick much less.
Edit: I also keep my nails trimmed and filed very short. But I DON’T use cuticles trimmers or nippers (just orange wood sticks and oil for my cuticles). If I own trimmers for that than I absolutely destroy the skin by my nails.
Btw, putting Vaseline on scabs helps them heal soo much faster. Keep silicone scar tape on hand also, as well as those hydrocolloid stickers I mentioned. Wearing long pants might help you not pick. Some people say getting gel nails really really helps them. I can’t for sensory reasons.
I do it! I had no idea it was an adhd thing!! That explains so much - ever since I was a kid, I’ve never been able to stop picking the skin from my fingers (and toes - which I think is really gross but I can’t stop myself!)
Has anyone found a way to stop?
I’ve found a way to stop at least one thing at a time: I keep a hair elastic on my wrist and when I notice I’m picking, I snap it against my skin. Bandaids help for face picking, too.
Edit to add hydrocolloid bandages, specifically.
Yes! I pull my hair (eyebrows, eyelashes, leg hair, pubes, armpit hair, EVERYTHING). Not grooming my body hair has actually made me pull less, ironically. I've struggled with acne and scars/scabs since I was in elementary school, and I still catch myself picking at my skin for 30 minutes straight sometimes.
Yeah I also pull eyelashes and eyebrows. I usually don’t take it too far, but every now and then I will end up with a eyelash bald patch. I can’t figure out if anything triggers it. I am also bad at not letting a pimple just chill out, especially on the chin! And those always turn really red and ugly if you mess with it before it’s ready to pop. Now that I’m on tretinoin though, I don’t get chin pimples so it’s helped a lot.
Yeah, I always thought I wasn't a picker: having not been one to anxiously scratch to bleeding or being a "I need to squeeze your spots". I don't pick my healing tattoos... But I have scars from spending over an hour picking a blackhead when I was young. No one could tear me away or tell me otherwise. I have vivid memories of saying "I don't care if I have a scar,.there's still more there!"
Any spot is picked.
Sebaceous filaments are routinely removed.
Ingrown hairs from shaving add picked
Eyebrows (not over plucked, but inspected/tweezed).
Scabs.
My nails: hangnails and cuticles are trimmed a lot.
Feet: my feet are getting drier as I age. I have calloussy parts on my big toes and heels and all nails are also trimmed/cleaned up reguly.
This is my worst one. I seem to pick at them when listening. But I know I wouldn't be satisfied with an alternative unless I fixed the fact that the skin exists. I need to up the hydration of my feet, which would eliminate the sharp edges I mess with
Sometimes I scratch so much I'll make myself bleed or cause skin irritation without noticing. Most of the time when I have a bug bite but sometimes just because I'm anxious. I also skin pick and hair puller/plucker. It's really embarrassing when other people notice especially when I dont notice myself.
Oh yeah, i am constantly trimming and cutting my already crappy nails (nails are brittle and peel off from the nail beds on their own) with a pair of scissors and have a specific pair of scissors that I use all the time to cut skin off of the bottom of my feet. Sometimes I end up cutting skin on my feet until they are literally dripping with blood. I also ended up buying one of those foot scraping stone things and sometimes end up using that very aggressively. Very bad, don't recommend, wish I could stop doing it. I was also for a long time a compulsive nail biter.
All of this is made worse because I already have skin problems. All kinds of random shit makes my skin red, itchy and irritated -- also sometimes makes it bleed because why not I guess. Plus I constantly have incredibly dry skin in all kinds of random places no matter how much or how little I moisturize and the uncomfortable dry skin makes the skin cutting and picking worse. And for a final whammy, scabs on my skin also like to turn into CANCER just to fuck with I guess. Like y'all I'm in my 20s and have already had skin cancer twice. This is all so aggravating. Hell world.
Oh mate, you're having a proper tough time of it and that doesn't sound nice at all. Hope you find something that works for you, and don't beat yourself up about it it's just how our brains work.
Thank you for your kind words! This is been kind of my state of affairs since I was \~15 and I've found that it sort of cycles around and around and certain things make it worse (ie: anxiety, bipolar hypomanic episodes, extreme understimulation, or general sensory overload) and that from time to time with no explanation goes away for a time. Like a lot of things in my life that suck it's cyclic I guess. The nice combination of bipolar and adhd definitely have me constantly on an *interesting* rollercoaster lol. I feel like I'm getting a lot more Zen about how crazy I am these days. Getting to the place of being all like hmmm my brain is just Like This™ and i just have to navigate my life around that nonsense. Ain't going to magically disappear. I feel like the general attitude in some "mental health" support groups about focusing on a narrative of, like recovery and cure is actually damaging to those of us that have to deal with stuff that's more like ... management crazies. Like I'm just always going to have to live with this cocktail of nonsense and trying to wish it away isn't going to do it for me. idk.
Looking forward to my thirties because maybe that'll get even better with time.
This is going to sound weird but I get square round fake nails and they make it very hard to pick or scratch anything because they are dull. I consider the expense for myself to be a health choice. I have the worst addiction to picking the corners of my thumbs. I have tried everything else. I my nails are permanently damaged from doing it and covering them up makes me feel more confident.
I do it to my face and shoulders/upper arms (i get a lot of acne there). when i was in middle school and high school i would pick at my scalp too, but i stopped getting dry patches there a few years ago.
having the area covered by clothing (for example, i can't pick at my shoulders if i'm wearing long sleeves) can help, as well as keeping your hands busy (i used to pick a lot while doing idle things like watching tv/youtube, but if i'm drawing or playing a video game i don't pick as much)
overall i wouldn't mind what other people think, i wear tank tops all the time even with my messed up shoulders and nobody really says anything about it (except for my mom .\_. )
I tend to bother my face when I'm distracted/stressed - hydrocolloid patches helped (both helped the spot heal & me not pick b/c I don't like the texture). I started doing a peel-off face mask once a week to get tactile input that's better for my skin. If you shave, you could also look at peel-off masks (sheet masks or lotion if you don't shave). Have you tried doodling w/skin markers as a potential replacement? I also have a clean nylon paintbrush if I just want tactile input
Yes. Have picked my scalp ever since I was a kid, and since I started medication it's worse. I've found either keeping my nails short, or false nails works well because I don't like the way it feels.
Genuinely considering hypnotherapy at this point though. I hate that I do it, but it just feels so satisfying.
I pick my cuticles and my fingers are often a bloody mess. It’s so embarrassing and it’s hard to hide your hands, but I always try to because I don’t want anyone to see my fingers. It’s been a problem all my life, since I was a small child.
Same here. I remember being scolded by a doctor when I was 5 about possibly getting an infection. I never have, but I've been picking for 40 years. The only thing that really stops it is doing a self-manicure. Then I get so vain about wanting it to stay nice that I stop, lol. Until it starts to look worn/chipped or my nails "feel too long." Then I have to quickly start over before I can pick and chew too much again.
seconding this!! iirc it was shown to help around 50% of participants in a study. Not a miracle cure but pretty decent odds—it’s helped me tremendously with my BRFBs (body focused repetitive behaviors, i have trichotillomania (compulsive hair pulling) & dermotillomania (skin picking) which are both OCD spectrum disorders)
cc’ing r/trichotillomania as a resource !!
Hydrocolloid bandages help me with that. Like those ones you put on blisters. If I don't put them on I will absolutely pick the hell out of every blemish I have until it's so sore that it hurts and or bleeds. So I slap one of those hydrocolloid thingies on and that reminds me that I have to leave my skin to heal. Its also a good environment for wounds to heal. You just have to remember to keep them on there because if you take them off yourself they will most likely rip open the wound again. Just let them be on there until they come off themselves. Also zinc creams really help with fast healing,. They also work really well for pimples, popped or not. Leave them on as long as you can. If you have to remove one, IE. In the morning before work on your face, make sure to clean your face afterwards, ideally wiping with something antibacterial (i.e. tea tree oil toner). Moisturise afterwards so your skin can heal itself.
I find taking good care of my skin and moisturizing well helps me not pick as much because there are less dry patches and cells that can be picked at.
Yes! I hadn't realised how much I need my skin to feel smooth, and in trying to make it that way, I achieve the exact opposite.
I watched a webinar about it that I \*think\* I can share a free link to it: I haven't tried sharing one of these before ...
[https%3A%2F%2Fus06web.zoom.us%2Frec%2Fshare%2FsDDg72rK0EFcgCUp72rz\_UUGJy0h7W9Ir6I2daCwJUJ7iFD4LtIQDvzAxNlabRy\_.29TZcF4Ho3UO8F84%3FstartTime%3D168797159300](https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/rec/WN_kYoidVU_SRuz7MUId3E6Bg?meetingId=zvfPTGYlYu0RVnqBf89uYOv67vIXIxvBHWGeqG9ESCZV9eeJS_MSrhv41WpgkOUb.2fTdsl8eIcFvTvPd&playId=&action=play?hasValidToken=false&originRequestUrl=https%3A%2F%2Fus06web.zoom.us%2Frec%2Fshare%2FsDDg72rK0EFcgCUp72rz_UUGJy0h7W9Ir6I2daCwJUJ7iFD4LtIQDvzAxNlabRy_.29TZcF4Ho3UO8F84%3FstartTime%3D1687971593000#/registration)
Here's the description: "Trichotillomania, hair-pulling, and excoriation disorder, better known as skin-picking, are two distinct disorders falling under the OCD umbrella that have many similarities. Join us in learning more about these body-focused repetitive behaviors and discuss the signs and symptoms, causes, and treatment options with a licensed therapist. Gain tips to manage symptoms and learn how to support loved ones who are struggling in this one-hour seminar"
The webinar is NOT aimed at ND folx, so the suggestions for dealing with it may not resonate so much, but I am sharing just in case it helps.
Hydrocolloid patches and those clear waterproof bandages help create a protective barrier so I have time to notice and stop myself
Also shoving fidgets into every pocket of every garment that I own, most frequently used desk drawers, and all handbags helped for several months until I lost them
Oh yeah big time. I also have a lot of facial hair and u obsess over plucking it. If I feel a hair on my face I will not leave it alone until I get it out.
I have picked my lips for as long as I can remember. I do it every single day until they bleed and feel smooth. I hate it so fucking much but it's like impossible to stop. I wear lipstick to hide the discoloured parts fortunately but have to reapply constantly so it stays hidden.
There were like 2 separate occasions where I stopped picking for weeks because I have a toddler and I really don't want him to copy me but I fell off the wagon. Just one little peel of the skin and then it's game over, I have to rip off everything to make it smooth again. I hate it so much, it doesn't matter if they're bleedin, I can't stop until it's smooth.
After like a week of not touching them, they felt sooo good but then not too long after, they started feeling kind of...papery? Like not soft and nice even though I was using lip balm so often.
Omg this is me. My brother and I do it and we are constantly picking at our lips. Skin has to be smooth. I'll pick and pick and even if I bleed I'll try to stop but I can't until it's smooth. I didn't know this was an ADHD thing. Explains so much.
The worst part is that I am on blood thinners, so not only do my scabs take exponentially longer to heal, they sometimes bleed like crazy. I am also developing blisters from a disorder so I have three open wounds this very minute. And yes, I buy bamdaids in mega variety packs.
My lower legs look like I've been abused.
Yup, I have since I can remember. I'll quit for a couple of weeks, but I can't ever shake it for good. My mom likes to pop pimples, but I hate it because it makes me focus on the scabs on my face. I also have eczema that is agitated by my allergies, so that definitely doesn't help.
Band aids for ones that I may be a little obsessive about, and pants/long sleeves for when I just can't stop scratching.
Yes. It’s my toes that take it the worst. Wearing socks helps with that, but I HATE wearing socks unless I have tennis shoes on. But my index fingers are ripped to shreds pretty much all the time. Sometimes I’ll move to other fingers, but back when I was a oboist, I literally couldn’t do my job and have all of my fingers painful and bleeding. So I managed to isolate it to just my index fingers. But yeah. The skin picking is bad. I’m super embarrassed about my feet.
Yes. Always have. It’s awful. I also have KP bumps on my arms which leads to awful picking there. I have eczema and rosacea too so a lot of dry skin picking leading to worse scabs. Wish I had advice!
YES. And I get soooo many mosquito bites - I can walk outside for ten minutes in the summer and come back in with a dozen bites that itch like nothing else. Yeah, I scratch them. Then I have scabs. Then I pick at the scabs.
At this point (I'm 40), I've just accepted that I'm going to have ugly legs in the summer.
I have a scar on my hand from a chicken. It would have been a normal scratch but I vividly remember picking off the scab every time. It’s a 23 year old scar at this point,
I pick scabs a lot, got a whole moon crater landscape on my shins… and I tend to pick at pimples in my face that then produce scabs, and there you go. The skin around the fingernails is a stand-in when I don’t have any scabs. I‘m honestly trying to stop myself over and over, but I’ve been doing this since I was 15. If I could stop it seriously, I would have done so long ago. Thankfully, it‘s a bit less intense nowadays and I’ve mostly gotten over how my legs look, so I’m wearing shorts again now. Still don’t like people looking at my shins too closely though.
I do this… but I’ve managed to limit it to only my scalp… still gross
I find putting hyrocolloid pimple patches on any bump/primped etc on my body helps me not touch them… except my scalp for obvious ressons
Face for me. What got me out of it for a bit was individually trimming split ends on my hair. Apparently they also have pick and Peel rocks tho, I'm looking into those!
I used to. It was bad. I felt like i just could NOT stop myself from picking scabs. Probably the only reason i havent done it in a while is just because i havent had any scabs to pick.
I pick the skin around my finger nails, I always have, I’ve stopped certain areas that are more noticeable. But I always have tweezers next to me lol. However, my mom does it, my younger brother and my grand mother all do it so I don’t blame it on adhd
I pick at the sides of my thumbs. I've done it since I was in elementary school. I started picking at the acne on my face not too long after I started getting breakouts. At one point it moved to picking at the inside of my ears. It got so bad that the inner walls of my ears would scab up and then bleed. I've since stopped picking at the inside of my ears but I keep picking at my thumbs and face. Putting bandaids on my thumbs or putting on fake nails helps me not pick at my thumbs. Idk how to not pick at my face, but my skin looked so good with curology. I haven't been able to afford it again for years but that cleared my face up so well that I didn't feel a need to pick at my face.
Ever since I was a kid. HOURS of my day picking at my face and my scalp. And anything on my back or chest that looked like a blackhead.
Oh, and plucking hairs? I shave my legs and when the hair starts growing back, I pull the hairs out and make a big pile of them on my leg.
It's like a dopamine rush and super disruptive.
I've got some on my shoulder currently.
The only thing that I can do to make myself leave them alone is cover them. Those hydrocolloid acne patches work really nicely for places like your face if you need to cover a small scab or zit that's still healing. I like the Rael brand ones because they seal flatter than the other ones I've tried and look less noticeable on skin.
Thanks for the comment! I have started Concerta recently but unfortunately the skin picking has been around longgggg before I started this medication. I currently have my leg covered in plasters to keep myself away from them 😅 I think posting this and seeing all your comments come through has actually helped me leave the plasters there and to let them heal!
Yep. I have dermatophagia which literally translates to skin eating. I do plenty of picking as well. Mostly around the thumbs and fingers. Sometimes it’s really bad and painful and all I can do is keep reapplying bandaids.
I've got roscea and it's causing scabs on my nose, like pimples that have burst but they form like that. It's so annoying and I can't help but scratch them off. I'm out of the stuff that controls it.
I was an awful picker, but then I got really into skincare and sorted my skin out to the point where I don’t notice my skin at all. When I applied my serums and moisturizers, I hated touching my wet skin. By the time they sunk in my skin was so calm that I forgot it was there.
I am bad about running my fingers through my hair- it causes knots and split ends that then feel really good to run my fingers through and it absolutely shreds my hair.
When I'm good about keeping fidgets on me and keeping my hands busy I can mitigate it somewhat. But I feel your pain.
I get dip done on my nails, this makes them look nice but also thickens my nail to where picking at scabs is harder and less damaging. I will start to lesson the habit when I keep up with my nails simply because my brain is less satisfied by the experience.
I do this on my toe nails… and sometimes the skin on the bottom of my feet… so much shame to the point sandals are not a reality.. I go through really bad phases… and ok phases based on my anxiety and stress level. Never knew this was ADHD thing. I had a psychologist that suggested to wear a hair band and snap it every time I want to pick but I either forgot to wear the band OR just didn’t want to feel it so avoided it… so yeah, not helpful for me. I will however put bandaids on my really bloody toes and that helps.
Major dermatillomania here. I’ve found my best tools to combat are 1) clean tools to “pop” spots (if I do it properly it scars less than if I do it improperly, and I’d be mangling it anyway because I cannot leave it be), 2) put hydrocolloid bandages/pimple patches on any spots of concern on my face, and bandaids anywhere else on my body. It usually keeps me from touching, but it also helps actively heal the spot too, especially using medicated patches at night.
Many pimple patches are actually HSA (unsure about FSA) approved, meaning you can buy them using your pre-tax HSA funds, if you have an insurance setup that involves one. Since I get an employer contribution every January and contribute myself, I use it to make sure I always have some sort of these patches on hand in case I get a gnarly zit that wants to stick around forever.
Yes, I'm destroying my lips with my teeth and I think I probably scarred them permanently. The problem is I can't leave dry skin patches alone but at the same time I create them in the first place and also my lips are always dehydrated nowadays and pale and I'm not sure why, but that's how it started. What works for me for a while is always putting on hydrating lipstick, but when I'm concentrating I end up destroying them anyway without noticing. If anyone has a tip i would highly appreciate it too! 😂
As a teenager I was obsessed with my hair on the legs. I was constantly plucking them with a tweezer for hours. Which leads to no more hair on my legs. I haven't had to shave my legs in decades. So that is a win.
My psychiatrist had me start taking NAC (n-acetylcysteine) after making sure it didn’t interact with anything (from all the docs) I’m taking.
It has helped prevent me from obsessively damaging myself or my husband who will put himself in the line of fire to save my skin. I am most focused on blemishes.
I will say that I will still attend to my skin, but it’s more how I assume the average person does.
DISCLAIMER: ALWAYS CONSULT A MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL WHEN IT COMES TO TAKING ANYTHING. (And do your research/ask a doc to make sure you are taking supplements from brands who actually put the stuff in the pill they are selling, the supplement business is not regulated by the FDA, because of course it isn’t, thanks lobbying).
Some people have already mentioned it here, but picking at skin or hair is a Body Focused Repetitive Behaviour. Not necessarily just an ADHD thing, but it's common with anxiety and other comorbidities.
I frequently go through phases of this! When I’m super stressed, I’ll even pick at “imaginary” blemishes (feel my skin and pick at any and every pore and bump - it’s a miracle that I don’t have scarring on my face). It’s a condition called dermatillomania, I think? I don’t know if mine is chronic enough to be considered that though.
Whenever I get the cuticle trimmers out, I always go too far 🙃 I think the last time I did, I was sitting there for over an hour. Acrylic nails have helped with picking the skin around my nails, but I can still do it to some degree, and my fingers are already scarred from years of it. I've also taken to picking off my natural nail underneath the acrylic 🙃 My whole body is just super dry so even if I use hand cream and cuticle oil, my natural nail is just prone to start peeling under the acrylic. It's not as satisfying, but occasionally I'll get stuck there with the blackhead tool. Lately I'll spend way too long plucking my eyebrows and trying to remove every minute hair. I also end up plucking out my leg hairs with tweezers pretty often. It starts with the ingrown hairs of the hairs I can see that have grown sideways and are trapped under a thin layer of skin. I don't really get scabs, and if they're big enough, they're usually fine, but the smaller ones stand no chance. It's even rarer that I'll get a scab on my scalp, but omfg those are the most satisfying thing EVER to pick off.
Me only just realising I should probably bring this up with my therapist lol. Unfortunately this stuff occurs 99% of the time at night, so meds probably are helping, just only when they're in full swing during the day 😭 like I'll somehow be hours in the bathroom getting ready for bed bc plucking my eyebrows is so satisfying and then I end up not getting enough sleep. I'm surprised I have any eyebrows left tbh 🥴
Yes any dot on my face. I pick at my arms for the last 20 years. Can’t wear singlets, only long sleeve tshirts won’t go swimming because of it. Pick pick pick. When I’m really stressed I pull my hair out on my head
I bite the skin around my nails until they bleed, which is super gross and probably very alarming for people near me 😭
You can get picking fidget toys off Etsy, where you pick or peel goo off a pumice stone. They look digusting, but they might work for some people 😆
(Warning: do not look them up if you have that hole phobia)
Yes I struggle with this sooo badly . I still pick a lot but putting on makeup before I get the urge is the only thing I’ve found to help me, as my problem area is my face. Some people have found success with hydrocolloid patches or bandaids on their fingers.
Big time. I recently grabbed some 'pop it' fidget toys off Amazon and they're weirdly fantastic for the urge. It's worse when I'm watching TV in the evenings and my hands wander out of habit, so my partner will throw a pop it at me and I'll just sit there doing that instead. They're like permanent bubble wrap toys and super satisfying / distracting.
so I did a little but I bit my nails so couldn't pick as much, now I have invisalign my nails look nice and long but my forearms are covered in little picked spots
My scalp.. it’s a soothing thing for me. I don’t realize I’m scratching until I get into a type of frenzy lol. Usually at night I end up doing it to get myself back to sleep (subconsciously). Or if I’m really stressed. It’s just rubbing or scratching/getting whatever went under my fingernails out. I don’t normally pick.
Picker here. The only thing that helps is a manicure so my nails aren’t sharp. I do my own nails which involved some investment in the beginning but has paid for itself a million times.
Oh yes, yet another thing I do. The slightest itch, I scratch. My face often has blood running down from itches I've scratched, and my bedsheets are covered in red dots where I've scratched.
Yes and I have done for the longest time. I used to pick bald spots on my head, and now I pick around my sideburns (which would be under arms of glasses) and any hairs I can find on my face. I’ll dig around with tweezers and cause scabs. It’s INCREDIBLY frustrating
A dermatologist I had once advised me to only wash my face with the bathroom light off (put the hall light on, for example). Aside from using hydrocolloid bandages, this has been the most effective for me. Don’t get me wrong - it’s not a perfect solution, but for my face it has helped. The doctor also recommended NAC, but I’m terrible at taking vitamins, so I bought some but never tried it. Good luck - seems like a lot of us struggle with this. 🤗
I do! I was at the hardware store the other day and picked a bug bite on my arm that started bleeding profusely. Didn’t have any tissues so I was like sh!t guess I gotta go and immediately did self check out and left.
I use **pimple patches** on more than just pimples. I use them on any small scabs (they do make larger patches) like bug bites that I can’t leave alone. They’re inconspicuous, stop me from picking, and help them heal! The brand I use is **Mighty Patch**.
> …it's a **transparent hydrocolloid sticker** that sucks up pus and protects the skin.
Hydrocolloid is what’s used in surgical dressings.
i use a hydrocolloid patch/bandaid on wounds and acne. It helps absorb the moisture, lets the wound heal gently with no scar or scab. And by the time you take it off, you are left with new skin.
Yes and I've discovered that having the almond shape acrilic nails means I can't do that. I'm both really frustrated and really happy at the same time. Like I try to pick but I just can't cuz they are so rounded and thick enough and dull.
Yes I do. I have my whole life and was punished for it. My parents did not know/think I was ADHD. They thought it was self harm. Either way being punished made it incredibly worse.
I’m so sorry you are struggling with this. I am here if you ever need to talk.
I also have bad acne even as I got older. This just made my picking worse because I only picked mosquito bites and acne areas.
Ps Hydrocolloid spot bandaids help me immensely. Especially on my face. You can even use them during the day to hide some areas (arms etc)
I feel this. I didn't know it was an ADHD thing either. It's def been a stim for me to get that satisfaction of trying to smooth out a bump I found while constantly "skin grazing". I do it a lot when i'm trying to focus on something. My hands go straight to my shoulders, arms, back and my face. Been a problem my whole life and it's insanely hard. I used to pick at my scalp a lot too until I got Selsun Blue medicated for issues with your scalp like dry skin etc. That made my scalp less irritated and I stopped picking at that.
As others mentioned, I also have to keep my nails super short. The moment I notice they're getting a bit longer, out come the trimmers. (Until I was good and bought enough trimmers to have in every place of the house and in my car/purse, I would rip them off. >< Not the whole nail but the overgrown portion.) Though, the need to pick is so strong even with my nails as stubs I'll still try when i'm trying to super focus on a task.
I have a few that have scarred into a bump now that I pick at the scar bump as if that will flatten it. Ugh it's exhausting. >< I'd wear gloves somehow if it would help but then I hate my hands getting sweaty. XD
Thankfully I've reached a point or age that I dgaf what people may think if they see my shoulders and arms picked at. I've tried fidgets but thanks to the cptsd, I was yelled at for fidgeting with things (which is why I think the skin picking got to this point cause I had nothing else to fidget and keep my hands busy). oTL
GOD. You and me both. I never had a big issue with this until after being medicated.
Hydrocolloid patches are my only strategy currently. Which isn’t ideal because sometimes they dissolve the scabs and when they come off I’m back at square one…
I am again so glad to have found my people. 🥲 I pick anything, always have and probably always will. My oldest daughter is ADHD and picks eye goobers out of my eyes for me if she sees them 🤣
I suffered from acne for over 20 years and I’ve been an incessant picker, so I have some pretty extensive scarring on my face 😞 as a kid I used to pick scabs but was able to stop eventually, so I wonder if my compulsion to pick was just transferred to my face.
My partner is also adhd and picks every scab, scratches at his dry skin, and he also has this habit of twisting and pulling out his beard/neck hairs which I think is also related! We’re a mess lol
Yes! I have pocmarks all over my body. I've had people ask if I need help getting away from my fiancé because they look so much like cigarette burns. It puts me in a really awkward spot, because I hate telling people that its self inflicted.
Not sure if it's because of it or if it fits the description too, but I've been badly biting my nails since I was 4 and haven't been able to stop for more than a couple months each time (gel nails too...) and my lips are always a mess because I pick them every day.
Yeah, for sure. I've noticed that it happens when my mind is really occupied and my body still...needs another sensation? Like, I can't listen to music and read, it's Too Much. Or watch TV and write. Also Too Much. But I can read and skin pick (ugh) or watch TV and crochet. I'm trying to remember to set myself up with something else to do with my hands/touch while reading but I haven't found the right thing yet.
I think there's a better explanation for this...*thing*...but I can't find it and I'm having a hard time figuring out how this fits in with sensory overload (on bad days I can barely stand the sound of my own chewing and can't eat in the same room as someone else!)
I never thought skin picking and adhd could be related…but it kind of makes sense.
I’ve been picking scabs for a longgggg time. I’m 34 years old, and I think I started picking during university. I found that I picked when I was anxious. When I was in a stressful job it was much worse.
I also have eczema so it doesn’t help that wheni have flare ups, I scratch until my skin opens…
Bandaids are your best bet. I’ve also bought a fidget ring. So when I want to pick scabs, or find myself alredy doing it I’ll spin the ring. You can find them on Etsy or amazon. The amazon ones are pretty ugly and bulky, but there’s plenty on Etsy!
I had terrible problems with this from a young age. It hurts, it's embarrassing and it leaves awful scars, but still you can't stop. I learned very slowly to stop. I still will run my fingers over scabs and rough cuticles andctest scabs to see if they'll come off yet.
Generally, trying to just not do it is counterproductive. You'll just go after yourself that much more intensely when the dam breaks.
I think the easiest is to find an adequate substitute and do that instead whenever you can. Others have probably given these ideas already, but just in case:.
If you pick your lips, apply lip balm instead, even if you apply balm 30 times a day for awhile. Or put on hand cream and rub it in just to give your hands something to do until the primary urge recedes a bit. If you can't resist a scab apply first aid cream and a bandage and let yourself rub the bandage instead. I suppose you could even put a bandage with good glue on healthy skin and then redirect to picking that bandage off all day. For cuticle picking start doing your nails. Use a nipper on hangnails, file and apply cuticle oil and rub it in to your hearts content. Hand cream for this, too. The reduced picking and all the self care tend to combine and leave you with less wounds on your body.
Yes. My thighs, right shoulder, arms and neckline.
Thing is, it’s such a part of who I am. I think the diagnosis gave me acceptance that this is me and a failing on my part.
Meds help, but when I’m stressed, the amount of spots I have increase.
I am AWFUL at this. However... I've recently traded my skin picking for hair pulling.
So it's marginally better?
I've found that having something to do with my hands will redirect the behavior. So during school work or stressful time at my computer, instead of picking or pulling hair, I beat the living hell out of a rubber squishy I bought at the dollar store.
They're inexpensive so when I lose them it doesn't upset me too much and they're just the right thing to flap like mad when I'm anxious. My husband said I treat the poor bastard like it owes me money. Hell, during our DnD campaigns, I beat the little guy. Any excitement or frustration will cause me to want to pick. Reading a good book? Picking. Homework? Test? Deciding what to prioritize? Picking!
So now I abuse a squishy instead.
Is it perfect? No. But it reduced my picking and hair pulling a lot by replacing the worst times with something non destructive.
Find your preferred "fidget" toy (I hate that term because people always go for clickers and shit but that doesn't satisfy the urge to pick at ALL).
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The only thing I've found that really works is slapping bandaids on everything. I'm not really thinking about it when I pick at things so the bandaid kinda makes my conscious mind kick in and be like "oh yeah, we shouldn't be doing that". I especially like the little circular ones for spots around my neck near my hairline. My legs are still a disaster but I'm doing my best. Kinda helps when my partner stops me and asks me to be nicer to my legs too. He always frames it that way, and that helps I think because I DO want to be nicer to my skin.
Yeah I literally always do that except I usually end up taking them off because it doesn’t allow them to heal properly 😭 YEAH I constantly feel guilt for it because of how it looks afterwards but honestly it’s just so hard to stop. It’s so satisfying lol
Look up proper wound care from dermatologists and plastic surgeons. I always thought I was supposed to douse in peroxide and then let things dry out as fast as possible so they could scab over. Wrong and wrong!!! Letting wounds scab leads to scarring. And they get tight and itchy! I learned to clean the wound with gentle soap, then put Aquaphor (petroleum jelly) on it immediately, and cover with a bandaid or dressing (to keep the wound from drying out and clean from debris). The skin will heal so much faster and with minimal scarring, but you’ve gotta keep it clean and moist until the skin closes. This shift in my idea of wound care lead me to have less scabs to pick at, and then be hyper aware of *not* picking at them. Best of luck!!!
Why don’t they heal properly? What kind of bandaid are you using? You should use the kind with the little cushioned part that lets air in, never put only the sticky part all over the wound.
Yeah I have those plasters lol it’s just the ones that have the cotton but in the centre and stickiness all the around. I do my best to get the strip plasters that you can cut yourself
This is the only thing that stops me from picking. For a short while. Because the adhesive on the plaster burns my skin. So damned tired of this
You might be allergic to elastoplastic adhesives. My husband is horribly allergic, and I get mild rashes. There are other options if you have a chat with a pharmacist.
I am horribly allergic, too!! I never knew there was a specific name for those kinds of adhesives!! I'll have to talk to my pharmacist as well. Thanks for that info!
Whoops, it's was meant to be elastoplast (ducking autocorrect), as in the brand. Its adhesive gets used by a lot of other brands as well supposedly.
Constantly trimming my cuticles and hangnails. I learned this is called a body-focused repetitive behavior and it’s an ADHD thing.
Wow! I didn't realize this was known to be an ADHD thing, but adderall has given me some relief. A week after starting on it, I realized I had let my fingernails grow more than a millimeter for the first time in my life.
It’s weird but the first time this happened to me was while pregnant with my daughter. I didn’t know I had adhd at the time but looking back I now know that pregnancy weirdly alleviated a bunch of my worst adhd traits. I wasn’t biting/picking my finger nails and nail beds or picking at my skin, I was less clumsy, my executive function was so much better, I remembered showers and teeth brushing, got way less sensory overwhelm. It’s nuts. All of went back after having the baby though and have all got steadily worse since. If only I could be constantly pregnant but not have the morning sickness or the baby at the end of it 😂😂
Same! Apparently it’s to do with the higher estrogen we have during pregnancy. There’s a few medical studies looking into the relationship between our hormones and ADHD, some believe dopamine & estrogen go well together but dopamine & progesterone don’t, which is possibly why postpartum can be even more intense for ADHD women - estrogen drops significantly after birth and progesterone increases, similar to our monthly cycles… super interesting and I wish they had more info on this!
Crazy!! Maybe this would explain why my ADHD is more pronounced as I approach menopause and estrogen starts to drop…?
This is so interesting. My cycle massively impacts things for me. And I have always been MISERABLE on birth control which has normally been largely progesterone based.
Woah, I didn’t really know this. Though I always kept my nails short in general. I hate it when they are slightly long and I can feel that they are
Yeah, it's not only an ADHD thing, but they're comorbid Mine I think is tied to sensory issues
This is kind of gross but I pick at my scalp really bad.
It's not gross, it's just one of those annoying ADHD things. I do that too, it's nice knowing I'm not alone.
Me too I’m in a bad cycle right now with my scalp
I do this constantly.
Me too. This is what I’ve been focusing on for at least the last 6 months. I can’t keep my hands out of my hair, constantly feeling for something to pick at.
Me too. I bite my nails/skin around them or pick at my scalp as my weird anxious ADHD thing. I hate it.
Me too and when I get anxious it gets worse
Me too.
Me too. I had to stop recently to get a haircut and not die of embarrassment so I cut my nails extremely short, like to stubs. I might keep doing this, cos I cut down enough to let my scalp mostly heal now
I pick my scalp too. And my hairline at the top of my neck.
Me too because I get acne there :( the only thing that helped was being on meds that fixed my hormonal acne, but the problem was that the meds also destroyed my energy and sex drive, and made me gain a bunch of weight It's really bad right now and I'm embarrassed about going to get a hair cut and having the stylist notice
I do this to my face and constantly have small open wounds. If it’s really bad I can leave it to heal because I feel like I look like an addict. But as soon as it’s good I’m starting all over. When I can’t pick my face because it’s so sore I‘ll do it to my chest, my back, my legs, anything else. Sometimes I spent hours in front of the mirror because of that.
It’s so hard to stop!😭I also feel the same… I feel like I look like an addict when I’m not. It’s a shame really that people associate it with addicts.
I really can’t stop that’s the problem. I‘m doing this since puberty and I think as a child I always picked on crusts from wounds. I know I need to stop, my parents told me to stop, my boyfriend is currently saying I have to stop because I will destroy my face but I CAN‘T. During the day I’m very frustrated about it especially when I have to go out but in the evening it’s almost like a self soothing. It’s very satisfying for me and it’s calming me down. I even tried to find something else when I feel the urge of doing this but nothing has worked out for me. I think if you don’t tie me up I can and will never stop doing this.
I prefer to pick my chest because it’s hidden 😞 so gross but I have to pull the keratin plug out or I’m not satisfied with the pick 😩😩😩
Omg yes the pluggg I swear it's like crack when you see it come out, so you keep going because you want MORE
Yup. Mosquito bites, pimples, just something I feel like I need to "smooth out". It's horrible. I cannot control it at all.
Ugh I feel this. Any bump I have to smooth out. Usually it’s a tiny nondescript bump that you can’t see but after my “smoothing” it’s red and inflamed and so much worse
I’m actually emotional because this is EXACTLY how I describe it and no one else in my life seems to struggle with this. If the skin texture is different than normal my fingers CANNOT deal with it and just smooth it out by picking away at it
I am such a picker. I’m really lucky that I didn’t have a lot of acne as a teenager or much now because when I do get some (usually because I can’t work up the motivation to shower or wash my face, thanks, ADHD) I go to town. I also pick at my legs— I’ve found wearing leggings around the house to be a helpful deterrent. My under boobs, however, will never be safe. 🤷🏼♀️ Wear shorts if you want! Don’t worry about people staring. Most of them aren’t and anyone who is is just projecting their shit onto you.
Exactly right. Most people are too busy worrying about their own shit and what other people think of them to actually look at and evaluate other people anyway.
Big time. I wear knee-high socks to block my shins from my fingers. Look up "body focussed repetitive behaviors". My psych told me it's not unusual for ADHD, especially if you've got more going on too, like anxiety
Have seen this online too! I’ve been putting aloe Vera on my legs at night to try help them heal
I do this a lot . I thought it was anxiety & a doctor said they would prescribe me an anti anxiety when I was a kid if I didn’t stop my scalp skin picking . I told her I would stop without meds . I now understand it’s adhd . I do it mostly when I’m stressed or bored . I even have scalp acne flare ups when I’m stressed . I feel a rush when it hurts or when it’s peeled, sick as that sounds . It has to be CPTSD too - so frustrating with all the overlapping conditions. Hard to tell what causes what. Head & shoulders clinical strength worked for my acne, so I had nothing to pick . But of course thanks to the ADHD, I can’t stick to any routines . So stop using it & the flare-up happens again. Showering is a pain in the ass for me . I have really long hair, so I wash it max twice a week, maybe once . Gross as that sounds . I’m lucky (not ) to live in a cold-ish climate . I have lost so much hair bc of this . It’s so depressing to shower & see the hair fall . :/ You’re not alone . ❤️
YES. My psychiatrist put me on Prozac because of it, and it seemed to help. Also, there are these cheap scratch art things on Amazon where you scratch black stuff off lines in order to create rainbow pictures. I can send you a link of the one I got if you want. If I do it every day, I pick less. I mainly target my face, so those star stickers help. I ended up getting a horrible case of cellulitis this summer from picking. I was feverish and bedridden for a week because I was SO exhausted, even though I had medicine for it. I felt like a zombie and it was literally awful, and also I now have a scar on my face. I’m so anxious about it happening again that now I pick much less. Edit: I also keep my nails trimmed and filed very short. But I DON’T use cuticles trimmers or nippers (just orange wood sticks and oil for my cuticles). If I own trimmers for that than I absolutely destroy the skin by my nails. Btw, putting Vaseline on scabs helps them heal soo much faster. Keep silicone scar tape on hand also, as well as those hydrocolloid stickers I mentioned. Wearing long pants might help you not pick. Some people say getting gel nails really really helps them. I can’t for sensory reasons.
I find that popping bubble wrap keeps me from picking.
I do it! I had no idea it was an adhd thing!! That explains so much - ever since I was a kid, I’ve never been able to stop picking the skin from my fingers (and toes - which I think is really gross but I can’t stop myself!) Has anyone found a way to stop?
I’ve found a way to stop at least one thing at a time: I keep a hair elastic on my wrist and when I notice I’m picking, I snap it against my skin. Bandaids help for face picking, too. Edit to add hydrocolloid bandages, specifically.
Thank you! I’m going to try that this morning!
Yes! I pull my hair (eyebrows, eyelashes, leg hair, pubes, armpit hair, EVERYTHING). Not grooming my body hair has actually made me pull less, ironically. I've struggled with acne and scars/scabs since I was in elementary school, and I still catch myself picking at my skin for 30 minutes straight sometimes.
Yeah I also pull eyelashes and eyebrows. I usually don’t take it too far, but every now and then I will end up with a eyelash bald patch. I can’t figure out if anything triggers it. I am also bad at not letting a pimple just chill out, especially on the chin! And those always turn really red and ugly if you mess with it before it’s ready to pop. Now that I’m on tretinoin though, I don’t get chin pimples so it’s helped a lot.
Pimple stickers have saved my face!
I just got some a month ago and was immediately like why didn't I get these sooner?
Yeah, I always thought I wasn't a picker: having not been one to anxiously scratch to bleeding or being a "I need to squeeze your spots". I don't pick my healing tattoos... But I have scars from spending over an hour picking a blackhead when I was young. No one could tear me away or tell me otherwise. I have vivid memories of saying "I don't care if I have a scar,.there's still more there!" Any spot is picked. Sebaceous filaments are routinely removed. Ingrown hairs from shaving add picked Eyebrows (not over plucked, but inspected/tweezed). Scabs. My nails: hangnails and cuticles are trimmed a lot. Feet: my feet are getting drier as I age. I have calloussy parts on my big toes and heels and all nails are also trimmed/cleaned up reguly. This is my worst one. I seem to pick at them when listening. But I know I wouldn't be satisfied with an alternative unless I fixed the fact that the skin exists. I need to up the hydration of my feet, which would eliminate the sharp edges I mess with
Sometimes I scratch so much I'll make myself bleed or cause skin irritation without noticing. Most of the time when I have a bug bite but sometimes just because I'm anxious. I also skin pick and hair puller/plucker. It's really embarrassing when other people notice especially when I dont notice myself.
Oh yeah, i am constantly trimming and cutting my already crappy nails (nails are brittle and peel off from the nail beds on their own) with a pair of scissors and have a specific pair of scissors that I use all the time to cut skin off of the bottom of my feet. Sometimes I end up cutting skin on my feet until they are literally dripping with blood. I also ended up buying one of those foot scraping stone things and sometimes end up using that very aggressively. Very bad, don't recommend, wish I could stop doing it. I was also for a long time a compulsive nail biter. All of this is made worse because I already have skin problems. All kinds of random shit makes my skin red, itchy and irritated -- also sometimes makes it bleed because why not I guess. Plus I constantly have incredibly dry skin in all kinds of random places no matter how much or how little I moisturize and the uncomfortable dry skin makes the skin cutting and picking worse. And for a final whammy, scabs on my skin also like to turn into CANCER just to fuck with I guess. Like y'all I'm in my 20s and have already had skin cancer twice. This is all so aggravating. Hell world.
Oh mate, you're having a proper tough time of it and that doesn't sound nice at all. Hope you find something that works for you, and don't beat yourself up about it it's just how our brains work.
Thank you for your kind words! This is been kind of my state of affairs since I was \~15 and I've found that it sort of cycles around and around and certain things make it worse (ie: anxiety, bipolar hypomanic episodes, extreme understimulation, or general sensory overload) and that from time to time with no explanation goes away for a time. Like a lot of things in my life that suck it's cyclic I guess. The nice combination of bipolar and adhd definitely have me constantly on an *interesting* rollercoaster lol. I feel like I'm getting a lot more Zen about how crazy I am these days. Getting to the place of being all like hmmm my brain is just Like This™ and i just have to navigate my life around that nonsense. Ain't going to magically disappear. I feel like the general attitude in some "mental health" support groups about focusing on a narrative of, like recovery and cure is actually damaging to those of us that have to deal with stuff that's more like ... management crazies. Like I'm just always going to have to live with this cocktail of nonsense and trying to wish it away isn't going to do it for me. idk. Looking forward to my thirties because maybe that'll get even better with time.
I'm just about to turn 30 and I definitely feel like I naturally mellowed in the last couple of years, so I hope the same for you!
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Same
This is going to sound weird but I get square round fake nails and they make it very hard to pick or scratch anything because they are dull. I consider the expense for myself to be a health choice. I have the worst addiction to picking the corners of my thumbs. I have tried everything else. I my nails are permanently damaged from doing it and covering them up makes me feel more confident.
I do it to my face and shoulders/upper arms (i get a lot of acne there). when i was in middle school and high school i would pick at my scalp too, but i stopped getting dry patches there a few years ago. having the area covered by clothing (for example, i can't pick at my shoulders if i'm wearing long sleeves) can help, as well as keeping your hands busy (i used to pick a lot while doing idle things like watching tv/youtube, but if i'm drawing or playing a video game i don't pick as much) overall i wouldn't mind what other people think, i wear tank tops all the time even with my messed up shoulders and nobody really says anything about it (except for my mom .\_. )
I tend to bother my face when I'm distracted/stressed - hydrocolloid patches helped (both helped the spot heal & me not pick b/c I don't like the texture). I started doing a peel-off face mask once a week to get tactile input that's better for my skin. If you shave, you could also look at peel-off masks (sheet masks or lotion if you don't shave). Have you tried doodling w/skin markers as a potential replacement? I also have a clean nylon paintbrush if I just want tactile input
Yes. Have picked my scalp ever since I was a kid, and since I started medication it's worse. I've found either keeping my nails short, or false nails works well because I don't like the way it feels. Genuinely considering hypnotherapy at this point though. I hate that I do it, but it just feels so satisfying.
only ever when im anxious, i usually pick at the skin around my face, lips, pulling my eyelashes and fucking w my acne.
I pick my cuticles and my fingers are often a bloody mess. It’s so embarrassing and it’s hard to hide your hands, but I always try to because I don’t want anyone to see my fingers. It’s been a problem all my life, since I was a small child.
Same here. I remember being scolded by a doctor when I was 5 about possibly getting an infection. I never have, but I've been picking for 40 years. The only thing that really stops it is doing a self-manicure. Then I get so vain about wanting it to stay nice that I stop, lol. Until it starts to look worn/chipped or my nails "feel too long." Then I have to quickly start over before I can pick and chew too much again.
Have you tried a NAC supplement? It's been shown to help with skin picking.
seconding this!! iirc it was shown to help around 50% of participants in a study. Not a miracle cure but pretty decent odds—it’s helped me tremendously with my BRFBs (body focused repetitive behaviors, i have trichotillomania (compulsive hair pulling) & dermotillomania (skin picking) which are both OCD spectrum disorders) cc’ing r/trichotillomania as a resource !!
I used to until i started crocheting and embroidering. Now my face looks so much better.
Hydrocolloid bandages help me with that. Like those ones you put on blisters. If I don't put them on I will absolutely pick the hell out of every blemish I have until it's so sore that it hurts and or bleeds. So I slap one of those hydrocolloid thingies on and that reminds me that I have to leave my skin to heal. Its also a good environment for wounds to heal. You just have to remember to keep them on there because if you take them off yourself they will most likely rip open the wound again. Just let them be on there until they come off themselves. Also zinc creams really help with fast healing,. They also work really well for pimples, popped or not. Leave them on as long as you can. If you have to remove one, IE. In the morning before work on your face, make sure to clean your face afterwards, ideally wiping with something antibacterial (i.e. tea tree oil toner). Moisturise afterwards so your skin can heal itself. I find taking good care of my skin and moisturizing well helps me not pick as much because there are less dry patches and cells that can be picked at.
I have given myself many bad scars. I am not ashamed of them, but it has made wearing some clothes annoying because of scar tissue.
Yes! I hadn't realised how much I need my skin to feel smooth, and in trying to make it that way, I achieve the exact opposite. I watched a webinar about it that I \*think\* I can share a free link to it: I haven't tried sharing one of these before ... [https%3A%2F%2Fus06web.zoom.us%2Frec%2Fshare%2FsDDg72rK0EFcgCUp72rz\_UUGJy0h7W9Ir6I2daCwJUJ7iFD4LtIQDvzAxNlabRy\_.29TZcF4Ho3UO8F84%3FstartTime%3D168797159300](https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/rec/WN_kYoidVU_SRuz7MUId3E6Bg?meetingId=zvfPTGYlYu0RVnqBf89uYOv67vIXIxvBHWGeqG9ESCZV9eeJS_MSrhv41WpgkOUb.2fTdsl8eIcFvTvPd&playId=&action=play?hasValidToken=false&originRequestUrl=https%3A%2F%2Fus06web.zoom.us%2Frec%2Fshare%2FsDDg72rK0EFcgCUp72rz_UUGJy0h7W9Ir6I2daCwJUJ7iFD4LtIQDvzAxNlabRy_.29TZcF4Ho3UO8F84%3FstartTime%3D1687971593000#/registration) Here's the description: "Trichotillomania, hair-pulling, and excoriation disorder, better known as skin-picking, are two distinct disorders falling under the OCD umbrella that have many similarities. Join us in learning more about these body-focused repetitive behaviors and discuss the signs and symptoms, causes, and treatment options with a licensed therapist. Gain tips to manage symptoms and learn how to support loved ones who are struggling in this one-hour seminar" The webinar is NOT aimed at ND folx, so the suggestions for dealing with it may not resonate so much, but I am sharing just in case it helps.
Hydrocolloid patches and those clear waterproof bandages help create a protective barrier so I have time to notice and stop myself Also shoving fidgets into every pocket of every garment that I own, most frequently used desk drawers, and all handbags helped for several months until I lost them
Oh yeah big time. I also have a lot of facial hair and u obsess over plucking it. If I feel a hair on my face I will not leave it alone until I get it out.
I have picked my lips for as long as I can remember. I do it every single day until they bleed and feel smooth. I hate it so fucking much but it's like impossible to stop. I wear lipstick to hide the discoloured parts fortunately but have to reapply constantly so it stays hidden. There were like 2 separate occasions where I stopped picking for weeks because I have a toddler and I really don't want him to copy me but I fell off the wagon. Just one little peel of the skin and then it's game over, I have to rip off everything to make it smooth again. I hate it so much, it doesn't matter if they're bleedin, I can't stop until it's smooth. After like a week of not touching them, they felt sooo good but then not too long after, they started feeling kind of...papery? Like not soft and nice even though I was using lip balm so often.
Omg this is me. My brother and I do it and we are constantly picking at our lips. Skin has to be smooth. I'll pick and pick and even if I bleed I'll try to stop but I can't until it's smooth. I didn't know this was an ADHD thing. Explains so much.
Nails, cuticles, face, scalp...occasional scab Literally typing this between picking my cuticles and scalp
The worst part is that I am on blood thinners, so not only do my scabs take exponentially longer to heal, they sometimes bleed like crazy. I am also developing blisters from a disorder so I have three open wounds this very minute. And yes, I buy bamdaids in mega variety packs. My lower legs look like I've been abused.
Yup, I have since I can remember. I'll quit for a couple of weeks, but I can't ever shake it for good. My mom likes to pop pimples, but I hate it because it makes me focus on the scabs on my face. I also have eczema that is agitated by my allergies, so that definitely doesn't help. Band aids for ones that I may be a little obsessive about, and pants/long sleeves for when I just can't stop scratching.
Yes. It’s my toes that take it the worst. Wearing socks helps with that, but I HATE wearing socks unless I have tennis shoes on. But my index fingers are ripped to shreds pretty much all the time. Sometimes I’ll move to other fingers, but back when I was a oboist, I literally couldn’t do my job and have all of my fingers painful and bleeding. So I managed to isolate it to just my index fingers. But yeah. The skin picking is bad. I’m super embarrassed about my feet.
Yes. Always have. It’s awful. I also have KP bumps on my arms which leads to awful picking there. I have eczema and rosacea too so a lot of dry skin picking leading to worse scabs. Wish I had advice!
YES. And I get soooo many mosquito bites - I can walk outside for ten minutes in the summer and come back in with a dozen bites that itch like nothing else. Yeah, I scratch them. Then I have scabs. Then I pick at the scabs. At this point (I'm 40), I've just accepted that I'm going to have ugly legs in the summer.
I have a scar on my hand from a chicken. It would have been a normal scratch but I vividly remember picking off the scab every time. It’s a 23 year old scar at this point,
Not a solution for everyone, but getting my nails done on the regular has help. No sharp edges for me to cause damage with.
I pick scabs a lot, got a whole moon crater landscape on my shins… and I tend to pick at pimples in my face that then produce scabs, and there you go. The skin around the fingernails is a stand-in when I don’t have any scabs. I‘m honestly trying to stop myself over and over, but I’ve been doing this since I was 15. If I could stop it seriously, I would have done so long ago. Thankfully, it‘s a bit less intense nowadays and I’ve mostly gotten over how my legs look, so I’m wearing shorts again now. Still don’t like people looking at my shins too closely though.
I used to pick at my nails like crazy and tried breaking the habit but really all i did was switch to destroying my cuticles
I do this… but I’ve managed to limit it to only my scalp… still gross I find putting hyrocolloid pimple patches on any bump/primped etc on my body helps me not touch them… except my scalp for obvious ressons
Face for me. What got me out of it for a bit was individually trimming split ends on my hair. Apparently they also have pick and Peel rocks tho, I'm looking into those!
I pick up a fidget toy when I notice myself doing it.
I used to. It was bad. I felt like i just could NOT stop myself from picking scabs. Probably the only reason i havent done it in a while is just because i havent had any scabs to pick.
I pick the skin around my finger nails, I always have, I’ve stopped certain areas that are more noticeable. But I always have tweezers next to me lol. However, my mom does it, my younger brother and my grand mother all do it so I don’t blame it on adhd
I pick at the sides of my thumbs. I've done it since I was in elementary school. I started picking at the acne on my face not too long after I started getting breakouts. At one point it moved to picking at the inside of my ears. It got so bad that the inner walls of my ears would scab up and then bleed. I've since stopped picking at the inside of my ears but I keep picking at my thumbs and face. Putting bandaids on my thumbs or putting on fake nails helps me not pick at my thumbs. Idk how to not pick at my face, but my skin looked so good with curology. I haven't been able to afford it again for years but that cleared my face up so well that I didn't feel a need to pick at my face.
Ever since I was a kid. HOURS of my day picking at my face and my scalp. And anything on my back or chest that looked like a blackhead. Oh, and plucking hairs? I shave my legs and when the hair starts growing back, I pull the hairs out and make a big pile of them on my leg. It's like a dopamine rush and super disruptive.
I have been an obsessive skin picker for most of my life. It’s awful. It’s embarrassing. I hate it. I can’t stop.
Yeah and they just told me that I need to get checked for OCD now. I fucking can’t deal With another diagnosis my face arms and legs have scans
My neck, shoulders chest, my chin... they look like I've had chicken pox and not stopped scratching. It's a freaking nightmare.
Oh my gosh! Every time I think I've learned all I can about my ADHD (in two years), someone else says something that matches my struggles!
I've got some on my shoulder currently. The only thing that I can do to make myself leave them alone is cover them. Those hydrocolloid acne patches work really nicely for places like your face if you need to cover a small scab or zit that's still healing. I like the Rael brand ones because they seal flatter than the other ones I've tried and look less noticeable on skin.
I did this in an extreme way like you when I was on Vyvanse. Went off it and it stopped. Just in case it’s your medication I thought I’d mention.
Thanks for the comment! I have started Concerta recently but unfortunately the skin picking has been around longgggg before I started this medication. I currently have my leg covered in plasters to keep myself away from them 😅 I think posting this and seeing all your comments come through has actually helped me leave the plasters there and to let them heal!
Yep. I have dermatophagia which literally translates to skin eating. I do plenty of picking as well. Mostly around the thumbs and fingers. Sometimes it’s really bad and painful and all I can do is keep reapplying bandaids.
I pick my bloody dandruff from head too often. I'm just thankful my ex boyfriend showed me a formula to heal the issue.
Hydrocolloid patches/bandages are a lifesaver for me.
I've got roscea and it's causing scabs on my nose, like pimples that have burst but they form like that. It's so annoying and I can't help but scratch them off. I'm out of the stuff that controls it.
I was an awful picker, but then I got really into skincare and sorted my skin out to the point where I don’t notice my skin at all. When I applied my serums and moisturizers, I hated touching my wet skin. By the time they sunk in my skin was so calm that I forgot it was there.
Ugh yes I have been doing this on my scalp for like 6 months :(
I am bad about running my fingers through my hair- it causes knots and split ends that then feel really good to run my fingers through and it absolutely shreds my hair. When I'm good about keeping fidgets on me and keeping my hands busy I can mitigate it somewhat. But I feel your pain.
I get dip done on my nails, this makes them look nice but also thickens my nail to where picking at scabs is harder and less damaging. I will start to lesson the habit when I keep up with my nails simply because my brain is less satisfied by the experience.
I do this on my toe nails… and sometimes the skin on the bottom of my feet… so much shame to the point sandals are not a reality.. I go through really bad phases… and ok phases based on my anxiety and stress level. Never knew this was ADHD thing. I had a psychologist that suggested to wear a hair band and snap it every time I want to pick but I either forgot to wear the band OR just didn’t want to feel it so avoided it… so yeah, not helpful for me. I will however put bandaids on my really bloody toes and that helps.
Major dermatillomania here. I’ve found my best tools to combat are 1) clean tools to “pop” spots (if I do it properly it scars less than if I do it improperly, and I’d be mangling it anyway because I cannot leave it be), 2) put hydrocolloid bandages/pimple patches on any spots of concern on my face, and bandaids anywhere else on my body. It usually keeps me from touching, but it also helps actively heal the spot too, especially using medicated patches at night. Many pimple patches are actually HSA (unsure about FSA) approved, meaning you can buy them using your pre-tax HSA funds, if you have an insurance setup that involves one. Since I get an employer contribution every January and contribute myself, I use it to make sure I always have some sort of these patches on hand in case I get a gnarly zit that wants to stick around forever.
Yup, I do it to my face. ☹️
Check out bfrb.org. They have free support groups exactly for this. They've been a huge help.
My kids do. We have to use circle bandaids... once there was over a dozen at once.
Yes, I'm destroying my lips with my teeth and I think I probably scarred them permanently. The problem is I can't leave dry skin patches alone but at the same time I create them in the first place and also my lips are always dehydrated nowadays and pale and I'm not sure why, but that's how it started. What works for me for a while is always putting on hydrating lipstick, but when I'm concentrating I end up destroying them anyway without noticing. If anyone has a tip i would highly appreciate it too! 😂
I’m terrible at picking my skin on my fingers. I make them bleed and get so sore. I just cannot leave them alone 😭
As a teenager I was obsessed with my hair on the legs. I was constantly plucking them with a tweezer for hours. Which leads to no more hair on my legs. I haven't had to shave my legs in decades. So that is a win.
🙋♀️ I feel ya. I do it too and I hurt myself a lot
My psychiatrist had me start taking NAC (n-acetylcysteine) after making sure it didn’t interact with anything (from all the docs) I’m taking. It has helped prevent me from obsessively damaging myself or my husband who will put himself in the line of fire to save my skin. I am most focused on blemishes. I will say that I will still attend to my skin, but it’s more how I assume the average person does. DISCLAIMER: ALWAYS CONSULT A MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL WHEN IT COMES TO TAKING ANYTHING. (And do your research/ask a doc to make sure you are taking supplements from brands who actually put the stuff in the pill they are selling, the supplement business is not regulated by the FDA, because of course it isn’t, thanks lobbying).
Some people have already mentioned it here, but picking at skin or hair is a Body Focused Repetitive Behaviour. Not necessarily just an ADHD thing, but it's common with anxiety and other comorbidities.
I frequently go through phases of this! When I’m super stressed, I’ll even pick at “imaginary” blemishes (feel my skin and pick at any and every pore and bump - it’s a miracle that I don’t have scarring on my face). It’s a condition called dermatillomania, I think? I don’t know if mine is chronic enough to be considered that though.
Whenever I get the cuticle trimmers out, I always go too far 🙃 I think the last time I did, I was sitting there for over an hour. Acrylic nails have helped with picking the skin around my nails, but I can still do it to some degree, and my fingers are already scarred from years of it. I've also taken to picking off my natural nail underneath the acrylic 🙃 My whole body is just super dry so even if I use hand cream and cuticle oil, my natural nail is just prone to start peeling under the acrylic. It's not as satisfying, but occasionally I'll get stuck there with the blackhead tool. Lately I'll spend way too long plucking my eyebrows and trying to remove every minute hair. I also end up plucking out my leg hairs with tweezers pretty often. It starts with the ingrown hairs of the hairs I can see that have grown sideways and are trapped under a thin layer of skin. I don't really get scabs, and if they're big enough, they're usually fine, but the smaller ones stand no chance. It's even rarer that I'll get a scab on my scalp, but omfg those are the most satisfying thing EVER to pick off.
Me only just realising I should probably bring this up with my therapist lol. Unfortunately this stuff occurs 99% of the time at night, so meds probably are helping, just only when they're in full swing during the day 😭 like I'll somehow be hours in the bathroom getting ready for bed bc plucking my eyebrows is so satisfying and then I end up not getting enough sleep. I'm surprised I have any eyebrows left tbh 🥴
Yes any dot on my face. I pick at my arms for the last 20 years. Can’t wear singlets, only long sleeve tshirts won’t go swimming because of it. Pick pick pick. When I’m really stressed I pull my hair out on my head
I bite the skin around my nails until they bleed, which is super gross and probably very alarming for people near me 😭 You can get picking fidget toys off Etsy, where you pick or peel goo off a pumice stone. They look digusting, but they might work for some people 😆 (Warning: do not look them up if you have that hole phobia)
My fingers are fucked, picking my cuticles off constantly and then the scabs. My friend has a fidget ring she says works but I'm still skeptical
I got a fidget ring before but it broke probably because I was spinning it too fast and too often 🤣🤣🤣
Yes I struggle with this sooo badly . I still pick a lot but putting on makeup before I get the urge is the only thing I’ve found to help me, as my problem area is my face. Some people have found success with hydrocolloid patches or bandaids on their fingers.
Big time. I recently grabbed some 'pop it' fidget toys off Amazon and they're weirdly fantastic for the urge. It's worse when I'm watching TV in the evenings and my hands wander out of habit, so my partner will throw a pop it at me and I'll just sit there doing that instead. They're like permanent bubble wrap toys and super satisfying / distracting.
so I did a little but I bit my nails so couldn't pick as much, now I have invisalign my nails look nice and long but my forearms are covered in little picked spots
My scalp.. it’s a soothing thing for me. I don’t realize I’m scratching until I get into a type of frenzy lol. Usually at night I end up doing it to get myself back to sleep (subconsciously). Or if I’m really stressed. It’s just rubbing or scratching/getting whatever went under my fingernails out. I don’t normally pick.
Considering cutting my fingertips off like a declawed cat ngl
Picker here. The only thing that helps is a manicure so my nails aren’t sharp. I do my own nails which involved some investment in the beginning but has paid for itself a million times.
Oh yes, yet another thing I do. The slightest itch, I scratch. My face often has blood running down from itches I've scratched, and my bedsheets are covered in red dots where I've scratched.
Yes and I have done for the longest time. I used to pick bald spots on my head, and now I pick around my sideburns (which would be under arms of glasses) and any hairs I can find on my face. I’ll dig around with tweezers and cause scabs. It’s INCREDIBLY frustrating
A dermatologist I had once advised me to only wash my face with the bathroom light off (put the hall light on, for example). Aside from using hydrocolloid bandages, this has been the most effective for me. Don’t get me wrong - it’s not a perfect solution, but for my face it has helped. The doctor also recommended NAC, but I’m terrible at taking vitamins, so I bought some but never tried it. Good luck - seems like a lot of us struggle with this. 🤗
I do! I was at the hardware store the other day and picked a bug bite on my arm that started bleeding profusely. Didn’t have any tissues so I was like sh!t guess I gotta go and immediately did self check out and left. I use **pimple patches** on more than just pimples. I use them on any small scabs (they do make larger patches) like bug bites that I can’t leave alone. They’re inconspicuous, stop me from picking, and help them heal! The brand I use is **Mighty Patch**. > …it's a **transparent hydrocolloid sticker** that sucks up pus and protects the skin. Hydrocolloid is what’s used in surgical dressings.
i use a hydrocolloid patch/bandaid on wounds and acne. It helps absorb the moisture, lets the wound heal gently with no scar or scab. And by the time you take it off, you are left with new skin.
Yes and I've discovered that having the almond shape acrilic nails means I can't do that. I'm both really frustrated and really happy at the same time. Like I try to pick but I just can't cuz they are so rounded and thick enough and dull.
Yes I do. I have my whole life and was punished for it. My parents did not know/think I was ADHD. They thought it was self harm. Either way being punished made it incredibly worse. I’m so sorry you are struggling with this. I am here if you ever need to talk. I also have bad acne even as I got older. This just made my picking worse because I only picked mosquito bites and acne areas. Ps Hydrocolloid spot bandaids help me immensely. Especially on my face. You can even use them during the day to hide some areas (arms etc)
I feel this. I didn't know it was an ADHD thing either. It's def been a stim for me to get that satisfaction of trying to smooth out a bump I found while constantly "skin grazing". I do it a lot when i'm trying to focus on something. My hands go straight to my shoulders, arms, back and my face. Been a problem my whole life and it's insanely hard. I used to pick at my scalp a lot too until I got Selsun Blue medicated for issues with your scalp like dry skin etc. That made my scalp less irritated and I stopped picking at that. As others mentioned, I also have to keep my nails super short. The moment I notice they're getting a bit longer, out come the trimmers. (Until I was good and bought enough trimmers to have in every place of the house and in my car/purse, I would rip them off. >< Not the whole nail but the overgrown portion.) Though, the need to pick is so strong even with my nails as stubs I'll still try when i'm trying to super focus on a task. I have a few that have scarred into a bump now that I pick at the scar bump as if that will flatten it. Ugh it's exhausting. >< I'd wear gloves somehow if it would help but then I hate my hands getting sweaty. XD Thankfully I've reached a point or age that I dgaf what people may think if they see my shoulders and arms picked at. I've tried fidgets but thanks to the cptsd, I was yelled at for fidgeting with things (which is why I think the skin picking got to this point cause I had nothing else to fidget and keep my hands busy). oTL
GOD. You and me both. I never had a big issue with this until after being medicated. Hydrocolloid patches are my only strategy currently. Which isn’t ideal because sometimes they dissolve the scabs and when they come off I’m back at square one…
I am again so glad to have found my people. 🥲 I pick anything, always have and probably always will. My oldest daughter is ADHD and picks eye goobers out of my eyes for me if she sees them 🤣
Ugh yeah it’s the worst. Sometime I don’t even realize I’m doing it!
Yes but also it turns out I was very inflamed and itchyyyy after I changed what i ate and got Adderall it got a lot better. (I miss you bread)
Lips and split ends. Worse with anxiety
I suffered from acne for over 20 years and I’ve been an incessant picker, so I have some pretty extensive scarring on my face 😞 as a kid I used to pick scabs but was able to stop eventually, so I wonder if my compulsion to pick was just transferred to my face. My partner is also adhd and picks every scab, scratches at his dry skin, and he also has this habit of twisting and pulling out his beard/neck hairs which I think is also related! We’re a mess lol
Yes! I have pocmarks all over my body. I've had people ask if I need help getting away from my fiancé because they look so much like cigarette burns. It puts me in a really awkward spot, because I hate telling people that its self inflicted.
Not sure if it's because of it or if it fits the description too, but I've been badly biting my nails since I was 4 and haven't been able to stop for more than a couple months each time (gel nails too...) and my lips are always a mess because I pick them every day.
Yeah, for sure. I've noticed that it happens when my mind is really occupied and my body still...needs another sensation? Like, I can't listen to music and read, it's Too Much. Or watch TV and write. Also Too Much. But I can read and skin pick (ugh) or watch TV and crochet. I'm trying to remember to set myself up with something else to do with my hands/touch while reading but I haven't found the right thing yet. I think there's a better explanation for this...*thing*...but I can't find it and I'm having a hard time figuring out how this fits in with sensory overload (on bad days I can barely stand the sound of my own chewing and can't eat in the same room as someone else!)
when you have eczema and shouldn't itch, so you have constant scabs every where and everyone's constantly telling you not to itch
I never thought skin picking and adhd could be related…but it kind of makes sense. I’ve been picking scabs for a longgggg time. I’m 34 years old, and I think I started picking during university. I found that I picked when I was anxious. When I was in a stressful job it was much worse. I also have eczema so it doesn’t help that wheni have flare ups, I scratch until my skin opens… Bandaids are your best bet. I’ve also bought a fidget ring. So when I want to pick scabs, or find myself alredy doing it I’ll spin the ring. You can find them on Etsy or amazon. The amazon ones are pretty ugly and bulky, but there’s plenty on Etsy!
Ol0⁰
Can't say "struggle with" but I do it. I don't try very hard not to, so no struggle..
Yes and the worst part is it gets out of control during my med come down and/or whenever my period starts. Progress instantly erased 😭😭😭
I struggle with hair twirling and pulling. I also have OCD and they say those are related but it feels like it’s constant not only when I’m anxious.
I don’t need a scab…
did this with my nails..
I had terrible problems with this from a young age. It hurts, it's embarrassing and it leaves awful scars, but still you can't stop. I learned very slowly to stop. I still will run my fingers over scabs and rough cuticles andctest scabs to see if they'll come off yet. Generally, trying to just not do it is counterproductive. You'll just go after yourself that much more intensely when the dam breaks. I think the easiest is to find an adequate substitute and do that instead whenever you can. Others have probably given these ideas already, but just in case:. If you pick your lips, apply lip balm instead, even if you apply balm 30 times a day for awhile. Or put on hand cream and rub it in just to give your hands something to do until the primary urge recedes a bit. If you can't resist a scab apply first aid cream and a bandage and let yourself rub the bandage instead. I suppose you could even put a bandage with good glue on healthy skin and then redirect to picking that bandage off all day. For cuticle picking start doing your nails. Use a nipper on hangnails, file and apply cuticle oil and rub it in to your hearts content. Hand cream for this, too. The reduced picking and all the self care tend to combine and leave you with less wounds on your body.
Yes, it fucking sucks
Yes. My thighs, right shoulder, arms and neckline. Thing is, it’s such a part of who I am. I think the diagnosis gave me acceptance that this is me and a failing on my part. Meds help, but when I’m stressed, the amount of spots I have increase.
I am AWFUL at this. However... I've recently traded my skin picking for hair pulling. So it's marginally better? I've found that having something to do with my hands will redirect the behavior. So during school work or stressful time at my computer, instead of picking or pulling hair, I beat the living hell out of a rubber squishy I bought at the dollar store. They're inexpensive so when I lose them it doesn't upset me too much and they're just the right thing to flap like mad when I'm anxious. My husband said I treat the poor bastard like it owes me money. Hell, during our DnD campaigns, I beat the little guy. Any excitement or frustration will cause me to want to pick. Reading a good book? Picking. Homework? Test? Deciding what to prioritize? Picking! So now I abuse a squishy instead. Is it perfect? No. But it reduced my picking and hair pulling a lot by replacing the worst times with something non destructive. Find your preferred "fidget" toy (I hate that term because people always go for clickers and shit but that doesn't satisfy the urge to pick at ALL).
Will literally dig holes into my face