How to stop picking my finger skin
Skin picking disorder - NHS
Also called dermatillomania or excoriation disorder, skin picking disorder is where you cannot stop picking at your skin. There are things you can try to help yourself, but some people may need professional treatment.
Check if you have skin picking disorder
Most people pick at their skin from time to time, but you may have skin picking disorder if you:
- cannot stop picking your skin
- cause cuts, bleeding or bruising by picking your skin
- pick moles, freckles, spots or scars to try to "smooth" or "perfect" them
- do not always realise you're picking your skin or do it when you're asleep
- pick your skin when you feel anxious or stressed
You may pick your skin with your fingers, fingernails, teeth or with tools like tweezers, pins or scissors.
Things you can try if you have skin picking disorder
Do
-
keep your hands busy – try squeezing a soft ball or putting on gloves
-
identify when and where you most commonly pick your skin and try to avoid these triggers
-
try to resist for longer and longer each time you feel the urge to pick
-
care for your skin when you get the urge to pick it – for example, by applying moisturiser
-
tell other people – they can help you recognise when you're picking
-
keep your skin clean to avoid infection
Non-urgent advice: See a GP if:
- you cannot stop picking your skin
- you're causing serious damage to your skin by picking it, like cuts that do not heal within a few days
- picking your skin is causing you emotional distress or affecting your daily life
What happens at your appointment
A GP will ask you about your skin picking behaviour and look at your skin.
If they think you have skin picking disorder, they may refer you to a specialist for diagnosis and possible treatment.
This could be with a type of talking therapy or medicine.
They may also refer you to a skin specialist (dermatologist) if your skin is badly damaged or you have any underlying skin conditions that may be triggering your skin picking, like acne or eczema.
Treatment for skin picking disorder
Talking therapy for skin picking disorder
Talking therapy is currently thought to be an effective treatment to help change skin picking behaviour.
If you're offered this, it'll usually be given through community mental health services.
The most common type of talking therapy offered for skin picking disorder is cognitive behavioural therapy, and may include a technique called habit reversal training.
Habit reversal training works by helping you:
- recognise and be more aware of your skin picking and what's triggering it
- replace skin picking with a less harmful behaviour
Medicines for skin picking disorder
Your doctors may recommend some types of medicine to help you control your skin picking behaviour.
This may be prescribed by a GP, but more often it'll be prescribed by a specialist (psychiatrist).
Causes of skin picking disorder
Skin picking disorder is related to obsessive compulsive disorder, where the person cannot stop themselves carrying out a particular action.
It can be triggered by:
- boredom
- stress or anxiety
- negative emotions, such as guilt or shame
- skin conditions, such as acne or eczema
- other blemishes that the person wants to get rid of (these may not be noticeable to other people)
It's sometimes called a body-focused repetitive behaviour and is similar to repetitive hair pulling disorder (trichotillomania).
It's also related to other obsessive compulsive disorders, such as body dysmorphic disorder, where the person is excessively preoccupied with their appearance.
People with skin picking disorder often also have other obsessive compulsive disorders. These may require their own assessment and treatment.
Page last reviewed: 24 March 2021
Next review due: 24 March 2024
Picking your skin? Learn four tips to break the habit
If you can’t stop picking your skin, you may have a very common condition called skin picking disorder (SPD). We all pick at a scab or a bump from time to time, but for those with SPD, it can be nearly impossible to control those urges. Apart from the cosmetic impact of recurrent skin lesions and scarring, SPD can lead to serious infections, shame, depression, and anxiety.
You may be feeling alone or embarrassed, but you should know that this condition affects at least five million Americans.
A diagnosis of SPD, also known as excoriation disorder, is made when there are repeated attempts to stop picking, and the skin picking is either distressing or interfering with social or work functioning. SPD is one of a group of disorders that is related to obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD).
You already know that it is not a matter of will — trying to stop is the equivalent of telling one not to have high blood pressure. The good news is that therapy, medication, and dermatologic treatments can help. For most, though, no one treatment will be curative, and you will experience remission and recurrence.
Having realistic expectations and arming yourself with a variety of skills for skin picking flares will make this condition much more manageable. Here are four tips that can help you tackle your picking.
1. Know your triggers
You may be tempted to pick for a variety of reasons, from boredom, itch, or negative emotions, to blemishes or simply looking at or feeling your skin.
You may even find the experience of picking itself pleasurable. Understanding your triggers can be a first step in deciding which treatments to pursue. For example, if your picking is triggered by a skin condition such as acne or itch, you might be best served by first seeing a dermatologist. If, however, your picking is triggered by depression, anxiety, or more of an urge, you should consult with a mental health professional with expertise in skin picking.
2. Make it harder to pick
One simple strategy to reduce picking, called stimulus control, involves changing your environment to make it harder to pick. Examples of this technique include keeping your nails short, wearing gloves at times when you are most likely to pick, and making the skin more difficult to access by wearing tight-fitting clothing or long-sleeve shirts. You can also try distracting your hands with any number of items including silly putty, stress balls, fidgets, and tangle toys.
Once you have found an item that works for you, make sure to have one everywhere you spend time such as work, home, and your bag, so you are fully covered.
3. Get therapy
Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is a structured type of psychotherapy that aims to produce healthier behaviors and beliefs by identifying unhelpful thoughts and behaviors. A specialized type of CBT has been developed for SPD. This type of CBT includes more of the stimulus control techniques described above, as well as habit reversal training, in which individuals are taught to engage in a harmless motor behavior (like clenching one’s fists) for one minute when triggered to pick. Clinical trials have demonstrated that skin-picking for CBT can be extremely effective. But because it is different than other types of CBT, it will be important to work with a therapist who is trained in treating SPD. You can find skin-picking experts at the TLC Foundation for Body-Focused Repetitive Behaviors.
4. Consider medication with your providers
While no medication has been formally approved by the FDA to treat excoriation disorder, there is evidence to suggest that selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) antidepressants and N-acetylcysteine (NAC), an antioxidant supplement, can be helpful.
Please be aware that even over-the-counter, well-tolerated supplements like NAC should always be taken under the supervision of a medical professional for guidance on dosing, duration of treatment, drug interactions, and side effects.
For more on overcoming SPD, visit the TLC Foundation for Body-Focused Repetitive Behaviors and the International OCD Foundation.
Problem - I like to pick sores until they bleed. It is not normal?
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Previously, blood also drank from mosquitoes))
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Some kind of brunette
You probably have scars and sores all over your body.
.. Also, nothing ever heals!! !
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66 Author, don't worry! It's just little female pleasures. Of course, if you want to look like Sophia Loren, I think you will have to give up this habit:((((
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When I see a crust on the wound, all, all, all, all, everyone my nails are reaching out to tear this crust from the wound and watch the blood flow out. It seems to me that it is not normal to enjoy picking. Should I get rid of this habit? nine0005
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How to stop biting your nails and picking burrs? Manicurists tell
Everyone reacts to stress in different ways: someone cannot sleep and eat, someone, on the contrary, overeats, someone attacks fingers instead of chips.
How to stop biting your nails and picking burrs? Here are 10 life hacks tested by nail artists.
— 1 —
Do not save
on a manicure
Go only to good, proven masters. “A well-made manicure (we are talking specifically about processing the cuticle) significantly reduces the appearance of burrs that you want to tear off in nervous times - and we know that this process cannot be stopped until you reach the elbow,” jokes nail stylist Aksinya Radetskaya. “So, if you have a habit of picking your fingers, it’s better to do a manicure in a salon, and not at home.” nine0005
— 2 —
Try a nail file
“Cutting nails often cause burrs. Sawing is a more gentle, gentle procedure: the skin is gently polished, leaving no chance for burrs,” advises Maria Yunina, manicure master at Peng. Galina Smirnova, KYNSI Training Director, agrees with her: “With a nail file manicure, the likelihood of annoying burrs that you just want to pick off is much lower.
” For those who are not ready to part with scissors and wire cutters, Smirnova advises immediately after a manicure to treat the cuticle with a polishing file with oil. Ask your master about it or do it yourself. nine0005
- 3 -
Take a closer look at
nail art
Not only because it's in fashion. Images of Sailor Moon, false butterflies and stones on the nails will save you not only from boredom, but also from the urge to pick your cuticles. “Beautiful nails help to cope with the desire to spoil it all with bloody wounds,” explains Aksinya.
- 4 -
Go
to gel polish
All three speakers gave this advice without saying a word. And here's why: biting into a hard coating is not as easy and convenient as natural nails. Plus, many owners of such a manicure are stopped by the money spent on it and the time that has already been spent on applying gel polish and will still be spent on removing what is left. nine0005
— 5 —
Think of an alternative
“Massage saved me,” says Aksinya Radetskaya.
“As soon as there is a need to pick my nails, I try to notice this moment and give myself a finger massage, paying special attention to the cuticle area.” She advises doing massage with oil, giving preference to products with a natural composition - synthetic ones simply lay down like a film and do not nourish the skin.
— 6 —
Keep cuticle care products close at hand
“Burns appear more often on dehydrated skin, so we must avoid overdrying,” says Maria Yunina. And Radetskaya advises putting hand creams and cuticle products in all those places where you most often visit. “Put them on your desktop, in a conspicuous place in the car, put them in your purse, and every time they catch your eye, smear them,” insists Aksinya. - The more attention you pay to your hands and take care of them, the less you want to spoil it all. Yes, and there will be nothing to pick with this approach. nine0005
— 7 —
Wear gloves
The onset of cold and wind make the skin drier, recalls Maria Yunina.
— 8 —
Try bitter nail polishes
“They were designed specifically for people who bite their nails,” Yunina says. “From experience, it doesn’t help everyone, but it’s worth a try.”
— 9 —
Start small
First agree with yourself that you don't only gnaw on your little fingers. Everything else please. Then add ring fingers to them. Etc. “So, gradually, one finger at a time... — Galina Smirnova shares her personal life hack. - When you see that the nail grows back, you will like it so much that you will not bite it. This trick works for both adults and children." With the help of him, Galina weaned not only herself from the bad habit, but also her five-year-old niece. nine0005
- 10 -
Find something to switch to
All over the world and in Tiktok in particular, the so-called alarm rings are gaining more and more popularity. “They are strung with beads or rotating elements that are convenient to move with your thumb,” says Marina.
