Scratching head anxiety
Is it Dermatillomania or OCD? And Tips for How to Stop
Overview
When you run your hands through your hair or over your head, you might stop to pick at random bumps you find on the surface of your scalp. Most people do this from time to time, usually without even thinking about it.
But for some people, scalp picking may be a symptom of dermatillomania. This is a condition that’s similar to obsessive-compulsive disorder.
Picking at your scalp doesn’t always cause hair loss. But it does increase your risk of developing folliculitis. This is a common condition that happens when your hair follicles are inflamed. There are several types of folliculitis, but it’s usually caused by a bacterial infection.
When you pick at your scalp, it can create small open wounds that are vulnerable to infection and folliculitis. Over time, folliculitis can destroy hair follicles and cause permanent hair loss.
Dermatillomania is sometimes referred to as skin-picking disorder or excoriation disorder. Its main symptom is an uncontrollable urge to pick at a certain part of your body.
Common targets of picking include
- nails
- cuticles
- acne or other bumps on the skin
- scalp
- scabs
People with dermatillomania tend to feel a strong sense of anxiety or stress that’s only alleviated by picking at something. For many, picking provides an intense sensation of relief or satisfaction. Keep in mind that picking isn’t always a conscious behavior. Some people with dermatillomania do it without even realizing it.
Over time, picking can lead to open sores and scabbing, which provides more things to pick. The resulting marks can leave you feeling self-conscious or upset, especially if you have little or no hair. These feelings can further increase anxiety and stress, creating a cycle of behavior that’s often hard to break.
There are some things you can try on your own to break the habit of picking at your scalp. Most of these focus on keeping your hands and mind busy.
The next time you feel the urge to pick or find yourself unconsciously picking, try:
- popping bubble wrap
- drawing or writing
- reading
- going for a quick walk around the block
- meditating
- using fidget cubes or spinners
- squeezing a stress ball
- talking to a close friend or family member about what you’re feeling in that moment
There are also things you can do to reduce the temptation to pick, such as:
- making a conscious effort to protect your scalp from bumps and cuts that might be tempting to pick at your scalp
- using a medicated shampoo, such as ketoconazole shampoo, to manage any scalp conditions, such as dandruff, that might encourage picking
The methods above don’t work for everyone. If you’re finding it hard to stop picking, consider seeking help from a therapist. Many people find relief through doing cognitive behavioral therapy. This type of behavioral therapy helps to rewire your thought patterns and behaviors.
You can also make an appointment with a doctor to talk about medication options. Antidepressants can help to manage underlying anxiety issues. If you don’t already have a mental health provider, our Healthline FindCare tool can help you connect to physicians in your area.
If you’re concerned about the cost of treatment, try reaching out to any local universities. Some psychology programs offer free or low-cost therapy with graduate students. You can also ask potential therapists if they have a sliding scale for their fees, which will allow you to pay what you can. This is a pretty common conversation, so don’t feel uncomfortable bringing it up.
You should also see a doctor if you regularly notice bumps on your scalp or have significant hair loss. These could be signs of a scalp condition that needs treatment.
Find out what might be causing sores or scabs on your scalp.
Occasionally picking at your scalp usually isn’t a huge deal, though it does increase your risk of folliculitis, which can cause permanent hair loss.
But if you find that you’re having a hard time resisting the urge to pick at your scalp, there may be a psychological component to your picking. There are many ways to manage dermatillomania, but you might have to try a few things before you find what works for you.
If you’re not sure where to start, consider joining a support group to connect with others living with dermatillomania. The TLC Foundation lists both in-person and online support groups.
Itchy Scalp and Anxiety
Anxiety has a variety of physical symptoms, but some are less common than others. Stomach upset and "jitters" are common symptoms, and nearly everyone with anxiety experiences them. But there are several infrequent symptoms as well, and one of them is itchy scalp.
Many people who experience increased anxiety also have an itchy scalp. As of yet, there is no research into why anxiety causes itchy scalp.
Most studies seem to indicate that anxiety and stress don't cause itchy scalp directly.
Rather, the person is more likely to have dandruff or a natural and otherwise harmless scalp condition, and their scalp condition is made worse by stress.
Anxiety can also have a severe effect on your hormones and damage your organs, and your skin is your body's largest organ, so the idea that anxiety can lead to scalp itch is not an unusual one.
Why Does Anxiety Lead to Itchy Scalp?
Studies have struggled to link a mechanism between anxiety and itchy scalp, but note that there appear to be many people that seem to suffer from itchy scalp when they have anxiety. Because the mechanism isn't clear, the cause of itchy scalp with anxiety is likely to be related to one of the following:
- Skin Sensitivity Stress increases skin sensitivity, and the scalp experiences a lot of contact with bacteria, fungi, germs, and chemicals. When you experience several anxiety, you're potentially increasing the likelihood that your skin will experience a reaction to those chemicals, or a worse reaction than you do normally.
- Over-sensitivity Those that live with some types of anxiety problems are prone to an issue known as hypersensitivity – the act of "feeling" a sensation more than other people. In other words, if your skin occasionally has a light itch, a person without anxiety may not even notice it, but a person with anxiety may feel it strongly.
- Unknown Stress Reactions Finally, some of the reactions of anxiety aren't known. During an anxiety attack, for example, your body experiences profound stress that affects hormone levels, vitamin nourishment, digestion and more, and affect each person differently. It's possible that any one of these issues is responsible for itching on your scalp.
The truth is that anxiety causes itchy scalp in some people, and likely causes it for different reasons. It's not the most common issue, but it's one that many people report.
How to Prevent and Cure Itchy Scalp From Anxiety
Anxiety itchy scalp can only be permanently cured by preventing anxiety.
If the stress of anxiety is affecting your skin health, then the stress can't be stopped until your anxiety is stopped. Until then, you can try the following:
- Use Hypoallergenic Shampoo and Conditioner
Your first step is to avoid skin irritation. You can start by trying to switch to less damaging hair treatments. Try to switch everything you use in your hair to products that are less likely to cause skin irritation, in case your skin is becoming more sensitive.
- Stop Scratching
Make sure you're not scratching your scalp either. The itching can often feel overwhelming, but scratching irritates the skin further and may lead to further itching later on. It can be hard to hold back, but holding back is very important.
- Let Your Hair Breathe
Give your scalp a break. Avoid hats and head coverings, try not to pull your hair too much or fill it with products or dye it – anything to give your hair a chance to breath and experience fewer irritations.
These will all start the process. The next step is, of course, to cure your anxiety.
Different types of anxiety cause different levels of stress, and may lead to different reactions. For example, some people experience full anxiety attacks, and these attacks can put so much stress on your body that it drastically changes the way your body works – not only during the attack, but after.
How to Cure Anxiety and Stop Scalp Itch
Anxiety is an incredibly complex disorder. There is more than one type of anxiety, and more than one way that anxiety can affect you.
Curing anxiety takes a combination of lifestyle changes, dietary changes, replacement coping strategies, and special strategies designed to reduce your anxiety directly. Without knowing your specific situation, it's tough to tell you exactly what to do, and anyone that tells you otherwise is providing misleading information.
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Why does the head itch and how to get rid of itching
May 20, 2019 Likbez Health
Lifehacker found 18 reasons - from the most harmless to the most serious.
1. Reaction to hair care products
You may not have washed out the shampoo well enough to cause skin irritation.
Or maybe the itching and rash on the head are signs of allergic contact dermatitis. It is common among people who color their hair.
You may also be allergic to shampoo, conditioner or any other hair product. To test suspicions, simply apply the substance to the crook of your elbow. If a rash appears there, then your fears are not in vain.
What to do
It is better to rinse your hair so that there is no shampoo left on it. If it's an allergy, find and stop using the remedy that causes it.
If this does not help, see a doctor. He will sort out the causes and possibly prescribe an antihistamine to relieve the itching.
2. Hairstyle
An everyday ponytail or bun can also cause itching.
Natalia Koporeva
dermatovenereologist, trichologist at Intermed Medical Center, 21 years of work experience
Hairstyles that are too tight damage hair follicles and can cause scalp itching and hair loss.
What to do
Stop pulling your hair with all your might.
3. Dry skin
If the skin lacks moisture, it may itch and flake. You may not be drinking enough water, washing your hair too often, or using harsh shampoos.
What to do
Drink more. Use mild shampoos with hyaluronic acid or natural oils. After washing, additionally moisturize the skin with a tonic with glycerin or aloe. Get a head massage at least once a week. And do not forget about the headgear: in winter you need to protect the skin from the cold, in the summer from the heat.
4. Poor hygiene
During the day dust, microbes, sweat, sebum accumulate on the scalp and hair. If you do not clean your head regularly, itching may occur.
What to do
Wash your hair as it gets dirty, that is about once every three days.
5. Urticaria
Urticaria usually resolves in a few hours or days, but may reappear / dermline.ru These red, itchy bumps can appear anywhere.
Urticaria can be caused by allergies to food, medications, insect bites, pollen, animal dander, latex, and other materials. But it can also be chronic - its causes are unknown.
What to do
Urticaria often resolves without treatment. But if it periodically appears and disappears for six weeks, it's time to go to the doctor. He will prescribe drugs that will reduce the symptoms.
6. Dandruff or seborrheic dermatitis
Dandruff is the result of overactive sebaceous glands. It does not harm in any way, but may be accompanied by itching. Seborrheic dermatitis - a chronic inflammation of the skin - has the same symptoms, but whitish scales can appear not only in the hair, but also on the nose, eyebrows, ears, eyelids and chest.
What to do
If you just have dandruff, a shampoo that contains one of these ingredients will most likely help:
- zinc pyrithione;
- salicylic acid;
- selenium sulfide;
- ketoconazole;
- coal tar.
Use these shampoos strictly according to the instructions.
If it's seborrheic dermatitis, you will have to take medications that the doctor will select.
7. Tan
Prolonged exposure to sunlight or UV rays in a tanning bed causes burns and dries out the skin.
What to do
Take a cool shower or apply a cold compress (not ice). Lubricate the skin with aloe juice or moisturizing lotion. In the future, try to protect yourself from the sun.
8. Use of medicines
Ingredients in some medicines cause itching even without rash or irritation. Among them are allopurinol, amiodarone, amiloride, hydrochlorothiazide, estrogen, sivmastin, hydroxyethylcellulose.
What to do
Discard self-prescribed medications and ask your GP for new ones. If your doctor has prescribed medication for you, let him know about the problem. He will change the dosage or offer an analogue.
9. Lice
In fact, lice are small and almost transparent, so they are not easy to notice among the hair / yachist.
ru They run around the head, bite and cause itching. At the same time, anyone can become infected, because parasites are easily transmitted by touching the hair or through personal items. Therefore, just in case, ask someone to examine your head.
What to do
Wash your hair with a shampoo containing pyrethrin or permethrin. Just read the instructions carefully and follow the instructions, otherwise you can earn skin irritation. Comb out the nits with a fine comb. Be sure to wash clothes and bed linen in hot water (at least 54 ° C), and then iron them.
If home treatment does not help, you will need the help of a dermatologist. He will examine you and write out stronger funds.
10. Scabies
If this is it, not only the head will itch, but the whole body. And so strong that it will be impossible to sleep. In addition, a rash or crusts will appear.
What to do
Scabies does not go away on its own, it must be treated. First, go to a dermatologist, he will tell you what to do and prescribe medication.
A cream or lotion containing permethrin, lindane, benzyl benzoate, crotamiton, or sulfur is usually given to kill scabies mites. And antihistamines and cool compresses are prescribed for itching.
11. Folliculitis
This is the name of the inflammation of the hair follicles. It looks like red bumps or pimples with a white head around the hair.
What to do
Mild folliculitis can also be treated at home:
- Apply gauze soaked in warm water or saline (1 teaspoon of salt to 2 cups of water) to your head.
- Wash skin twice daily with antibacterial soap.
- Use an over-the-counter antibiotic cream or gel to fight infection.
In a few days your condition should improve. If the bumps and itching persist, it's time to leave the home treatment and go to the hospital.
12. Psoriasis
Plaques can be not only under the hair / aad.org Psoriasis manifests itself as dry red spots raised above the skin and covered with white scales.
Itching can be both weak and strong.
What to do
The treatment plan should be drawn up by a dermatologist. Therefore, with signs of psoriasis, you should immediately go to him.
For mild scalp psoriasis, shampoos with salicylic acid or coal tar can be tried. They will reduce itching and make the plaques invisible.
13. Eczema or atopic dermatitis
Children are the most affected. The skin turns red, scales appear on it. Some people feel like their head is on fire.
What to do
Go to a dermatologist. He will diagnose and prescribe treatment.
14. Ringworm
Severe itching usually causes ringworm, but there is a more rare form - red flat. In any case, the skin is covered with scales and turns red.
What to do
Again, you need to see a dermatologist. At home, you can only wash your hair with warm water and use an over-the-counter emollient cream or lotion for itching, but this is not a substitute for medical treatment.
15. Alopecia areata
In another way - alopecia, which is often accompanied by itching.
What to do
Go to the doctor at the first sign of baldness. It is impossible to wait for complete hair loss: long-term alopecia is very difficult to treat.
16. Skin cancer
Any unusual moles, nodules and dark spots can be a sign of it. Sometimes they itch or burn.
What to do
A suspicious skin growth should be examined by an oncologist. He will decide whether it is dangerous or not. If it is dangerous, then the neoplasm will have to be removed.
17. Lymphoma
Lymphoma usually occurs in people over 50 / marickautosales.comLymphoma appears on the skin as red or purple pimples or flat plaques. The affected areas are usually itchy and scaly.
What to do
Consult a dermatologist or oncologist and, if necessary, take blood tests, biopsy, computed tomography.
18. Mental state
Depression, anxiety, psychosis, obsessive-compulsive disorder can cause phantom itching, although there is no rash or other skin manifestations.
Maximum damage from scratches.
What to do
Contact a psychotherapist to confirm that the cause of the itching is a psychological condition.
Treatment may include behavioral therapy or antidepressants. When the problem is solved, the itching will also disappear.
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Biting nails, tearing out hair, eating skin. Check: you may have this mental disorder, and you did not know about it
If your child, a preschooler or teenager, bites his nails under the root or pulls out his body hair, do not write it off as a bad habit. These actions may be a manifestation of a mental disorder that often persists into adulthood.
Chances are you've never heard of trichotillomania, onychophagia, or neurotic excoriation. All of these are mental disorders in which a person (child or adult) causes damage - consciously or automatically, without thinking - to his body.
There is little research on the diseases listed below. Therefore, we asked Oleg Aizberg, , Associate Professor of the Department of Psychiatry and Narcology at BelMAPO , to help us understand what each of them is, who should be contacted for help, and whether it is realistic to cure such disorders once and for all.
Oleg Aizberg, psychiatrist, Associate Professor, Department of Psychiatry and Narcology, BelMAPO
Trichotillomania
This is a mental disorder in which a person pulls out body hair : most often from the head, but also from the eyelashes, nose, eyebrows, sometimes from the pubis. Often it is combined with anxiety, depression, obsessive-compulsive disorder.
As a rule, the disease begins in childhood or adolescence, the two main peaks are 6-9 and 12-13 years. In some children, it goes away as spontaneously as it started, while in others, the disorder remains into adulthood.
According to Oleg Aizberg, such patients often mistakenly turn to a dermatologist: patches of baldness appear on some parts of the body, the cause of which they are trying to find.
“There are cases,” says the specialist, “when a child who is not allowed to pull out the hair on his body begins to pull it out from dolls or, worse, from a younger brother or sister. But in preschool age, this disease is benign in nature - as a way to explore your own body. It usually goes away on its own over time.
And this is how the disease trichotillomania begins to develop a little later - at the age of 9-13, and in this case, as a rule, it passes into adulthood, acquires a chronic course. If trichotillomania began to develop in adulthood, then most often the person already has any concomitant mental disorders.
Often trichotillomania is not some kind of action on which the person focuses and concentrates, but occurs in a trance-like state: the patient pulls out his hair and does not notice it.
And here is a documentary about trichotillomania, which in 2003 won the international Health & Medical Media Award for the best film in the field of psychiatry.
Neurotic excoriation
Condition in which patients in any way injure their skin: scratching, picking, scratching, pinching , sometimes squeezing out the elements of acne. The danger of such a disorder is that a person can infect the wounds he creates, which in some cases leads to sepsis.
Many patients with excoriation choose one area of the body and then move on to another so that the first one has time to heal. Most often, the choice of location depends on the presence of irregularities on the body, which a person detects with his fingers.
- Many researchers believe that the development of excoriation is associated with an increased level of anxiety, arousal or stress in a person, with psychological trauma suffered at an early age, the specialist explains. - In children - with the suppression of anger towards domineering and strict parents.
Also, some scientists consider excoriation as a type of obsessive-compulsive disorder. They are similar in that both involve repetitive activities that are out of control, and both are generally able to reduce anxiety.
Unfortunately, people with excoriation, as with some of the other conditions listed here, rarely seek treatment because of embarrassment, alienation, lack of awareness or belief that the disorder can be cured.
Dermatophagia
This is a disorder in which a person compulsively bites, chews, gnaws or eats their skin (most often on the fingers). Such actions, as in trichotillomania, may be conscious or unconscious.
Most often, patients with this disorder bite the skin around the nails, some on the knuckles, leading to bleeding, pain and calluses. There are cases when the patient chews on the mucous membrane on the inside of the mouth, cheeks or lips, which causes blisters to appear inside and outside the mouth. At the same time, blisters can cause a desire to tear off or bite off the affected skin, which is quite dangerous: an infection can get into the wound.
Most often, dermatophagia occurs in children, but sometimes it also manifests itself in adulthood and may be associated with the manifestation of increased anxiety in a person or the appearance of unpleasant forebodings, says Oleg Aizberg.
Onychophagia
With onychophagy, a person bites his nails – this compulsive habit is quite common, especially among children. More severe forms of this condition are classified as obsessive-compulsive and related disorders.
In patients with onychophagia, most often all ten nails of the hand are bitten to approximately the same extent. In this case, a person can, against this background, damage the skin on the cuticle. The danger of such a disorder, like the previous ones, is the possible infection in the wound.
Most often, onychophagia is accompanied by other disorders that we mentioned above: excoriation, dermatophagia and trichotillomania. In children, nail biting is often associated with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and other psychiatric disorders, including obsessive-compulsive disorder.
Here's what you need to know about these disorders
- Are these disorders standalone diseases or are they just symptoms?
- Trichotillomania and excoriations are really separate independent diseases, - says Oleg Aizberg. But they are often combined with other diagnoses. For example, trichotillomania often occurs with manifestations of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), when a person has intrusive or frightening thoughts, and with them anxiety, which he tries to get rid of with the help of obsessive actions.
Some researchers believe that these conditions are manifestations of OCD, but in fact they are not. The fact is that with OCD, a person, experiencing anxiety, drowns it out with so-called rituals (frequent washing of hands, checking electrical appliances).
In trichotillomania, there are two development mechanisms: the presence of anxiety when the condition really resembles OCD, and getting pleasure (similar to gambling, when a person gets high from his actions). Therefore, it is possible to make an accurate diagnosis only with individual work with a psychotherapist.
The remaining disorders that have been listed are more difficult: unfortunately, today they are little studied. There are isolated cases of treatment all over the world, so it is difficult to find studies as such.
– How does a person feel when they injure themselves in this way?
- Before performing these actions, the patient feels tension, after - relief: either the removal of anxiety, or pleasure.
For some time, the manifestations of these disorders may stop, and then begin again.
– Where should I go for help with these disorders?
- If they begin to interfere with a person, then you can first contact a psychotherapist in your clinic. If parents notice such manifestations in their child, then first of all it is worth paying attention to whether there are any provoking factors for this.
In children, these disorders are most often caused by an unfavorable family climate (for example, when one of the parents has an anxiety disorder or there are conflicts between mom and dad to which the child reacts), difficult relationships with teachers at school or classmates.
Next, you should try to resolve the current situation in the family or school, or contact a child psychologist. And I note that most often the disorders that we have considered begin to manifest themselves precisely in childhood or adolescence, often spilling over into adulthood.
