Picking skin until it's sore

mattfell53

Hi I'm having trouble I can't stop picking my skin on my fingers and even putting in my mouth start first thing when I wake up and during the day I pick my skin on my fingers til it's sore or feel pain thanks Matt

Morgan_Scope

Hello @mattfell53 and we're pleased you've reached out.

It's a good step that you've noticed the habit and that it is causing you pain. Have you spoken to your doctor about it at all?

There are a number of resources online and they mostly seem to recommend finding other ways to keep your hands busy, and talking therapies.

Morgan_Scope

I've copied a few resources below that might help you:

The NHS recommends speaking to your doctor and has these ideas of things that might help (and some suggestions of things not to do):

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

Don’t

• do not let your nails grow long – keep them trimmed
• do not keep things like tweezers and pins where you can easily get at them

This article from Harvard Medical School is American based, but has some good advice too.

Boots also have an article on skin picking and ways to stop which you may not have seen.

They also talk about some of the reasons some people pick their skin, do any of these feel relatable to you?

1. Underlying skin conditions: acne or eczema, among others, can promote picking in response to a lesion (eg, a spot or scab), or symptom (eg, an itch). Treatment of the underlying condition coupled with appropriate psychological interventions can lead to reduction or cessation of picking.
2. Emotional picking: people tend to pick their skin in response to psychological states, such as stress and anxiety, or anger. Recognising these triggers is important when trying to break the skin picking cycle.
3. Habitual picking: some people engage in skin picking out of habit. This occurs in a state of boredom, or when idle or feeling tired.
4. OCD: skin picking is related to other obsessive compulsive behaviours. If you have other associated behaviours, such as frequent handwashing, hair pulling or plucking, ritualistic behaviours or excessive tidying, skin picking can be a sign of further undiagnosed problems that could benefit from treatment.

eeL

I can relate to this on two counts - I do it 'cos my skin gets itchy and lumpy (don't know if it's allergy or anxiety related, I know I have alopecia and scalp psoriasis due to stress) and also when I'm really stressed or emotionally struggling. Might not work for you but two things that help me are :

1/ Adding Epsom salts to a bath - it seems to relieve the itching and slow my eczema, plus where I've picked it cleanses and initially stings a tiny bit - the latter I find useful just to remind myself that all the places I can feel are WOUNDS where I've actually damaged myself, because when I'm picking I don't really register it, I just pick. It makes me think twice when I next find myself absentmindedly picking!

2/ Finding something else to do with my hands or wearing gloves when I feel the urge - it's hard to do but it helps to identify when you're doing it and maybe what triggers it so you can be aware and make a conscious choice not to do it. I try to 'mother' my inner child and tell myself 'It's silly to damage myself because I'm stressed - it's ok to be stressed and need to get relief by doing something but do something else or I make myself another problem'. I won't say the resulting mess is much more welcome than sores but sometimes I rip up a tissue into tiny pieces - 'picking', but not at myself! lol

You will find a way because you put up this post which shows you have identified it as a problem you wish to stop, so I'm confident that you will! I won't say I NEVER pick, but I've mostly stopped digging huge holes in my arms. I tell myself that you can't cure these deep set habits overnight but you can try and get better at it over time❤