Dermatillomania can be hard to talk about. Let's draw about it.
This is a growing collection of art by individuals who have suffered with Skin Picking Disorder.
Acting as a visual portrayal of their journey, these drawings help other sufferers understand they're not alone.
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This art is heavily inspired by @avajinying on Instagram and her Monster Drawing Series. This drawing shows how much my mind and body spirals out of control whenever I have a picking session. -@mew.tiful, Mary Werner, 24, Washington -
As a child, in school, we would play Heads Up 7 Up. Where 7 people choose a thumb to press down and those chosen has to guess who it was. I was never picked because my thumbs were macerated from biting and picking. They never wanted to touch my hands, so nobody ever pressed my thumb down. -@vertitpoption, Hailey Heath, 19, Chicago -
I’ve always been told to “stop eating yourself”. And I found it ironic how media can sexualize cannibalism; yet someone who picks, bites, and eats their skin is too far. It made me think, what if a feminine icon like Marilyn Monroe had dermatillomania? Would she be the icon she was back then if she had this? Is it really that unsightly? And thus this piece was created. -@vertitpoption, Hailey Heath, 19, Chicago -
Apologies if it's too graphic! I was inspired to submit this by how raw & vulnerable everybody else's artwork was, I would never have shared this piece anywhere before seeing this art collection! It feels so nice in a bittersweet way to know I'm not the only one who struggles with this, and I don't have to hide it or how it makes me feel.
I saw some of them had captions, if possible I'd like to add the caption: "You missed a spot."
- Victoria Berry, 23, Alabama -
I sit with my back turned, my hands trying to pick at the imperfect bumps, scabs, and wounds. I can’t simply stop. My hands are here most days. Bloodstains all over the painting show that this has impacted not just my back but my whole life. I hide my face, feeling ugly and ashamed of the damage I can’t control. My pain, a quiet display of dermatillomania, is visible for all to see through this art I created when I was overwhelmed by emotional suffering.
- Joshiya Aricatt, 31, Canada -
Joshiya Joseph, 31, Canada -
Elizabeth N., 15 -
Elizabeth N., 15
