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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@brownie2661, Del Terese, 23, Oregon
"Sometimes it just feels like everyone else is perfect." -
@mdmart.shop, Molly Delaney, 29, Ireland, 2021
"As someone with derm, I felt that a self portrait was the most authentic way for me to portray the disorder. I’m a huge believer in the healing power of art and positivity. I tried to convey that by marking the areas where I pick most frequently with smiley faces. Even though I have these very visible effects of derm, my attitude and mindset don’t need to be negatively effected. We aren’t our disorder and our disorder isn’t us.
I started picking many years ago as a child. I have scars from picking at chickenpox, I’ve had bald spots from picking at my scalp, I’ve had countless nosebleeds from picking at my nose. My arms, my face, my scalp, my chest; all bare the years of derm’s attempts to self sooth. Had safe spaces and advocacy groups like the picking me foundation existed when I was growing up, I would have had a very different experience. The normalisation, knowing that you’re not alone, you’re not disgusting, you’re worthy of love and respect and appreciation from yourself and those around you- that mission is life changing. But the most important thing that Picking me has done is creating a supportive community to fight our struggle together, no longer." -
@julsgax, Julieta Gazzo, 20, Buenos Aires, Argentina, 2021
"I tried to represent the anger you feel when you can’t stop picking your own skin" -
Leslie Cairns, 30, Littleton, CO -
M.P., 15, Missouri
"I've been dealing with dermatillomania in silence for three years, and recently found out about sites and communities like this one that offer help to people like me. I created this art piece with the goal of showing how I feel after a picking session — ashamed and guilty —, but also who I truly am, not just the ideas I have about myself. Remember, you are beautiful, scabs and scars and everything else!" -
Yaso Hajj, 10, Ghobeiry, Lebanon -
@birdsbeforehoes, Nox Everglade, 16, Washington
"I had picked open a good chunk of my finger, and decided to use the blood for something as it was just spending its time getting all over my school work." -
@jacqueline.sknpckng, Jacqueline D., 23, Germany
"This drawing is called "waste of time". My dermatillomania consumes so much time in my everyday life. While I pick I don't have any sense of time. Sometimes I am sad because this waste of time is so unfair as I want to take care of so many other things... Because of my skin picking I have so much less time for important things or hobbies. And the drawing shows that it's in our hands what we do with our time.
Thank you for all of your amazing work!"
