"I'm #PickingMe over Skin Picking because I want my skin to heal, I want to be comfortable in my body. I want to stop hurting me so much. I also just want to overcome this as I feel like I don’t have control on these actions anymore. I want to get rid of these sensations on my skin, i want to be soft to myself and not the opposite. Knowing I am not the only one here is really encouraging me to do so <3 I have been picking my skin for at least 5 years none stop now. Everyday I will be sliding my hands over and over these spots on my body, and the thing is I don’t even think about doing it or looking for a spot because instinctively I know exactly where to pick. I think all of this comes with anxiety at different levels, but at any levels, my hands have these urges to squeeze and scratch. It affects my social life because now its not just at home where I am not necessarily seen, but right in class or in restaurants. Some of my clothes have blood spots. I treat my anxiety with therapy/hypnosis, I talk a lot about this but since it is not diagnosed or anything, it falls more into the anxiety category." -Marianne, 22, Quebec

"I'm #PickingMe over Skin Picking because I’m sick of wasting time picking my skin and don’t want to be embarrassed anymore. I’ve had eczema from a young age. I remember the first time I picked my skin was when I had a small scab and I picked it and there was smooth skin (no blood or pain) underneath. I started picking my hands to the point where they were covered with scabs. I was asked if I had chicken pox. I also picked my legs and arms because I have keratosis pilaris or something and couldn’t stand the bumps. My skin picking has gotten better since then, and the only place I really pick is my scalp. I remember once when my hair was greasy and felt gross and itchy, I scratched my scalp. Then I got scabs and stuff which I picked more because I wanted to get the bumps off. One time in class I flicked my hair to get the dead dandruff off. I don’t know why I did it - I just liked seeing the gross stuff leave my hair. Right now I’m okay with my skin picking and trying not to pick my scalp anymore because it injures me and makes my hands gross and oily which makes me wash them a lot. I am using a hair tie to distract my hands, and gloves. I skin pick when I’m bored or stressed. I’ve had to get prescription ointments and medicines before for my wounds from picking. But I’m over it, almost!" -Anonymous, 13

"I'm #PickingMe over Skin Picking because I need to get better. I don’t know how or when but I need to stop. It’s already taken so much from me and I refuse to let it take more. I don’t know when it started, but looking back when I was younger I remember scratching my head when I got overwhelmed in school and using tweezers to remove bumps on my legs. Since COVID things have made a turn for the worse and my chest, back, lips, and shoulders show signs of dermatillomania. I’ve been trying a bit not to peel the skin on my lips, and I’ve succeeded. The only problem is that the picking is worse on my shoulders now. I’ve tried bandages which have induced other problems of their own. The last time I was forced to stop I did, but I got so unbearably irritable until I snapped. I will get better someday because I need to." -Anonymous, 15

"I'm #PickingMe over Skin Picking because I deserve to feel beautiful and I deserve love. I'm a 22 year old artist and animal lover from Atlanta. I grew up with two amazing parents who supported me, and that includes when I started showing early signs of being different. I showed signs of mental illness as early as kindergarten, and among the many things one of those was picking. It started off pulling out my lashes and scratching a bump I had on my armpit, which when I grew up I realized was a mole haha. It remained to that degree until I reached 5th grade. I was going through a lot in my life mentally and physically, I started self harming. Picking was done alongside my self harming so my skin was truly at it's worst. My entire middle school experience was wearing long sleeves and pants, even in 98 degree weather. I was bullied for many things so being a weirdo who covered up didn't help that at all. Fast forward to late high school, still struggling, I fell victim to heroin. I used from age 17 till age 20/21. That's when my picking became more noticeable to others. People saw me as an addict physically, which is something I always tried to avoid. I really, truly felt disgusting and unlovable. At that time I was already healing from multiple abusive relationships and it was my rock bottom. I almost died, I'm clean and I'm 22 now. My picking is still an issue but I no longer spend 5 hrs in my bed with tweezers pulling out all my body hair fearing that there's something under my skin. I no longer dig in my skin with my nails and needles wondering if something will come out. It still happens, but I'm able to control how far I take it. For me it helps if I don't look at my skin close, so I got rid of the easy access to my phone flash light and started wearing pants when I'm alone. My picking went from one of the biggest issues I was dealing with to something that's now in the back of my mind (mostly). I'm able to actually focus on my other issues now and I'm able to wear shorts without anxiety about who will look at my legs. I even feel sexy sometimes haha. Anyway, it's far from over. I will continue to heal in all aspects probably for the rest of my life. But I'm able to see that I'm at least in a better place than I was. I wish you all the best, I really do. Talk to people in your life about it. Speak publicly about it. Don't hide." -@elvensailor, Mia G., 22, Atlanta, GA

"I'm #PickingMe over Skin Picking because I want to be able to walk without pain and not have to feel embarrassed about the way my feet and hands look. Since I was a child I've been picking and biting at my fingers, I had to give up playing guitar because of the pain in my fingers. Since then my skin picking has progressed to my heel and that is currently where it is the worst. I hate the way my heels look and feel and I find myself walking on my tip toes to avoid putting pressure on my heels. I will peel my heels raw if I start." -Anonymous, 20

"I'm #PickingMe over Skin Picking because I want to be happy and live my life for not just me but my children. I deserve to be comfortable in my own skin, feel beautiful have self love and compassion. I believe my story starts at the age of 11 with body image. I'm very self conscious and embarrassed about this but, I was a bigger girl and hated how I'd looked. All my friends and peers were thin and I felt like the fat kid. Around age 16 I worked out lost the weight was happy with myself, For the first time in along time. I have battled with depression and ocd from a very young age. So this accomplishment was huge for me. Then I was a late bloomer so at the same age of 16 I got my menstrual cycle and all my skin issues started. I didn't pick as much back then, but as I got older and my body and skin changed more and life got more stressful I started picking at every little imperfection. My ocd makes me focus so much on perfectionism and trying to rid my body of anything imperfect. I pick everywhere a little here and there throughout the day. sometimes I have bad hour episodes, because I scan my body and feel for pimples or scabs to pick at . I feel so ashamed and disgusting now with how my skin looks I cover up to hide it from myself and others. I just want to stop and it's so hard. Some days It's real hard to keep going. I feel for anyone going through this. It takes up so much time that we can't get back. I'm really glad though I found I'm not alone." -Brandy, 31, Pennsylvania

"I have suffered from this my entire life. I remember as a very small child picking my lip til it bled, and also the cuticles of my toes, and my Daddy saying "Stop picking your lip!" or affectionately calling me a "foot picker", and trying to get me to stop, but I truly COULDN'T stop. Then in high school I started picking my face, and from then right up to well into my 40s, my face almost always exhibited sores, sometimes just few, sometimes not really bad ones, but often lots of them, covering my face, and sometimes really bad ones; twice I had to go to the ER to get antibiotics because sores got so infected and swollen-at least one of those times the Dr thought it was MRSA. In addition to this messing with my quality of life for so many years because I felt so self conscious when out in public or with friends etc about how ugly the sores were (often making repeated trips to the bathroom to reapply coverup makeup-it would come off because the sores were still open and oozing), and couldn't fully relax and enjoy myself thinking about how it affected my appearance, it also took up thousands and thousands of hours of my life which I can never get back, precious hours I could have spent talking with my Mama, instead of picking in the bathroom in front of the mirror while she sat alone in the living room; this in particular haunts me. At some point in the past dozen years, I was prescribed various psych meds, for other reasons (anxiety & depression), and one of their unintended, happy effects was to greatly lessen the urge to pick. I am no longer on those meds, but somehow the cycle of picking was partially broken and now for the most part I only pick my chin, and for less hours per day than i used to. Not ideal, but in comparison to 40 years of picking my whole face, and for so many hours per day, it is a relief. Just a few years ago, I read a YA (Young Adult-read "teen") novel in which one of the main characters had dermatillomania-the first time I ever knew it was a bonafide, recognized (tho not WIDELY recognized-even my mental health care providers had not heard of it until I told them about it), disorder. Wish I had known about it back when I was 15. I hope to help spread awareness about it so others can maybe benefit..." -Pamela Fletcher Sturt, 60, Hillsdale, NJ

"I’m a 16 year old girl and for the past 5 years (almost), I’ve not gone a single day without picking at imperfections. It ranges from mild, hidden picks say on my back and arms on good days when I have more control over my urges, to full blown sessions that last hours and leave my face, arms, chest, back and even legs a bleeding, red inflamed mess. I’ve gone to the point where my arms are trembling with the amount of open wounds littering my shoulders, yet there is still this burning, insatiable energy balled in my stomach that is literally unbearable. I’m currently being affected by the worst arm pick I’ve ever had - I’ve not worn a short sleeve/armless top in 2 months and I’m seriously worried about the wounds potentially getting infected.
The issue in particular is pimples. I yearn for “perfect pops”. I go into this trance like state where all the thoughts of stopping seem so distant and weak, impossible to listen to. I’ve always struggled with self confidence, and though I am genuinely beginning to feel very pretty and happy with the way I look, I seem to always self-sabotage. It’s after the days where I feel prettiest at school or at parties, that often lead to the most severe picks. I speculate I also suffer from misophonia and Bipolar2 disorder. It is my coping mechanism for these two things, a physical manifestation of their suppression within me. I want to get help, but it is overwhelming and so expensive and I do not even know how to begin to go about it. But after writing this, I am determined to truly truly put in effort to try and help myself in this regard. I don’t want to be held back any more.." -Anonymous, 16

"I'm #PickingMe over Skin Picking because I was given this link as a possible way to find others that might relate or do the same, or have any possible suggestions or advice... not sure really, just trying anything I guess. I've been picking in one way or another since I was a little kid. My fingernails at first, then any and every scab... even cut, n make my own scabs... then when they turned to scars I'd pick those to. Still do.
I'm covered in scars. I had to go to the Dr. several times for infections that required antibiotics. My issue now is my total obsession or addiction to picking my finger tips. The pads or whatever, all down n around my cuticles and all down the sides of each finger. There bloody and split, and I believe I'm addicted to the pain that comes with doing this. Everyday I can barely touch or puck up anything with it hurting. I use salves and Neosporin, boxes of band aids on hand always. I bite with my mouth, pick with my fingers, peel pull rip, and before was also using the big toenail clippers... I had to have my friend hide those from me... Yup it sucks and I just cannot f***** stop... I cannot fucking stop picking. I've done it in one way or another my hole life.im 50 yrs old now. It started with chewing my nails down to the quick till they were sore and red, then I also started picking any scabs or cuts. id even cut myself to make a scab so I could pick it. When/if I'd let it heal n scar, I'd eventually start to pick the scar. Still do that actually. I have scars all over my body. I've been hospitalized, given antibiotics, gotten staph, I'm sure I've spent thousands of dollars on bacitracin, neosporin, herbal salves bandaids, etc... I did and do pick my face, but that's not my major part, I do have a long scar down the rite side of my face from ware I got cut and it may of not been as noticeable if I hadn't picked at it wile it was healing. So there's that ,but my newest (as of a few years ago) is my fingertips and pads.. I pick tear, rip n pull, chew n clip obsessively all day pretty much. I tear the cuticles and surrounding skin till it bleeds. I believe I'm addicted some how to the pain n soreness it makes.
Has anyone else thought that?
About actually liking or needing that pain?
I have people constantly telling me to stop, or even as far as holding my arms so I cant pick.
It really is terrible. I cant touch or pick up anything or hold anything with out it hurting. Not to mention that usually every fingertip is bandaged. I've tried using gloves during my idle time, like watching tv and other times ,but I actually pick while there on as well... it just all a f**** mess.
Yes, I have many other mental illnesses I suppose-manic depression, bipolar, schizoaffective disorder, manic episodes, suicidal tendencies, tardive dyskinesia, ocd, adhd, s*** the list might as well go on. And yes a history of sexual abuse and mental abuse. I was a drug addict for more the half my life..im on all kinds of meds... yup I'm a mess..so there's my story." -Sarah, 50, Alaska

"I'm #PickingMe over Skin Picking because I deserve to feel comfortable in my own skin. Ever since I was 7 I've picked at my scabs. At first it was a trauma response, and then it became something I thought was a habit. Long story short, it wasn't. I've picked at my legs, my arms, some areas on my torso, and even a couple things on my face. I'm covered in scars, some big, some small. My parents and friends are constantly on me about it, and nobody believes me when I tell them its a disorder. I'm picking me over everything people are telling me because I don't deserve to be pushed around." -Lilah, 14, Wisconsin

"My mom and my daughter both seem to have this condition. I want to know what I can do to help them without hurting their feelings. My mom has always picked her lips, cuticles and ears....not to a point where she had incredibly obvious blemishes, but definitely little scabs and such. My daughter, became addicted to Crystal Meth and is now "on the wagon". She started picking her face when on Meth...now she just picks and picks. She's biracial and when she gets scabs, it turns her skin dark. She will go through periods of time where she will stop, but it doesn't last long. What can I say to her to help her?" -Anonymous, 52

"I'm #PickingMe over Skin Picking because I want to change. I'm tired of not being in control of my own body, because it is truly one of the worst feelings ever. I'm Picking Me over scabs and hours of sleep lost due to picking, and wasted time picking out loose scabs and skin after an episode of bad picking. Over the sight of blood on my fingers after I go too far. I'm picking me because if others can do it, I can too. I started my skin picking journey in 2020. I began by scratching my head near the roots of my hair. I became obsessed with watching the dandruff fall out. it then escalated into picking, and within a month I had created the first scab on my head. in the past two years I have lost so much hair, and I know that if I keep going it wont be able to grow back. I wont be able to hide the scabs. It is so so impossibly hard for me to gain control. once I start I cant stop. in fact I've been taking breaks writing to scratch the places on my head that hurt the most. I've tried so many different things. I have tried wearing hats, putting cream on the worst areas, timing myself to see how long I can go without picking, etc. My parents don't understand and I always get yelled at to "stop picking" when it isn't that easy. I pick other places on my body, especially mosquito bites, but the biggest challenge for me is my head. I want to be able to wear buns without exposing the bald spot on the back of my head, I want to stop hearing "there's something in your hair". I just want it to be done." -Lily, 16, New York

"I'm #PickingMe over Skin Picking because I have a beautiful life ahead of me, and I deserve to feel beautiful no matter my scarring and my redness. In fact, we are beautiful because of our scarring and redness :) it shows our journey and our perseverance, and that is the most wonderful thing about each of us. Hi y'all! I wanted to share my story with picking. I've had a battle with it my whole life. When I was 10, I would pick at my scalp and hairline, and I've been picking my face since as well, leading to patches and bumps and dark marks all over my face. The scarring has caused me insecurity and embarrassment, and I used to wear makeup every day, but I'm done now. I'm proud of my skin and I'm proud of me for working every day to fight my urges and seek coping mechanisms. You don't need makeup—you need self love and / or appearance neutrality. We can do it!" -@cosmo_182, Cosmo Randazzo, 21, US

"I'm #PickingMe over Skin Picking because I’d like to learn to be a human being that makes decisions because of things that are completely unrelated to the amount of myself I peel away. Hey hi hello…it took me many years of shame to finally be diagnosed with OCD. 24 years into symptoms of varying severity, I finally found out what was happening in my brain. My dad says I’ve been picking my skin longer than he has memory. In every friendship, relationship, or any sort of incident in which me being perceived is involved, I am thinking about hiding my feet. The scar tissue is deep and disfiguring and hard to ignore. It controls the way I navigate being alive: I wake to an already awakened self, covered in confetti made from my own bloody skin, trying to figure out how long it’s been since I remembered something. It’s a never ending wound on the outside to match the inside but I'm not even doing it on purpose. It’s crippling and controlling and I’m doing my best to learn how to make it without shame. Baby steps" -@horncusk, Shivohn Fleming, 29, Maine

"I'm #PickingMe over Skin Picking because I am worth it. Finally! Other people who share my pain. Sixty years [that's right, 60] with arms and legs still with scratches and covered in scars. Hearing the word 'pick' makes me shrivel up in pain and embarrassment. Even my wedding dress had long sleeves just in case I had to hide my arms. Anxiety and depression have plagued me for years and despite medication I continue to scratch away. Thank you Lauren and everyone else for your honesty and openness. I now don't feel so alone and will continue to follow you and fellow sufferers, because that is what we are I guess, sufferers of a known condition." -Anonymous, Australia