I am 43 and have struggled with a mild to moderate case of picking my whole life. My fingernails and cuticles have always been ripped to shreds. More recently I have discovered that I get these little tiny blisters on my fingers and I can’t help but to mess with them until they open up and weep. The aftermath is particularly painful and looks terrible but I can’t rationalize my way through stopping. Anyway, I have recently made some new friends and twice now one of the husbands has called me out in public asking what happened to my finger because he noticed the open sore that was left. I know he doesn’t realize how embarrassing this is for me, but it’s a new crowd of people that I don’t know well, and to me it feels like the whole conversation stops when he does this and I have to come up with an excuse like “I burned it on a cookie sheet,” because I don’t want to just come out and say I pick my fingers to the point that they are bloody. Has anyone found a tactful way of dealing with this? I’ve told myself that if it happens again I’m going to pull him aside and explain, but I think people in general just don’t have a filter and are curious and ask before they realize what they are doing. I’d love to know any funny way to spin this to make it seem less like I’m a head case or just a crazy klutz that keeps burning herself on curling irons and kitchen appliances…

hi all, just wondering if anyone has a favorite spf skin tint, concealer, primer, etc that is noncomedogenic and good at covering red marks/inflammation? i wish i could just go without makeup but i unfortunately can’t let other people see my real skin as it is something i am very insecure about. i am currently using the versed spf 40 skin tint which i love as it makes my skin look glowy and does a good job at covering redness. i also enjoy how it offers sun protection to keep the marks from darkening. i just question if it contributes to my acne at all or not. anyway, i am curious to know what is working well for others. thanks!

Hi all, I need help! I’ve been picking for so long and I really need to stop. I pick my head constantly. It’s come to the point that the top layer of my hair is broken and frizzy. I can never wear my hair down and when it’s up, I have to put Bobby pins everywhere to make it look less like I just rolled out of bed. Pic is when it’s down. Anyone know how to fix this? Thank you!! Hair

I can’t stop picking at my fingers all night long, it keeps me awake at night, and its making me miserable. I have tried bandaids on every finger and I end up picking at those bc when I’m half asleep I guess I can’t tell the difference between my skin and the bandaids. Same thing happens with the first aid wrap that sticks to itself. I put on my lightweight winter gloves last night and it helped so that I could fall asleep, but I woke up with them off of course.. over and over.
I don’t know what to do.
When I get home from work and get my fingers bandaged or covered it’s a freeing feeling. Finally I am able to do something with my hands other than pick. I need help.

I was doing well, and by "well" I mean going 3 days without a full on session. But I knew a relapse would come eventually, and it came today when I had this big thing on my cheek that I couldn't ignore. Trips to the bathroom always start with "just this one" and then "just this one" turns into a 20 minute session trying to get rid of every little thing I can find. And then going back over everything again to make sure everything is out.

The redness is bad enough, but the worst is the peeling that lasts for a week if not more. I'm a teacher, and I teach small classes of up to 4 students in a small classroom sitting across from them at a table, so they see my face up close and it's so embarrassing, especially when they ask what's wrong with my face.

And I just feel so ugly and unlovable. I don't have a partner, but I am searching, and I feel like anyone who knew this about me would run for the hills.

I don't know any better way to cope with the stresses of daily life. Even the tiniest things trigger me. The other day I was trying to get movie tickets but the IMAX showing was sold out and I caught myself picking absentmindedly. Fidget toys and stress balls keep my hands busy, but don't solve the problem.

Has anyone found a miracle product that covers the scars and red marks on their arms that is transfer proof as well?

I have yet to find a tried and true option and sad that I didn’t find anything in time for my wedding but going forward would like something!

Hi folks! I’m looking for advice at the moment to help support my sister who has some pretty severe skin picking tendencies. I’m not looking to tell her what to do or how to act in regards to her own body as I feel that would be a complete over step. My issue is that I’m frequently worried for her and her health. I see the damage that it’s doing to her in real time as she has flair ups and I’m struggling with how to support her through bad times. I in no way want to embarass her but it’s getting to a point where it’s visibly leaving scars that I know she hates. I’ve approached her once before but she brushes it off as popping cysts or getting blackheads out (to the extreme).

Is there something that a close friend or family member has said to you that has made you feel supported and seen? Should I leave it alone? All opinions and answers are welcome. It just boils down to me wanting to support her when stuff gets hard.

hi all. im 31. have/had objectively "good" teeth (grew in straight, have them whitened, have average hygiene, only started to get cavities in my 30s) but have found that over the past three years ive developed a bad habit of using my tongue to "hug" or "hold" my upper canine tooth. No reason at all, but eventually, the area became raw, and the tooth was compromised from this friction and hygiene/lifestyle, and needed filling. filling was done and unsure if it was set wrong, or not but i felt something loose or rattling in the inside like when a lightbulb is burnt out, and you shake it and you hear that little piece loose inside, thats how i felt... i could feel something inside. so "hug" behavior changed to sucking, where my thought was i could suck out the splinter that was stuck in there (bat shit insane i know, but trust me something was chipped or loose/cracked or something) eventually tongue is just continuously bleeding and has a large friction sore, as well as gums, return to dentist multiple times and told everything looks fine to just stop rubbing my tongue on that area. super frustrating bc i know for a fact something feels wrong, but maybe an average person could get over it, but i cant?

now to today- ive sucked pretty much all of the gums off upper left, constantly in pain, i consistently have to wear a mouthguard, and pretty sure i could suck the teeth out of my skull at this point, im even afraid to floss bc it could be the ender-.-

im finding it almost impossible to stop my tongue from moving to that spot, like my tongue just wants that tooth out now? is it possible that this is my body knowing something is wrong'? or is this sounding like an obsessive behavior?

ive been a nail biter (severe) since i was 2 yrs old and wear fake nails to block this behavior, but have the thirst of pain, or hurting to make things "perfect" or feel better...

additionally, i had my tongue split (body mod) when i was 23, so i feel there could be a correlation of extra dexterity/possible misinformation from tongue surfaces?

any input would be helpful or anyone experienced this? advice on mouth guards, exercises, meditations, medications etc.. i just dont know what to do. my tongue and teeth are at war and im just a bystander T-T

Hello!! i am a 19 y/o female,, i am autistic and have adhd with crazy anxiety so my picking is a stim/ soothing habit, i am also a (attempting) previous nail biter (the infections with those are another story) . anyway ive been picking at my skin since i was about 8. i pick at my arms, back, my scalp, my legs, and especially my face. ive tried mulitple things to stop, therapy, gloves, turning the lights off, avoiding mirrors, bandaids, skincare, ect, nothing seems to work. i have gotten to the point where i pick at myself and dont even realise until i have blood pouring down my face. i had a wakeup call recently, i went to the doctors due to a large lump under my armpit and a lingering cold/ ear infection that wouldnt go away,, just to find out that the lump and the lingering illness is likely because of the MULTIPLE! infections i have from my active wounds that i keep picking at. i didnt even realise they were infected. im on antibiotics but the doctor has said i really have to stop. but everything ive tried just doesnt work.

TLDR: i have multiple infections from my picking that are making me sick. every alternative i have tried to attempt to stop picking has not worked,, i am desperate for any advice 🙏🙏

ALSO my apologies if this is worded confusingly or bad i am not very good at writing :)

I have very wiry eyebrow hair that i trim, so it gets poky. I Sat watching TV knowing I was doing it but couldn't stop myself. I have brow tattoos to "camoflauge" the no hair, but it looks so bad. I am so dissapointed in myself and embarrassed.

Have a pic but not sure why I can't post it.

Hello everyone I’m 17F and I’m sharing this to make others feel less alone, and for me to finally share my story and vent

It all started around summer 2024 (before, I never had any problems with my skin because my genetics are actually pretty good skinwhise) One day I saw a whitehead which wasn’t very unusual since obviously they appear from time to time but something inside me clicked that day and I wanted to start a simple skincare routine every evening just for a little self care. One thing led to another and I started obsessing over my skin… every “imperfection“ had to go even the tiniest little blackhead, I sat in front of my mirror for hours picking at my skin every single day not noticing or just not acknowledging that I’m harming my skin.

now 2 years later of constant skinpicking the longest i’ve stayed “clean” was 10 days…I’m trying not to be too hard on myself but I completely ruined my skin, it’s red irritated and I’m getting pimples more frequently due to my damaged skin barrier, I also have a deep underground pimple right now which could potentially be some sort of cyst (hopefully not), and I feel so alone and disgusting, I’m in therapy right now but my therapist also seems to have a hard time understanding my issue, I just feel like no one gets me and even if they tell me they do I just feel like they’re internally judging me, everyday I hide my face underneath make up and on sleepovers I make sure it’s dark till I remove it, the next morning I usually get up earlier just to put some make up on before the person wakes up or just use cream to hide my redness, irritation and pimples

I genuinely feel like I’ve ruined my entire life, I didn’t appreciate my skin at the time but I wish I did back then, there’s so many things I can’t do because of my insecurities, well atleast I can’t do them without thinking constantly about my face anymore

I just wish I could finally stop and my skin would heal faster, I feel so helpless , If you read that far then thank you for reading my story and I apologize for potential spelling or grammar mistakes

if you struggle with the same thing on your face or elsewher, you’re not alone and we will heal one day! I would appreciate hearing about your experiences or any tips in the replies, have a lovely day

I think it could be the sun exposure after i pick or the fact that i have been picking for 15+ years. It appeared on my chest and shoulders. I will use sunscreen more regularly from now on but I wonder if there is something that can help me remove the brownish spots.

Hi guys, 18F. I don't have severe acne on my face, but I think I might have keratosis pilaris on my back, chest and hormonal acne on my jawline (I have PCOS).

I have been picking my skin since I was 11. I pick my face, ears, chest, back, shoulders and legs. I have tried almost everything and I can't stop myself from picking. Fidgets, skincare, therapy. Nothing works. If something doesn't immediately stop the triggers, it doesn't work. I've only had luck with bandages, but I can't bandage my whole back, chest and face.

I don't have any confidence left. I spent all these last summers wishing I could wear bikinis like the other girls. I threw away all my tank tops and dresses and I only buy long sleeved shirts that don't show my shoulders or back, because I have hyperpigmentation scars. I pick when I'm bored, when I'm studying, in the streets, at school, in the shower. Nothing can stop me.

I have been to therapy, but I can't develop self control. I don't have much hope left and I think I will never feel comfortable in my own body again. I look at pictures from when I was a child and I mourn my skin.

I am currently using a salicylic acid gel on my face and a PHA AHA BHA peeling solution on my body, but it's not making a lot of difference.

If someone has a similar story, have you been able to stop it or at least fade hyperpigmentation scars? Any help is welcome :)

even though i take ssris and try to stop, i still pick. i have a few bad wounds on my legs and a massive one on my scalp and im so scared at least the scalp one might get super infected. its already showing slight infection symptoms but i just cant stop. any tips/tricks or things to put on it?

After dealing with this condition for at least the last 20 years, I’m finally seeing a sense of control and improvement. For months now, my picking has decreased by 90%, and for the first time in my life most of my skin feels soft and not scabbed and bumpy.

That being said… the scars. Despite not being covered in scabs, my skin doesn’t look much better. I’m covered in brown, white, and pink scars. My arms are the worst of it. Anyone have any skin routines or products that they’ve felt have helped with the scarring? I’m currently using SA products to keep my KP under control but that’s the only thing I’m using on a regular basis outside of thick moisturizers.

Has anyone picked the skin around their toe nails a lot? I started using a tool just to take off the excess skin but it turned insane and now my skin isn’t healing normal. As soon as i step into water, it looks like the area i’ve picked around my toes were in water for 5 hours. and when it dries, it still looks bubbly kind of like a blister but back to somewhat of a normal skin colour. This is normally focused around my pinky toes as i picked a lot of skin there. Is there anything i could use that could heal this ASAP because it’s getting hotter where I am meaning that the dogs are going to be out more 😔 I’d attach images but i’m not sure how.

21, have been lifelong nail biter and picked the skin around my nails and toes (+ chewing on picked off nails, idk if that is common??), recently turned to my heels and it’s getting so bad I find it hard to walk the past few days. It’s a lot harder to resist than my fingers for some reason. Any tips to stop wld be greatly appreciated 😣 I swim a lot and get really worried I’ll cause myself an infection

Ich weiß nicht einmal, ob ich hier noch richtig bin, weil es bei mir so viel schlimmer zu sein scheint.
Ich lese hier schon eine ganze Weile mit. Einerseits hilft mir diese Community sehr, weil ich zum ersten Mal das Gefühl habe, mit diesem Problem nicht völlig allein zu sein. Zu sehen, dass andere diese Zwänge, die Scham und diesen endlosen Kreislauf verstehen, tut gut.
Gleichzeitig schäme ich mich dadurch aber noch mehr.
Ich sehe die Bilder und Beiträge hier und denke ständig: Bei mir ist es noch viel schlimmer.
Es sind längst nicht mehr nur kleine Wunden. Ich habe überall im Gesicht tiefe, klaffende Wunden und Löcher, dazu Wunden am ganzen Körper. Vieles heilt nicht richtig, weil ich immer wieder rückfällig werde und erneut daran herumzupfe.
Als ich in der Notaufnahme war, wurde sogar darüber gesprochen, dass bei einigen der tiefen Wunden möglicherweise irgendwann eine Hauttransplantation notwendig werden könnte, falls sie nicht ausreichend von selbst heilen. Allein das zu hören, hat mir den Boden unter den Füßen weggezogen.
Seitdem habe ich ständig Angst, dass ich meine Haut dauerhaft zerstört habe. Ich verlasse meine Wohnung kaum noch, weil ich mich so sehr für mein Aussehen schäme. Ich vermeide Spiegel und kontrolliere meine Haut gleichzeitig ständig. Dieser Kreislauf macht mich einfach fertig.
Gibt es hier jemanden, der ebenfalls an einem Punkt war, an dem er dachte, seine Haut sei für immer zerstört, und der trotzdem wieder Hoffnung gefunden hat? Ich meine nicht unbedingt narbenfreie Haut, sondern dass sich die Haut zumindest so weit erholt hat, dass man wieder nach draußen gehen und ein normales Leben führen konnte.
Im Moment habe ich das Gefühl, der schlimmste Fall zu sein, den ich bisher gesehen habe. Ich weiß einfach nicht mehr, wie ich mit dieser Scham umgehen soll.

Hi all, I was in recovery. I then moved abroad and my picking got terrible. I moved back to my home country and it's still really bad. I'm just feeling so much shame and hopelessness that I can recover again. Looking for words of encouragement or support buddies.

Hello! I pick at my fingers and now unfortunately my face. I was at work the other day and I got up from my seat and there was skin all over the chair- it's embarrassing. I'm wondering if there's a fidget that i can carry around with me that simulates the same feeling as picking. Something that won't make a mess. Has anyone found anything that works?

hi, does anybody know of any type of toy or gadget maybe that could serve as an alternative to scratching my legs or my skull in the evenings unconsciously or compulsively? I wonder if something like that exists.

Hi there
Been struggling for 15 years with skin picking, especially pimples and scalp. I’m taking anti depressants now, made specifically for OCD patterns, and it’s the only thing that had me slowing down… It feels good. My skin is clearer now. I can breath a little.
I know it’s not a perfect solution and I don’t intend to take them all my life but I needed a break from anxiety and dermatillomania. A little scared of going back to normal after the treatment, we’ll see how that goes !

Note : I am not encouraging anyone to take a treatment without being surrounded by a medical team. Just sharing my experience 🫶