Picking at skin/hair, popping zits, biting nails

amy88 · Sep 12, 2016

I know there is a disorder where people pull their hair out called trichitilomania (or something like that, I think I am spelling it wrong) but that's specifically about hair. I haven't heard of any sort of picking/popping disorder but that's not to say there isn't a name for it.

In saying that though I think a lot of people pick/pop pimples or pick at skin (if I have sunburn I feel like I have to peel it)...but if you're legitimately causing yourself further pain and damage as a result it could be worth talking to your doctor - do you find it's perhaps an anxious thing, where you might be stressed about something in particular and that triggers the picking/popping behavior?

WorkAtHomeGal · Sep 12, 2016

I had very very bad acne as a teenager and I want to warn you to be careful with the picking. My face is full of scars now and they all are from my acne from back then. It does hurt my self esteem of course because I think it makes me look gross. I do wear foundation to help cover it but there is only so much cover up one can do. It could also for you be a form of OCD I suppose too but I am not sure. I am not sure if this will help but do you have a family doctor? If so have you bought these concerns up? A doctor may be able to help too. Or even some research online.

sorrowscall · Sep 17, 2016

With the exception of the nail biting, I tend to also suffer from these symptoms. My issue turned out to just be side affects of my panic disorder. The way it was explained to me is that I was subconsciously doing it to keep from becoming too nervous about an entirely different matter. It could be an OCD but it could also be a side effect of something else perhaps?

fuzyon · Sep 17, 2016

Nail bitting is usually associated with anxiety but it can be an OCD symptom as well. If you cannot bare having a zit or blackhead on your body and you end up obsessing over it you might have a little bit of OCD. This disease can manifest itself in a lot of ways, I'm personally obsessed with patterns being in order otherwise I go crazy. Symmetry is key for me wherever I go and if I spot something that's not in the right order I obsess over it.

sidney · Sep 18, 2016

I think that's obviously an OCD affliction. If your nails are not able to grow because you constantly bite them and you're already an adult, then that's not normal. I pick my zits or whiteheads all the time, but I don't seen it as an OCD because it's a needed action to clean my face of dirt. In your case, if it seems often and normal than usual then I think that's OCD already.

Suzie · Sep 18, 2016

I have a teenager who also does this and I wondered the very same thing about this. I am very worried as I see she already has scares on her body from it. I do not understand why she is so compulsive to pop zits because I barely ever see any zits yet she says she has them on her arms , face & back... yet as said I do not hardly ever see them? I am thinking of having her to talk to someone soon?

Alexa · Sep 20, 2016

Are you completely aware when you start to pick? I have found myself in front of the mirror picking at my skin, without realizing what I was doing. Before I know it, my face is red and blotchy and even bleeding. I am going to start right there--I'm going to put a bell on the doorknob to maybe alert me when I enter the bathroom maybe I will hear it and be more aware of my actions. Maybe something of this sort will help you too.

Humphrey247 · Sep 20, 2016

For popping pimples, I'd advise buying a loophead extractor. It gives way better results than using your hands. For nail biting, I recommend a clear bitter nail polish. There are several of these designed for this exact situation.

tinnie · Sep 30, 2016

Thankfully I don't pull my hair or bite my nails, but I do have a skin picking problem. Once I see or feel something that is not supposed to be there, it's hard to keep my hands off it. And there is something so so satisfying about getting rid of a big pimple or a blackhead. Also I have keratosis pilaris which doesn't help this, since I have a lot of "pimples" on my arms and once I start squeezing them, it's very hard to stop.

Laneorexorcist · Oct 10, 2016

Hmm.. I'm almost completely sure that this is considered an OCD variation, but I'm not really sure how it is called, though. You should maybe take a look to the DSMV, search for the OCD section and you will have a wide list of OCD variables, I'm almost sure that this one is part of it. And also, it would be great for you if you considered going to a therapist that can help you with this, if it's something that's affecting your life/self esteem, then I think that it should be treated.

Ania · Oct 14, 2016

kroseh89 said:
Hello. I have an issue where if there is a scar on my skin, I have to pick it off. I also have to try to pop all zits/cysts to the point that my skin is in extreme pain and a complete mess because of how much I touch it. I guess my question is -- is this a form of OCD, or is it some other issue? I'd like to pinpoint where this issue stems from so I can take the correct actions to stop doing it. It's really harming my self-esteem and ultimately my life. I also can never have any sort of nails grown out, I have to bite them off the moment any single one of them gets length. Help?

There is a big chance you suffer from a mild form of OCD, after all OCD can come in many shapes! I suffer from the usual germ fear based OCD, as well as mild hoarding and double or triple checking everything. If you suspect you suffer from OCD and feel it's getting really bad, then try to seek some professional help. I live a very normal life thanks to therapy... I never thought I would, I mean, during my worst time in life I spent a whole year not leaving the house at all. All thanks to my OCD, mixed with my chronic depression, low self-esteem and a total lack of self-love.

Oh and by the way, I also used to bit my nails to the point my fingers did bleed... I think this has something to do with anxiety levels. I no longer do this by the way, using special nail polishes really helped. Thankfully my nails weren't permanently damaged.

fuzyon · Oct 14, 2016

I'd been biting my nails for years up until a few months ago when something triggered inside my brain and I just quit doing it. My nails were destroyed, it's the best way to put it, they looked unhealthy and I never would've thought they'd grow back. In a few months I've made a lot of progress and I haven't touched them since, they're nearly fully grown but I still have to take a little bit of medicine to help the process.

Panic57 · Oct 15, 2016

I've noticed this too. It bothers me immensely because most of them have babies and children so they are touching their kids' food with those hands. It just a form of extreme laziness and selfishness not to wash their hands. They don't have the right to make me sick because they can't be bothered to put their hands under water for a minute. I always wondered if all the disease outbreaks with food has to do with lazy people who won't wash their hands before going back to work.

Choochoo · Oct 15, 2016

I think I have some form of this. Sometimes I am afraid my whiteheads or blackheads might clear up and I will have nothing to do. I also used to pick my scalp but fortunately that suddenly got cured naturally so I don't have a choice anymore but to stop picking. I do have whiteheads in some parts of my body and face and I really enjoy picking at them and I'm torn between wanting them to go away and just be normal and also being able to pick at them.

stephonline · Oct 17, 2016

I know how that feels and I hate that I can spend hours in front of the mirror just being grossed out by my body. I do not like to look at my face in a magnified mirror because then I want to pick at every poor and remove every hair that is coming out of my face. I am so sick of blackheads and hair on my face. I also freak out over my nails and how they hurt if they are not polished.

AngelaMc · Feb 23, 2017

kroseh89 said:
Hello. I have an issue where if there is a scar on my skin, I have to pick it off. I also have to try to pop all zits/cysts to the point that my skin is in extreme pain and a complete mess because of how much I touch it. I guess my question is -- is this a form of OCD, or is it some other issue? I'd like to pinpoint where this issue stems from so I can take the correct actions to stop doing it. It's really harming my self-esteem and ultimately my life. I also can never have any sort of nails grown out, I have to bite them off the moment any single one of them gets length. Help?

As far as I know this is a form of OCD, a recent study showed that 23% of people with OCD had a skin picking disorder. Picking at your skin is called Dermitillomania, in which you pick at scabs, moles, acne, freckles and sores. This condition causes infection, bruising, bleeding, and sometimes permanent disfigurement. Skin picking episodes may be a conscience response to depression or anxiety. Treatments usually consist of various types of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy.

Natasha0717 · Feb 24, 2017

I like to secretly chew up the inside of the sides of my mouth (like the inner cheeks) with my back teeth. Also, for the last couple of days I've noticed that I had a small patch of white on my left lower gum, not like the dreaded leukoplakia (which is more on the surface, and also can be pre-cancerous)....but it was more like a certain part of my gum looked a little pale-white, just not right on the surface. So I went a little crazy and started brushing the area - very rough brushing, semi-believing that I was "brushing away" pre-cancerous cells....and then it started bleeding...and now it almost looks back to the normal pink as it should be! I can't believe my wild OCD solution actually worked. Usually I do more harm than good. Oral cancer is at the top of my list of worries. (Constantly looking at my tonsils with a flashlight.)

So yes, this type of behavior (and yours) is definitely a form of OCD, but you can also do it without even realizing it at times (like when I chew the inside cheek of my mouth) when you're just plain old nervous. It can be a simple nervous habit.

Concernedgal · Feb 26, 2017

It's funny you should say that @Natasha0717 . Sometimes I find myself grinding my teeth . My mouth is sometimes sore because of this. When I wake up in the morning, sometimes I have a headache on 1 side of my head.I think that I'm grinding my teeth in my sleep. Maybe I should try to chew gum during the day. My doctor says that chewing releases sarotonin in your brain. What if that's the reason we like to chew when stressed or anxious?

Natasha0717 · Feb 26, 2017

Concernedgal said:
It's funny you should say that @Natasha0717 . Sometimes I find myself grinding my teeth . My mouth is sometimes sore because of this. When I wake up in the morning, sometimes I have a headache on 1 side of my head.I think that I'm grinding my teeth in my sleep. Maybe I should try to chew gum during the day. My doctor says that chewing releases sarotonin in your brain. What if that's the reason we like to chew when stressed or anxious?

Just make sure chewing gum doesn't make the situation a little worse. I have major TMJ and a slight overbite which only encourages the teeth clenching while asleep because my mouth/teeth/jaw are already in the perfect position to clench all night. I wake up and I don't have a headache, just ALL MY BACK TEETH + jaw hurt and that's how I know what I've been up to all night, doing damage to myself. It makes me so angry. I'm on meds to relax me and ensure a good night's sleep, yet I still manage to harm myself WHILE asleep.

Anyway, back to the chewing gum, sometimes that aggravates my pain because I can hear my jaw clicking and even my teeth will start hurting all over again because I'm the type to chew gum REALLY hard....guess it reminds me of clenching which of course my stupid brain must love to do for some reason.

haha

Picking at skin/hair, popping zits, biting nails

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