Have you seen someone picking their skin all the time? While this seems normal, it is not. There exist skin picking disorder which is also called excoriation disorder or dermatillomania. This is not a skin condition but a psychological issue that needs to be addressed to prevent unwanted skin damage. This comes under OCD category which requires medical intervention. Onlymyhealth reached out to Dr. Nivedita Dadu, Renowned Dermatologist, Founder & Chairman of Dadu Medical Centre to understand more about causes of skin picking and how it should be addressed.
What causes skin picking disorder?
According to Dr. Dadu, “Skin picking is mostly common due to a psychological condition called dermatillomania. Dermatillomania is a psychological condition that leads to repetitive and compulsive skin picking behaviors commonly known as Obsessive Compulsive Disorders. This disorder is diagnosed when the patients are unable to control recurrent skin picking leading to lesions, clinical distress, and hampered functionality.”
People with skin picking disorder tend to not only pick unhealthy skin but also healthy skin including calluses, pimples, scabs or lesions. If not controlled, this habit can take form of repetitive behaviour which eventually leads to disorder. Remission periods are common in excoriation disorder and this behaviour can continue for months and years if not handled properly.
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Effects of skin picking disorder
People with skin picking disorder generally do not anticipate the after-effects of this behaviour. This condition not only makes the person pick skin but also harms the skin in many ways. Compulsive skin picking has both permanent and temporary effects on the skin. Here are some issues that you might have to face due to skin picking:
- It causes permanent scarring and discolored skin in some situations.
- Apart from stinging pain and bleeding, in some severe cases, the skin may also become infected and require medication.
- It starts during teenage years, due to the appearance of acne. Those high on perfectionist traits, stress levels, and impatience tend to develop dermatillomania.
Skin Picking Disorder Treatment
As per studies, this psychological disorder is normally observed in puberty age but adults can also face this problem. However, anyone at any age can face this issue. Besides, it is also seen that women tend to have skin picking disorder more as compared to men.
Talking about treatment of skin picking disorder, since this is a psychological condition, there are two major methods of treatment for this condition namely- cognitive behavior therapy and habit reversal therapy. Habit reversal training comes under CBT and it helps the person reverse the habit of skin picking. This practice helps the person understand the problem and identify the triggers that are causing it. Eventually, as you become more aware of the habit that helps in overcoming the condition effectively.
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According to Dr. Nivedita Dadu, “there are certain things that you can do to treat this disorder, such as keep your hands busy so as to stop picking your skin. Try and carry a moisturiser at all times to keep the skin moisturised and resist the urge to skin picking. Identify the situations that aggravate this condition.”
In a nutshell, skin picking disorder is a psychological condition that is linked to behavioral disorder. If you find out about this condition on time, it becomes easier to get rid of it sooner. Adolescent kids with this habit might not need dedicated treatment for this disorder because they are highly likely to overcome the issue over time. However, if skin picking becomes severe with episodes of bleeding and deep wounds, it should be immediately provided medical aid.
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