Symptoma

Dermatillomania

Skin-Picking

Dr Daniel Glass, a consultant dermatologist at the Dermatology Clinic in London, says patients’ skin “can be quite deeply damaged” by the behaviour and can present anything from one or two lesions to more than a hundred. [theguardian.com]

[…] than a fifth of patients seek treatment for their skin-picking. 11 Reasons for not seeking help are, among others, social embarrassment, the belief that the condition is just a “bad habit”, or that it is untreatable. 2 Those who do seek treatment often present [ncbi.nlm.nih.gov]

She presented no complaints, other than the facial “lesion”. Her posture was somewhat immature, rapidly gaining (superficial) affection for other inpatients. No other significant changes at the mental status examination were shown. [scielo.br]

At present, there seems to be a greater consensus for the second option, understanding dermatilomania as a disorder in which, in the presence of pruritus or other skin sensations such as burning or tingling, the person feels an extreme need to scratch [lifepersona.com]

  • Chills

    I've tried everything from crystal sound baths to red wine therapy to combat my stress and anxiety levels, but nothing has been half as effective at chilling me out as reflexology. [refinery29.com]

  • Hunting

    I hide away whenever I get a chance, searching for a stray bump that may pop, hunting my own skin like a lioness searching for prey. And I hate it. I hate that I’ve ruined my body. [headspace.com]

  • Keratosis

    More specifically, I pick at my skin by popping pimples, both imaginary and real, the result of having keratosis pilaris, a skin condition that causes excessive keratin buildup. [headspace.com]

  • Suggestibility

    To date, there have been two trials of lamotrigine in ED, both following a flexible dosing schedule over 12 weeks. 16, 33 The first, an open-label trial (n 16), 16 found a 67% response rate, suggesting some benefit for this agent in ED. [ncbi.nlm.nih.gov]

    Figures suggest that 75% of people affected by skin-picking disorder are female, but Penzel is wary of the picture this paints – women are more likely to seek treatment than men and there have been few comprehensive studies. [theguardian.com]

    Some studies have demonstrated the efficacy of antiepileptic drugs in skin picking disorder 11 and suggested that the association between antidepressants and antiepileptic drugs might be beneficial in some impulse control disorders 12. [scielo.br]

  • Negativism

    Some traits associated to these patients include: low self-confidence, generalized apprehension, meticulousness and depressive mood and hypersensitivity to perceived negativism toward themselves 2. [scielo.br]

  • Neglect

    In brief, F. is the second of four children, and always felt being neglected and not (enough) loved by her parents. [scielo.br]

    But what I easily can neglect is my mind and my emotions and what is going on on the inside. : : : : : : #keepitreal #skinpicking #OCD #stress #anxiety #anxietyhelp #stressrelief #spots #pigmentation #scaring #emotional #realtalk #dermatillomania #CBT [theguardian.com]

Significant main treatment effects were observed for all ED measures used. [ncbi.nlm.nih.gov]

Lamotrigine treatment of pathologic skin picking: an open-label study. J Clin Psychiatry. 2007;68(9):1384-91. [ Links ] Schupak C. Case report: lamotrigine/fluoxetine combination in the treatment of compulsive sexual behaviour. [scielo.br]

“That’s what keeps a lot of people from even seeking treatment – they’re afraid to reveal that they do this.” [theguardian.com]

I do have General Anxiety Disorder and OCD, and I'm already under treatment. The treatment is extremely effective, but it did nothing to cease the picking. I just wanted to take it off my chest and hear you girls. Love. I do the same thing. [beautylish.com]

It is advisable to get professional help in these cases, and treatment is usually aimed at habit reversal and reducing stress and anxiety. [refinery29.com]

During her short hospital admission, organic etiology assessment included laboratory tests (complete blood cell counts, electrolytes, liver and renal functions, TSH, blood fat level), ECG and head CTs, all within limits and with no acute brain lesion) [scielo.br]

Phenomenology and epidemiology of pathological skin picking. In: Grant JE, Potenza MN, editors. The Oxford Library of Psychology: Oxford Handbook of Impulse Control Disorders. [ncbi.nlm.nih.gov]

The epidemiology of dermatilomania has not yet been well established, so the existing data are not redundant. In dermatological consultations the presence of this psychopathological disorder is verified between 2 and 4% of cases. [lifepersona.com]

[…] through enhancement of self-efficacy, as well as agreement on clearly defined measures to prevent or address relapse. [ncbi.nlm.nih.gov]

With this treatment, behavioral techniques are developed that prevent the appearance of impulsive acts, and at the same time the obsessive thoughts of scratching are worked out so that they are experienced with lower levels of tension and anxiety. [lifepersona.com]