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Dermatillomania (skin picking disorder)

jadiegirl , 07 Mar 2009

Does anyone pick at the bottom of their feet? My story

Hi, I'm new to the site, so I've been poking around a little, and I've haven't seen any posts about anyone picking at the bottoms of their feet like I do. I'll do this to the point that patches of skin are very raw and it's painful to walk. Sometimes I bleed. I bought Solarcaine to spray on my feet b/c it numbs the skin and kills bacteria, but it also dries out the skin, so instead of helping my feet heal, it just makes my feet easier and less painful to pick. Usually I end up spreading bacitracin or neosporin on the raw areas and covering them with bandaids or gauze, then limping around my apt. The real problem comes when I have to go out or work, especially since I have to be on my feet most of the time at work. I've tried applying lotion to my feet twice a day to make them less "pickable" and have had moderate success, but when I reeeeeally want to pick, I can still do it. I've even tried filing my nails down to the skin, and while it was effective against picking, I just about went nuts. But despite the pain (and I'm a pain-adverse wimp), the embarassment, the expense (bandages, meds), the constant threat of infection, and friends/family always telling me to stop...I still do it! Arghhh! I also pick/bite at the skin around my fingernails and lips, plus I'll scratch sometimes at my scalp and the backs of my arms. But my feet are my biggest problem. Anyways, that's my story, and I was just wondering if anybody else also picks at the bottoms of their feet.
191 Answers
dmt8
December 27, 2010
Up until a few months ago, I didn't know how many people picked their feet too. Then I found this web site and realized that there are more foot-pickers than I thought. I've been picking my feet for at least 15 or so years. My problem started out as just picking at the callous on on my heels. Then slowly, I'd pull at the skin instead of clipping it off. That eventually lead to the rest of my feet. I pick at my toenails. Both of my pinky toenails have been picked off many times. I've dealt with them bleeding so much. When I was going to a foot reflexologist for quite awhile, I pretty much stopped. Then after I stopped going to her, I slowly got back into picking my feet off & on. I share a house with my older sister. We always got fingernail clippers on the end table. I do plastic canvas needlepoint and I've got my clippers. Between the fingernail clippers or my craft clippers, I'd use them on my feet. It helps for me to have stuff in my hands to keep me busy but after awhile, I stop and I end up picking my feet. I even pick at my feet while at the computer desk. I use the big scissors to trim off the dead skin. I use a foot pumus and the pedi egg on my feet. Heck, I leave all sorts of dead skin & toenail clippings on the couch and on the floor. My bedroom/craftroom chair also has the stuff on it & the floor. My mom & sister has gotten mad at me many times. My mom's diabetic and knows how to take care of feet. I've been diabetic within the past 5 yrs. I've also got high cholesterol & b/p which I'm taking meds for all. I know that foot picking is bad for my health but it's hard to stop. My mom told me to tell my doctor about my problem by showing him my feet. Well, last month, I did tell him I've got a problem and lightly shrugged it off. I didn't say that at that time, I didn't tell him what my feet looked like...not too bad then. He just kinda gave me a strange look and that was it. LOL My mom keeps telling me to go see him about my problem so that I can get the right meds for my feet. I do not plan to see him about my problem 'cause I know he'd probably send me to a specialist. I don't have the money to see a specialist but I also don't want to ask my sister for help 'cause she already helps me with my medical bills anyway. She'll just tell me that she warned me about stopping many times. So, this problem is mine to take care of however way I can. Why I do it? It's because I was bored at first and there wasn't anything in my hands to keep them busy. Then slowly, the problem got out of hand at times. I have good days and bad days. Part of my problem is that whenever I walk bare-footed, I don't always pick up my feet and so, I scrape them. Then that causes the skin to scrape up and then I start picking at the dead skin that scraped up. My problem now has gotten worse and it's been that way for about the past 3 or so months now. If I don't keep socks & shoes on my feet, they start to harden and feel stiff. Then when I bend them, they start to hurt. I've got a few sores on my feet and I keep clipping at the loose skin. Both feet itch terribly on the bottom at least once or more a day and sometimes on the top of my feet. I take one shoe off and itch my foot on the sole of my other foot. Then when both shoes are off, I rub them on the floor or find other places to scratch them on. The more scratching I do, the more sore they become. Then I clip at skin around the sores. Lately, I've been putting Watkins Petro-Carbo on them at least once or more each day. I finally soaked them in baking soda water for awhile to help with the itch. I didn't put anything on my feet afterwards. I woke up with sore, hard feet.. OUCH! I've got more Petro-Carbo on them now. If I didn't have to make cookie dough today and bake some later and all day tomorrow, I'd sit more but that's not possible. I've been limping off & on lately with sore feet but I try not to limp around my sister. I've put maxi pads in my shoes for a little comfort since I don't have any other stuff to put in them. The pads have worn down and so, I've gotta put new ones in. I've wrapped my feet a few times and have used various meds & creams on them. I'm ready to sit for awhile after my oldest brother & his family comes & goes to my mom & dad's for a week over Christmas. My New Year's resolution is to get my feet well. Well, we'll see if that comes true. LOL Darlene
dmt8
December 27, 2010

In reply to by dmt8

Well, I've been still picking my feet some. They're sore when I bend them and they hurt when I walk on them. My mom had a thick, arched, foam insoles that my aunt had. She cut them down to size for my shoes. My velcro shoe insoles wouldn't come out without tearing. So, I put the insoles on top the ones that's there. That raised the inside of my shoes a little. After awhile, my feet started hurting 'cause they were rubbing against the top of my shoes. After a few hours, I took out the foam insoles. A friend of my sister's gave me a foot stone along with a trial-size tube of a really, good foot cream for Christmas. She didn't know that I picked my feet until my sister & I told her. She & her bf thought I was nuts for picking my feet. I'll use her foot stone after I get done soaking my feet tonight. Then I'll put some foot cream or Watkins Petro Carbo on my feet afterwards. I'll put on clean socks too. I just need to keep my feet in my shoes before I go to bed and wear them all day tomorrow. Last week, I finally told my dad about my feet and showed them to him when I stopped by my mom & dad's house. I was telling my mom about my feet problem again and of course, I was getting the "I told you so" story again. It was then when she told me about my aunt's insoles and said that she'd cut them down to size for me. She told me again that I needed to see my doctor and get some much-needed medical care for them to keep more serious things from happening to me. I then told her again that I'd take care of my feet on my own. My dad didn't quite know what to think about my feet being bad. He agreed that I should leave them alone and let the scraped-up skin grow back with the the old skin to become one. Well, that's hard for me to leave alone and so, I end up clipping the loose skin. I'm still limping off & on. My sister knows my feet are sore some. She saw them sore when I laid on the floor and put my feet up on the couch for our little girl dog to lick them. My feet are drying out right now and are hardening up some to where they've been hurting a little more. It's time for me to soak them for awhile in Epsom salt water or something else. Then I'll rub something on them for the night. My feet are itchy and I hope that whatever I do will help stop the itch for awhile.
jadiegirl
December 29, 2010

In reply to by dmt8

I'd say tell the doc, but if he (or she) want you to see a specialist, just tell him up front you can't afford it and ask what you can do for yourself at home. Docs are used to patients who don't have enough insurance and are having a hard time in this economy, so if he's any good, he'll do his best to help you no matter what! At least he can recommend good products and teach you some first aid since your diabetes puts you at high-risk for infection. Maybe he'll know of something help the itch. My feet don't usually itch, but sometimes my fingers do when they'll healing.
dmt8
December 21, 2010
Up until a few months ago, I didn't know how many people picked their feet too. Then I found this web site and realized that there are more foot-pickers than I thought. I've been picking my feet for at least 15 or so years. My problem started out as just picking at the callous on on my heels. Then slowly, I'd pull at the skin instead of clipping it off. That eventually lead to the rest of my feet. I pick at my toenails. Both of my pinky toenails have been picked off many times. I've dealt with them bleeding so much. When I was going to a foot reflexologist for quite awhile, I pretty much stopped. Then after I stopped going to her, I slowly got back into picking my feet off & on. I share a house with my older sister. We always got fingernail clippers on the end table. I do plastic canvas needlepoint and I've got my clippers. Between the fingernail clippers or my craft clippers, I'd use them on my feet. It helps for me to have stuff in my hands to keep me busy but after awhile, I stop and I end up picking my feet. I even pick at my feet while at the computer desk. I use the big scissors to trim off the dead skin. I use a foot pumus and the pedi egg on my feet. Heck, I leave all sorts of dead skin & toenail clippings on the couch and on the floor. My bedroom/craftroom chair also has the stuff on it & the floor. My mom & sister has gotten mad at me many times. My mom's diabetic and knows how to take care of feet. I've been diabetic within the past 5 yrs. I've also got high cholesterol & b/p which I'm taking meds for all. I know that foot picking is bad for my health but it's hard to stop. My mom told me to tell my doctor about my problem by showing him my feet. Well, last month, I did tell him I've got a problem and lightly shrugged it off. I didn't say that at that time, I didn't tell him what my feet looked like...not too bad then. He just kinda gave me a strange look and that was it. LOL My mom keeps telling me to go see him about my problem so that I can get the right meds for my feet. I do not plan to see him about my problem 'cause I know he'd probably send me to a specialist. I don't have the money to see a specialist but I also don't want to ask my sister for help 'cause she already helps me with my medical bills anyway. She'll just tell me that she warned me about stopping many times. So, this problem is mine to take care of however way I can. Why I do it? It's because I was bored at first and there wasn't anything in my hands to keep them busy. Then slowly, the problem got out of hand at times. I have good days and bad days. Part of my problem is that whenever I walk bare-footed, I don't always pick up my feet and so, I scrape them. Then that causes the skin to scrape up and then I start picking at the dead skin that scraped up. My problem now has gotten worse and it's been that way for about the past 3 or so months now. If I don't keep socks & shoes on my feet, they start to harden and feel stiff. Then when I bend them, they start to hurt. I've got a few sores on my feet and I keep clipping at the loose skin. Both feet itch terribly on the bottom at least once or more a day and sometimes on the top of my feet. I take one shoe off and itch my foot on the sole of my other foot. Then when both shoes are off, I rub them on the floor or find other places to scratch them on. The more scratching I do, the more sore they become. Then I clip at skin around the sores. Lately, I've been putting Watkins Petro-Carbo on them at least once or more each day. I finally soaked them in baking soda water for awhile to help with the itch. I didn't put anything on my feet afterwards. I woke up with sore, hard feet.. OUCH! I've got more Petro-Carbo on them now. If I didn't have to make cookie dough today and bake some later and all day tomorrow, I'd sit more but that's not possible. I've been limping off & on lately with sore feet but I try not to limp around my sister. I've put maxi pads in my shoes for a little comfort since I don't have any other stuff to put in them. The pads have worn down and so, I've gotta put new ones in. I've wrapped my feet a few times and have used various meds & creams on them. I'm ready to sit for awhile after my oldest brother & his family comes & goes to my mom & dad's for a week over Christmas. My New Year's resolution is to get my feet well. Well, we'll see if that comes true. LOL Darlene
footpicker
December 26, 2010
OMG I am so glad I asked jeeves. I have been picking and chewing as long as I can remember. I started with my nails, then progressed to the skin around my nail, and for the past I would say 14 years I have been picking the bottoms of my feet. I also hate to admit that I do eat the skin. I feel so sick and disgusted with my behavior. I am afraid to tell someone like a dr,I am afraid of what they will say about me and think about me. I am glad to see that I am not alone. I even take my shoes off (when weather permits me to wear shoes without socks) and pick at work. I am 42 now, and I have like I said been doing this most of my life. I am so use to having bleeding feet, sore feet. and they are always so raw and red. Even now, I also eat the skin around my nails. Well thank you for letting me get this off my chest.
rusty
December 27, 2010

In reply to by footpicker

At my worst i'm exactly the same, and yes, disgusting though it is, a lot of the time i eat it. I'veonly ever been able to tell one "real life" person the true extent to which i pick, and i've never told anyone the eating part. I just know some people must have some weird messed up stuff like this too, but nobody is ever going to have the balls to admit it are they? Anyway, sorry, just reading your post really hit home to me and i found it incredibly interesting because you seem to have literally the exact same skin picking habits and mentality as me. I'm only 21 but have been doing this since about age 12/13.
lilmama9700
February 21, 2011

In reply to by rusty

im 19 and yup ive been doing the exact same thing since i was like 10 i think, ya it makes me feel pretty disgusted when i eat the skin but its like i cant help it
Addictedtopicking
June 10, 2015

In reply to by rusty

I am 13 years old and I'm addicted to a few things. I bite my nails constantly, mostly when I'm bored or nervous. Another thing in which we relate, is that I pick at the bottoms of my feet. I take clippers and basically cuts of a thin layer of my skin. There are only 2 parts of my foot that I do this to, the edge of my big toe and the area below my pinky toe/upper side of my foot. This is where I get calluses and I hate how hard it gets so my braian subconciously wants to make it soft like normal skin. So when I cut and get to the next layer, it is a softer layer of skin. When I do this, I also eat/chew on the pieces I cut off. I found this site because I recently went to a waterpark and developed a painful blister in the middle of the top of the bottom of my foot if that makes sense. It became white like dead skin which I also am addicted to picking at. When I see it, I feel the urge to cut it and make it like all my other skin, unfortunately. This urge was mostly caused by the fact that it looked like my skin had been ruffled up because of the way I walk. When I cut it I realized the severity/deepness of the cut. It is now worse to walk on, not being able to put the front of my foot down and walking on the side of my foot. Anyway, I found this site because I was wondering how long it would take for the skin to grow back because I am leaving on a flight in about a week and don't want to be painfully slow walking through the airport and the plane ect. If anyone knows the answer I would be very thankful.

rusty
December 27, 2010
OH MY GOD!!! I just joined the site like literally this second and i pick at my hands and my knucles as well but whenever i get really bad i literally yes, pick at the bottoms of my feet. To the point where i'm peeling off literally like half centimetre thick pieces, and then i'm limping and to walk is really painful for a long time. Well, to be fair i've not been that bad in about a year. I've just been kind of inspired to join this site because i hadn't picked for almost a year and the other day i started again on my hands. Like i have a really messed up knuckle that i tell people is from a burn...but clearly it isn't it's because i continually pick at it. I cannever really 100% get away from slightly picking at my fingers even in the good times but whenever things get stressful i pick at my feat. Most of the time, as i'm sure most of you know, i know that it's motivated by stress, but i even really enjoy doing it and even look forward to it throughout the day like oooh i've got it down to literally the worst i can get it but i'll wait a few days and it will have healed a bit and then yay i'll be able to pick some more. All coupled with the embarassment, shame, and knowledge that i really have to stop. Which i have done, many times and even for years at a time. But yes, that's what's made me join this forum because however many times i stop and however long for it always comes back, always always. On my fingers, toes and yes, worst on the bottoms of my feet is where i pick and i'd love to get to know other people that do, and both give and recieve support :) Just glad to have found other people that do this too, it's the first time i ever have :)
john
December 28, 2010
hey finger picking people... I have a very bad habit of pickingmy fingers.. puling the skin off. I do it to the point, I ts very near bleeding. I also have to suffer several days of soft fingers that it hurts. I am convinced its a psych problem. I only do this when I am sad or upset. I have not ben to a doctor but i se the trend. I only do this when I am sad or depressed
zacc
December 31, 2010
here we go, okay so this is my first time ever talking about my skin picking/eating problems. ive never been told i have OCD or any other mental illness that in normally associated with skin picking mental illnesses. As far as i, and my family and friends know, i am mentally fine and "normal." but heres where the grossness comes in... since i was at least 3 years old i have always been a nail bitter. i used to bite my nails untill they bled, then hid them with bandades and cover up stories. this is where it gets gross so sqwemish ppl stop reading:). about two years ago i made am discovery. i began to take my nailclippers, which i normally used clip and eat my finger and toe nails, and started to clip the hard parts of my skin on the tips of my fingers and on the bottom of my feet. id eat every piece i clipped when i was nervous, mad, sad, bored, it began to become a part of my daily life. id also peel my finger nails on top of all of that (finger nails have 7 layers, id peel id say 2 or 3 which in reality means i created my own hang nails just to eat them... i know.. gross..) but its my addiction, its my stress relief, and i guess my drug. tons of people do it but i take it to the next level.. this is my self diagnosis. 1.) i obviously have OCD and need to feel that my hands and feet are "groomed?" 2.) i have stress problems, my brain has to many endorphin recepters or whatever they are. 3.) i have an addictive personality. is there help you may ask? i answer why change? i very rarely am ever affected by my addiction becuase i hide it so well. im also very laid back after practicing my addiction (similiar to the effects of drugs) sooooo why should i change..because others would think its gross if they knew? NO i dont care and if anyone else suffering from this "disease" wants to change good luck..... becuase if its not this itll be something worse, addictive personalities need an addiction.. comment me back, talk to me, id like to also honestly include that im not some wierd nerdy kid who doesnt go out, im 17 i have friends i sleep around and im not thought of as wierd as far as i know so if anyone has any comments questions concerns feel free
Picknick
December 31, 2010
YES, I pick my feet. The bottoms. Yes, until they bleed. Much worse too.
JMolsbee
January 21, 2011
I have almost the SAME EXACT thing!! I have to take pain meds for my shoulder, and they make me a little itchy. i tore of a long strp that was way too thick (oddly satisfying), so I am currently tip-toeing around. Anyone ever told you about mathods to stop? I also do the same with body hair, and (not often) scalp hair Let m e know if you have any luck! Justin
lifespan01
January 26, 2011
Most of the time, as i'm sure most of you know, i know that it's motivated by stress, but i even really enjoy doing it and even look forward to it throughout the day like oooh i've got it down to literally the worst i can get it but i'll wait a few days and it will have healed a bit and then yay i'll be able to pick some more.
bernersennenhund
February 17, 2011
this is the craziest thing ever.. I didn't realize that other people do this. The first time I remember picking at my feet I was around 8 or 9..I would peel the skin on the ball of my foot..In the 18 years I've been doing this Ive never picked at my left foot..I've always considered it to be my "good foot"and I have no idea why, maybe it's really only because Im right handed and so it;s easier to pick my right foot. I only picked at the ball of my foot for a year before I realized that my heel was better to pick.. There's nothing more satisfying than peeling the most perfectly even strip that follows the natural "grain" of the skin,especially if you can repeat this for an entire section. Typing this out makes it seem weirder to me than it feel when I'm doing it. Sometimes I'll peel it too deep, or too far into non-dry skin, and it will crack or bleed. I've gotten it to the point where Ive had to wrap it with gauze and polysporin.. people at school would notice I was walking with a limp and now sometimes co workers will. It only gets that bad if Im super stressed out. I don't even know what to think of all this, its the first time I've heard of anyone else doing it.
lilmama9700
February 21, 2011
Your not alone i do the same thing, and ya it hurts to walk my bf had been trying to help me, but i mean hes only around a couple hours out of the day cuz he works, honestly i dont really have any advice seeing as i just recently found out about this sight i just want you to know you are not alone i do the exact same thing.. and myabe a little worse i actually eat the skin which makes me feel so dirty but there is nothing i can do about it. i hope your feet get better.
l_tan68
March 14, 2011
As I sit here reading these posts, I am picking at my feet and my hand. I can't explain how RELIEVED and SAD I am feeling at the same time. I have been picking off the skin on my hands and feet for so long, I can't even actually remember when I started. At first, it was just the cuticles around my nails. Then it was the dry skin on the heels of my feet. That led to the dry skin on the inside part of my thumbs/palms and now I do all 3 simultaneously. Just like many of you, I would pick and peel the skin off so bad there would be raw spots and sometimes bleeding. If I see or feel a slight crack/'flake', I immediately start peeling at the skin and almost every time don't or won't stop until my hands or feet are red and throbbing with pain. All this time, I justified what I was doing by telling myself I'm just getting rid of the dry skin so my hands and feet can be all even and smooth. Well as we all know, once you start picking at that first piece, there's another 'uneven' piece that you now have to pick at too and so on and so on. Though I am the biggest baby when it comes to enduring pain, I always seem to manage to go on as normal when it comes to the injuries I have caused myself due to this horrible 'habit'. Tonight was the night I finally googled this issue I've been carrying around with me forever and I am SO glad I found this site. What I also found online was we are definitely not alone in what is considered an IMPULSE CONTROL DISORDER which tends to run in families. My older sister was the only other person I know of with this behavior and could relate to exactly what I meant and felt when I say I hope no one notices my hands at work tonight. It feels so good to have finally let this out and I can't wait to tell my sister about this site and finally able to not feel like we're alone in this and also maybe there's a 'cure' some where out there for us :)
sorefingers424
March 16, 2011
I feel your pain (literally & figuratively). I pick the skin around my fingers AND I pick the bottom of my feet. However, I only pick when my nails are not done. My solution is kinda simple. I usually have acrylic/tips on my nails. When they are coated with the acrylic the nail is just thick enough to prevent the picking altogether. Unfortunately, a new nail person recommended that I take the acrylic off so she could introduce me to a new product. The new product did not work or look good and my fingers are now picked and picked and picked. And so are the bottom of my feet. Because the skin on my fingers are raw, the fumes and chemicals will cause my fingers to burn so I have not had my nails done. Everyday I tell myself that I am going to stop. Every night I put lotion or Vitamin E around my fingers. All for naught. My fingers and feet are still raw. Oh well. But getting your nails done at a salon with acrylic and tips does work and your hands look good. Once you stop picking your feet get your feet done too. Good luck!!
manbeck101
March 22, 2011
I know what it feels like. I however use nail clippers and just clip the bottoms of my feet till there raw and in pain. Then the next time I shower or am bored I do it again. The worst part is I will chew on the skin I clip off. I don't know why, but I do..whoa,, that feels great to talk about finally
indigominds
June 10, 2011

In reply to by manbeck101

^^ relief. This is the exact same for me, down to chewing on the picked/clipped of skin like its gum or something. I feel like the pain felt when walking is my punishment for picking but I also get excited because I know there is more to be picked at.

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