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Noscubs , 18 Aug 2009

Anyone picking near genital area?

Hi! Does anyone of you pick near your genitals? I know it sounds disgusting, and that's why it's so profoundly embarrassing so I can't speak to anyone about it. Do I need to say that my sexual relationship is threatened? All lust is gone when I come to think of the skin underneath my panties... Oh my god, and this has been going on for my whole "sexual" life, ten years now... Ridiculous!
68 Answers
lena
August 19, 2009
yes! for me i think it has a lot to do with pulling out my hair, which leads to ingrown hairs, that i get easier in that area, and ultimately lead to huge sores and whatnot. i pick at my skin all over, but my genital area and underneath my arms definately look FAR worse than anywhere else on my body. its also an easier area for me to pick at, because i can immediately hide what i have just done, and convince myself that i can just keep that part of me hidden until it heals, which of course NEVER heals, becuse i spend hours picking and poking and plucking and scarring my skin. but yes, you are not alone :)
ihatecsp
August 20, 2009
yes, i literally had to have a cyst lanced in my labia once because of it. it sucked. a lot. and was sooooooo embarrassing. i also pick at the ingrown hairs in my bikini area.
idontknowwhy
August 20, 2009
I do, it started when I was a teenager, I am 26 now. I have always been a regular picker, scabs, nose, nails, zits... but for some reason I started scratching my anus (ugh i hate to write this) with my underwear when I was under stress. It would be extremely painful if I made it raw enough that if pee ever touched it I would scream so after about a year or two of that I stopped and I started scratching the outside of my labia (vagina). At first I would scratch it with my underwear until it was red and sore because the next day there would be this layer of skin that would start to grow back and I could peel it off like a sunburn. I LOVED peeling off that skin. Now, I've been doing it for so many years I never get that good peel anymore, but I still do it. Its like a habit. If I am really stressed or anxious I just ache to run into the bathroom and I scratch it with my fingers and its just this huge release. It feels so good even if it hurts a lot later. I usually don't scratch it hard enough to form scabs but I do occasionally. I am just so embarrassed and mortified that I do this... I am in a steady relationship and I always try to make sure we have sex in the dark because in the light you can see that it is scar tissue not a regular, pretty vagina :( UGH.
alice.alice.alice
November 17, 2009

In reply to by idontknowwhy

i know exactly what you mean, that peel is so amazing... i have a different branch of OCD but i do pick all over. i don't know what we can do but i would be so happy if we could all stop without using any medication!
missyd
August 21, 2009
I'm new to this site, but already have taken comfort that I'm so not alone with my issues. I pick the skin on my fingers (left thumb to be specific). Just recently I've started picking and plucking the hairs around my bikini area. I've been getting waxed for years and the trade for being hairless is waxing causes more ingrown hairs. It's just within the last month I've started. After my last wax I noticed an ingrown hair so I excised it...literally. Now I just can't stop. I have a needle and tweezers beside my toilet so I can pick at hair that hasn't even grown up through the skin yet. I'll take the needle and poke or scrape until I can grab that hair. I find myself with my hands in my pants feeling for hair. I love how it feels, but I hate that I can't stop. I have narcolepsy and my medication was recently changed. With that change I've noticed an onset of some other OCD issues I never had before and while I could control the urge to pick my thumb before I can't now. I think this new fixation with my bikini line and my inability to control picking urges can be linked to the medicine. It's Nuvigil. Anyone else know of the onset of OCD with use of this medication?
SweetDeeDee
August 21, 2009

In reply to by missyd

OMG! I do the same thing as you guys. I used to scratching on my vagina in my sleep and sometimes when they are not around here so I had to do it so bad. It wasn't picking or anything but just itching/scratching until it gets sore. I sometimes to hold on when I had to go pee in my sleep but I was overtired somehow..I don't plucking or picking on my binkni area but when I shaved under there and there was a fews red bumps so I won't pick but I leave it out alone under there thank god! So, your are not alone too!
ugly_skin
October 03, 2009
I have the EXACT same problem! I recently got married, and my husband is so loving and understanding. Sometimes I can stop picking and tweezing at my bikini area(at least to the point of bleeding and scabbing) so that there is little *noticible* scabs and scars, but they are still there, and I have to wear modest bikini bottoms. For our wedding, I stopped for a few weeks (nearly!). But now that I am jobless, and wrecked my car, I feel hopeless and depressed, and that's when I retreat to the picking. My cuticles, skin on my feet, boogers, pimples, eyebrow hair, skin on the scalp, I do it all! It seems like I can stop for a while when I'm not distracted and things are going well, I am travelling, or don't have time or access to tweezers. But then I start again. I have had this problem for as long as I can remember - and it includes genital mutilation as well. I really want to stop and want help, and have tried on my own - to no avail. I will have to check out that Tyra show you guys are talking about! My problem is the same as yours - how do you talk to someone about this shameful, embarrassing behavior? I also smoke, drink, and eat compulsively. I am fit, and excercise, but have had bulimia, and drug problems in the past. I will continue to research and work on this problem, perhaps trying the 12 step proccess would help? My love and support goes out to all of you.
x
July 21, 2012

In reply to by ugly_skin

I've also wondered, seriously, if I should start going to AA meetings. The picking I engage in is an addiction like any other. Anyone else use AA and see any successes?
Moonkitty
October 08, 2009
If there is a pimple on my vaginal area...boy am I happy! It's one of my favorite pops. I know it's sick, but it has to do with the fact that I am a chronic smeller. That is, I smell the puss that comes out of any type of pimple. The smell of vaginal pimple puss is quite rank, but I enjoy it immensely. WHY???!!!
kelmat
October 12, 2009
ahh! yes =/ the places i pick are mostly hidden, such as the bikini area and vagina.. i dont know exaclty when i started this and i didnt really even notice until i went to the beach one day and my friend pointed out the sores and scabs at the bikini line. that was at the beginning of this past summer, and now whenever i shower or shave i find myself digging at hairs and pimples and bumps down there... its.. i dont know, it is embarassing but i feel good doing it. im just glad im not sexually active, i dont know how id explain the sores, and i dont think id be able to stop to easily
clarice
September 30, 2012

In reply to by kelmat

you sound just like Me.... I thought I was the only one. People have commented on my bikini line. after I pluck I save and it will shave the skin right off certain areas.My friend caught me with my finger down my bikini.. I was trying to determine the growth, and how I could lock myself away in my bedroom and pluck. Good luck Im going to try to stop.....Its a compulsive thing right now.
Flux123
November 14, 2009
oh my gosh, this is weirdly such a relief to know that there are other people out there! seriously had sort of convinced myself that i was the only one crazy enough to does this stuff. it is sickeningly embarassing. i've never been able to tell anyone about it. any time that i get close enough to a guy to start thinking about sleeping with him i get absolutely terrified of what he'll think once he sees the state of my skin down there. it's ruining my relationships as i'm a commitment-aphobe and keep pushing any guy that gets close to me away. any of the rest of you guys on here have had any success with trying to quit it?
daisymay
November 17, 2009
im new to this site and im glad iv found other people like me.i didnt think realize that other people had this problem too.i compulsively pick at my arms and it leaves disgusting scars but i just need to do it.im 19 and have been doing it for 2 years and my grandma just doesnt understand.it kills me becuase she thinks i can just stop on my own. does anybody else feel that way
sls
January 08, 2010
oh thank God I decided to read through more of the older topics! This is actually the first area that I started picking... mainly because I was a swimmer in middle school and high school and this was the only place that wasn't noticeable (at least thats why I think I picked and scratched and tore at my skin down there). I also remember my mom catching me picking down there at one point (sometime in middle school) and she asked me if it itched. I said no and from that point on I have been a bathroom picker hiding it from everyone. I scratch and pick while I'm asleep and every time I go to the bathroom (sanitary I know...). I have done so much damage to my pubic area (im talking about skin discoloration, constant scabs, white hairs because I have damaged the tissue so much (and im only in my 20s)). As I have gotten older, I have started picking in more areas including anus (ugh...), back, shoulders, chest, nipple, scalp, face, hands (im a rower so I constantly have blisters on my hands that I pick at)... basically you name it ive picked it (with the exception of my legs... not sure why I've left those alone). Last year I had finally had enough so I sought help (having no success so far but hopefully soon). The only thing is I didnt tell my therapist about the genital scratching (she does know that I pick at pubic hairs though). My therapist doesnt seem to know too much about skin picking though and is just treating me as an OCD patient (which I also have other signs of). So maybe I should start looking for someone else??? Random question to all of you other genital pickers... Have you been to a gyno or doctor and shown the area to them? I am terrfied to show my pubic area to anyone (which is why ive never had a true relationship) but I really should go to the gyno since Im at that age now. Plus I've been having a lot of symptoms (serious weight loss (over 15% of body weight without trying), abnormal bowel movements, swollen lymph nodes for several months in head, neck and groin that didnt go away with antibiotics or steroids) which I fear may cancer related (especially since my body is constantly having to repair my skin, it wouldnt be unreasonable for some of those cells to get out of hand and become cancerous), but I am scared to go to the doctor for fear of how they will react... So basically I'm just wondering how the doctor reacted to your situation... Thanks...
Alameda
January 09, 2010

In reply to by sls

Hi there. It sounds like you are in a lot of pain and fear. I pick my genital area very mildly, but I still feel anxiety wondering if my gynecologist can tell. I know this will take a lot of courage, but I hope you can push through to go see a doctor. Picking and the anxiety associated with it already causes us so much agony. It would be so awful if it also caused you to neglect your physical health. One of my main issues is scalp picking. Going to a hairdresser is a rare, stressful event that takes months of planning for me so I can let some scabs here. The one time I had a good experience was when I took a different approach. I walked into a supercuts, and as I was sitting down I just said very matter of factly that, by the way, I have OCD and I often scratch my scalp. Don't be alarmed if you see evidence of that. To my surprise and gratitude, the stylist went on as normal, and even started chatting to me about other clients he's seen that are hair pullers. I know my anecdote is mild compared to what you are facing, but I share it to make the point that you don't have to apologize to anyone. Gynecologists and hairstylists have no business judging you. If they do, get a different one. (Or, you can schedule a brief appointment just to get to know each other before a different appointment for the actual exam. That way you can see if you feel comfortable with them before you show them anything). You don't have to explain all the issues around your picking, because you are there to have a conversation about your other physical symptoms. Good luck, and Courage!!!!
sls
January 12, 2010

In reply to by Alameda

Thank you for your reponse and for the support Alameda!! I definitely understand your example because I often just avoid getting my hair cut because I'm embarassed by my scalp. Almost always the stylist confronts me about my scalp and I come up with some story (including allergic reaction to a hair product and chemical accident in the lab I work in... pathetic I know). But next time I may try your approach and just tell the truth :) While I am not as embarassed about my scalp as I am my genital area it is still a point of concern and I never let anyone I know touch my scalp. Because of your encouragement I now have a doctor appointment with my PCP tomorrow afternoon (its not the gyno but at least its a start... and we can try to work through my symptoms and run tests as needed). I am going in with the intention of telling my PCP everything, hopefully I remain strong and dont chicken out... thanks again for your support... its great to know that I have people to discuss this with :)
sls
January 21, 2010

In reply to by Alameda

soo... i didnt do so well with the whole telling my PCP everything... I did tell her that I was OCD and had anxiety but I left out the part about the skin picking. Grrr... I guess this is a baby step towards where I need to eventually end up. My lab work came back normal, but I think that scares me more now because many cancers do not show anything on a normal CBC (hopefully im worrying for nothing). Also, my lymph nodes are slowly getting bigger (but they are nontender... another indicator that something more than an infection is going on). The nurse I talked to told me that I should just rest and eat well... I love how everyone thinks they know my body better than me (especially family and friends who just keep telling me its stress... yeah everyone loses 15% of their body weight when they don't change their eating habits and stop working out) I don't know... I'll probably stick it out through the weekend and if things still havent changed ill end up back at the doctor and hopefully tell her everything so that maybe she'll order more tests and we can figure out whats wrong
Alameda
January 22, 2010

In reply to by sls

Dude, what you did was not a baby step. It was a really hard thing for you to do, and you still went in! That alone is a really big deal. Good for you!!!! It sounds to me like there are two things going on. One, the anxiety of telling a gyno that you pick. Second is the fear and obstacles to getting the medical attention you need. The picking may or may not impact the overall health issues. It seems like the picking is more a barrier to you being willing to be your own advocate and being willing to keep opening up to a really sensitive issue to Drs until you find one that takes you seriously. I totally agree with your comment about ridiculous it is for someone else to think they know your body better than you do. Drs and nurses may have more technical knowledge about the body, but you are the best person to know about your overall wellness, and identify if something is off. For me, my anxiety issues often leave me having a really hard time determining if it is legitimate for me to be concerned about something, or if it is just the incessessent anxiety spinning around my head. Of course it's impossible for me to comment on what may be going on with your health! But whether it is a serious medical issue or just worrying, I agree that it is worth more than just one doctor's visit to find out!. It's so difficult that the burden can often fall to the patient to not only face their own fears to just go talk to someone, but then have face even more fears by pushing back if you don't get the answer you want. I don't mean to act like some armchair psychologist, but I just feel it's really important to celebrate all the successes you've already achieved by getting this far! I wish you all the courage and comfort in the world as you keep moving on with this.

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