Online Test

Find out the severity of your symptoms with this free online test

sunbrun , 11 Jul 2013

First moment I realised that I have a problem in all these years, and I think I have a clue what might have started it...

Ok, I already posted my case, and got no answer. But last night when I was on a bus, and started thinking about all this, and it was the first moment I realised that I have a problem, and that maybe, just maybe I can actually solve it...I just don't know how, and am wondering if maybe some of you can help me. Here's the story I previously posted. Ok...so...a month or so back, I had like a blister on my heels, because of my shoes or whatever... when this popped, there was sort of a hole, with dead skin around it, so I peeled it. I peeled a lot of skin off, and then chewed on it. When I was younger, I remembered once, I had a faze when I used a nail cutter to cut of pieces of my skin on my heels, and then chew on them. I don't remember how this stopped... but it was quite intense. I remember going to school and thinking of it,and not being able to wait until I get home to cut skin off. I remember even thinking about the sound it makes. But it stopped, and for a while, I didn't do it and my skin healed. But when this thing with the blister happened, I started using a nail cutter again. Every day I cut pieces of my skin off from my heel now. When the skin gets harder to peel of using my fingers, I use a nail cutter. Even though it hurts, when I peel of a long, thick piece of my skin, I feel sort of...acomplished. I then put the pieces of my skin in my mouth and chew them to little bits. That's not all. Other than my heels, I also proceeded to cut pieces of skin from under my toe, and well...well all the parts of my feet where it doesn't hurt to cut skin off. But this is just the most recent. I've always had the urge to pick scabs from my scalp and eat them. Whenever there's a scab on my body I pick it and eat it, even if it hurts. And I feel the same sense of acomplishment. Also, whenever I clean my nails, I would eat that. I tend to sometimes eat dried mascara of my eyes, and I think, whenever there's something dried on my body, that feels sort of out of place. Also, when my toenails grow long, I would bite them off, and I like the skin in the corner of my toenails, which I mostly bite off or pick out. Other than my current phase with my heels, I don't normally tend to make scabs on purpose, so I can pick at them, but I do tend to pick at my scalp a lot, to look for scabs. I don't really know if it's because of some anxiety... most recently, I think I only pick at my heels when I'm bored... just like the scab picking... and all of this has been going on for a while. I'm certain that once my skin on my heels softens that I'll stop that...but whenever there's dried skin, or a scab or something that's not normally there, I'll pick at it and eat it... Ok...so...a month or so back, I had like a blister on my heels, because of my shoes or whatever... when this popped, there was sort of a hole, with dead skin around it, so I peeled it. I peeled a lot of skin off, and then chewed on it. When I was younger, I remembered once, I had a faze when I used a nail cutter to cut of pieces of my skin on my heels, and then chew on them. I don't remember how this stopped... but it was quite intense. I remember going to school and thinking of it,and not being able to wait until I get home to cut skin off. I remember even thinking about the sound it makes. But it stopped, and for a while, I didn't do it and my skin healed. But when this thing with the blister happened, I started using a nail cutter again. Every day I cut pieces of my skin off from my heel now. When the skin gets harder to peel of using my fingers, I use a nail cutter. Even though it hurts, when I peel of a long, thick piece of my skin, I feel sort of...acomplished. I then put the pieces of my skin in my mouth and chew them to little bits. That's not all. Other than my heels, I also proceeded to cut pieces of skin from under my toe, and well...well all the parts of my feet where it doesn't hurt to cut skin off. But this is just the most recent. I've always had the urge to pick scabs from my scalp and eat them. Whenever there's a scab on my body I pick it and eat it, even if it hurts. And I feel the same sense of acomplishment. Also, whenever I clean my nails, I would eat that. I tend to sometimes eat dried mascara of my eyes, and I think, whenever there's something dried on my body, that feels sort of out of place. Also, when my toenails grow long, I would bite them off, and I like the skin in the corner of my toenails, which I mostly bite off or pick out. Other than my current phase with my heels, I don't normally tend to make scabs on purpose, so I can pick at them, but I do tend to pick at my scalp a lot, to look for scabs. I don't really know if it's because of some anxiety... most recently, I think I only pick at my heels when I'm bored... just like the scab picking... and all of this has been going on for a while. I'm certain that once my skin on my heels softens that I'll stop that...but whenever there's dried skin, or a scab or something that's not normally there, I'll pick at it and eat it... So, even though my heels look pretty bad now, and I am going through a rough phase right now, with the heel picking, I don't feel like I have a problem because it's not normally like this, and since it's not a result of any other disorder (I don't know, OCD, depression)...is it Dermatillomania or could it be something else? So obviously, I don't agree with the last part, because I feel like I DO have a problem now. I also figured what might have started it. I used to bite my nails and pick my nose when I was a kid, but I forced myself to stop it. I remember stoping it, and having no problems with that....but now I realise that I might have found an outlet for that in skin picking. Could this be it? and how do I get rid of this now ?
1 Answer
Susanbar1
July 13, 2013
I have been a nail biter, nose picker, and scab picker for as long as I can remember. So, I empathise with you on all of the above. One difference we may have is that I often create the scabs and pick, pick, pick. Until a few weeks ago I was very discreet about it. I most recently starting making blood blisters on my forearms and popping them and picking at the scabs that form. I have caused an infection on my left arm that I am having to treat so that I didn't have to go to the Dr. I am embarrassed but continue to pick. I finally made an appointment with the psychiatrist that I see yesterday and showed her my arms. She said that this is a form of self-harm and will not go away on its own, I need counseling. I am not happy about this but I know I need to stop and because I picked all morning at my scabs know that I cannot do it alone. I hope you can stop on your own. I obviously do not have that kind of will power. I also have some other psychological issues that I have had to deal with all stemming from abuse when I was a child. Evidentally skin picking is not that uncommon in this situation which seems to put me at ease a bit. Good luck to you and I will be watching for an update from you, please share what is working for you!

Start your journey with SkinPick

Take control of your life and find freedom from skin picking through professional therapy and evidence-based behavioral techniques.

Start Now