Hi, I'm new here and I have been picking my scalp for 15 years (I'm 32). It gets worse and then better but since I do it so subconsciously I'm not sure what the triggers are. Right now I'm doing it a lot, so much so that I tried going to a hypnotherapist to stop. It didn't work, so I've been doing some internet research.
He said the problem was common, but I've never seen anyone else doing it! The scabs are getting worse on my head and I'm always embarrassed to go to the hair salon. I used to tell my stylist that I hit my head on something, but now I don't bother saying anything.
Anyway, I'm relieved to find so many others here, some younger and some older than me I've learned that it's possibly OCD related, something the hypno guy didn't say.
I'm an addict & alcoholic in recovery so I'm definitely prone to addictive destructive behaviours. Anyhow, lately I've been trying some suggestions to try and stop this annoying, embarrassing habit.
1. I have tried the ointment on the head thing - polysporin on my main obvious spots so I at least can part my hair w/o anyone seeing them.
2. I have found that simply *holding* something helps keep my hands doing something else. Something like a pen or key, or whatever. Of course I find myself putting down the pen and scratching my head, but when I notice, I just try and pick up the pen again...MAN is it hard!! Isn't this a weird obsessive thing?! I do it a LOT when on the phone and am working on that one.
3. Wearing hats of course helps immensely, so I do that a lot.
I came across this interesting website from wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Excoriation
which has some information about the problem and some treatment methods.
Good luck everyone and I'll check back to see if anyone else has managed to quit! I'd settle for substitution for something else...except smoking ;-) or over eating...(I guess it could be worse)
STOP PICKING - START LIVING
vancouver April 16, 2008