How To Stop Skin Picking

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If you lot repetitively pick at your skin— whether knowingly or unknowingly— you may have a condition called dermatillomania, or excoriation disorder. Your loved ones may tell you to "just stop," but quitting on your own is much easier said than done. First, get back up kicking the habit by consulting with a mental health provider who can prescribe an individualized treatment plan. Then, effigy out your triggers. Once you know what causes you to pick, you tin can avoid those situations, or implement new habits that prevent you from picking your pare.

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Have your doctor refer you to an OCD specialist. Dermatillomania is often associated with obsessive-compulsive disorder, so you might benefit from seeing a psychiatrist or psychologist who has experience treating OCD. Inquire your family doctor for a referral to see a mental health specialist.^[one]
- When you come across with the specialist, exist sure to share as much detail well-nigh your compulsive peel-picking as you lot can. Tell your doctor when the picking usually happens and what you are doing or feeling earlier information technology takes place.
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Take SSRIs to manage your symptoms. Dermatillomania may indicate an underlying case of anxiety or depression. If your doctor determines this to be true in your case, they may prescribe SSRIs to ease your symptoms.^[ii]
- SSRIs, or selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, are a special form of antidepressants found to be useful in managing obsessive thoughts relating to pare-picking.
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Try cognitive-behavioral therapy to alter your picking habits. Enquire your dr. about psychotherapeutic treatments for dermatillomania such as CBT. This class of talk therapy has been proven helpful for people with skin-picking disorder.^[3]
- CBT tin can help you and your mental wellness provider place thoughts that may provoke skin-picking, similar being worried about declining a test or beingness cocky-conscious nigh a facial blotch.
- In CBT, you can learn to claiming negative thought patterns that lead to skin-picking and reverse the habit with help from your therapist.
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Attend back up group meetings relating to your condition. If an underlying condition like OCD, feet, or low is influencing your dermatillomania, it may help to talk with others who have the aforementioned condition. Support groups can assistance you feel less lonely in dealing with mental disease.
- Search for support groups that specifically address dermatillomania, too. Inquire your mental wellness provider for recommendations.
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Observe your skin-picking for a calendar week to discover your triggers. Have note of situations that trigger compulsive skin-picking. For a week, write downwards what happened before y'all got the urge to option in a log or diary.^[four]
- Did your boss yell at you? Did you feel rejected by a friend or lover? Did you react to catching a glimpse of your reflection in a mirror?
- Pinpointing mutual triggers tin help you develop a plan to avoid or cope with them.
2
Don't wait in the mirror as often. If mirrors trigger your tendency to obsess over skin imperfections, reduce your exposure to them. Put abroad or comprehend some of the mirrors in your abode. Or, use the restroom in the dark.
- If you must use the mirror when you get dressed or employ makeup, fix a timer for 5 to 10 minutes.
- Avoid looking in a shut-up, or magnifying, mirror besides.
3
Overcome negative thinking with positive affirmation. Sometimes dermatillomania arises from cocky-consciousness about your body or advent. Eliminate negative thinking by showering yourself with positive affirmations regarding your looks and abilities.^[5]
- You might put up post-its on your mirror that read: "You look great merely as you are!" Or repeat compliments to yourself, like "You're smart and capable" or "You accept a nice grinning."
4
Put abroad picking instruments. If you use scissors, tweezers, or pins to scratch or pick at your skin, limit your access to these items. Store them in a hard-to-accomplish place, trash them, or put someone else in accuse of your admission to them.^[6]
- For example, you lot might fix a rule that you must ask permission before using your mom's tweezers and y'all must employ them in her presence.
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Practice relaxation techniques to ease anxiety. Not all triggers can be avoided. If full general life stress contributes to your compulsive pare-picking, information technology might be helpful to exercise stress direction exercises.^[7]
- Mindfulness meditation, deep breathing, and progressive muscle relaxation are all strategies you can use to ease the feet that leads to picking.
- You can try these techniques before, during, or after y'all encounter a stressful situation.
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Put on gloves. Prevent yourself from picking by covering your hands equally often every bit possible, specially during trigger situations. Wear a pair of gloves until the urge passes.^[8]
- If you pick at your peel unknowingly, wear gloves all the time. That way, you will get more than enlightened of the addiction.
2
Article of clothing makeup. Wearing liquid or cream foundation can help terminate dermatillomania because it creates a bulwark. Whenever y'all touch on your face up, for case, you will smudge the makeup.
- This works particularly well if you compulsively pick at the skin on your face.
3

Prune your nails or get acrylic nails. Altering your nails can cut downwards on picking also. Make them extremely short so that you have difficulty using them to scratch or option at your skin. Getting fake acrylic nails tin too prevent you lot from picking.
4
Employ oil or moisturizer to picking zones. Cease dermatillomania by putting a thick or flossy oil or lotion on the areas where y'all generally selection. This will make the expanse slick so that information technology'due south harder to pick at the skin beneath. Plus, it's a fashion of caring for your skin instead of harming it.^[9]
- Try applying vitamin Eastward, olive, or avocado oil to your skin. Or invest in a nourishing moisturizer in a soothing or cheerful odour.
5

Get a fidget toy. ^[10] Occupy your hands when yous get the urge to pick at your skin. Play a with a squishy ball or a fidget spinner until the urge passes.
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Do a constructive activity. Keep yourself busy when you get the urge to pick by working on a puzzle or doing homework. Or, knit, paint, or write to occupy your hands. You could also download several creative apps on your phone or tablet and use them when you have the urge to pick your pare.

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Add New Question

Question

Is Dermatillomania a mental disease?

Klare Heston is a Licensed Contained Clinical Social Worker based in Cleveland, Ohio. With feel in bookish counseling and clinical supervision, Klare received her Master of Social Work from the Virginia Democracy University in 1983. She besides holds a two-Year Mail service-Graduate Certificate from the Gestalt Institute of Cleveland, besides as certification in Family Therapy, Supervision, Mediation, and Trauma Recovery and Treatment (EMDR).

Licensed Social Worker

Expert Answer

It is more than accurate to say that it is a behavioral problem which can be part of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD), which is classified as a mental illness. Frequently people who pick at their skin can have underlying anxiety or depression.
Question

Is picking at your skin a sign of feet?

Klare Heston is a Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker based in Cleveland, Ohio. With experience in academic counseling and clinical supervision, Klare received her Main of Social Work from the Virginia Commonwealth University in 1983. She also holds a two-Year Post-Graduate Certificate from the Gestalt Institute of Cleveland, equally well every bit certification in Family Therapy, Supervision, Mediation, and Trauma Recovery and Treatment (EMDR).

Licensed Social Worker

Skilful Answer

Aye, picking at your peel can exist a sign of anxiety and/or low. The severity can very from mild to very serious.
Question

Do I have Dermatillomania?

Klare Heston is a Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker based in Cleveland, Ohio. With feel in academic counseling and clinical supervision, Klare received her Main of Social Work from the Virginia Commonwealth University in 1983. She also holds a 2-Year Postal service-Graduate Certificate from the Gestalt Institute of Cleveland, as well equally certification in Family Therapy, Supervision, Mediation, and Trauma Recovery and Treatment (EMDR).

Licensed Social Worker

Good Answer

Is your peel picking fairly regular? Exercise you take marks or scabs that don't heal? If so, you might consider seeing either a medical doctor or a therapist who specializes in the treatment of anxiety.