Welcome and hope you’re doing ok. It can be a shock, and some people can get sad to learn that this is an actual mental disorder. But the good news is that this has a name. You’re not alone. Millions of other people are suffering. Many of them still don’t know about dermatillomania. So we are all pretty new to all of this.

Anyway, yes, it appears that some medical conditions (especially skin conditions) can trigger or aggravate skin picking. Take care and write back if you have any other questions. Good luck!

Hi there, thanks a lot! Well, I have a page that speaks generally about how to stop. But it’s a good first step. There’s a lot that you can do on your own, but I doubt that it can do much good. I mean, if we could stop on our own, we’d have done it already. There’s no magic formula. It jut takes a lot of work. You have to re-train your brain to think of new ways to deal with anxiety. You have to find new things to play with, rather than pick your skin. You should also find out why you’re picking. Why you’re anxious. What are your triggers. And stuff like that is best left to therapy. 

It’s difficult to ask yourself these questions. Having someone to talk to and who knows a course of action for treating derma is important. The most common forms of therapy are cognitive behavioral therapy, or habit reversal therapy. Both try to get you to reverse your habits, or trade them in for new, better habits.

There’s medication, too, but of course that requires medical professionals as well. Unfortunately, you can’t take care of this on your own, usually. It doesn’t just go away. You need a focused treatment plan and the help of trained mental health professionals. Good luck!

I think fidget toys are very personal. So in the end, it really depends on what speaks to you. So that means you have to go and buy a few and start using them and see how it goes. Do you pick less? Do you reach for the fidget toy rather than pick? Those are the kinds of things you need to ask yourself.

Sure, they all have their purposes, but it depends on what you’re into. Do you like tactile things? Then maybe a brush or comb might be good. I carry around those $2 combs that fits in the palm of your hand because I like how it feels. But I use a different toy every week, practically. I get bored with them. So I have a large stockpile. Don’t worry about getting one fidget toy, worry about getting too many of them. 

I have so many that I keep them in a little bag, like one of those travel bags that people use to carry their toiletries. I’ll post some pictures one day, with the bag and everything I keep inside, but the short story is that I have a lot of things in there. Sometimes I’m in the mood for something different, or something squishy, or maybe I just need some lotion or a band-aid. It’s all in my little bag. 

Check out my page on fidget toys to get a start on what I recommend. I need to add more stuff, but you can really use anything as a fidget toy. Keys, or your key holder. Pens. An eraser. Anything in your purse or anything you put in your pocket. Be creative. Spoil yourself with toys. Don’t worry if you only use it once. It’s a learning process. And throw it in a bag, you might want to use it later. 

Thanks for writing and good luck!

Hi there, I haven’t heard of it, but it’s not to surprising. And don’t worry about encouraging stuff, people do whatever they want no matter what people post or say or do. Anyone else out there do this? I’m betting lots of people do this, or at least have thought of it. 

Thanks for sharing. I sincerely believe that people do care even if they yell at you. That’s just their way of letting you know. They just don’t know how to say it nicely, so they are rude or condescending or make fun. People care that you’re doing this. I mean, some people might just be grossed out or something, but in the end it’s about caring and worrying about you. They just are dumb about sharing those feelings. 

This is in response to this anonymous ask, I believe. 

Wanting to be noticed. Hoping someone says something (that’s not rude). Why doesn’t anyone else know I’m picking my skin? I hear that a lot. I’ve also thought things things. 

I kind of feel like I’m getting away with something. Something bad. Like I’m really sneaky. Or I’m fooling everyone, ha ha! 

As I said, I definitely want to talk about this some more in future posts. Thanks for writing in. If you have something to share on this, please write me or post something on your blog. Thanks!