If you often pick on your skin, no matter which body part it is, from hangnails (the piece of skin which is near the root of the nail) to spots and moles on your face, we have some really bad news for you. There are really strong chances that you might be suffering from excoriation disorder (dermatillomania) or skin picking disorder to put it simply. How can you identify the skin picking disorder? While a lot of people pick their skin some time or the other, there are certain signs and symptoms to identify whether you are suffering from an actual disease. Here are the 7 signs to look out for: 1. You cannot resist the urge to pick on your skin, no matter how hard you try.
2. Picking your skin often results in bleeding and other severe forms of injuries.
3. You pick on your skin without even realising that you are doing so.
4. Your physical reaction in any stressful or anxious situation is to pick on your skin.
5. You rub your skin constantly.
6. If there is a mole, scab or any other injury on your skin, you have an intense desire to pick on it.
7. You target both healthy and damaged skin. What happens when you pick on your skin? Compulsive skin picking has both permanent and temporary effects on your skin. It may result in permanent scarring and discoloured skin in some situations. In fact, apart from stinging pain and bleeding, in some severe cases, your skin may also become infected and require medication.
This disorder can also induce a sense of shame and embarrassment as people often try to cover up their scars so nobody else sees them. They also try and avoid wearing “revealing clothes” (clothes that reveal the scabs or scars caused by picking the skin). This further causes psychological trauma. How can you stop picking your skin?

Thankfully, there are certain things that you can do treat this disorder. Some of them are:

1. The first thing that you need to do is to keep your hands busy so as to stop picking your skin. You can invest in a stress ball.

2. Try and carry a moisturiser at all times to keep your skin moisturised and resist the urge to skin picking.

3. Identify the situations that aggravate your condition.

The bottom line

If none of the above-mentioned tips helps you, you should consider seeking the help of a medical professional, especially if it has started taking days for your wounds to heal. The doctor may suggest using the combination of both behavioural therapy and medications to reduce the urge pick on your skin.

Source: indiatimes.com