Short answer · Medically reviewed summary · Last updated: 2026-05-08
Dermatillomania, also known as Excoriation Disorder, is a body-focused repetitive behavior characterized by the compulsive picking of skin, leading to tissue damage, scarring, and significant emotional distress. Symptoms range from minor skin abrasions to severe infections and are frequently accompanied by intense feelings of guilt, shame, and social withdrawal. What are the primary symptoms of Dermatillomania? The core symptom of Dermatillomania is the repetitive and irresistible urge to pick, scratch, or gouge the skin, often targeting the face, arms, or hands.
6 people with Dermatillomania have shared their first-person experience on this question at DiseaseMaps.
Which are the symptoms of Dermatillomania?
Symptoms of Dermatillomania reported by real patients, from the most common to the most limiting, plus a medically reviewed summary with sources.
Dermatillomania, also known as Excoriation Disorder, is a body-focused repetitive behavior characterized by the compulsive picking of skin, leading to tissue damage, scarring, and significant emotional distress. Symptoms range from minor skin abrasions to severe infections and are frequently accompanied by intense feelings of guilt, shame, and social withdrawal.
What are the primary symptoms of Dermatillomania?
The core symptom of Dermatillomania is the repetitive and irresistible urge to pick, scratch, or gouge the skin, often targeting the face, arms, or hands. While some individuals pick at healthy skin, others focus on perceived imperfections, scabs, or calluses. The physical symptoms of Dermatillomania include:
- Recurrent skin lesions, sores, and open wounds.
- Persistent bleeding, crusting, and scab formation.
- Visible scarring and localized skin discoloration.
- Secondary infections resulting from broken skin barriers.
- Pain, tenderness, and inflammation in the affected areas.
How does Dermatillomania impact daily quality of life?
Beyond the integumentary system, Dermatillomania profoundly affects mental health. Many patients report that the time spent picking interferes with work, school, or social obligations. The associated psychological symptoms include chronic anxiety, depression, and a cycle of guilt or shame that often leads to social isolation. In our community of 260 members on DiseaseMaps.org, many report that the desire to hide scars leads to asocial behavior, creating a distressing cycle of secrecy and emotional fatigue.
How do symptoms progress over time?
Dermatillomania often follows a chronic, fluctuating course. Symptoms may intensify during periods of high stress or boredom. Over time, an individual may move from picking with fingers to using tools like tweezers or needles, increasing the risk of severe tissue damage. Without intervention, the behavior can become an automatic response to emotional triggers, making it increasingly difficult to stop without therapeutic support.
When should I seek immediate medical attention?
You should consult a healthcare provider if you notice signs of systemic infection, such as fever, spreading redness, or pus, which may indicate a secondary bacterial infection. Furthermore, if the distress caused by Dermatillomania results in suicidal ideation or an inability to function in daily life, please seek immediate psychiatric evaluation.
Next steps
- Consult a psychiatrist or psychologist specializing in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) or Habit Reversal Training (HRT).
- Join the 260+ members at DiseaseMaps.org to share experiences and coping strategies.
- Speak with a dermatologist to manage skin healing and reduce the visibility of scars.
- Discuss potential medication management, such as SSRIs or N-Acetylcysteine, with your physician.
Medical disclaimer: This content is for informational purposes only and does not replace professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment.
References
- NIH Genetic and Rare Diseases Information Center (GARD): Excoriation Disorder.
- Orphanet: Dermatillomania (Orphanet Number: ORPHA476192).
- The TLC Foundation for Body-Focused Repetitive Behaviors.
- PubMed/NCBI: Clinical reviews on the management of Pathologic Skin Picking.
Obviously, the act of picking is unsanitary, so when you create these wounds, you leave room for infection. With wounds of any kind, but especially with wounds that become infected, scarring occurs.
Posted May 17, 2017 by Jenna 350
Posted Sep 11, 2017 by Melissa 200
Posted Sep 14, 2017 by Melanie 300
Posted Sep 14, 2017 by Linda 4500
This is different from deliberate picking of the skin meant to cause harm or pain, which is self harm.
There are two types of picking recognized: automatic and focused. Automatic picking is done without consciously being aware of it, usually when doing an activity where the hands are idle. Focused picking is an compulsion driven episode of deliberate picking that is most often brought on by triggers such as stress and anxiety.
Dermatillomania also has secondary symptoms such as infection, depression, anxiety, pain, bleeding, and loss of self-worth. Sometimes these are comorbid and exacerbated by dermatillomania and sometimes they are directly caused by it.
If I could get rid of some of the symptoms it would be scanning, the compulsion to rub over my skin and find imperfections to pick. This would stop a great deal of my picking, personally.
Posted Oct 14, 2019 by lovetheaardvarks 3660
Posted Oct 14, 2019 by Brenda-Victoria 3600
