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Widesettoes

Updated 1y ago

Struggling with Skin Picking: Seeking Advice

I’ve been picking for as long as I can remember, always biting my nails and cuticles or picking at my arms, legs, and back. I spend hours a day picking or thinking about picking. I’ve talked to 3 separate doctors about it but they don’t seem to take me seriously when it comes to treatment. I’d love to know how to quit or even reduce the amount of time I pick or think about picking because I’ve been diagnosed but I’ve never been talked to about any type of treatment.

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feellicks

2y

I'm in the same boat. here if u need to talk
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Sunny9

2y

Yep I'm in the same boat too. My picking is a little better once I moved the behavior towards different things (like tweezing my eyebrows and nose hair will prevent me from picking at zits and cuticles) but I have no clue on how to stop the behavior completely
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sertralinequeen13

2y

I pick so much too!! I pick/pull and I’ve found if I hide my tweezers and extraction tools in a really inconvenient spot I’m way less likely to pick. I have also found that keeping the lights off in the bathroom helps and just using my phone flashlight or a nightlight. I also try to wear all long sleeves when I’m home so I’m less likely to even look. sometimes I need to let myself pick so I’ll set a timer and only let myself pick for 5 min or like the length of a short YouTube video. I also know that if it’s really bad, keeping gloves on will help stop you from skin grazing and finding things to pick at. I also play puzzle games on my phone to keep my hands busy and my mind distracted. And if I’m watching TV or a movie I’ll sit on my hands or put them under a weighted blanket
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JackOTrades

2y

Also on the same boat here! For me what I usually do is find other things to do with my hands when I’m idle. This can be anything from fidget toys to drawing to playing with bubble wrap or even ripping paper up. So far the most effective has been biting on a chewable necklace somehow because I have to hold it up to use it but that might not help most people. Another thing is to keep your nails short, it won’t stop the picking but from my experience it will make it more inconvenient! Another thing is, if you’re like me and pick more when you’re stressed look into giving yourself time and space to calm down, I find doing so reduces my need to pick as often too.

The content in this post is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition.

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