Compulsive Skin Picking (Excoriation disorder)

What is it?

Compulsive skin picking (also called excoriation disorder or skin‑picking disorder) is when someone keeps picking at their own skin, even though it causes sore areas, bleeding or scarring, and they find it very hard to stop. People might pick at spots, scabs or small “imperfections”, or at completely normal skin, and this can happen on any part of the body – often the face, arms, hands or scalp.

DIY self diagnosis

If you can answer YES to most of the questions it is likely that you are affected by compulsive skin picking. During the past 6 months:
  • Did you recurrently pick the skin of your face, lips, scalp, arms, legs or body?
  • Did you find that you skin pick more when you are anxious or stressed?
  • Did you find that skin picking leads to feelings of pleasure, gratification, tensions decrease?
Anxiety UK strongly advises that people seek further information and guidance from their GP who will be able to make a formal diagnosis.

Compulsive Skin Picking (Excoriation disorder)

Compulsive skin picking Fact Sheet

This fact sheet gives a detailed overview, as well as a look at some of the evidence based approaches to treating compulsive skin picking.		 Download now

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