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Dermatillomania (skin picking disorder)

jackieboy414 , 29 May 2010

Does any know what I'm talking about?! b/c I have no clue..

i have a question regarding white pin-head dots that I am pulling out of my skin, and what the long term consequences for such actions will be. Ok so I've been picking since I was 19. Now four years later my arms above the elbow and my shoulders are dotted with dozens and dozens of dime to quarter sized pink scars, mixed in with 5 or 6 "active volcanoes." Typically the raging volcanoes start out as a tiny blemish of some sort; Ingrown hair, small nick of skin, even a pimple. After continual picking, they quickly expand and often become infected. when the wounds that are infected become scabs they are literally craters in my skin. if left alone for enough time the crater will forum a scab filled with a gooey yellowish substance. However they don't make it past that stage without being picked at continually. My obsession is not with the removal of the scab, but with removing tiny white pin head sized spots poking out of the area under the scab. Once I remove the scab the area underneath is more puss then blood, so I am able to see the details of the infected crater. I think the white things I am pulling out are hair follicules. IDK, like I said the wound is infected and has cratered into my skin so I am assuming due to the cratered area there is no upper level skin to hide the hair folicules. I will use tweezers to pull these tiny buldges out of my skin. When I remove one it pulls out like a weed being pulled from dirt, the section I see is only a portion of the entire thing. So if u made it thru this post and understand what I'm talking about, are they hair folicules?
94 Answers
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Kpgkbeavs
April 06, 2013
Having the same issue as the lady that was stating pregnant and started breaking out and pick scab and white root come out . Wondering if you knew what this was and why I keep breaking out . Starts out looking like a pimple and then a big bump under skin which is sore . I pick it and ten long white root come out . Some are a lot of them and just one comes out
Finallyhavemyanswer
June 24, 2013
I FINALLY AFTER MONTHS OF MISERY FIGURED OUT THE ANSWER TO THE SAME CRAZY PROBLEM ALL OF YOU DESCRIBED. I have spent hours trying to figure this worm under scab won't heal issue. I've had dozens on my face. It so simple it makes me want to cry that it took so long to figure out and to realize I was self creating the problem. Not ringworm FYI.... CONTACT DERMITITIS FROM AN ALERGIC REACTION TO NEOSPORIN AND POLYSPORIN. I stopped using both and only used tea tree oil for one day and all 5 of my existing sores do NOT have any of the worms under the scabs this morning. THANK GOD. (I did clean the inside of each sore really well before using tea tree) I am guessing tons of folks on this thread use these ointments trying to control infection of small sores that turn into big sores over time, it's the ointment in my case. I had to share this once I realized what my problem was. Good luck everyone!
Trying-to-Look…
July 31, 2013
I am amazed that you posted this! I just looked Contact Dermatitis on Google and that is exactly what I have! I just went to the Dr. for one of my sores and she said, "DO NOT PUT NEOSPORIN ON YOUR FACE!" Our skin on our face is much too sensitive to be putting Neosporin on. I don't know about Polysporin, but my Dr. advised me to use Vitamin E oil only, or Cortisone cream. ALSO, I told her I had been using Coconut Oil to keep the sores moist. She said to NEVER put that on either! Coconut Oil is apparently a breeding ground for bacteria! If you get a really bad, open and infected sore, check out Hibiclens. It is anti-microbial and will help keep bacteria and microbes out. I am so glad that you shared this! Thank you!
jw6889
February 10, 2014
Are you serious? All I use is coconut oil. It's supposed to have antibacterial or anti microbial or some kind of bacteria fighting agents.. I've been using it not quite 6 mos yet. So what did you switch to after she said no coconut oil or your face?
mikeal03
September 02, 2014
Misdiagnosis try again. hurry and try again becuzu u know. It goes dormant roughly around another 3 to 4 months. Then it resurfaces for about month and half. Drops a bunch of trash on or skin then ur body reabsorbs that mess?
buddyrobert1992
June 29, 2013
O M G i cant believe other people have this problem no one i know understands and thinks when i get all digging and i mean digging they thing its all gross and i am like do you not see like the 6 big hard balls that came out of my arm and they are like the size of where you thread a pin from then the hole will bleed for a few min and then it will drain a bunch of clear fluid and i have no idea what to do has anyone found any other sites relating to this specific problem because i am dieing to get rid of it they will heal up and almost go away but then it will come back and get bad all over again
ccr89
July 17, 2013
I am so glad I found this site. I've been compulsively picking for years and have a face full of scars to show for it. Nobody understands the compulsion and I cant explain it. I like to assume I suffer from dermatillomania. Anyway... I know exactly what you mean. A lot of times they pull out with the scab or need to be tweezed out, but leave a perfectly clean hole behind. I think these are the follicles/hair trying to grow back from underneath the scab, but they look like whiteheads so I always want to pull them out. Ultimately this usually ends up in an even larger/more infected crater which yields a bigger scab and this more spots underneath. its a vicious cycle. Glad im not the only one!
physguy88
July 30, 2013
The same problem has been bothering me for years and years and years. I did some digging recently and I think that these white spots really are regenerating hair follicles surrounded by islands of developing skin. They may be inflamed due to a skin condition, but if one leaves them alone for long enough, they should develop into healthy skin on their own. The key is to leave them alone long enough and just not worry about them for a month or two. See: http://www.wound-treatment.jp/english/index_e.htm In this case the skin is burned, but the damage should be similar to skin after being picked or injured in some other way.
nitpick
September 24, 2013
OMG - I get these TOO! There is actually a scab on the base of my scalp - if I let it go a day then i am guaranteed to have at least three clusters of these fat white hair follicles stuck to the scab when I pull it off. Seems like by now there would not BE any hair follicles left? BUT I am absolutely OBSESSED with pulling them out - when I pull the scab off I can feel them pulling out of my skin - the leave little holes behind and it is a feeling of it being *clean* if that makes sense .. Getting all of that stuff OUT Of the pores. :( Also - not sure if this is the case for anyone else but if I DON'T pick the scab with that cluster of follicles are then the whole area burns like it is on fire. Pulling it out is the only relief I get.
skeet65
May 25, 2015

Feel the same way @ feeling cleaner, when get those little balls or strings out. Can't stand them just left in my skin.(mostly arm, but one every now and then will get one or two on my legs, but not on my head) Occasionally, my face will get one or two, but not too bad now. One time before I was dx'd with the Lyme and wasn't drinking Apple Cider Vinegar everyday, my face was covered with them. Even had some large cyst like thing on my chin, which left a whole when done with me. It was horrible, but went away and hasn't come back. That was years ago. Grateful it hasn't. :)
Don't they burn like fire, after you get them out!?! Ouch, but just glad that IT is out and my skin has a bruised spot for a while, then goes away.
Just started using Coconut oil in my baths and just love it. Slathered it all over me and love that smooth feel and it doesn't feel greasy either. Don't understand why others don't love that smooth feeling that I get, but everyone is different. Don't believe that coconut could hurt anything, since it is anti-bacterial or anti-viral. Seems to be helping mine, so maybe it was just dry skin, but have other problems that could be the culprit. Having the Lyme disease could be the problem. Believe that is what it is, but no docs can tell ya anything. Mostly guess and seems to always be dermatitis of some kind and don't believe it.
Leaving them alone also is a good idea because if, you don't get completely under the bump and get it all out...IT can go into your blood stream and really make you sick. That is where staph and stuff like that comes from. Be careful out there guys and if you have to get them out, like I do, make sure to get a good grasp on each side of it and then push it out. Don't just mash it or bad things could happen.
God Bless all and hope you find an answer.

Hippiebeauty2009
October 20, 2013
I'm so glad that I'm not alone with the problem of "picking" Now I don't feel crazy! But Ive noticed that sometimes there are skinny thin white What looks like hair strands in the wound and I would use a tweezer to Attempt to get it out and the more I did it I realized There was a lot more!! I don't think it's nerves Bc it don't hurt or make me flinch like it would if I struck a nerve and I want to know if there is hair That grows inside your body or what this is bc It bothers me and I feel like it shouldn't be there When I know better but it literally looks Like strands of little white thin hairs do if anyone knows What it is or knows if hair DOES grow inside your skin or wounds That would be very helpful. Im currently seeing a doctor to try to Heal my sore so I hope everyone is careful about cleaning and wrapping Their wounds/scabs etc. so it don't get infected or gang green bc that could result in amputation so do everything possible to keep it clean. Picking is a horrible bad discusting habit And everytime I look and realize what I'm doing to myself I can't belive it lol but I'm glad to know I'm not alone Once again anyone w answers please let me know!!! Thanks!!!
mich_ellew
October 12, 2015

YES! I just picked around my areola and used a safety pin and it got so deep I picked out a white ball looking thing and then it looked like string or hair also just like you said! Thats the first Ive seen of the string hair type things but Ive seen the white ball things before. I have no clue what it is though I wish I did and when I was deep in the hole I notice I could move the safety pin from side to side and around like there was space around it even though I didnt make it around the hole deep inside. Im glad to know Im not the only one and am not crazy, but now I know once it starts healing Im going to want to pick the scab SO bad and probably will and those white balls will b inside the scab Im sure. I wish someone knew what all this was, Ive googled it and cant find any information anywhere.

Mpage
February 06, 2014
I have suffered with these pimples that won't go away for about 10 years. If I am able to extract the white dot in the middle, there is a root that comes out with it. I have finally found out what these are. They are pustules or pimples that are a result of yeast overgrowth (Candida). Yeast overgrowth happens when yeast turns into a fungus usually as a result of antibiotics, birth control pills or prescribed acne medication. Candida is very common and I wouldn't be surprised if half the population has it. There are many annoying symptoms of Candida and it can be serious if it becomes symptomatic. I had a blood test that showed positive in 2 of the 3 tests given. However, an at home test can be done to see if you may have yeast overgrowth. In the morning before you brush your teeth or eat, fill a glass of room temperature water from the faucet in the glass. Next spit some saliva into the glass and wait 30 minutes. If the saliva grows legs like a jelly fish or sinks to the bottom, you have yeast over growth. If it floats, you don't. If you have it, stay away from sugar including fruits and carbohydrates. You may feel die off symptoms at the beginning but eventually you will feel much better. I also suffer from insane itching all over in addition to the pimples I get when it flares up. When I watch my diet, the symptoms go away. Hope this helps.
skeet65
May 25, 2015

Truly believe that you hit the nail on the HEAD.(pun intended :o )
I've been dx'd with candida and had to stop eating sugar, flour and just @ any good food---processed junk is hard on a person too. Went organic and ate vegetables for a year. Hard to do, but done it and my skin did clear up. Completely forgot @ that. Posted earlier on coconut oil and how, it has helped me and believe that it is anti-viral and anti-baterial. Couldn't hurt anyone....only help. I did start back to eating whatever I've wanted the past year again and it has come back. Those stupid little bumps are all over my skin(arms) again. So, Mpage is right.
Sure that is the correct answer and going back on the no good food diet again and it will clear up, but do have to say that the coconut oil and essential oils(right ones..and found Frankincense to really help clear up my arms) You have to find it in a bar soap, that is naturally made and should help. Now if you don't want to stop eating that good food, get those veggies in too. Everyone should not eat sugar and flour all the time. God Bless... :)

mich_ellew
October 12, 2015

I looked up about the pustules you are talking about and I dont think thats what it is but thank you! The pictures they have of postules are more towards the surface of the skin and the white balls were talking about is deeper in the skin and doesnt pop, its hard and it doesnt have pus, the postules sound closer to acne or again a surface skin problem.

noon1138
March 18, 2014
I have been suffering from the same problem since August 2012 and have not been able to get an answer from a doctor about what the condition is. I remember that right before I started getting the sores I had an episode of EXTREME itchiness on my palms, bottom of my feet and my pubic region. At first I thought it was some kind of STD but after being thoroughly tested for all STDs the results showed I was 100% clean. The itching continued off and on for about a week and then stopped. Shortly after that I started getting what seemed life pimples on my butt and I have never in my life had that happen before. I had very good skin up until then and so the but pimples really bothered me and tried my best to squeeze out whatever I thought was in the pimple/sore but since it was hard to get a good view and see what they liked like I just attributed it to the heat of the summer and the stressful state of my life. A little while later bumps started appearing on my legs bear my knees. They looked like ingrown hairs and would itch a little bit. If I squeezed them white stuff would come out and sometimes an oddly coiled hair as well. After I squeezed them some would heal normally and some would heal over with a kind of pearly scab. The scab would eventually start the try to come off but it felt like it was almost not real skin but skin with hardened plastic infused into it. I would pick of the scab or the skin underneath it would get inflamed and the sore reopened on its own. Eventually I sat down and really took a look at what was going on with the sore and for the most part everything looked "normal" except for a few sores that had a sort of pale what center. I didn't think much of it still until I started getting these on my back as well. They seemed to form either a linear pattern with the sores spaced out equally in a line or a sort of a curved line and sometimes an S pattern. The sores took forever to heal (up to 6 months) and then reopen in the same place. One time I got fed up and started poking around in one of the sores on my back that I could actually see if I twisted to the side and it looked like there was white dots sticking out of it. So I took a sanitized needle and tried to pull one of them out. I stuck the needle through it and pulled as hard as I could with all my might and it wouldn't cone out. It was not until ring that I few times that it started protruding out of the sore and I was able to grab it and pull it out. It looked like a piece of fiber and it really freaked me out. This continued on my back for a long time. I then noticed that the sores on my butt had little white plus hanging out of them as well and I tried to grab it with tweezers and was sometimes successful in pulling out the little plug. This caused the sore to bleed a lot. I examined the little white plug and it was about 1/32 or 1/16 of an inch long with one side thicker than the other, so if you held it up in the tweezers and looked it it while rotating it would look almost completely flat and then get wider. About a year ago these sores made it to my face. They would start out as regular pimples then get more inflamed until the skin on top would just come off revealing anywhere from 1 to 8 little white plugs. They are hard to get out and when I do get them out the sore bleeds immensely. The sore only heals all the way if all the plugs are pulled out, otherwise it continues to scan scab over and reopen. Sometimes the plugs come out attached to the scab but it's rare. This condition causes me a lot of anxiety, stress, shame and frustration. I avoid being naked at any cost and can't find a way to tell my bf why I'm so self conscious about bring nude. I have become the matter of avoiding certain angles or positions and can't bring myself to try to explain to him what's going on. Does anyone have a concrete answer as to what this condition is? Please help.
spottyface1
March 26, 2014
Hey There Noon1138, My suggestion is to go get some sulfur!! I have dealt with this problem for a very long time! I think my condition was a combination of yeast and possibly demodex mites. I read something that a doctor posted on the internet(the writer of the blog claimed to be a doctor). Thte doctor said that he had dealt with this and he said that it was fungal and demodex. The article said that we all have these mites, but they can really get out of control by feeding off of the sebum that is produced by the yeast. My sores always reappeared and wouldn't heal unless the white plugs were removed. Here is what I have found that seriously works...sulfur! I started washing the sores with Dr. Kauffman's sulfur and zinc oxide soap and I noticed that the sores got a little better. So then I went to CVS and bought some prosacea gel, which is only about 1 percent sulfur. It started to really help, but I didn't think that it was strong enough. I ordered 10 percent sulfur ointment from del a cruz lab ( I think that's the name of the lab). I have been amazed at the improvement in my spots!! I think it works because 10 percent sulfur is antibacterial, antifungal, and antiparasite, whatever I had...the sulfur is drying it out and healing it up. I hope that this information helps you!! Good Luck!!
Tjwantsclearskin
August 08, 2014
Are you still using sulfur products and is it still helping? I'm so thankful for this page! I thought *I* was the only one with this problem! AND you all have described what I've been too embarrassed to describe to anyone!! I've experienced these non acne scabby then open sores with white things in them for years. Only to be extracted with tweezers. Thank you so much!!
Tjwantsclearskin
August 23, 2014
I purchased Adult Acnomel tinted cream at Rite Aid. ( 8% sulfur ) Within 3 days the places on my face were healed. Still I had some pink places for a few days but eventually they went away as well.... This stuff worked for me!!! Thank you so Much!!!!! Better than $1000 spent at a specialist Dr!

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