Wow, I can't believe there are so many others

who share the same bad habit that I have. I've been picking my skin for as long as I can remember. I also pick my toenails and sometimes bite my fingernails down until they are bloody and throbbing or rip the enamel off. The index fingernail on my right hand has been damaged for years. I have picked it so much that when it does come grow back, it looks deformed and bumpy. I have scars on my arms, back and legs and I'm sure there are plenty on my scalp too. It's sooo embarassing to be at work and in the middle of picking and have one of my co-workers yell "stop picking". When I was 10 years old, I had to have surgery on three of my toes because picking at the nails made them severly ingrown. I have never been able to polish my toenails because of the damage done to my toes during the surgery. This is not fun, but it is definitely a compulsion.