I need to quit picking my scalp

Hello. I've got a horrible scab on my head that I've been addicted to picking for about 4 months now. I used to do this when I was a teenager too. (I'm in my late 20s now). I suffer with extreme anxiety and stress and tend to do it to zone out but I'm determined not to do it anymore, as I'm worried about going bald!!!! so I've made my own 'ointment' - with shea butter and coconut oil, rosehip oil and lavender oil. Lavender oil is very healing and anti bacterial whilst rosehip rejuvenates and repair damaged cells. I'm going to keep my scabs constantly coated in this, until they have healed - I figure that they won't be so ''pick-able'' if they are constantly coated with oil, as they won't be dry - does that make sense? has anyone else tried anything like this? I will let you know how I get on.

Hi,
I'm a long time picker. I've never told a doctor or really anyone other than the skin pick community. This changed just about 4 months ago. I had several scabs on my head that I was constantly picking until the were a bloody mess (literally). I could feel my lymph nodes swelling and knew I had a skin infection. I finally went to a dermatologist and confessed my deep secret. He confirmed I had an infection and prescribed an antibiotic. This helped immensely. It "supported" me in weaning off the picking. Because it was healing my scabs and killing infection, that gave me less to pick at. I did have to work with it so to speak. I wore gloves in the car (which is my favorite picking spot) and shampooed my hair often (to help get rid of the dead skin and scabs). This is the first thing that has ever worked for my head picking and so I really recommend going to a doctor or if possible a dermatologist. This is what they do. Sometimes we look for answers online (I do this too) when the best resource just may be an actual doctor. It's scary. You have to face someone in person and let them know what you may have not told anyone else. This hasn't cured my lip or finger picking but I feel relieved that I have one area under control for now.

I am so pleased I found this page... I have just read through most of these comments and sometimes it feels as though I have written them. Especially the first one (2012). Why do I do it? It hurts, but I get pleasure from that. I feel disappointed if I only have one spot on my head to pick. My husband (of 22 years) does notice I scratch my head but I don't think he knows I am picking at spots.On reflection I feel it may be because I am unhappy with my appearance (overweight) and frustrated that I cannot loss weight (been going to a slimming club for over 18 months)....Should I go and speak to my doctor and see if she can help? Thank you for reading and good luck everyone.

Wow! A lot of these comments go back years! What blows my mind is reading a lot of others back stories on how the scalp picking started.,. Well mine like so many others strangely started in 5th grade for me also... Btw I'm female. I can remember sitting in the back of the classroom and playing with my hair ( I've always had long hair) I felt a piece of dandruff and pulled it out slowly down through my hair... The rest is history... And I became a faithful scalp picker not really by choice though... Lol. So here I am in my early 30's now, 4 kids later and I currently have 2 sore/bleeding scabs, I actually look forward to waking up to pick them because they heal some in my sleep, it terrible I know, I seem to go on what I call "Binge" days where I pick almost non stop for days... Til my head is so sore, most of my scabs are at the base of my head so I can always make it look like I'm rubbing my neck or just playing with my hair.
I've never been to a doctor or specialist about this. I do find it interesting that so many people started having this issue around the same age. I was an only child, and my parents did divorce later that year after I started doing this, so maybe the stress and life changes at the time kept and keep me doing this, I know for a fact I dig and pick more when really stressed.., I don't collect my scabs, or eat them, and to each their own if they do/ no judgement from me! I do notice when I'm picking that my mind kinda goes in a trans, it's like I block all the sounds and things going on around me and become extremely relaxed, does anyone else experience that trans like feeling while picking? The only thing to prevent me from picking is if I have artificial nails, I tried 3 years and had the nails removed 3 days later so I could go back to picking my scalp and get the full sensational feeling.

That story is me. Try to explain this to dermatologist and all she said was itchy bumps, don't scratch.. it started after losing my husband. Same feelings you have I have going on 19 years. I even have indentations I've dug so often and deep. Has anyone found what helps yet? My head gets so sore I can't even lay down most times.. color my hair dark just to hide the blood.. desperate...

I am so happy all of you exist. I felt so alone in this that it made me consider dying. I can relate to just about everything that was said. I think there is a lot of truth to the Wikipedia theory that it comes from repressed rage towards an authoritative parent. When I was younger, (I'm 21 now) my father was so strict that I lived my life in fear of him. I wasn't allowed to do anything or go anywhere. I couldn't make friends and always had to abide by his rules or he would high me with belts repeatedly to the point that it left vibrant marks on my skin. I have so much resentment towards him that I wish I had not known him to begin with. In my childhood I responded to his terror by picking my skin and isolating myself, it was an act of survival for me. Now over 14 years later I am severely depressed, unable to progress in life, unable to make friends, I have never had a boyfriend because i deem myself unworthy of love, and above all of that no matter what I do I cannot stop picking my skin. I really need a way out of this. It has completely ruined my self worth, my potential and my life in general. Hearing your stories has really gave me hope that there is a tomorrow that is free of this condition and I can make it there. I wish us all the best and hope we all find our peace and become ourselves again soon.

Hit* not high

I am in the same predicament, & I cannot stand it. Not sure what age it started, but I am now 20. I believe I have psoriasis, though it isn't noticeable unless my hair is absolutely spread apart & examined. I will pick out the white clumps of dead skin off my scalp & continue to scratch/pick vigorously for episodes of several minutes. I will repeat this several times a day. When I do this a bit too rough, sometimes I'll bleed & it'll result in a scab that I will pick at again. It's purely sensational to me, not due to an emotional issue.

I am new to picking my scalp and my story is exactly the same as this one. Im in eighth grade and my mom pulls her hair, I don't know why but I'm really embarrassed to tell my mom about this but I don't want to be picking at my scalp for the rest of my life I already have a pretty serious nail biting problem and I think I started picking around the time I tried to stop biting my nails. I don't know what to do and I'm really scared, I feel like I won't be taken seriously if I tell people about what I do.

Wow! I can relate to most of your stories I need to try the oils on my head and take up the challenge to beat it who will join me ? I need a support person who will stop their skin picking and together we can offer each other support and strategies to try and stop

So much of what you said resonated with me. I have always picked at my skin since I was a little kid, mostly my lips and fingernails. I would pick my lips until they got so chapped they would bleed. I never really started picking my scalp until after I started Accutane for my acne. I am 21 years old and I started Accutane when I was 19. I have always liked picking at dandruff in my scalp but I never formed a scab until I began the medication, which severely dried out my skin. It cured my acne but made my scalp so dry that I began picking out larger and larger flakes. Eventually the flakes turned into one main scab on the top of my head and I continued to pick the scab. It's been almost two years now and I have created a dent in my scalp because of how deep I pick. The first thing I do when I wake up is pick, almost subconsciously. The only person I have told about this was my boyfriend at the time (we broke up but are still super close friends) and he once parted the hair around my scab to see the damage. He was not expecting the level of injury that he saw. I also have the little stubble pieces of hair in the wound but in parts of it I am completely bald and have to use other parts of my hair to cover the spot. My boyfriend said he thought he could see my skull and told me I should go to the hospital to get it sewed up. I never did--and here's the kinda scary part-- because I did not want it to heal. I still don't. I want to keep picking at it. Like, I know it's horrible and I should stop. It's painful and whenever I wash my hair it stings really bad. I haven't ever gotten an infection but I might if I continue this habit. I simply do not want to stop. I wanted to see if other people feel this way. I am deeply ashamed of my habit and I have only told one person. I just wanted to see if anyone else has similar problems. I've researched it and compulsive picking seems like a symptom of OCD. I'm on medication (Zoloft) but I can't seem to stop picking and I don't even want to. Are there others who feel this way? There isn't a whole lot of research on the web relating to scalp injury because whenever I try looking up some of the questions I have, I am led to a forum to get help. I have become deeply fascinated with my injury and want to find out more--researching obsessively--but can't find information. What happens if you pick through your scalp? What is the clear discharge that comes out of the wound? Why do I like picking so much if it hurts? Whenever I pick super deep it gives me this weird rushing sensation. Are there nerves in the scalp that I'm activating? I can't exactly ask someone these questions in person though without explaining the reason, and I don't want to admit this tendency to anyone. If someone out there has answers or knows a possible reason for why I and others go through this, I would love to hear your input!

Oh. My. I'm so excited to have found others out there like me. Someone who understands, finally!

I have picked the dandruff scabs from my scalp for as long as I can remember. Something about seeing those flaky scabs between your fingers that is so rewarding. I some times pick to the point my head feels raw. The worst is taking a shower and putting in shampoo or conditoner and your head stings. I've always picked my scalp openly and have never tried to hide it. I don't think anyone has noticed or they all just assume its a habit of mine.
Mostly, people have commented about peices of the flakes/scabs that were left behind in my hair whilst I was trying to pull it out. Its both conscious and subconscious behavior for me. I can either be deep in thought or bored and just looking for something to pick.

I also pick my face and any other bump/pimple or scab I can find on my body.
I'm glad to have found this forum. I look forward to talking with you all more!!

My scalp is on fire. There is blood under my nails. It has been weeks, maybe months straight that I haven't been able to stop more than 12-24 hours. Today I looked in the mirror and just cried. Asked myself, why? Why can't you just stop. I put the gloves on, the hat and I just pull them off. My dog even looks so sad. She can probably smell the blood. What is wrong with me. This isn't normal at all. I just want to love myself and stop picking. I stare at the computer and pick and pick and pick, I wash my hands so much my hands are raw. I want to tell the people I love that I have this disorder but I doubt they will understand because I don't even understand. My Mom said we come from a family of pickers. I don't want to pick anymore but I can't stop. I am so torn apart. I know I am balding in spots.

When I pick it's like I am cleansing myself of the crap that deep down I don't know how to deal with. I watch the scabs fall to the sink and then I rinse them away. Then I rinse the wound, or shower, Neosporin or hydrogen peroxide, but then the scabs come back quicker and I get right back to picking again. What is wrong with me??

I have been sober now for 17 months and I am going strong, no cigarettes for 135 days. But I can't kick this evil habit that I have had since I was a little girl, when I would pick my ant bites. I pray about it and ask for help. My arm hurts from picking so much and sometimes my ears and eyes hurt too. Please, someone, help me. I don't want to be alone with this. It's scary.

This was me and still is to an extent. I’m not one hundred percent better but I’m no longer where you are now. I thought my picking was psychological but after over a year of consistent therapy i hadn’t stopped picking. I made the choice to go to a dermatologist for my scalp. I wanted to make sure there wasn’t something wrong with my scalp that it was creating things for me to pick. Turns out there was. Foliculitis (inflammation of the hair follicles) was causing a build up of dry skin. I got medicine that cleared up the dry skin and it helped assist me to stop picking. I couldn’t have done it without identifying what was giving me something to pick at (the folliculitis). That being said i still pick the dry skin on my lips and my dermatologist could not find anything wrong with them. I disagree and will find another doctor. There’s excess dry skin and if there wasn’t I don’t believe I would pick it. Basically see your doctor. They’re there to help you. If they don’t, then find another one and keep at it until one helps you. You and I both need a professionals help with this and they’re not all built the same. I picked my scalp for years until finally I sought medical attention. There’s hope.

Thank you so much MGH44. You have shown me some light at the end of the tunnel. I just took matters into my own hands with some hair scissors and a razor. I strategically shaved the worst affected areas of my head so that I could see it with my eyes. When I touched the non-affected skin near the wounds it felt so naked and innocent.

I too have folliculitis, but on my arms, so it is likely I could have it on my scalp too! Thank you so much for sharing your experience, strength, and hope with me. Together we are so much stronger than we are when we stand alone. <3

I believe it's started by stress. I did it when I was about 18 when I stopped biting my nails, and stopped. Began bitting my nails again. Now at 27, I don't bite my nails anymore but for about half a year now I've been picking at my head, creating scabs and picking them off. I try really hard to stop but anxiety and stress kick in. When it's itchy when healing I scratch lightly and try not to pick the scab. The scab will usually fall of when scratched at once if the skin underneath is healed. That usually heals but I find another spot to scratch at and pick. It's so hard. I have read that using Neosporin to prevent infection or once you already have infected one. Also using alia VerA on the scab when itchy to relief itchiness. So my bf Vegas picking at his head, he doesn't know I have them, well atleast I think he doesn't know. I never let him run his hands in my head or when he tried to grab my hair or head to kiss or whatev, I love my head away. I did notice he started getting scabs and ask me to pick it off for him, gross but I did. There is one huge area in the back of head that he has picked at and made worse! I keep telling him not to pick it. He does. It looks like a lump with a huge crater. Like a volcano. I'm worried he can get a serious infection. I never pick at mine that bad to get infected. I'm curious to know if anyone has any other ways of healing it besides what I already know. For those of you who need help, Neosporin and aloa vera will help. But you really need to stop picking at them and let them heal. Theyll be gone. Like me it is very hard. But recently everytime i start picking i distract myself with something to do so i dont.

I red most of the comments and all of you have the same exact issue of mine, so did we figure out how to quit doing this? Please let me know I’m 28 years old and I’ve had this habit for almost 6 years

I'm a freshman in high school and this started happening for me last year. I was in this pretty demanding summer course (36 weeks condensed into 6). We had close to 3 quizzes everyday, day after day. If I would be stressed on a test or a quiz, I would start to scratch my and I had the same feeling everyone else in this forum had. When I noticed that I was essentially pulling skin of my head, I kept doing it. It became a routine to scratch my dry skin off my scalp everyday. That was less than a year ago and it has gotten so much worse. Typing this out now has just given me the realization that we all started because of a stress-related activity. It gave us a small amount of relief and satisfaction in a stressful environment. Then, when the stress went away, we kept doing it because we learned to like it. I am going to start putting coconut oil in my hair before I sleep to reduce the dry scalp - which will reduce the dandruff that collects when I pick my scalp. I am confident that I can end this.

Thanks for sharing your stories guys,
Jack A, 14

I have been picking my scalp for 3 years now. It started from stress and now it's almost like a coping mechanism to relax me. Does anyone else have a hard time washing their hair because of the burning of the sore scalp? I hate washing it but enjoy blow drying the sore spots. It hurts but feels good at the same time. As I'm typing this I cant believe I'm opening up and saying all of this. I just hope what I'm saying can help other people going through the same thing such as all of your messages giving me the courage to put my story on here.