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The below is a forum entry made by one of our community members. If you want to know more about your condition, we suggest you read the following article written by a mental health professional on
Dermatillomania (skin picking disorder)
Does anyone pick at the bottom of their feet? My story
Hi, I'm new to the site, so I've been poking around a little, and I've haven't seen any posts about anyone picking at the bottoms of their feet like I do. I'll do this to the point that patches of skin are very raw and it's painful to walk. Sometimes I bleed.
I bought Solarcaine to spray on my feet b/c it numbs the skin and kills bacteria, but it also dries out the skin, so instead of helping my feet heal, it just makes my feet easier and less painful to pick. Usually I end up spreading bacitracin or neosporin on the raw areas and covering them with bandaids or gauze, then limping around my apt. The real problem comes when I have to go out or work, especially since I have to be on my feet most of the time at work. I've tried applying lotion to my feet twice a day to make them less "pickable" and have had moderate success, but when I reeeeeally want to pick, I can still do it. I've even tried filing my nails down to the skin, and while it was effective against picking, I just about went nuts.
But despite the pain (and I'm a pain-adverse wimp), the embarassment, the expense (bandages, meds), the constant threat of infection, and friends/family always telling me to stop...I still do it! Arghhh! I also pick/bite at the skin around my fingernails and lips, plus I'll scratch sometimes at my scalp and the backs of my arms. But my feet are my biggest problem.
Anyways, that's my story, and I was just wondering if anybody else also picks at the bottoms of their feet.
If you ever find a way to stop, let me know! Female, 18. I've been in the same rut as you for years! I pick at my feet til they bleed, sometimes I even use fingernail clippers and eat the skin. Ugh, it seems so easy to stop but it's not. I don't even know what's causing it.
If you ever find a way to stop, let me know! Female, 18. I've been in the same rut as you for years! I pick at my feet til they bleed, sometimes I even use fingernail clippers and eat the skin. Ugh, it seems so easy to stop but it's not. I don't even know what's causing it.
I have been doing this since I was 4 years old. I would slither around my mother and steal the nail clippers and clip the skin to get an easier place tostart picking. Now, I am older and use scissors or an knife to get in and peel. Its gotten to the point where I bleed and painful to walk. I will stop for a couple of days and start again. No matterthe pain I will rip the skin off. I do this to my big toes andmy heels.
In reply to I have been doing this since by Taelynn
Omg i do this exact same thing! mine is my right big toe that I've been picking at ever since I was in highschool (am 34 now). everytime the callous grows back it feels so big, painful and it feels like an itch that I can't get rid of which makes me wanna pick at it every time till it gets super sore and bleeds. I use a box cutter i find that box cutters seemed to work much better at removing the callous. also developed a stranger habit of getting a ballpoint pen and pressing it in one spot on my toe for some reason i get relief off doing this and then cutting that skin out again after awhile when pen marks start becoming more darker.
curious to know if you pick at your left or your right big toe? and what type of knife do you use to cut it off with?
I have been doing this since I was 4 years old. I would slither around my mother and steal the nail clippers and clip the skin to get an easier place tostart picking. Now, I am older and use scissors or an knife to get in and peel. Its gotten to the point where I bleed and painful to walk. I will stop for a couple of days and start again. No matterthe pain I will rip the skin off. I do this to my big toes andmy heels.
I have been doing this since I was 4 years old. I would slither around my mother and steal the nail clippers and clip the skin to get an easier place tostart picking. Now, I am older and use scissors or an knife to get in and peel. Its gotten to the point where I bleed and painful to walk. I will stop for a couple of days and start again. No matterthe pain I will rip the skin off. I do this to my big toes andmy heels.
I have been doing this since I was 4 years old. I would slither around my mother and steal the nail clippers and clip the skin to get an easier place tostart picking. Now, I am older and use scissors or an knife to get in and peel. Its gotten to the point where I bleed and painful to walk. I will stop for a couple of days and start again. No matterthe pain I will rip the skin off. I do this to my big toes andmy heels.
I have been doing this since I was 4 years old. I would slither around my mother and steal the nail clippers and clip the skin to get an easier place tostart picking. Now, I am older and use scissors or an knife to get in and peel. Its gotten to the point where I bleed and painful to walk. I will stop for a couple of days and start again. No matterthe pain I will rip the skin off. I do this to my big toes andmy heels.
Hi my names Rebecca, and I do have something that works for me sometimes when i pick at the bottom of my feet where it starts to bleed it is pretty painful and you have to wear closed in shoes. So what I do which works for me normally I don't pick so often to the point it bleeds it has happened a couple times though, but anyways I found something that works for me and hopefully it will work for some people who are reading this Pedicures do help it helps smoothen out the skin takes all the dead skin off however it is a little embarrassing when you show your feet wet but it really does help they smooth the bottom of your feet with a stone and also remove the dead skin. But here's a really effective thing... Use VASALINE it really does work because it deals the open wounds so what I do is I'll wash my feet or foot that got to picked at and I'll try it and put VASALINE in the back of where it's cut and after put clean socks on. I did this before a couple times the next morning I woke up it was healed and I hardly had pain so maybe try this. Hope this was helpful :)
I cant believe there are others out there that do this like me..
Im pretty ashamed. Idk why I find pleasure in it but I do. Ill come home from work and the its THW first thing i do..
Im 19 too and tonight is the first night ive actually thought about it.
Have been researching fungus and parasites, which leads to autoimmune issues, and believe that these foot callouses and urge to pick and remove them is due to either fungal infection and:or infestation of some sort. For me, it has become systemi and needs to be treated from the inside out. The doctors I have seen no nothing about this issue and the home remedies I have tried are helpful but are not effective enough. More research needed, but I have been experiencing symptoms of what is called myiasis. Have seen treatment suggestions on Curezone site. I also intend to contact Dr. Mercola about this. Have started to look into Morgellons as well. I do not believe this is purely neuroses but that there are real physical reasons behind these issues. I hope we can all find an answer and remedy soon.
Have been researching fungus and parasites, which leads to autoimmune issues, and believe that these foot callouses and urge to pick and remove them is due to either fungal infection and:or infestation of some sort. For me, it has become systemi and needs to be treated from the inside out. The doctors I have seen no nothing about this issue and the home remedies I have tried are helpful but are not effective enough. More research needed, but I have been experiencing symptoms of what is called myiasis. Have seen treatment suggestions on Curezone site. I also intend to contact Dr. Mercola about this. Have started to look into Morgellons as well. I do not believe this is purely neuroses but that there are real physical reasons behind these issues. I hope we can all find an answer and remedy soon.
I actually just did this. I will register that im doing it and want to stop but just can't. I feel your pain
I actually just did this. I will register that im doing it and want to stop but just can't. I feel your pain
I pick the bottom of my feet excessively. I mainly pick the heels and mid sole. I walk a lot on my tip toes but have learnt to hide it well and practice walking on my toes but look like I’m walking normally with a bit of a limp. If my feet are bare then I will pick. My right foot is pretty raw at the moment but I will still pick, there is a sordid sense of satisfaction from the pain even though I’m making myself bleed. I’m ashamed of it and wasn’t to stop but I can’t.
Hi, I'm new too.
I also pick under my foot, almost taking a layer of skin off. I also pick on my upper arm, that one I pull the scabs off even though it's sore and it bleeds, it's not infected but it is hotter when you touch that paet compared to the other part of my arm which is cool. I also pick at my scalp, not as bad as I used to, it used to be sore to brush my hair at times. I also bite the inside of my cheek and also my nails. It's so embarrassing to talk about it and sounds so vile when you say it or type it. It's sore but relaxing in some weird way, if my family tell me to stop I get so agitated and then go for a place they can't see me doing it, or wait untill they have forgotten. Stress aggravates it, but I can be driving, watching tv, reading, well most things. I'm "glad" there are other people like me, it helps and makes me feel less crazy.
I also pick at the bottom of my feet, I have for yrs as with my fingertips. I think its a stress or anxiety with me anyway
Many yrs ago when I was a child I used to pick my fingers so badly, they would be covered in blood and not feel much pain.
Its my thumb, pointer and middle fingers of both hands.
With my feet I take thick chunks of skin from heal area and ball of feet. It hurts to walk at times even with shoes. I don't always do this but go through stages of picking. My feet are very sensative always. I only found this site last night out of curiousity of hand feet picking. I also eat majority of skin I pick.
Its humiliating having fingers looking horrid in public but in stages of anxiety etc its so hard to stop picking
Its great knowing theirs a label to this and others suffers also, its a horrible thing to go through but knowing others experience this too makes one feel not alone in this. We have a disorder and are not freaks, I've felt like I'm a freak for many yrs and hope support understanding and recovery can help all with this
Omg Jadiegirl... I have the same issue with picking under my feet... Its painful.. It bleeds.... It becomes painful to walk... And I just can't stop.... I always wondered if I was the only person who did this.... Does anyone knows what may cause this??
Wow, I thought I was the only one! As a child I had some traumatic things happen to me, and this is where I remember starting to pick the bottom side of my big toe. On occasion I'll have a hay day on my heel as well. I've done this for 23 years. I also tried biting my nails to the quick to prevent me from pickong...but then I discovered fingernail clippers can assist my picking endeavour, I will clip the dry piece and now I have an advantage to pick even with NO FINGERNAILS.
Last week I went on a picking event, and I've found that although my toe is healed with fresh new skin...i am finding that my toe underside feels very tender when I walk.... Have you experienced this? I'm afraid I've reached my maximum skin growth?
I have the same exact problem. Actually joined the site to hopefully get tips so I can stop. It's starting to affect the way I'm walking and seriously pissing off my husband. I've been trying to keep it from us m but he always notices.