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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)
Ear picking?
I have been picking the insides of my ears for about 3-4 years. Is there anyone who has experienced this? I would pick until I bleed. Ironically speaking, my ears are currently infected because of my constant picking. Is there a way to stop this? Help!
No one has posted in a while, but I am relieved that I found this site. I don't feel alone in the world. I started picking my ears a few months ago and found myself doing it more often. I wear earplugs due to my husband loud snoring and developed itchy ears. The relief from itching was wonderful; however, it started to scab just a little and ooze clear liquid (weird) it was like popping a blister. But, the scab kept on getting a little bigger each time I would pick it off and bleed. It is now somewhat noticeable because my husband saw it. He took a picture and said it looks like your picking the scabs and creating bigger ones. I do have ADHD, but never thought it might be associated. I was hesitant to go to the doctors to get ointment or drops because I created this on my own. After reading the previous posts, it does give me a sense of relief when I start picking and can't wait to do it again. I definitely will follow up with my doc. Thanks everyone for your stories, it's helping me make the step to do something about it.
I have a spot inside my ear that I guess started as a small zit but I picked it once and now it just scabs over, I pick it, it scabs over I pick. I even end up trying to pick it before it has scabbed over again and it's just raw skin and burns. Then when it is scabbed over it's like it's collected ear wax and for some reason that makes it more satisfying to get it out of there. Sometimes I think my ear aches like an infection, but I can't tell if I'm just being a hypochondriac or not. I've got Tourettes, OCD and ADD and my adderall makes it all worse, but I'm switching to a non-stimulate soon and hoping that helps. But, mostly I just wanted to say that finding a forum/resource like this is the most comforting thing in the world. I feel crazy when I can't stop picking at something. Zits on my face, scabs on my body, once I think about picking it, I can't stop. No matter how much I tell myself it'll heal and look better if I just leave it alone, I can't stop and I feel crazy and it's so heartwarming to know that I'm not alone. So thank you all for sharing your stories. You're all brave.
Hello everyone, Im one those ppl who love the big scratch. when u start scratching , U just can't stop
I use match stems.. I know it is bad but it feels so good
Hello everyone. I am really glad i found this site. I thought I was alone. I dont know if i got crusty skin in my ears first and picked it or if i picked it until they got crusty. I dont even remember how I started doing this. I just remember picking the inside of my ears one day and getting crusts on my black blouse (I remember someone else saying they used their long-hair trick which I also do). By this time I had been doing this for awhile, but on this day in class I was really disgusted with myself....but I didn't stop. After I pick the skin, they feel so dry like there isn't any skin there. If I leave it alone for a day or two, it feels much better, but as soon as i get an itch in one, I am back to picking. Just a few minutes ago, I got an itch in one ear and although I could have scratched it without picking the skin, I felt a layer of crusty dry skin and scooped it out with one of my manicured long nails conducive to my gross habit. Then I moved to the other ear....well because....I mean I should be even, right? If one ear is crust free, the other one should be too. I have to make myself not pick, because if you stand beside me and look in my ear when I dont pick, you see the crusty skin and it looks gross. If you look in my ear after I pick, it looks pink, painful and 'raw' as my little sister said. Again I am grossed out by my habit, as I am a really girly girl, but I get really satisfied when I see that I picked the gross crust out. I am glad I found this site. Good luck to all of you. I haven't found the cure, I just continue to pick in shame and highlight the good things about me to distract men from my gross habit.
Sometimes I check to see if any new crust has formed for me to pick. I really like to do this...when i payed attention to how often i do this i realized how difficult it was to quit.
Hello guys,
I have had this problem for about 10-15 years. It first started when I went to California for a surf contest and got extremely sunburnt. The sunburn turned itchy so I started scratching it. I was probably about 15 yrs old. The scratching lead to sores on my ear that eventually scarred leaving my ears looking a little different than they did before. I had no idea why my ears were itchy and peeling so bad. I went to a derm. and they didn't know what to say. I started to put neosporin on it nightly and it really helped clear it up. Actually the neosporin helped and I never had any problems with the outside of my ears again. I was also started to wear sunscreen on my ears which is something i never did growing up (grew up in Hawaii).
I then moved to college in Cali and everything was cool. No break outs.
2 years went by with no weird flakes/peeling/cuts in my ear when i started to have a flare up on my nose. IT was really red and itchy. During this time I was going through a break up with my girlfriend and was just getting cut off by my parents. ANXIETY. I was also surfing alot so i was constantly in the SUN. I went to the doctor to see what was wrong but they couldnt figure it out. The flare up eventually mellowed out..
A year later I started to get that itchy feeling in my ears again, this time the inside. I started scratching. If you experience this you know how satisfying the scratching is. At this point I was finding little flakes and my ear and picking at them so other people wouldnt see them, therefore drying my ears out.
I went to the doctors, got some skin samples and was diagnosed with Discoid Lupus. The doctors said that it is a rare auto immune condition that affects the skin. He gave me some 1% hydro cortizone which helped with the itch.
What I think:
I think that the itchy ear in my case was a mixture of sun exposure, anxiety and add. Sun exposure and anxiety are the highest on that list. I now wear sunscreen inside of my ears when I surf. I still get flakey skin and pick at occasionally. I think that it is really a mental subconscious thing. I'm a struggling with this too but I think the best thing you can do is to really try and do other things to get your mind off of your ears and wear sunscreen if you are in the sun alot. Most of my friends dont ever think to put sunscreen on their ears. Also go to a dermatologist and ask about the hydrocortizone cream and a possible test for Discoid Lupus.
I hope that something I wrote can help somebody. It's a struggle but remain positive! You're awesome!
LMK if you have any thoughts!
Like many others glad to know I am not the only one. I'm 25 years old and I probably been picking the insides of my ears the past 1.5 years. The only time I ever go to the doctor is to deal with my friggen ears. The doctor I was seeing said I the most narrow and twistiest ear canals she has ever seen and says it no wonder it has a problem working it's way out.
When I get out the shower I immediately grab a qtip or my ear pick thing and go to work. I get the urge during the day all the time and if I am at work I am usually able to redirect my focus and forget about it. But lately once I am home I got no chance. One of ears is so scabbed over right now it like crusts over the whole ear canal opening and then I pick it and get it gets soft and tender and worse and the cycle repeats.
I work outside in the cemetery, mowing and trimming grass all year round. During mowing season I'd come home all the time and be pulling dirt and grass out of my ears, qtip after qtip. I smoke weed and it's usually out of a huge bong but you will never convince me weed is the culprit.
I read through a lot of these post and a lot of what's been said makes sense. I wouldn't be surprised if I used it as a way to mask by self-esteem issues. I'm a pretty angry person and got a hard time controlling my anger. I'm seriously thinking about switching to a paleo diet,
I have been doing this habit for about 7 years now...No idea why..my ears smell horrible and drain stuff.at first they hurt all the time but now im use to it. i have been to the doctor on and off again.. the last time i went she took a sample of the drainage and when the results got back she said i had more bacteria or something (i cant remember) than any other patient she had had that picked their ears. My family is constantly getting on to me about this habit. I did stop for about a year but gave in... i have no idea why i have this habit other than that it feels good..glad that im not the only one with this habit
I have been doing this habit for about 7 years now...No idea why..my ears smell horrible and drain stuff.at first they hurt all the time but now im use to it. i have been to the doctor on and off again.. the last time i went she took a sample of the drainage and when the results got back she said i had more bacteria or something (i cant remember) than any other patient she had had that picked their ears. My family is constantly getting on to me about this habit. I did stop for about a year but gave in... i have no idea why i have this habit other than that it feels good..glad that im not the only one with this habit
I have been doing this habit for about 7 years now...No idea why..my ears smell horrible and drain stuff.at first they hurt all the time but now im use to it. i have been to the doctor on and off again.. the last time i went she took a sample of the drainage and when the results got back she said i had more bacteria or something (i cant remember) than any other patient she had had that picked their ears. My family is constantly getting on to me about this habit. I did stop for about a year but gave in... i have no idea why i have this habit other than that it feels good..glad that im not the only one with this habit
Dear Jesus, thank You for always interceding for us. We pray now for all the people who are struggling with this issue. Help us to trust You to take care of us in every part of our lives, and heal our ears and skin. We can do all things through Christ Who gives us strength. Amen.
I pick my ears, especially when I'm stressed with school. I hate the icky feeling of the ear healing itself, so it kinda becomes a vicious cycle. I've found that Vaseline can help sooth the itchyness of healing, and it's a deterrent because I don't like the feeling of picking out Vaseline, so I actually notice when I pick, and I can more easily stop. I THINK Vaseline can help keep out germs while your natural wax is growing.
This is happening to me too. I have scabs, but not an infection yet. I recently started picking my ears, and it is not a fun time. I'm trying to stop but gen my finger will just be in my ear. Hopefully we can all get help!!!!
And I know I'm very late to this thread, but I'm so glad I found out I'm not the only one. Like the places that I pick- my ears and head(no I don't have lice I promise)- are because I can't see the damage I'm wreaking. I picked my foot once and it was very bloody and I haven't picked there since. I can't see the scabs I'm making, I don't know how bad t really is. Also, sometimes my ear hurts like something's in it until I pick out some dry skin? Does this happen to anyone else?? I just want to say again I'm so happy I found this. I just picked my ear again right before I typed this, but I hope we all recover!
I have had this habit since I was a child of picking at my ear and smelling it because It feels like something's in it, have gone to doc. and ER about it several times they tell me nothings in there I don't know what to do its a habit like every sec. I do it when no ones looking or a lot more when I am alone when I stick my finger in my left ear it always has a smell that's just odd to me so I keeping picking it and it pops only when I stick my finger in it.
I have been picking my ears for over ten years. I love the way it feels and geting chunks of wax out. I don't pick anywhere else. I created a lot of problems doing this. I do this when i am board. i mostly do it now for the itching. I am so embaressed about it. I have lost of ear infections. I am always trying to find new ent doctor cause i am embarressed when the infection clears up then in couple months it comes back due to the picking. I also have loud buzzing in ears and other noses that with meds take a long time to go away. I think i might do this when i am half asleep and not know it. I am trying to stop. I could never admit i do this and am afraid that dr might ask me.
i'm so glad i found this site i've been picking my ears for 30 years, i started in my 20's and am in mymid 50's .....i just found this site today....am so glad yall !!!! I need to stop doing this. been doing it more the last 4 or 5 years from stress I think, and yes because somehow it feels good to "clean" my ears so nobody sees how dirty they are inside. Gawd this is weird, i though I was the only one who did this awful habit....
I had the same problem for the longest time picking up my ears and I finally found the answer it's a cream with peptides really any cream with peptides will do