Compulsive Skin Picking

Compulsive Skin Picking (CSP) is really the most aptly named disorder that finger pickers suffer from. Though it is mostly synonymous with Dermatillomania, Neurotic Excoriation, etc. – it is more descriptive of what the compulsive finger picker actually does — pick his/her cuticles and nails to the point of sores and bleeding — and resulting in shame, guilt and remorse.

Areas of the skin that Compulsive Skin Picking pickers target include:

• Freckles
• Moles
• Scabs
• Bunions and other rough patches on the skin
• Acne
• And of course — cuticles, fingernails and nail folds

Compulsive Skin Pickers often have a pre-existing psychiatric disorder, such as Body Dysmorphic Disorder or Impulse Control Disorder (a subset of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder) — or even full-blown depression. In fact, some studies show that more than 50% of people suffering from Compulsive Skin Picking are actually Obsessive-Compulsive.