A disease that begins with a well-demarcated patch on the skin that causes itching and scratching. As a result, the affected skin becomes rough and thick (lichenification). It is not an infectious disease. Women are more likely to get it, especially between the ages of 30 and 50.
Its cause is unknown. It may be associated with chronic skin conditions such as dry skin, eczema, or psoriasis. Stress and anxiety can increase itching.
It appears as one or more plaques on the skin that cause very intense itching. It usually affects the neck, forearms, legs, scrotum, and vulva. The itching may be so intense or recurrent that it interferes with sleep, sexual function, and quality of life.
Diagnosis is made by clinical interview and physical examination. A skin biopsy may be needed to rule out other conditions.
The goal of treatment is to control itching, prevent scratching, and avoid triggers. Cortisone creams and antihistamines help with itching. Anxiolytics may be used to improve the nervousness that can cause persistent itching.
It is important to remember that continued scratching can lead to sores, bacterial infection, or permanent scarring of the skin.
- American Psychiatric Association. Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-5), American Psychiatric Association, Arlington 2013.
- Keuthen NJ, Koran LM, Aboujaoude E, et al. The prevalence of pathologic skin picking in US adults. Compr Psychiatry 2010; 51:183.
- Hayes SL, Storch EA, Berlanga L. Skin picking behaviors: An examination of the prevalence and severity in a community sample. J Anxiety Disord 2009; 23:314.
- Machado MO, Köhler CA, Stubbs B, et al. Skin picking disorder: prevalence, correlates, and associations with quality of life in a large sample. CNS Spectr 2018; 23:311.
- Bohne A, Wilhelm S, Keuthen NJ, et al. Skin picking in German students. Prevalence, phenomenology, and associated characteristics. Behav Modif 2002; 26:320.
- Odlaug BL, Lust K, Schreiber LR, et al. Skin picking disorder in university students: health correlates and gender differences. Gen Hosp Psychiatry 2013; 35:168.
- Houghton DC, Alexander JR, Bauer CC, Woods DW. Body-focused repetitive behaviors: More prevalent than once thought? Psychiatry Res 2018; 270:389.
- Odlaug BL, Grant JE. Clinical characteristics and medical complications of pathologic skin picking. Gen Hosp Psychiatry 2008; 30:61.
- Ricketts EJ, Snorrason Í, Kircanski K, et al. A latent profile analysis of age of onset in pathological skin picking. Compr Psychiatry 2018; 87:46.
- Odlaug BL, Grant JE. Childhood-onset pathologic skin picking: clinical characteristics and psychiatric comorbidity. Compr Psychiatry 2007; 48:388.
- Odlaug BL, Hampshire A, Chamberlain SR, Grant JE. Abnormal brain activation in excoriation (skin-picking) disorder: evidence from an executive planning fMRI study. Br J Psychiatry 2016; 208:168.
- Wabnegger A, Schienle A. The Role of the Cerebellum in Skin-Picking Disorder. Cerebellum 2019; 18:91.
- Schienle A, Übel S, Wabnegger A. Visual symptom provocation in skin picking disorder: an fMRI study. Brain Imaging Behav 2018; 12:1504.
- Blum AW, Chamberlain SR, Harries MD, et al. Neuroanatomical Correlates of Impulsive Action in Excoriation (Skin-Picking) Disorder. J Neuropsychiatry Clin Neurosci 2018; 30:236.
- Neziroglu F, Rabinowitz D, Breytman A, Jacofsky M. Skin picking phenomenology and severity comparison. Prim Care Companion J Clin Psychiatry 2008; 10:306.
