Dermatillomania, also known as excoriation disorder or skin-picking disorder, was first officially recognized as a psychiatric disorder in the most recent version of the DSM, the DSM-5. It is currently classified under the category of obsessive-compulsive and related disorders, and is "characterized by the repetitive and compulsive picking of skin, leading to tissue damage" (American Journal of Psychiatry). The face, arms and hands are the most commonly involved areas, and individuals affected with this disorder may pick/squeeze/rub/bite at healthy skin, or minor skin imperfections or lesions like acne (DSM). The onset of skin picking disorder can vary from childhood into adulthood, however for many it begins during puberty in adolescence.
To get a better understanding of what it's like to have dermatotillomania, check out the article "Skin Picking Disease Classified as a Distinct Disorder" by Sheryl Ubelacker (Globe and Mail), which interviews experts in the field as well as Angela Hartlin, a young woman from Halifax Nova Scotia who has been affected by this skin picking disorder since her childhood.
Angela Hartlin is also a mental health advocate, and has worked hard to help raise awareness about this condition, through her website/blog, her memoir, as well as a documentary which is set to release in the near future. As Angela discusses in the interview with Global news below, there seems to be a lack of support for patients affected by dermatillomania and as such she has started a local group to connect those living with or recovering from this mental health condition. For more on Angela Hartlin and her work check out:
Another article that gives further insight into the condition is '"I can't stop scratching my face': Student has compulsive disorder which means she spends SIX hours a day picking her skin until it bleeds" by Jennifer Wiley and Emma Innes (Huffington Post) about 20 year old Samantha Wake who also has dermatillomania.
For a good resource on dermatillomania from a medical perspective see "Skin Picking Disorder" by Jon Grant, Brian Odlaug, Samuel Chamberlain, Nancy Keuthen, Christine Lochner, and Dan Stein (American Journal of Psychiatry).
Angela Hartlin is also a mental health advocate, and has worked hard to help raise awareness about this condition, through her website/blog, her memoir, as well as a documentary which is set to release in the near future. As Angela discusses in the interview with Global news below, there seems to be a lack of support for patients affected by dermatillomania and as such she has started a local group to connect those living with or recovering from this mental health condition. For more on Angela Hartlin and her work check out:
- http://www.skinpickingsupport.com/ (Website and information about her memoir)
- https://www.facebook.com/ScarsOfShame (Documentary)
Another article that gives further insight into the condition is '"I can't stop scratching my face': Student has compulsive disorder which means she spends SIX hours a day picking her skin until it bleeds" by Jennifer Wiley and Emma Innes (Huffington Post) about 20 year old Samantha Wake who also has dermatillomania.
For a good resource on dermatillomania from a medical perspective see "Skin Picking Disorder" by Jon Grant, Brian Odlaug, Samuel Chamberlain, Nancy Keuthen, Christine Lochner, and Dan Stein (American Journal of Psychiatry).
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