Service provided by Dr. Corrick Woodfin
Graduate of TLC’s Virtual Professional Training Institute.
Skin Picking Disorder (SPD)
Also known as Excoriation Disorder, SPD is a serious and poorly understood problem.
People who suffer from SPD repetitively touch, rub, scratch, pick at, or dig into their skin.
Often this is an attempt to remove small irregularities or perceived imperfections.
SPD may result in skin discolouration or scarring.
In more serious cases, severe tissue damage and visible disfigurement can result.
SPD is one of a number of Body-Focused Repetitive Behaviours (BFRBs) – in which a person can cause harm or damage to themselves, or their appearance.
Other BFRBs include hair pulling disorder (trichotillomania) and severe nail biting (onychophagia).
Skin picking or other BFRBs can occur when a person experiences feelings of anxiety, fear, excitement, or boredom. Some people report the act of repetitively picking at their skin is pleasurable.
Many hours can be spent picking the skin. This can negatively impact a person’s social, work, and family relationships.
Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) is the treatment of choice for BFRBs.
