Skin Picking Disease Can Seriously Damage the Body

Skin picking disease, which is a serious psychiatric disorder and can cause damage to the body that may require surgical intervention, is more common in women and begins to be seen between the ages of 12-16. Experts state that this psychiatric disorder may be accompanied by other disorders such as Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, hair-pulling disease, depression, substance abuse, anxiety disorder and body dysmorphic disorder.

Üsküdar University NPİSTANBUL Brain Hospital Psychiatrist Dr. Emrah Güleş made evaluations about skin picking disease, which is a psychiatric disorder.

Skin picking disease is more common in women

Defining skin picking disease as a disease characterized by compelling and repetitive skin picking, Dr. Emrah Güleş said, “It can cause serious tissue damage and may require dermatological treatment. It is more common in women than men. This may be due to the fact that women are more likely to seek treatment or hormonal differences.” he said.

Wounds may require surgical intervention

Stating that the cause of the discomfort is not known exactly, Dr. Emrah Güleş said that patients often say that they do this behavior to get rid of stress, tension and other negative emotions. Stating that patients describe a feeling of relief and pleasure after skin picking, Dr. Emrah Güleş said, “However, later on, patients feel guilty after this behavior. They may begin to avoid social activities. People try to hide their wounds. Although it is mostly in the face area, this picking behavior can also occur in places such as legs, arms, hands and around the nails. Sometimes it can cause health problems that may require surgical intervention in very severe cases.” said.

Other psychiatric disorders may also accompany this disease.

Emphasizing that skin picking can often be seen together with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD), Dr. Emrah Güleş also underlined that hair pulling disease, depression, substance abuse, anxiety disorder and body dysmorphic disorder can be encountered together.

Begins between the ages of 12-16

Stating that for skin picking to be accepted as a disease, it must impair the functionality of the person and cause clinically significant distress. Emrah Güleş said, “The average age of onset is between 12-16 years old. In the treatment of the disease, both drug therapy and psychotherapy should be applied together. he said.