Skin Picking
Skin picking is classified as a Body-focused Repetitive Disorder (BFRD). It is characterized by repeated picking at one’s own skin which results in skin lesions and causes significant disruption in one’s life. This disorder is usually chronic, with periods of remission alternating with periods of greater symptom intensity. If untreated, skin-picking behaviors may come and go for weeks, months, or years. It is common for individuals with this disorder to spend significant amounts of time, sometimes even several hours a day, on their picking behavior. Skin picking is a body-focused repetitive behavior (BFRB) that typically begins during adolescence and is experienced by women more often than men.