Most people have, at some point or another, given in to the temptation topick at a blemish. But for some, the picking goes on to the point where skin tissue is damaged, sometimes severely. This is known as excoriated acne.
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Excoriated Acne Symptoms
Depending on how much the person has picked at the skin, excoriated acne may range in appearance from angry red bumps or scratches, to open red sores, crusting, and scabs.
At the very least, the constant squeezing makes blemishes more inflamed. At worst, picking at the skin can cause open wounds and bleeding. These wounds can become quite large and deep as the person continues to pick at the sore.
Squeezing a pimple can lead to a nodule (hard, red, painful blemish deep within the skin) or a cyst. A cyst develops when a membrane forms around the infection in the dermis, creating a soft, fluid-filled lump that can become large and painfully inflamed.
Causes
Excoriated acne occurs when pimples have been scratched or picked to the point of wounding the skin. Although anyone can develop excoriated acne, it tends to occur more frequently in women. It can begin at almost any age.
For many, excoriated acne can begin as a common case ofacne vulgaris. Other times, it can be the result of picking at imagined blemishes or minuscule comedones that are barely visible.
Those with chronic excoriated acne tend to be people who cannot control their compulsive urge to scratch or pick at their skin. The constant squeezing and picking can cause open sores. When these sores scab up, they lend themselves to more picking. It becomes a vicious cycle that is hard to break.
The habit may reach the level of being diagnosable as excoriation disorder. This is now listed as a distinct obsessive-compulsive disorder in the “Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th Edition.”
Treatment
Acne breakouts can be treated with an over-the-counter product or prescription medication. Antibiotics may be needed if the lesions are infected. But these treatments won’t combat the most significant source of concern—the constant picking at the skin.
Treatment for excoriated acne is tailored to the individual. In addition toacne medications, those with excoriated acne may benefit from psychological counseling, drug therapies for those with underlying mood disorders, or substitution therapies.
4 Types of Acne Scars and How to Treat Them
A Word From Verywell
If you have the compulsive desire to pick at your skin, you need to talk with your dermatologist or family practitioner. It might help to ask yourself some of these questions: Does picking at your skin take up a lot of time and get in the way of your social/professional life? Do you have noticeable scars from skin picking?
Don’t be embarrassed. This is a recognized medical condition and help is available.
2 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.American Psychiatric Association.Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders.5th ed. Washington D.C.Lochner C, Roos A, Stein DJ.Excoriation (skin-picking) disorder: a systematic review of treatment options.Neuropsychiatr Dis Treat. 2017;13:1867–1872. doi:10.2147/NDT.S121138
2 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.American Psychiatric Association.Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders.5th ed. Washington D.C.Lochner C, Roos A, Stein DJ.Excoriation (skin-picking) disorder: a systematic review of treatment options.Neuropsychiatr Dis Treat. 2017;13:1867–1872. doi:10.2147/NDT.S121138
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
American Psychiatric Association.Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders.5th ed. Washington D.C.Lochner C, Roos A, Stein DJ.Excoriation (skin-picking) disorder: a systematic review of treatment options.Neuropsychiatr Dis Treat. 2017;13:1867–1872. doi:10.2147/NDT.S121138
American Psychiatric Association.Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders.5th ed. Washington D.C.
Lochner C, Roos A, Stein DJ.Excoriation (skin-picking) disorder: a systematic review of treatment options.Neuropsychiatr Dis Treat. 2017;13:1867–1872. doi:10.2147/NDT.S121138
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