Medical Terminology for Skin Picking
The medical term for picking at your skin, including the arms, is excoriation disorder, also known as dermatillomania or skin-picking disorder. 1, 2
Formal Diagnostic Terminology
- Excoriation disorder is the official DSM-5 classification under "obsessive-compulsive and related disorders" 2, 3
- Alternative terms include dermatillomania, psychogenic excoriation, neurotic excoriation, and pathological or compulsive skin picking 3, 4
- This is distinct from dermatodaxia, which specifically refers to skin biting rather than picking 5
Key Diagnostic Features
The disorder is characterized by:
- Recurrent skin picking leading to visible skin lesions 2
- Repeated unsuccessful attempts to decrease or stop the behavior 2
- Significant distress or functional impairment from the picking behavior 2, 3
- Not primarily motivated by appearance concerns (which would indicate body dysmorphic disorder instead) 1, 2
Clinical Context
Excoriation disorder is classified as a body-focused repetitive behavior (BFRB) alongside trichotillomania (hair-pulling) and onychophagia (nail-biting) 1, 5. The disorder predominantly affects females and commonly begins in adolescence or adulthood 3.
Important Distinction
Skin picking in body dysmorphic disorder is fundamentally different - in BDD, picking is driven by attempts to improve the appearance of perceived defects, whereas in excoriation disorder, picking is not primarily motivated by appearance concerns 1, 6.
Associated Risks
- Approximately half of patients with body-focused repetitive behaviors report self-harm related to their condition 1, 2
- Medical complications include infection, scarring, and significant tissue damage 1, 2
- High psychiatric comorbidity exists, particularly with mood disorders, anxiety disorders, OCD, and substance use disorders 3, 4