Skin Picking – A Case Report

Abstract

Introduction

Compulsive skin picking and trichotillomania are both impulse control disorders, characterized by the need or urge to touch, scratch, scrub, friction, rub, bite, press or dig in the skin; it is often an answer to minimum skin defects or to mild acne. The resulting tissue damage can be moderate to severe.

Objective

Case report of a woman with Skin picking resistant to treatment.

Methods

Clinical observation.

Results

43-year-old woman who was admitted in emergency in June 2014 because of her skin lesions. After observation by Dermatologist she was sent to the Psychiatric due to injuries caused by her. She referring compulsion to scratch, bite and tear the skin since she was 3 years old. After introduction of psychotropic drugs, the patient was referred to the Psychiatric consultations. After 1 year consultation there is some clinical improvement.

Conclusion

Despite clinical advances in psychiatry, the Skin Picking disease is still little known today, requiring more research and knowledgement in terms of phenomenology and of treatment.

Disclosure of interest

The authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.