Spotting Signs of Dermatillomania in Toddlers
Do you notice that your child is constantly picking at their skin? While that can sometimes be expected, it is crucial to acknowledge this behavior in case it is a sign of a more serious health issue. Repeatedly itching skin can be triggered by negative emotions or anxiety leading to a condition titled excoriation or dermatillomania.
Dermatillomania is an uncommon condition that affects people in their life or at some point in their life. Skin picking for children is common, but an estimated 2-5% of the population have this disorder. Dermatillomania can be seen in males and females but is more common in females.
What is Dermatillomania?
Dermatillomania is a skin-picking disorder that can occur in both children and adults. Most children with dermatillomania do not even notice when they are picking at their skin. This is an excoriation disorder which is a mental health condition that causes children to pick at their skin when they are worried, stressed, or encountering anxiety.
Like tics, it is important to administer a test when skeptical of your child’s habit because someone with this disorder can pick at their skin so much that they cause harm, distress, or pain to the areas they continue to pick at. The condition is difficult to control on their own and they may need assistance from a specialist.
At What Age Does Dermatillomania Start?
Many people pick at their skin or show signs of excoriation in the early stages of their life. Skin picking can begin at any age but is commonly seen in the adolescent or puberty years because it is a behavior connected to people being embarrassed, nervous, and stressed.
This condition can come and go over time, but the disorder is generally chronic. Children pick at their skin so much that they cause harm and pain to the areas of concern. They do this because it feels good and is triggered by the child’s anxiety and stress.
How Skin Picking Links to Mental Health
Picking at the skin can cause stress, anxiety, and embarrassment for those who have dermatillomania. Most attempt to hide or conceal their scars which can result in emotional isolation and distress. Some who have experienced these symptoms from dermatillomania have developed a mood or anxiety disorder.
Children who have obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) are more likely to develop excoriation or dermatillomania disorder because they experience time-consuming thoughts defined as obsessions and unhealthy behaviors defined as compulsions. They have to pick at their skin over and over to satisfy this urge. Usually, it can be treated with the help of a therapist and cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) determines when they decide to start picking at their skin.
What Are the Main Triggers of Dermatillomania?
The main triggers of dermatillomania are negative emotions such as stress, anxiety, guilt, shame, etc. It is seen to happen with children or young adults that develop skin conditions such as acne or eczema. The shame and embarrassment that is triggered by these blemishes cause them to constantly pick at their skin.
This condition is connected to obsessive-compulsive disorder and has similar triggers or onsets. Although, dermatillomania can lead to more serious results such as skin lesions and is a major disruption to one’s life physically and mentally.
How Long After Noticing Should I Seek Help?
A skin picking disorder does not typically get better on its own, it is important to address the problem and contact a medical professional when noticing early signs of this condition. However, it can be challenging to identify when a child or teen is ready for treatment because the process requires their readiness to receive help. Clinicians look for motivation and readiness as key variables for treating this disorder.
The doctor cannot successfully resolve the issue if the child is kicking or screaming when they are brought to the office. If the child is motivated to fix their skin-picking condition and tired of hiding their scars or complexion, then the treatment is easier and more likely to fix the problem.
Treatment for Skin Picking
There are multiple ways to treat this condition and disorder, some being physical and others mental practices. One option is to put a physical barrier in place of the area that they continue to pick at — a Band-Aid or bandage for example. This is an OCD tactic that is referred to as “response prevention” which gives the child something else to focus on when they are tempted to pick.
Then there is cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) which is the most successful treatment for skin picking. It primarily teaches a child more effective ways of dealing with stress or anxiety that is triggering the picking i.e., finding similar behaviors to replace the damaging ones. This as well as Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) are known to work well by teaching children to be mindful of their disorder.
Other options include over-the-counter medication or antidepressants. While treatment for dermatillomania or excoriation can be challenging, if the child is truly committed to their behavior, it can be overcome.