Skin picking is more common in people with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), but it isn’t one of the condition's official symptoms.
Understanding what triggers your skin picking can help you find coping strategies and treatments that fit your needs.
If skin picking is causing injuries, distress, or affecting your daily life, effective treatment and support are available.
While it isn’t one of the condition’s official symptoms, people with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) are more likely [1] to pick at their skin than people without ADHD.
People with ADHD may pick at their skin because they act without thinking, feel bored, or have trouble managing stress and emotions. Others may have a separate mental health condition called excoriation (skin-picking) disorder.
If you’re wondering how to stop skin picking with ADHD, learning why it happens is a good place to start. Once you understand the cause, you can find treatments and coping skills that may help.
Why people with ADHD tend to pick at their skin
There’s no single reason why people with ADHD pick at their skin. For some people, it happens when they're bored or restless. For others, it starts during times of stress. Skin picking can also happen with other mental health conditions, so ADHD isn't always the root cause of this behavior.
People with ADHD may pick at their skin because of:
Acting without thinking: Some people pick before they even realize they’re doing it. This can make the habit hard to stop.
Trouble staying focused: Skin picking may happen while you’re reading, watching TV, working, or doing another activity. You may not notice it until later.
Stress or strong emotions: Feeling anxious, frustrated, overwhelmed, or bored can increase the urge to pick.
Stimming: For some people, skin picking may be a form of self-soothing or stimming. Repetitive behaviors can help manage restless energy or strong emotions. But not everyone who picks at their skin is stimming.
A learned habit: The more often you pick, the more automatic it can become. Over time, you may do it without thinking.
Other similar behaviors: Some people with ADHD also pick at their face or cuticles, bite their nails, or pull their hair. These behaviors often have similar triggers, like boredom, stress, or restlessness.
Other conditions that can cause skin picking
ADHD isn't the only condition linked to skin picking. It can also occur alongside:
Excoriation (skin-picking) disorder: This mental health condition is characterized by repeated skin picking that causes sores or distress. It’s sometimes referred to as dermatillomania.
Anxiety disorders: Some people pick at their skin to cope with stress or anxiety [1].
Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD): Skin picking may be related [2] to obsessive thoughts or compulsive behaviors for some people.
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD): Skin picking may be a form [3] of stimming or self-soothing for some autistic people.
Is skin picking harmful for people with ADHD?
Occasional skin picking isn’t always harmful. But if it becomes frequent or hard to control, it can affect both your physical and emotional well-being. It’s important to remember that skin picking isn’t a sign of laziness or a lack of self-control. For many people, it’s a coping behavior that's linked to ADHD or another mental health condition.
Skin picking may lead to:
Cuts, sores, or scarring: Repeated picking can damage the skin and increase the risk of infection.
Lower self-esteem: Some people feel embarrassed about visible marks or worry that others will notice their skin.
Stress or frustration: Feeling unable to stop picking can lead to guilt or self-criticism.
More picking over time: Skin picking can become a habit, making it harder to break the cycle.
Greater difficulty focusing: Pain, discomfort, or thoughts about picking may make it harder to stay focused on daily tasks.
It’s a good idea to talk with a healthcare provider if skin picking is causing injuries, leaving scars, taking up a lot of your time, or affecting your confidence, relationships, work, or school. Treatment can help you better understand what's driving the behavior and learn healthier ways to cope.
Strategies that can help you stop skin picking
It’s possible to reduce or stop skin picking with the right support and strategies. The best approach for managing skin picking depends on what's causing the behavior. Many people benefit from a combination of therapy, practical coping skills, and healthy daily habits.
Here are some strategies that may help:
Learn your triggers. Keep track of when you pick your skin. You may notice patterns, like picking when you’re bored, stressed, watching TV, or trying to focus. Knowing your triggers can help you plan healthier ways to respond.
Keep your hands busy. Try holding a stress ball, using a fidget toy, drawing, knitting, or another activity that keeps your hands occupied when you feel the urge to pick.
Make picking more difficult. Cover areas you tend to pick with a bandage, keep your nails trimmed, or remove tools like tweezers from easy reach. Small changes to your environment can help interrupt the habit.
Manage stress. Stress can make skin picking worse [4]. Regular exercise, mindfulness, deep breathing, journaling, or other relaxation techniques may help reduce the urge to pick.
Work with a therapist. Therapy can help you understand what’s triggering your skin picking and teach healthier ways to respond. Habit reversal training (HRT) is one of the most effective treatments for skin picking because it teaches you to recognize urges and replace them with a different behavior. Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) can also help you identify unhelpful thought patterns and build coping skills.
Consider medication. For some people, medication may be part of a treatment plan for skin picking [5], especially if it occurs alongside ADHD or another mental health condition. A healthcare provider or psychiatrist can help you decide whether medication is right for you.
More treatment options for ADHD
Treating ADHD may also help reduce skin picking for some people. A mental health professional can help you create a treatment plan based on your symptoms, which may include therapy, medication, or both.
Managing ADHD symptoms like impulsivity, stress, and difficulty focusing can make skin picking easier to manage over time.
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One of the most helpful shifts is replacing self-criticism with curiosity. Instead of thinking, ‘I failed again,’ ask yourself, ‘What was happening right before I started picking?’ Understanding the trigger is much more useful than blaming yourself, and it helps you build a plan for next time.
Brandy Chalmers, LPC
Clinical reviewer
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Skin picking can feel frustrating, but understanding what’s driving the behavior is an important first step toward change. With the right coping strategies and support for ADHD, many people learn to manage skin picking and improve their overall well-being.
At Rula, we’re here to help you feel better. Rula makes it easy to find a licensed therapist or psychiatric provider who takes your insurance. That way, you don’t have to choose between great care and a price you can afford.
Rula patients pay about $15 per session with insurance, and 93% say they feel better after getting care through Rula. We have 21,000+ providers, and appointments are available as soon as tomorrow. We’re here to help you take the next step — wherever you are in your mental health journey.
References
- Skin-picking disorder: Risk factors, comorbidities, and treatments https://www.jaadreviews.org/article/S2950-1989%2825%2900018-2/fulltext
- What is Skin Picking Disorder? https://iocdf.org/about-ocd/related-disorders/skin-picking-disorder/
- Improvement in Excoriation (Skin-Picking) with use of Risperidone in a Patient with Developmental Disability https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5379223/
- Emotion regulation deficits in skin picking (excoriation) disorder: A systematic review https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0165032725009425
- Skin picking disorder comorbid with ADHD successfully treated with methylphenidate https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6899426/
Brandy Chalmers, LPC
Having faced challenges like childhood abuse, neglect, and the loss of her father to suicide, Brandy Chalmers is deeply passionate about providing compassionate care. She is a Licensed Professional Counselor, Nationally Certified Counselor, and Registered Play Therapist with a Master’s Degree in Clinical Counseling and Marriage and Family Therapy.
Brandy also teaches at a university, sharing her expertise with future mental health professionals. With over a decade of experience in settings like inpatient care and private practice, she specializes in helping clients with perfectionism, trauma, personality disorders, eating disorders, and life changes.
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