Dermatillomania, also known as compulsive skin picking (CSP), is the impulsive and repetitive picking of skin to the point of injury. Dermatillomania is considered to be one of the ways that generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) manifest and can rarely be seen in children. There are very few resources available out there for parents whose children are sometimes disabled by this condition. Below are a few dos and don’ts of dermatillomania in children.
How to Help a Child Who Suffers from Dermatillomania
Keep nails trimmed – keeping a child’s nails trimmed can quickly benefit a child who has a skin compulsive reading. If a child’s nails are short, they are less likely to cause damage to the skin as well.
keep the claws of the world child – the feat is not easy; however, it is necessary to clean the nails of the child as much as possible. This will reduce the likelihood of a spot, or spots, that the child pulls out.
Have child sending clothes or gloves – Take your child to the store and super special throwing a pair or gloves. If your child is involved in choosing gloves, and you treat them as special, the child will be more likely to wear them at the time they usually pick them. If you notice that your child likes to pick, encourage him to put on his own unique pair of gloves.
Buy your child a stress ball – A stress ball for non-adults. If your child has something to keep their hands busy then they are less likely to choose. Similar to the glove suggestion, take your child with you to buy a stress ball so he can get more involved and feel empowered.
Things You Shouldn’t Deal With Dermatillomania in Children
Active undue attention – Since CSP has its roots in anxiety, excessive attention to activity could make it worse. Even if the child does it unknowingly, arguing with him about it will likely increase anxiety about the activity. Increased anxiety could increase the actual reading.
Child Click – This is an impulse flow and is likely beyond the control of the child. Allowing the child will do him no good at all and will likely increase his stress levels. The burning act is directly related to increasing anxiety which in turn leads to an increase in reading.
There are many different schools of thought regarding intervention and therapy to properly treat a child with CSP. If you are concerned that your child may be experiencing this condition, contact your child’s pediatrician for more information.
Dermatillomania Resources:
Pickaderms Yahoo Group
stopkingonme.com
Important Note: The author of this article is not a medical professional. Your child’s care will be taken up with the pediatrician. Use this article as a jumping off point for the conversation
