F Yeah Derma Dragonfly

A meme for all you people out there suffering from dermatillomania, who need a place to share thoughts, poke fun, and find understanding in each other. **THIS BLOG COMES WITH A TRIGGER WARNING.** Because of the nature of dermatillomania and related disorders, this blog will contain untagged discussion of the following: skin, hair, cuticles, nails, picking, biting, bleeding, scabs, acne, body dysmorphia, and mental illness. Proceed with caution if these are dangerous topics to you. All other triggers will be tagged at the admin's discretion and/or upon request.

[fyeahdermadragonfly]

I pick at my gums and have done so as long as i can remember... but i dont do it with my hands, i do it with smaller things like sequins and fingernail clippings. sometimes i like to shove them into my gums and then fish them out with another tool... ive never seen anyone who does exactly this and i dont know how to stop doing it bc all the techniques to stop picking are to like occupy ur hands but i dont use my hands...

Hi anon, 

First let me say, you are not alone. While it may not seem it, gums are a decently common target for skin picking. This page gives a little overview. BFRBs (body-focused repetitive behaviors - like picking) can be focused on almost any physical aspect of you, from heel callouses to gums to eyelashes, and many sufferers use a variety of tools to assist their picking.

Even if you do not use your hands directly on your gums to pick, you still may be able to benefit from stim toys, fiddles, or other hand occupation, since you use your hands to control tools such as fingernail clippers. However, another suggestion might be to attempt to substitute the habit by chewing gum, running your tongue over your teeth, or another oral-focused sensory activity. 

However these are not the only options! Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT) has also proven effective in addressing compulsive habits, as have some SSRI medications, which reduce anxiety. Substitution/transference, hand occupation, therapy, and medication are all options for you. You are not the only one and definitely not out of the realm of being helped.

Good luck!

[fyeahdermadragonfly]

Thank you!!!!! So much for this blog!!!!!! I have NEVER seen a dermatillomania blog and I had just about lost hope of being accepted for mine but this is so good!!!! My mom is really critical of my disorder and always wants me to cover up and I'm trying to get past her comments and wear what i want. Man this is so reassuring to find this blog thank you so much I love you

Parents can be hard to deal with when they don’t understand the cause to something, and sometimes that leads to undue judgment on their kids. I’m sorry you’re going through that, but I’m very glad you found this blog and can feel reassured by it! You are certainly not alone and you are 100% accepted here. Thanks for this sweet message~

[fyeahdermadragonfly]

For awhile i would fantasize about pricking my scalp all over with a needle so id have easy dried blood/scabs to pick. It wasnt connected to pain or self harm at all. Could this be a derma thing??

could be! it is common for dermatillomaniacs to enjoy or fantasize about opportunities to pick, including sometimes recreating the sensation with Elmer’s glue or dried paint. 

[fyeahdermadragonfly]

I think i have derma but it doesnt bother me too much, also idk if my picking is as bad as others and i feel like im not enough idk idk

there is no ‘enough’ – your compulsion is as valid as anyone else’s. 

[fyeahdermadragonfly]

Hello, I am in desperate help right now. I've been picking my scalp for over a year (I think) and there are scabs EVERYWHERE on my scalp. I can't stop picking at them and there's a lot of blood (sometimes I pick my hair out trying to get the scab). I have very blonde hair so it's easy to see it. I am embarrassed of myself and I want to stop but I can't no matter what I do. How do I tell my parents I need help to stop?

if you live with your parents and have been picking for a while, chances are they know you do it, and may even have wondered themselves if there’s a way to break your habit. try being straightforward. “i want to stop picking but i need help. would you help me look for outside treatment?” 

parents like to feel like they are doing something concrete. something like that may be a relief for them to hear. 

[fyeahdermadragonfly]

hey. i want to get some products like the nexcare acne absorbing covers but i don't know how to ask my mom for them. i dont have really bad acne so i think she'd be curious if i asked her to get some, and i really dont want to have a conversation with her about my skin picking issues. do you have any ideas for a good excuse to get them? thank you so much in advance!

If you’re someone who menstruates, you could say you’ve noticed you’re getting bumps around your period, which is common and would explain her not noticing acne on you more regularly. You could also say your friend recommended them as super good for makeup removal (if you wear makeup) and you wanted to try them for that.

I’m not sure exactly what things like the ‘acne absorbing covers’ are so I can’t offer super specific advice, but if they’re the type of product to really absorb and dry out oiliness, you could also say you’ve been noticing your skin being oily, which isn’t necessarily the same as acne but would also be a reasonable justification for product. Similarly if it does the opposite and is moisturizing, you could say you’ve noticed your skin getting dry, and your friend recommended these. 

Lastly, if you can’t really figure out an excuse that your mom would consider valid, another option is to ask a friend to buy them for you, and you pay them back. If you’re worried about what your friend might think, you could always say you’re using them for an art project or something – cleaning off paint, or something to do with plastering maybe (”I saw a tutorial on the Internet that used these” is a good way to explain away). 

I’m sorry I couldn’t offer more specific advice, but I hope these suggestions might help some, or spark an idea of what could! Good luck~

[fyeahdermadragonfly]

AAAAAH I already knew that this was something that I had, but going through I've noticed other things that I do that I didn't even realise were symptoms andnsksdjfijdjdjsjdjrjekwoso thank you for this page

You’re incredibly welcome, and thank YOU! Knowing we’re helping somebody is the best possible reward for this blog. xo

[fyeahdermadragonfly]

why do you caption everything?

We caption our images for accessibility reasons. Anyone with sight-related difficulties using a screen-reader may not be able to see/interpret photos or images by themselves, so it is helpful to have a caption to describe the image. This way, the text and figure is still accessible to everyone! 

[fyeahdermadragonfly]

Is compulsive nail ripping part of derma? I find that when I get anxious I pick at my nails and pull them off. I hardly even notice i'm doing it.

Yes and no! By definition, nail picking gets its own name, which if I recall correctly is onychotillomania (onycho = pertaining to finger/toenails, till = to pull). However, like skin picking and hair pulling, nail ripping is part of a set of Body-Focused Repetitive Behaviors (BFRBs) that often co-occur in people who have any of the related disorders. 

So, for example, someone with dermatillomania might frequently pluck hairs, bite or pick nails, etc as well as pick at their skin. I’m a dermatillomaniac, but like you, I rip at my nails, too – and yeah, it can become very habitual so that you don’t even notice you’re doing it!

Since we include anything that is related to dermatillomania, you might find some advice or tips to help in our Resources page or by checking our various tags (i.e., #resources, #tips, #advice). Good luck!

[sevvaddle]

followers with bfrbs!! my therapist recently informed me that until wednesday the 30th, everything at store.trich.com is 20% off if u enter the discount code “SCHOOL” :O u can get fidgets and spinner rings and books and i just ordered tiny soybeans with faces i’m excited

[amymaymusings]

Signal Boost! 👍

[fyeahdermadragonfly]

Hi. I need a bit of help. I just was shaving my legs and randomly thought if shaving my eyebrows. Is that a trich thought? It scares me...

not necessarily, no! impulses related to trich or derma sometimes revolve around the ideal appearance someone wants to achieve, but they also often express through a desire for the particular action of picking or pulling. wanting to shave something may also be motivated by an ideal appearance, but is not inherently compulsive or destructive. 

another thing worth noting is that many people with a variety of disorders or even no disorders, and more frequently with those who suffer from OCD-spectrum disorders, experience what is known as “intrusive thoughts” from time to time. intrusive thoughts are random, out-of-the blue thoughts that may be destructive, disturbing, or dark, but have no real connection to the actual desires of a person. (ie, “what if i crashed this car right now?”) you can read more about intrusive thoughts here. they do not mean you have to worry about your mental health declining. 

[fyeahdermadragonfly]

Been looking at your blog and the derma dragonfly meme and it's scary how much I relate. Thanks, you lot

thank YOU for enjoying the blog! it’s made for you, after all. 

GL and keep blogging!

x

[fyeahdermadragonfly]

do these posts include dermatophagia bc its different from dermatillomania, dermatophagia is the impulsive to bite ones own skin while dermatillomania is picking usually with nails

Yes, we know! This blog is for anyone who suffers from dermatillomania, and is inclusive of a variety of skin-focused behaviors experienced by dermatillomaniacs, which can include expressions of dermatophagia and onychotillomania/onychophagia - especially because of the high comorbidity between BFRBs. 

Our focus is skin picking, and we won’t screen submissions or discussion from dermatillomaniacs who also chew or bites, or pick or bite nails, out of understanding for those who could not find those resources elsewhere. 

Thanks for the question! 

[fyeahdermadragonfly]

hi. i'm 16 and i've had this disease for as long as i can remember. I've tried every therapy. every fidget toy. every strategy. everything. and i've gotten nowhere. i'm sick and tired of it. my legs are still covered in scabs after thousands of dollars worth of therapy. i'm really glad i found this blog b/c it means there's other people like me. this disease is just so exhausting to both me and my parents and i hate it so much. sorry i just needed to vent about this to someone who understands.

hey, first things first? you don’t ever need to say you’re sorry. i’m glad you found this blog too, because you’re definitely not alone. maybe you’ve tried everything maybe you haven’t; either way, whether you’re recovering or just dealing, everyone else on this blog understands. 

i think we’re all tired sometimes, and i feel the hate and exhaustion and frustration. you’re always welcome here to connect, empathize, vent, or whatever you need. 

stay safe x

[sheriff-kyle-deactivated2016012]

ok guys who also need stim toys and things to fidget with lemme tell you about websites that sell cheaper fidget products that are usually chewable here is a list sensoryuniversity.com is great for ductile sensory toys autismshop.com has chewable jewelry and phone cord items officeplayground.com has cheap beandy things therapyshoppe.com has all the things so go and make yourself comfortable and yeah

[fyeahdermadragonfly]

[fyeahdermadragonfly]

[Image: skin texture background with a picture of a green dragonfly in the center. Upper text reads: “SKIN AROUND CUTICLES?” Lower text reads: “YOU MEAN, 'DISASTER AREA'?”]

[fyeahdermadragonfly]

[fyeahdermadragonfly]

[Image: skin texture background with a picture of a green dragonfly in the center. Upper text reads: “HAVE NO ACNE PROBLEMS” Lower text reads: “COVERED IN 'ACNE SCARS' ANYWAY”]