Welcome to Season one of my self-care series: Physical Self Care. You may see “bloody fingers” and suck a quick breath in and want to look away, but I would like to raise awareness on this topic and the effects it can bring.

Here’s a segment to the bloody fingie committee.

I’ve had bloody fingers for as long as I can remember. I was amazing at hiding them. It interfered with my work life, social life and self-esteem. I carried band aids with me in my purse everyday for when things got out of hand. It wasn’t until recently that I’ve started addressing this situation and analyzing why it happens. Self harm? OCD? Anxiety? Can we even put a name on it?

Apparently, we can. Compulsively picking your skin is medically known as Dermotillomania or Excoriation disorder. As of now, it is classified as an impulse control disorder and is also sometimes referred to as a body-focused repetitive behavior. Whether its the face, arms, bottoms of the feet, or anywhere else, sufferers from this disorder tend to focus on a spot and become obsessed with picking. For me, it was my cuticles.

According to psychology today, this picking disorder affects “1.4 percent of the total population, and approximately 75 percent of those affected are female”. I knew I wasn’t alone, heck I personally know two women who have the same bloody picking issues as I do. But just because other people do it, does not make it okay.

To those who are also struggling, you will know that its painful, embarrassing, and also opens a door to infection. After many years, my cuticles did end up getting infected. After going to the doctor I found out I had a mild case of periungual warts… It sounds disgusting right? Warts are what the nerds get in grade school! The doctor told me I was washing my hands too much and that the soap was damaging my cuticles. He told me to keep them moisturized and stop picking.

Stop picking

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