Scalp Picking
Important Facts About Scalp Picking
Scalp picking is a compulsion that falls in the category of both body dysmorphic disorder and obsessive-compulsive disorder. It is a distorted perception problem that offers a diagnosis of neurosis. As with other similar picking behaviors, some people will solely feel they need to pick at the skin while others will actually focus on the hair follicles.
Individuals that engage in scalp picking will find tiny imperfections that at times, may actually be there, but for the most people, they are imagined. They will scratch, pick and pull at their skin or hair follicle until their scalp picking develops into an actual sore on their head. Then, of course, this newly developed sore becomes a target for more scratching and picking. It is a viscous cycle that makes actually attempting to end the compulsion quite difficult.
On a more destructive and painful level of scalp picking, there are those that pick so ruthlessly at the scalp until they actually create bald spots which is often confused with trichotillomania. It is reported that in some individuals, the picking episode will take place during an agitated state and is used as a way to release stress or calm anxieties however, others will pick to a state of baldness and pain while they are completely relaxed and worry-free.
Possible Causes
Sometimes, compulsive scalp picking is done to self-inflict punishment or even to simply cause pain deliberately. The theory behind inflicting such pain is that the individual's life is so uneventful and dull that the pain is a source of excitement. For others, they need to inflict pain because they are addicted to the feeling of relief that they get when the pain stops. When this behavior of inflicting pain becomes a part of their everyday life, the sense of relief is generally only allowed momentarily.
Psychological counseling involving scalp picking often determines that an internal pain source leads to this compulsion. Since the medical community and the general public have become much more aware that scalp picking is indeed a disorder, more treatment options are becoming available.
Treatment
It is believed that individuals who are addicted to scalp picking may have a lot more endorphin receptors found in their brain. This explains why people with this disorder get pleasure from picking their scalps.
Mental health practitioners that study the disease have found that some sufferers have received relief from cognitive-behavioral therapy. This approach aims to solve deep-rooted problems that concern dysfunctional behaviors and emotions through a systematic approach. For others, meditation, hypnosis and self-hypnosis have been useful.
Some individuals seeking treatment from scalp picking will be prescribed medications that are quite similar to obsessive-compulsive disorder medications. Sometimes, even applying long artificial fingernails can help the picking behavior at least temporarily.
Trichotillomania
Scalp picking is often compared to or mistaken for trichotillomania. This is a disorder where the person pulls their hair out to the extent of large bald patches. Since many people that pick their scalp also often end up with bald patches, there is often a bit of confusion over the two. In trichotillomania, depression or stress are often the triggering factors, primarily targeting age groups between 9 and 13 years old.
Medical complications often include infection, repetitive stress injury, permanent hair loss, gastrointestinal obstruction and carpal tunnel syndrome. Most individuals with this disorder ingest the hair as well which can cause a hairball and can be deadly if misdiagnosed. Therefore, if you know an individual who engages in scalp picking it is extremely important that they seek treatment and it is important to make sure that they are not suffering from trichotillomania.