Dermatillomania (compulsive skin-picking) is a condition characterized by recurrent picking of one’s skin, typically brought up by intense urges that are difficult to resist. Picking can occur on any area of the body: face, arms, pubic areas, lips, nails, etc. While picking often results in lesions and other damage to the skin, compulsive skin-picking is not self-mutilation. Damage to the skin is not intended, as compulsive skin-picking is not self-harm but tends to be a mechanism of self-soothing.

Trichotillomania (compulsive hair-pulling) is a condition characterized by intense urges to pull one’s hair that are difficult to resist, and may include urges to pull another’s hair (such as a dog’s hair). Hair may be pulled from anywhere on the body: scalp, armpits, legs, pubic areas, etc. While compulsive hair-pulling often results in the loss of hair, compulsive hair-pulling is not self-mutilation. As with compulsive skin-picking, compulsive hair-pulling is not self-harm but tends to be a mechanism of self-soothing.