Dermatillomania is considered to be one of the ways that generalized anxiety disorder and obsessive-compulsive disorder can manifest and is rarely seen in children. There are very few resources available out there to parents whose children suffer from this sometimes debilitating condition.

Evidence of excessive skin picking in children is one way children convey a message for which they can’t find the words. It may be almost impossible to get the child to describe all the thoughts and feelings that are generating the desire to pick but the evidence alone is enough to signal to a parent that medical intervention is needed.

Following are the ways to help a child who suffers from this disorder:

Eliminate the possibility of a physical cause for picking - If there is a physical cause, that must be treated and the urge to pick will probably go away.

Keep the child’s fingernails trimmed - Keeping a child’s fingernails trimmed shortly can benefit a child who deals with compulsive skin picking. If a child’s nails are short he is less likely to do as much damage to the skin.

Keep the child’s fingernails clean - This is no easy feat; however it is imperative to keep the child’s fingernails as clean as possible. This will lessen the likelihood of infection in the spot, or spots, that the child is picking.

Have the child wear mittens or gloves - Take your child to the store and have him pick out a special pair of mittens or gloves. If your child is involved in selecting the gloves, and you play them up as being special, the child is more likely to wear them during the times that they usually pick. If you notice that your child is starting to pick, encourage him to put on his special pair of gloves.

Buy your child a stress ball - Stress balls aren’t just for adults. If your child has something to keep his hands busy then he is less likely to pick. Similar to the gloves suggestion, take your child with you to purchase the stress ball so he feels more involved and empowered.

Things that shouldn’t be done when dealing with dermatillomania in children:

Draw undue attention to the activity - Since this disorder has its roots in anxiety, drawing undue attention to the activity could likely make it worse. Even if a child is doing it unconsciously, nagging him about it will likely increase his anxiety about the activity. This increased anxiety could actually lead to an increase in picking.

Treating a child with this disorder:

When skin picking in children is of a psychological, rather than physical, nature, other treatment methods are necessary. A medical professional trained to work with children and their psychological disorders can probably provide the best insight into the mental outlook of the child.

It may become necessary to treat skin picking in children with oral or topical medications. If so, make sure all the drugs your child receives are formulated especially for children. Give the treatment some time as you watch for signs of improvement in your child. It’s quite likely that you’ll soon be witnessing your child blossom, never at a loss to describe the wonders of the life he or she is finally enjoying.

Curing dermatillomania isn’t as difficult as you may think, too many people rely on lengthy and expensive therapy sessions or medications; Compulsive skin picking can be cured without leaving the house.

If you’d like to know how to cure this disorder please keep readingDermatillomania Cure