I'm killing my hairline...still scratch. Help me out...

[JJacobs152]

My scab picking has gotten to the point where I no longer study at home, and rather go to the local library to study. Being around public and not in private keeps me from scratching my scalp and picking the scabs that are re-healing from my excessive scratching. I took some pictures, so you can see how bad I keep abusing my scalp.

Damn, I need to stop tormenting my scalp. I was home and watching TV and just kept picking, picking, picking, picking. The 2nd pic, just damn. Somebody suggested I hold something in my hands to keep my occupied which has helped.

No, I'm not going to cuff my other hand, I need it to study.
No, I won't wear a glove on my other hand. I can easily take it off.
No, I don't need any psychiatric help, I just pick my scabs like all little kids, but I'm not a kid.

PS: Took the pics right after applying Rogaine.

[clandestine]

JJacobs, I gave you your answer in the other thread already.

You're not doing this out of habit, you're doing it out of choice.

If you want to stop picking, then stop. It's that simple, don't try to fuᴄking overcomplicate this.

To reiterate, because it seems you need me to, you're doing this out of choice. If you truly want to stop, then stop.

[Dan26]

My itching and inflammation is extremely bad, always has been, but has gotten worse as when I started to lose my hair. It is habit, it is a choice, but of course there are underlying conditions that make it dry, itchy and inflamed, as I'm sure you know. Im going to be adding adenosine to my shampoo as it is a good anti-inflammatory and I've heard it reduce itching significantly. I'll let you know if it works dude!

What have you tried for it btw? There is betamethasone tacrolomis, Calcipotriol (which I read good things about). Have you been to a doctor and talked about it and/or gotten any of the mentioned things prescribed?

I'm really hoping adenosine works for me as my inflammation is getting out of hand and really accelerating my hairloss. My hairliine has took a big hit too, it was only the crown and back that was inflamed before but it is spread all over now.

[clandestine]

My itching and inflammation is extremely bad, always has been, but has gotten worse as when I started to lose my hair. It is habit, it is a choice, but of course there are underlying conditions that make it dry, itchy and inflamed, as I'm sure you know. Im going to be adding adenosine to my shampoo as it is a good anti-inflammatory and I've heard it reduce itching significantly. I'll let you know if it works dude!

What have you tried for it btw? There is betamethasone tacrolomis, Calcipotriol (which I read good things about). Have you been to a doctor and talked about it and/or gotten any of the mentioned things prescribed?

I'm really hoping adenosine works for me as my inflammation is getting out of hand and really accelerating my hairloss. My hairliine has took a big hit too, it was only the crown and back that was inflamed before but it is spread all over now.

Just a note, I take curcumin for my acne inflammation, but also sort of for my hair. Apparently it's supposed to help with inflammation; you can buy it at any supplement store.

[win200]

I think I'm the one that suggested you hold something in your hands--I'm glad the suggestion helped.

If you're doing something idle, like watching TV, you could also try wearing mittens to keep you from being able to pick. I know you're doing this by "choice," but I also understand the neurological compulsions that are formed by repeated behavior. If you keep yourself from picking for a long enough interval, it will get progressively easier to stop--i.e., you'll gradually stop feeling gratified by the picking. I weaned myself off TTM the same way. Eventually, I just didn't feel any of that compulsive "relief" by pulling my hair.

Crossing my fingers for you!

[Dan26]

Breaking habbits isn't easy man. I'm not saying I'm an expert, but I've had atopic dermatis all my life (eczema) and I know that the itching becomes very much habbitual so that only a small percentage of the itching I do is a real 'itch' brought on by physiological responses. I bought a book to address this problem and this was the basis of it; use topical steroids to control symptoms while addressing the itching component with habit reversal techniques. I can tell you that I was unsuccessful in my attempt, though I am not discouraging you from trying something like that as everyone is different. When my skin goes down hill and I start itching it is almost always due to stress/anxiety. Healthy life style and exercise seem to be the only remedy for me, while also using some medications to help when I do flare up.

[clandestine]

If you keep yourself from picking for a long enough interval, it will get progressively easier to stop--i.e., you'll gradually stop feeling gratified by the picking.

+1

Reinforced behaviour, cognitive behavioural therapy.

[Dan26]

+1

Reinforced behaviour, cognitive behavioural therapy.

The therapy I did for itching was like this;you keep a counter on you and click it every time you itch, this just helps you become aware of everytime you itch. Then after a few weeks of that, you start replacing the itching behavior with some other behavior, everytime you have the sensation and are about to you do something else. You do this long enough and eventually the itch just goes away. It is possible but it takes persistence and mental strength. Try something like this out dude.

[BGP]

JJacobs, I gave you your answer in the other thread already.

You're not doing this out of habit, you're doing it out of choice.

If you want to stop picking, then stop. It's that simple, don't try to fuᴄking overcomplicate this.

To reiterate, because it seems you need me to, you're doing this out of choice. If you truly want to stop, then stop.

He's only doing it out of choice if it's a conscious decision to scratch his head each time. Considering the way he talks about his habit, I'd be inclined to think it's a subconscious issue.

JJ, you say you don't need psychiatric help, but that would depend on how great the problem is. If you can't beat it on your own, and the scratching becomes a great hindrance to your life, then seeking help would be the logical choice.

[clandestine]

He's only doing it out of choice if it's a conscious decision to scratch his head each time. Considering the way he talks about his habit, I'd be inclined to think it's a subconscious issue.

JJ, you say you don't need psychiatric help, but that would depend on how great the problem is. If you can't beat it on your own, and the scratching becomes a great hindrance to your life, then seeking help would be the logical choice.

Semantics; it's both. You don't have conscious without subconscious, and vice versa.

My point being, as soon as he has brought his habit to conscious recognition, which he has, it then becomes a choice to do it or not.

His actions are compulsive, yes. But, we possess the mental faculty to notice when we are doing things; we don't go through life ignorant of our own actions. When he notices himself going for a pick, he then makes a decision, either choosing to do it, or not. The conscious part comes from the recognition, the noticing of his actions.

In this way, his actions are conscious. He's choosing to do this to himself, whether he readily admits it or not.

Stopping, /creating new habits takes time, and effort.

[ChrisM]

What you have might be a variation of this actually.... check this out and see if this fits what you have.

Self induced picking out of the hair due to tension or stress induced behavior is called Trichotillomania.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trichotillomania