I pick my dandruff.

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Ever since I was a kid, I have a habit of picking out pieces of dandruff from my hair and flicking it across the room. It is one of my stim behaviors because I like the feeling of rolling the little crystallized pieces of dandruff on my fingers. My doctor thinks it might be anxiety. I also scratch out ear wax, pluck off little hairs from my legs with a tweezers, pick pimples, scratch my skin, and pull hair from my head.

Most people think these stim behaviors are disgusting. Has anyone had any luck in stopping these kinds of disturbing Aspie behaviors?

I don't think plucking hairs, picking pimples, scratching skin etc are Aspie behaviours unless the reason you're doing it somewhat incessantly because it produces great feelings or immense relief. Most people will do these things in private, along with picking their nose, and other increasingly disgusting behaviours like the old 'scratch and sniff'. XD

I assume that since you need help in stopping them, that they're of an Aspie nature. If that's so, then I'd suggest that you develop new stims that you'll eventually subconsciously incorporate into and perhaps completely overwhelm your stimming routines. If tactile experiences are what you seek, find a nice rug or something similar to replace the dandruff.

I can completely relate to the dandruff thing by the way. When I was younger I purposefully dumped sand into my hair when the dandruff was all gone (to pick it out and roll it around later) and tried to get people around me to do the same, only to be annoyed/shocked that they didn't want to. At times I would forcefully place it in their hair, lmao.

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Unapologetically, Norny.
-chronically drunk

Head and Shoulders every other day. Don't buy the Neutrogena (sp?) one, smells like you are in a coal mine. This is so you don't have "any material"

Failing that, only do it when nobody is looking. If you gotta stim, you gotta stim. Or try to find a stim that isn't so noticeable or annoying. Do NOT try pen flipping, good grief I am sorry I ever learned it from watching Korean exchange students.

I think a lot of people pick dandruff. I do. I don't fling it across the room though! But sometimes I do scratch my scalp like a stim. I was just doing that now actually. I used to have really dry scalp but now I use all organic products and they have really helped. I do still have a little though and I scratch without thinking about it sometimes and without realizing it sometimes so it might be a little stim for me too. But I usually put it in the trash bin. I don't think I ever flicked it across the room.

My mum picks her dandruff and flicks it across the room and she's NT as far as I know.

I don't have dandruff but do pick out my eyebrows as a stim.

I scratch my dandruff off, may be a stim. Problem is it redevelops immediately after showering and using head and shoulders.

Big deal, I pick my nose.

I remember when I was about 11 I had a habit of brushing my hands across the top of my head to make the dandruff snow on to my lap. I used to do it in class a lot. I don't know if the other kids see me doing it or not. Nobody said nothing. I also went through a habit of pulling hairs out of my head. I hated having loose hairs, so I would scan the ends of my hair and if one hair looked like it was hanging out from the rest, I pulled it. I remember once when two of my friends complained to me that I just sat there pulling my hair out instead of participating in this group activity we were doing in class.

Now I know not to do weird habits like that in front of people. I don't get dandruff any more anyway and I don't pull my hair out any more either.

Sometimes perfectionism and past bullying lies behind this behaviour - you try to pick away what you perceive as imperfections. This may or may not be true for you.

Try a vinegar rinse after washing your hair.

Use 1/4 cup vinegar and 3/4 cup warm water. Don't rinse this out, let your hair dry.

I do the same thing with my hair, I run my hands through it a lot also, unfortunately is encourages it to become greasy quicker. I do it because its comforting and fun, I don't even notice I am doing it a lot of the time. I know that things like that get worse or are triggered by anxiety.

Yeah, it's often associated with OCD when severe. My psych thinks it's more of a sensory thing for me because it's not associated with any obsessive thought or fear for me and has to do with the feel. Occasionally picking skin (including the scalp) when it doesn't interfere with anything and doesn't cause major injury to skin is normal. I do it, I've picked at my scalp until I had huge bleeding gashes on it and had to get a cream for it from the doctor. It's really hard to quit. I do it to my face and back too, picking mostly at pimples but also old scars and scabs, anything not smooth. Sometimes I pick at pimples under the skin until I get a big swollen bump. Then I get freaked out and think I've gone too far and resolve to never do it again and don't do it for a while but then always start up again.

I've tried replacing it with other things and tried to wear gloves but I can't stand the feel of them on and take them off after a few minutes. I've tried to treat the dandruff and pimples but they come back. I've tried writing on my hand "don't pick" as a reminder. Nothing's worked so far for me. Cutting my nails really, really, really short helps make it less satisfying and makes it do less damage to my skin but I usually forget to cut them for awhile.