Has anyone had any luck with medicine to stop picking skin??

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My son is picking his cuticles, arms, legs and developing scars and keeps sores all of the time. Has anyone been able to stop this with the help of any kind of medicine? DeSperate

I had heard that SSRIs are good for helping curb OCD type behaviors like skin picking, etc.

yeah i would think something that is effective for OCD might help. benzos too, although not sure that would be wise at his age, as it might be a stress response. wondering if this might be caused by ADHD either - maybe ADHD meds or more physical activity (tension release).

sorry i wish i could offer more, i just don't have much knowledge about this. i used to do it, partly as a stress response. i broke the habit as an adult and have managed to stay away from it most of the time.

i'm wondering if anyone has any non-medication solutions or any better idea how to help a kid with this problem.

is it a form of stimming for some? for me it seemed more self-destructive or just kind of like a compulsion i didn't like but couldn't stop for a long time. wasn't soothing.

yeah i would think something that is effective for OCD might help. benzos too, although not sure that would be wise at his age, as it might be a stress response. wondering if this might be caused by ADHD either - maybe ADHD meds or more physical activity (tension release).

sorry i wish i could offer more, i just don't have much knowledge about this. i used to do it, partly as a stress response. i broke the habit as an adult and have managed to stay away from it most of the time.

i'm wondering if anyone has any non-medication solutions or any better idea how to help a kid with this problem.

is it a form of stimming for some? for me it seemed more self-destructive or just kind of like a compulsion i didn't like but couldn't stop for a long time. wasn't soothing.

I've been trying to stop this habit for years. I'm going to be 29 in a couple months and nothing has helped much so far. My therapist suggested that I wear gloves but I couldn't stand the feel of them on my hands all the time so I discarded them and gave up on that idea. Then she suggested wearing a bracelet and fiddling with that instead, which also didn't work. When I pick I'm usually doing something else , like studying and I just start picking unconsciously , so I tried writing on my hands in bright ink 'don't pick". It didn't work and my mum pointed out that I'd look weird going out like that in public. I've tried cutting my nails so short that picking would be unsatisfying and I'd be ineffectual at it but I could still pick, it just took more digging and then I'd forget to cut my nails again for a long time after they grew back. I'm on an SSRI, ciprilex which lessens my anxiety and insomnia if I take it at the right time of night and has probably reduced the picking a little but not significantly. Eating sunflower seeds has helped somewhat. It keeps my hands occupied so I don't pick as much but it hasn't made a huge difference. I'll still put the seeds down and pick sometimes without being aware of it.

I used to do that terribly. the only ways I know of to control it, is to substitute several other hand and finger movements, do a fair amount of exercise (indoor bicycle and jump rope), and keep my skin as smooth as possible with exfoliation when I bathe and then coconut oil ( I don't like regular lotions from the store) after.
If you want more detailed description of my substitutions, PM me.