Phenomenology and therapeutic options for dermatotillomania

Dermatotillomania (also called psychogenic excoriation, neurotic excoriation, acne excoriée, skin picking and pathological or compulsive skin picking) is characterized by excessive scratching or picking of normal skin or skin with minor surface irregularities. Until recently, there have been few therapeutic options for patients with this disorder, which causes substantial distress and functional impairment in many patients. Recent pharmacological studies have found that some selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors may be effective in the treatment of this disorder. Furthermore, phenomenological studies have better characterized the heterogeneity of the behavior associated with dermatotillomania. Clinicians may now be able to develop more effective treatments for patients by targeting the specific behavioral symptoms of the disorder in individual patients.