TJ

Thank you for your question and welcome to ADHDCentral.com.

I am not a medical professional and would not be able to give you medical advice. A while back, one of the ADHDCentral experts, Merely Me, posted some information on picking at scabs and skin. According to her post, "Some people with ADHD also have what is known as Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD). OCD behaviors can include things like washing your hands repeatedly until they are raw and chafed, checking things repeatedly, or having to maintain certain order in the arrangement of objects or actions. There is another subset diagnosis to OCD which is called Impulse Control Disorder. Under this diagnostic category you can find behaviors such as picking at the body including the skin, fingernails and scalp. Pulling out hair may also be included as an Obsessive Compulsive behavior."

She also offers some suggestions to help stop this behavior, such as cognitive behavioral therapy, hypnotherapy, wearing long sleeves or gloves (as you do), and keeping your hands busy, such as keeping a stress ball with you at all times.

To see more:

ADHD and Compulsive Picking at Skin or Pulling out Hair

Trichotillomania

I hope this helps.

Eileen