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Obsessive-compulsive and related disorders
Trichotillomania and skin picking
Repetitive hair-pulling or skin-picking that the person tries to stop without success and that causes distress or injury.
Common signs
- Repeatedly pulling out hair or picking at skin
- Failed attempts to stop
- Shame and hiding it
- Increases at times of stress or boredom
Having some of these signs doesn't mean you have the disorder: only a professional can make a diagnosis.
Why does it happen?
They often work as a way of regulating tension or emotions.
How is it diagnosed?
Clinical assessment of the behaviour, its triggers and its impact.
Treatment
Habit reversal training and emotional regulation within cognitive behavioural therapy.
We're here for you at Clínica Vivaldi
Registered psychologists at Calle Chiva 25 (Valencia) and online across Spain. First appointment with no waiting list; we work with psychiatry and nutrition when needed.
Educational content based on the DSM-5-TR classification. It does not replace a professional assessment. Reviewed by the Clínica Vivaldi team, November 2026.