addicted to scratching the dandruff flakes from my head

 Everybody has an issue of some sort, we all need help sooner or later. And it's pointless that you say for us to 'seek help seriously' when clearly we are trying to seek help for this issue otherwise we wouldn't have uttered a single word about it. For all we know this sh** probably stems from trauma that we've experienced at some point in our lives. You don't think it frightens us? You don't think it makes us think,'gee, something's not quite right here' - 
Gosh. Just go away if you're not mature/sensitive enough to handle this issue like an adult.

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This is almost unbelievable. I use to do that when I was around 13/14 years old, and scarily enough watching the little flakes gather in that comb gave me some kind of feeling of satisfaction, and to me that is the scariest part of all. I still experience that feeling when I think about itching my head and watching the dandruff, blah blah blah, but I know it's disgusting and that I need to put an end to this addiction. Because in a way I'm mentally addicted to this. And no thank The Lord that I haven't started with that. I want to be cured of this and soon.

Well said Jessica, its also about the embarrassment, as I said on an earlier post I had my hair cut by a trainee hairdresser the other week and she accidently sliced through a healed up head scab, yes it was painful but I felt sorry for the hair dresser as she was new to hairdressing and is not the thing a trainee want to come across. I just hope it hasn't put her off?? Anyway Jessica, welcome to the forum. Kind regards Craig

The only thing that helped me with the itch and ending the flaking was Nizoral, shampoo. It was sold at walgreens for 15.00$ or so but it is no longer available at this pharmacy. I know it is sold over the internet but it is very expensive.

OMFG, I am cackling with glee and kinship and sheer WTFness right now.  I cannot even BELIEVE how common this weird-ass habit even IS!!  I honestly thought I was the only one.  Now I am honestly wondering whether everyone in the world might not secretly be afflicted...hmmm. 

I have been doing this for like fifteen years!!  I don't have bad dandruff, and although that's a great thing in most respects, I can't help but secretly feel disappointed about that when I am alone and feeling like combing out dandruff.  I have been told I have a good, intrinsic psychological aptitude, and yet I have no real idea why it is so unanimously GRATIFYING for all of us!  What the actual eff?! 

I can only, like many of you, conjecture that it is tied in with anxiety issues.  I have definitely always been prone to anxiety, and yes, it makes sense that this dandruff scratching compulsion can bring relief.  But I wonder why it is so common?!  Why this, specifically?  There are plenty of less weird ways to relieve stress, after all.  I find that if I'm not on antidepressants and feeling my emotions a lot rawer, then I am more inclined to indulge this strange but undeniably satisfying habit. 

 

Also, something else that occurs to me:  do you think it might be linked to sexual frustration?  I am pretty sure that in more "fulfilling" times, I am far less prone to this habit.  Yes, the more I think about it, the more I am sure that, at least in my case, there IS a link between sexual frustration and dandruff scratching compulsion syndrome.  (We should acronym this sh1t...DSCS). 

 

I am just REALLY tripping out about this not just being something I do when alone and feeling anxious.  I would die if anyone I know found out, lol. 

 

OMG....who knew this was a THING?! 

What a well written message DAFUQ, what you said does make sense, ive ben single for 2 years and what you said about sexuallly frustration could well be true. I like seeing my dandruff on different surfaces, the only thing i dont like about this habit is i now keep getting head scabs that i pick, going for a haircut is a tense occasion, ive had my head scabs sliced through by the hairdressers sissors or comb a few time and the pain is awful, also there is the embarrassment of it happening, anyway welcome to the forum!!

Yes, I have been single for a year and a half myself, and the habit does seem more conspicuous during these single times...hehe, interesting.

I doubt anyone who doesn't have this little habit would have any idea that our addiction is what causes scalp scabs? Try not to be overly embarrassed about it. If anything, hairdressers and such probably assume the itchiness of dandruff has caused you to scratch them (and that's if they even notice scabs)....rather than the lure of watching dandruff fall, lol.

I am really still reeling over this discussion haha! Never would have guessed.

Hi Dafuq!! have you tried taking a photo of your "dandruff shower" in a dark room?? The flash of the camera reflects of the dandruff falling and creates amazing ghostly orbs!!! Yes I know doing such is weird but just try it!! Id like to know where most of us on this forum are from, a lot seem to be from the USA, I am from Bradford in GB!

Goodness im glad i am not alone with this. I actually stand infront of a mirror and start scratching my head and get slightly excited when i see flakes makes me want to scratchmore. Sometimes i do it for so long that i begin to question my sanity.. :( or maybe its because my mom used to tell me that if i stood infront of a mirror for too long i would go insane. But that was when i was younger. I no longer believe that.. but i still scratch and scratch and im too embersassed to tell anyone this is actually the first time i even mention it bc i really thght i was the only one.. i know we can all get through this!

Isn`t it great when you find flakes with red dots in the middle (dried blood) I love to scratch to and make scabs, nothing better than scratching last thing at night to find a nice dried scab to find in the morning when you run your finger nails through your hair. Wish we could upload our dandruff photos to show others, think of all the different surfaces we could shake our dust on!!

I have the same thing guys! Except, maybe I'm the only one, I hope not, but I also have extremely dry skin (and eczema) and i love to scratch at my arms and legs and watch the "snowflakes" fall and land on black surfaces. I did it last year in lab all the time to the point where my arm was red raw. My mum keeps telling me to put on lotion...however I find that I put it on. It helps. The next day its multiplied!

I do that same thing i thought it was just me... Im 12 so its kinda hard for me in school cause if i accadently like run my hands through my hair i start waveing it back and forth. The best time to do it is with a hair brush and u comb your hair over top of a black blanket/Hoodie to see the flakes

 

I have to admit, I used to do this too... I still do, but I have a new strategy because when i make it snow on a desk, too much hair gets mixed in with it... Now I use a comb and scratch my head with it and if I run my comb through my head enough times, lots of the white flakes get stuck to my comb.  Then I use my fingers to take it off and I start making a pile and actually have started to save it in a little medicine bottle..   I wanted to see how much c**p comes off my head after a year.. It's been 2 months and I have probably saved about the size of a small marbles worth...

Shame you cant post photos of you stored dandruff, are you male or female and what age? Have you any with red dots in the middle? (dried blood) . I like getting caught out in the rain then letting my hair dry naturally, it seems to promote dandruff and sometime bigger flakes.

OMG I'mso glad there are so many other people who do this..i'm seriously addicted to doing the snowflake thing