Wow, I have had this compulsion for a long time. I am also pretty positive I also have other conditions, like social anxiety disorder, and OCD. No doubt it is some sort of stress reliever and it is oddly gratifying. I love finding the flakes under my nails and then flicking them, as many of you have described. I do not like it when I scratch my head until it bleeds (it hurts and gets sore!), or that I make my hair greasy and messy when I do it, but I still do it for some reason! I even do it to my boyfriend now (and he actually likes it lol), but I'm much gentler because I don't want to hurt his head like I do mine. I feel so weird, but it is good to know I am not alone. Most likely it is related to some other condition, such as anxiety.
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Amazing! I am 25 and have been scratching my head for dandruff since I was in 6th grade. I never had a problem with dandruff, but out of anxiety I love to scratch my head creating the white snowflakes and scabs that I can too see come off my head. I also enjoy rubbing my fingers on glass to see my greasy dandruffy prints. Sometimes, I will get a makeup mirror with the magnifying glass and dig with my hands or a fine brush so I can get a good view of my scalp. I often create bald spots, which are exposed if I don't wear my hair down or a hat. The digging is just such a relief. I have seen therapists, tried medicine and still can't kick this habit. My OCD interferes with my daily life so much. Instead of doing homework, I will scratch my head for 2 hours at a time. I just get into such a trance and don't realize where the time has gone.
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I have this problem, it doesn't come around too often, but it's been back for a couple days now. I purposefully won't shower for days because I know that my head will be in prime time quality for itching. I feel so gross doing it, yet it seems so satisfying. I'm getting dandruff pretty badly because of this, not to happy about that. I also really enjoy getting those scabs to pick off, but then it gets raw and gross. Then when I do shower it stings. This can't be healthy for my head. Sigh.
Also I'm very glad to have found this website, I kinda thought I was the only one who enjoyed this strange habit. I guess I didn't even think of it as something that could be considered habit, though I suppose anything could be considered habit.
Also I'm very glad to have found this website, I kinda thought I was the only one who enjoyed this strange habit. I guess I didn't even think of it as something that could be considered habit, though I suppose anything could be considered habit.
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I have the same problem and I didn't think so many people did until I started looking it up. I think that it is a type of widely under-looked (because it is rarely reported) impulse control disorder like trich (hair pulling), so I'm trying to gather some of my own research about it.
A few questions for you guys:
1. When did the habit start?
2. Did you move around a lot as a kid or teenager?
3. Do you experience anxiety or depression?
4. Do you feel the dandruff relieves stress?
5. Do you do it even when there is no itch?
6. Do you feel sad when you can't find any?
A few questions for you guys:
1. When did the habit start?
2. Did you move around a lot as a kid or teenager?
3. Do you experience anxiety or depression?
4. Do you feel the dandruff relieves stress?
5. Do you do it even when there is no itch?
6. Do you feel sad when you can't find any?
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I'm currently researching this tic. I think that it is a type of widely under-looked (because it is rarely reported) impulse control disorder like trich (hair pulling).
A few questions for you guys:
1. How old were you when the habit started?
2. Did you move around a lot as a kid/teenager?
3. Do you experience anxiety/depression?
4. Do you feel that picking the dandruff relieves stress?
5. Do you do it even when your head isn't itching?
6. Do you feel sad when you can't find any dandruff?
A few questions for you guys:
1. How old were you when the habit started?
2. Did you move around a lot as a kid/teenager?
3. Do you experience anxiety/depression?
4. Do you feel that picking the dandruff relieves stress?
5. Do you do it even when your head isn't itching?
6. Do you feel sad when you can't find any dandruff?
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1. About 10 years old
2. Yes, we moved many times
3. Yes, depression and anxiety but am functional
4. Yes, it takes my mind off everything else
5. Yes, my head rarely itches
6. Not sad, just disappointed
2. Yes, we moved many times
3. Yes, depression and anxiety but am functional
4. Yes, it takes my mind off everything else
5. Yes, my head rarely itches
6. Not sad, just disappointed
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I've been doing this for about 7 or 8 years & I'm only 20. I have moved around a lot and I do feel upset if I can't find any... I enjoy picking off big pieces and when they're big I cut them up with my nails. I have a boyfriend and I love picking his too. Sometimes I pick my own until it bleeds.. I never really thought there was anything wrong with it until I saw this post. How do I fix it? Sometimes I pick it off til it bleeds..
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I don't have a dandruff problem- but scratch and pick at my head. Actually, I do it to my face and neck too. Any kind of bump I feel- I feel the need to pick it off. I'm 28- I've just realized within the last few years that this isn't normal. I started when I was pretty young I guess. I do it anytime I'm thinking....lol and I'm ALWAYS thinking. It is worse when there is extreme stress in my life. I started getting my nails done a few months ago- and find with fake nails that I don't get the same satisfaction from picking. I stopped getting acrylic nails last week- and have gone right back to picking until I bleed. I know it sounds silly- but I really think the thickness of fake nails helps me!!! They also kept me from ripping and chewing my nails and cutecles ( sp?)
Sorry this can't help any guys with the problem : ( ...Oh also- I think I am worse about it when I'm tired but maxed out on caffeine.
Sorry this can't help any guys with the problem : ( ...Oh also- I think I am worse about it when I'm tired but maxed out on caffeine.
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OMG i hate dandruff so much!!!
i have bald patches because of this nasty gross dandruff, >;) i dont want to be bald ewwwwww :cry:sometimes i wanna suicide when my scalp itches, lots of people says that our diet affect this problem, so i go no sugar, no oily food, no flour, no junk foods, no fast food, no notin, i hate my life, :-(
i have bald patches because of this nasty gross dandruff, >;) i dont want to be bald ewwwwww :cry:sometimes i wanna suicide when my scalp itches, lots of people says that our diet affect this problem, so i go no sugar, no oily food, no flour, no junk foods, no fast food, no notin, i hate my life, :-(
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Wow! This is nuts! I've had this problem for as long as I can remember. I itch and pick at certain flakes and they grow back bigger. It's thereputic -_-
A friend of mine does it as well as an ex. She used to "farm" them lol -_-
Scratch certain ones to make them grow bigger and um... well... see who had the biggest ones :S
She always won of course. But yeh, I'm addicted to it, well I was until even when I don't scratch they still detatch and make their way down my (long) hair so people could see them :\
I tried Redken's anti-dandruff. Their other shampoos are amazing so I gave it a go. It worked after the first try. There are NONE now, not one flake. No itching either so yeh. Go into a salon and ask for it. It's in a white bottle and so is the conditioner. It'll come to like £20 but it lasts for 8 months. Seriously, one lasted a year for me, so it's well worth it! Hope this helps. It's better than T-Gel and Head And Shoulders, both didn't work for me at all. In fact T-Gel made it worse for me.
A friend of mine does it as well as an ex. She used to "farm" them lol -_-
Scratch certain ones to make them grow bigger and um... well... see who had the biggest ones :S
She always won of course. But yeh, I'm addicted to it, well I was until even when I don't scratch they still detatch and make their way down my (long) hair so people could see them :\
I tried Redken's anti-dandruff. Their other shampoos are amazing so I gave it a go. It worked after the first try. There are NONE now, not one flake. No itching either so yeh. Go into a salon and ask for it. It's in a white bottle and so is the conditioner. It'll come to like £20 but it lasts for 8 months. Seriously, one lasted a year for me, so it's well worth it! Hope this helps. It's better than T-Gel and Head And Shoulders, both didn't work for me at all. In fact T-Gel made it worse for me.
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Wow, I am shocked that so many people have this same problem. I've always been so ashamed and embarrassed about it. Mine isn't as bad as it used to be....I rarely ever let the flakes pile up on a surface anymore and usually just pick at my scalp endlessly. But for many years I would have this ritual of letting that flakes accumulate on the table and then sort of brush my hand on the table to gather them all up and then I'd sprinkle it in the air.....it was so gross but so satisfying.
1. When did the habit start? Sometime when I was in high school....I am 22 now
2. Did you move around a lot as a kid or teenager? Nope
3. Do you experience anxiety or depression? I was diagnosed with OCD at age 10 because of my compulsive hand washing and I have dealt with depression pretty consistently since then as well.
4. Do you feel the dandruff relieves stress? I'm not sure....it's more like it's stressful not to scratch.
5. Do you do it even when there is no itch? Yeah, sometimes I move my hands around my scalp in search of a dry patch to pick at
6. Do you feel sad when you can't find any? I actually feel a bit relieved because then I don't have to be weirded out by my compulsion.
1. When did the habit start? Sometime when I was in high school....I am 22 now
2. Did you move around a lot as a kid or teenager? Nope
3. Do you experience anxiety or depression? I was diagnosed with OCD at age 10 because of my compulsive hand washing and I have dealt with depression pretty consistently since then as well.
4. Do you feel the dandruff relieves stress? I'm not sure....it's more like it's stressful not to scratch.
5. Do you do it even when there is no itch? Yeah, sometimes I move my hands around my scalp in search of a dry patch to pick at
6. Do you feel sad when you can't find any? I actually feel a bit relieved because then I don't have to be weirded out by my compulsion.
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hello everybody,
i have bad dandruff and my girlfriend has an odd OCD thing with scratching my head to get the nubs off of it. It releives her compulsions and makes her feel better. sometimes she thinks i'm going to die unless she gets all of them off of my head. my worry is that this ridiculous scratching to the point of where my head feels raw is goign to accelerate my baldness. do you know how i can stop her? do you think i should let her? maybe it turns her on? do you think it will make me go bald sooner?
- the dandruff man
i have bad dandruff and my girlfriend has an odd OCD thing with scratching my head to get the nubs off of it. It releives her compulsions and makes her feel better. sometimes she thinks i'm going to die unless she gets all of them off of my head. my worry is that this ridiculous scratching to the point of where my head feels raw is goign to accelerate my baldness. do you know how i can stop her? do you think i should let her? maybe it turns her on? do you think it will make me go bald sooner?
- the dandruff man
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Oh my god.
I've had this same addiction since I was nine years old-- I am now 13, and in the eighth grade.
It seems to occur when I take Concerta, a medication for my ADHD. I felt like a weirdo all his time, man.
It's good to see that alot of people are dealing with it, and that it's not just me.
For whatever reason, I greatly enjoy looking at the skin lines on the large pieces(sp?).
To Dr. Johnson, no, I have never moved in my life. Anxiety? I experience that on a daily basis, unfortunatley. Yes, I scratch it when it does not itch. And when I cannot find any, well...yes, I am slightly disheartened by it.
Also,
I don't know if this has anything to do with this obsession, but prior to this, I was completely fixed on pulling out my eyelashes.
I believe that little habit began when I was in 2nd grade, and an eyelash had been stuck in my eye for a good two days.
My mother and her friend noticed I had been missing nearly all the eyelashes on one eyelid, and when my mother took me to a psychiatrist, I believe it was, I disliked the fuss, the attention, and stopped pulling my eyelashes out.
I've had this same addiction since I was nine years old-- I am now 13, and in the eighth grade.
It seems to occur when I take Concerta, a medication for my ADHD. I felt like a weirdo all his time, man.
It's good to see that alot of people are dealing with it, and that it's not just me.
For whatever reason, I greatly enjoy looking at the skin lines on the large pieces(sp?).
To Dr. Johnson, no, I have never moved in my life. Anxiety? I experience that on a daily basis, unfortunatley. Yes, I scratch it when it does not itch. And when I cannot find any, well...yes, I am slightly disheartened by it.
Also,
I don't know if this has anything to do with this obsession, but prior to this, I was completely fixed on pulling out my eyelashes.
I believe that little habit began when I was in 2nd grade, and an eyelash had been stuck in my eye for a good two days.
My mother and her friend noticed I had been missing nearly all the eyelashes on one eyelid, and when my mother took me to a psychiatrist, I believe it was, I disliked the fuss, the attention, and stopped pulling my eyelashes out.
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