Many people pick at imperfections on their skin or become preoccupied with removing some unwanted hair from time to time. People with trichotillomania and dermatillomania, or hair-pulling disorder and skin-pulling disorder, experience these behaviors to such extremes that it disrupts their lives, causes them distress and shame, and sometimes alters their appearance. Symptoms of Trichotillomania and Dermatillomania Trichotillomania and dermatillomania are both body-focused repetitive behaviors (BFRBs) categorized under Obsessive-Compulsive and Related Disorders in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders – Fifth Edition (DSM-5). “Though there are similar patterns, what people are aiming for with these disorders is a little different than disorders like OCD,” says Kerrie Armstrong, PhD, a clinical psychologist at The Anxiety Treatment Center of Greater Chicago. “While both have repetitive behaviors, there is not always a thought or obsession with BFRBs.” Hair-Pulling Disorder Symptoms Diagnostic criteria for trichotillomania include: Hair pulling that causes significant distress or impairment in at least one important area of functioning Repeated hair removal from any area on the body for cosmetic or non-cosmetic purposes Noticeable hair pulling in one or multiple sites (some people concentrate on one area causing bald spots while others pull over larger areas, resulting in hair...