Johns Hopkins Psychiatry Guide
Excoriation Disorder
DEFINITION
- Excoriation disorder (skin picking disorder) is characterized by recurrent skin picking that results in skin lesions and causes clinically significant distress or impairment in social, occupational, or other important areas of functioning.
- It is a subset of obsessive-compulsive and related disorders alongside trichotillomania and body dysmorphic disorder.
- Synonyms and related disorders include psychogenic/neurotic excoriation, acne excoriée, and dermatotillomania.
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Last updated: August 13, 2025
Citation
Gary, Joseph, et al. "Excoriation Disorder." Johns Hopkins Psychiatry Guide, The Johns Hopkins University, 2025. Johns Hopkins Guides, www.hopkinsguides.com/hopkins/view/Johns_Hopkins_Psychiatry_Guide/787063/3.1/Excoriation_Disorder.
Gary J, Goldstein L, Perry-Parrish C. Excoriation Disorder. Johns Hopkins Psychiatry Guide. The Johns Hopkins University; 2025. https://www.hopkinsguides.com/hopkins/view/Johns_Hopkins_Psychiatry_Guide/787063/3.1/Excoriation_Disorder. Accessed October 29, 2025.
Gary, J., Goldstein, L., & Perry-Parrish, C. (2025). Excoriation Disorder. In Johns Hopkins Psychiatry Guide. The Johns Hopkins University. https://www.hopkinsguides.com/hopkins/view/Johns_Hopkins_Psychiatry_Guide/787063/3.1/Excoriation_Disorder
Gary J, Goldstein L, Perry-Parrish C. Excoriation Disorder [Internet]. In: Johns Hopkins Psychiatry Guide. The Johns Hopkins University; 2025. [cited 2025 October 29]. Available from: https://www.hopkinsguides.com/hopkins/view/Johns_Hopkins_Psychiatry_Guide/787063/3.1/Excoriation_Disorder.
* Article titles in AMA citation format should be in sentence-case
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PB - The Johns Hopkins University
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