Excoriated acne
medical condition
Excoriated acne, also called acne excoriée or picker's acne, is a type of skin picking disorder characterized by the repetitive, compulsive urge to pick, scratch, or squeeze one's pimples. This can ultimately lead to physical changes to the skin, such as scarring, and/or further emotional distress.
Epidemiology
In the United States, the prevalence of all skin picking disorders is between 1.4% and 5.4%, and it is the most common psychocutaneous disorder in adults and children. However, the exact prevalence for excoriated acne, that is picking at acne spots specifically, is unknown. Excoriated acne makes up an estimated 1.5% of all dermatology visits. There is a 3:1 ratio of women to men, and this condition commonly starts between 15–45 years of age, with people in their early 20s the most affected age group. Excoriated acne can occur in anyone with acne, but usually people with this disorder have mild acne. Only about 30-45% of people who seek treatment and only 19% get dermatological treatment for it. Excoriated acne is an underdiagnosed and undertreated condition because many people are uncomfortable talking about their skin picking habits or do not know they do it. Additionally, healthcare providers, especially in primary care settings, do not know about it and do not screen for it.
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This entry incorporates text from “Excoriated acne” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.