Project Dermatillomania: The Stories Behind Our Scars
By Laura A. Barton
Published: 2014
Second edition published: 2020

Project Dermatillomania: The Stories Behind Our Scars is a book featuring the stories of those who live with the skin picking disorder, dermatillomania, in hopes of letting others know that they are not alone. The book includes written autobiographical and creative prose and poetry, and also features full colour images inspired by our experiences with this disorder. By us, for others like us.

Project Dermatillomania: Written On Our Skin
By Laura A. Barton
Published: 2017
Second edition published: 2020

The second in the Project Dermatillomania series, Written On Our Skin shares the real life narratives of 19 individuals with excoriation (skin-picking) disorder, also known as dermatillomania. Through written and visual works, these 19 people candidly share the ups and downs of what it means to live with skin picking disorder and how deeply it can affect their lives. The book is an effort to show other skin pickers they are not alone and to give those interested in learning more the chance to read first-hand accounts.

Doesn’t It Hurt? Confessions of Compulsive Hair Pullers
By Sandy Rosenblatt
Published: 2014

It is estimated that 2-4% of the American population is living with trichotillomania. Because so many cases go unreported, the numbers may be much higher. Living with trichotillomania can lead to feelings of shame, depression and anxiety. Some living with the disorder feel so much shame it leads to isolation. Many go to great lengths to hide a truth they feel ashamed of: They are pulling their hair. Some will not get treatment for fear of being judged and want to avoid feelings of embarrassment. It’s time to let go of these feelings of shame. It’s time to release the worry of what others will think and say. It’s time to embrace the beauty that each and every one of us possesses. Let’s believe we are beautiful – because every single one of us are. 15 contributors from around the world openly share their personal journeys. We’re making profound discoveries together: There is hope. We are not broken. We are not alone. Read on, and find the next chapter of your story…

Trichy Tillie
By: KJ Bennett
Illustrated by: Hadley Norris
Published: 2020

Meet Tillie, a fun, silly, and lively little birdie with Trichotillomania, or Trich for short. Follow Tillie as she introduces her experience with the hair pulling disorder to her readers. While Trich is a part of her journey there is a lot to this zestful birdie. Come explore the love and light Tillie has to offer.

Everyone Picks
By Aneela Idnani, Ellen Crupi, Mari Larsen
Published: 2021

Everyone has their own special way to self-soothe when they are feeling stressed, anxious or even bored. Some people like to read, others tap their fingers to a rhythm, and others write, draw or take deep breaths. But what happens when your soothing behavior is uncontrollable and causing more discomfort than relief?

If you struggle with nail biting (onychophagia), skin picking (dermatillomania), or hair pulling (trichotillomania), you might have a Body Focused Repetitive Behavior (BFRB). This book explores what a BFRB is, how you are not alone in the struggle, and how you can take control.

What happens when you can’t stop picking your skin, pulling your hair, or biting your nails? What is it called, and why does it matter? “Everyone Picks” offers a simple explanation of body-focused repetitive behaviors (BFRBs) for all ages to feel a little less alone on their mental health journey.

Skin Picking Sammie: A Children’s Book on Excoriation Disorder
By Krista Reed LSCSW
Published: 2021

Excoriation Disorder affects 2%-5% of the population. Also known as “skin picking disorder”, excoriation is different than picking at calluses or scabs as the sufferer will have tissue damage and it can impair daily functioning. This disorder affects the sufferer emotionally and is often hidden due to the shame of the behavior. Children who pick their skin may feel isolated from their peers, bullied by others, and misunderstood by adults. This book is to provide hope and guidance to children, their families, and others that Excoriation Disorder is not only treatable, it is common and not the sufferers fault. Follow Sammie and their journey through recovery.

Perfectly Imperfect
By Arielle Weinstein
Published: 2022

“Perfectly Imperfect” is the story of Paula, a parrot with colourful feathers who was not only beautiful, but was also admired for being an incredible singer. Making sure she always sang like a star was impossible for Paula to do, and she started to feel worried about her talents. She developed a body-focused repetitive behaviour, called trichotillomania, more commonly known as hair pulling.

This story reveals Paula’s difficult, but heartwarming journey of how she lives with trichotillomania.

The Perfect Pull
By Lindsay Woolman
Published: 2012

Alyssa Simone has a secret, but common, disorder: trichotillomania. Since the fourth grade she has been pulling out her hair and wondering why she can’t stop.

Now at fifteen, she is the best friend of the most popular girl in school and trying to appear normal. When she moves to Las Vegas for her sophomore year, Alyssa isn’t sure how much longer she can hide the damage.

The night before school starts she realizes her left eyebrow is completely gone, and she is dangerously close to pulling out her head hair. To make matters worse, her mother has signed the two of them up to star in a reality show and the cameras are about to start rolling. Alyssa is desperate to keep this secret from her mother, classmates, and the camera…

The Perfect Pull is a fictional novel for ages 11 and up.

Trichotillomania, Skin Picking, and Other Body-Focused Repetitive Behaviors
By Jon E Grant., Dan J. Stein, Douglas W. Woods, and Nancy J. Keuthen
Published: 2011

Underestimated, under-researched, and often poorly understood, the body-focused repetitive disorders nevertheless cause human suffering that is serious, persistent, and pervasive. These disorders can occur in both adults and children and manifest themselves as hair pulling (trichotillomania), pathologic skin picking, thumb sucking, and nail biting. Although these disorders are common, very few medical students and residents hear them addressed in lectures or know where to begin when confronted with a patient presenting with these behaviors. Trichotillomania, Skin Picking, and Other Body-Focused Repetitive Behaviors seeks to remedy this situation by synthesizing the latest research on body-focused repetitive disorders and presenting it in a systematic, easy-to-grasp manner. Much has changed in the more than a decade since the last book on this topic was published. This new volume reflects the most current and substantive research into the etiology and symptoms of body-focused repetitive disorders and therapeutic options. Organized in logical fashion, it begins with a review of the clinical characteristics, moves on to diagnosis and evaluation, and concludes with a full review of treatment options.

My Life as a Trichster: My trichotillomania (hair-pulling) journey and 20 effective ways to control hair-pulling urges
By Chinwe Amaka

A true life story of a young Nigerian girl who has been battling with Trichotillomania (the hair pulling disorder) for the past 5 years, her struggles in those 5 lonely years and the solutions she found and applied to help her control her hair pulling disorder.
This book also contains 20 effective, practical, easy and step by step ways anyone can use to control and also to put a stop to this hair pulling disorder.

Forever Marked: A Dermatillomania Diary
By Angela Hartlin
Published: 2009

FOREVER MARKED: A Dermatillomania Diary is a first hand account of a young woman, Angela, who suffers from a silenced illness. This is a ground- breaking true story that describes her struggles, which include depression, anxiety, suicide, self- hate, isolation, but mainly Dermatillomania… the skin picking disorder.

The Trichster Diaries
By Barbara Lally
Published: 2020

At the age of 10, Barbara Lally developed a disorder called trichotillomania. Trichotillomania, or “trich” for short, is a body-focused repetitive disorder (BFRB) that causes one to pull out his or her own body hair without being able to stop. This incurable disorder affects up to 2% of the total population and has been with Barbara the majority of her life. In The Trichster Diaries, Barbara takes you on her journey toward self-acceptance. The story begins through the eyes of a scared, insecure, little girl and finishes through the eyes of Barbara now, a grown woman who has worked hard to accept herself and a disorder that she cannot change. Through all of the ups and the downs, the triumphs and failures, one powerful message shines through: Self-acceptance IS attainable.

Life is Trichy: Memoir of a mental health therapist with a mental health disorder
By Lindsey M. Muller
Published: 2014

LIFE IS TRICHY is the true story of a twenty-nine-year-old lifelong perfectionist, who struggled with the mental health disorders of skin picking, nail biting, and hair pulling. Starting from a young age, this resulted in years spent hiding her body focused repetitive behaviors from everyone she knew, while simultaneously pursuing a professional career in psychology to treat others with the same exact challenges. She tactfully weaves the actions, feelings, and thoughts from years of sitting in the patient’s seat, with her professional, psychological knowledge in the clinician’s seat. Lindsey’s personal struggle mixes with factual information to elucidate the tricky and unspoken truth about a classification of disorders affecting approximately five percent of the population. Life is Trichy is appropriate for clinicians, patients, family and friends of hair pullers, and curious minds.

How to Heal Your BFRB: 4 Steps to Stopping Compulsive Skin Picking, Hair Pulling & More
By Lauren I. Ruiz Bloise
Published: 2021

Maybe you’ve encountered tips on how to stop in the past. While they probably helped, they never took you all the way. How to Heal Your BFRB teaches you why you weren’t healing before and, more important, how to start healing now.

Almost no time will be spent on what a body-focused repetitive behavior is, or who tends to have one. You know what a BFRB is, you have one or a few, and you just want to stop.

While you may even have come to believe healing isn’t possible, it’s absolutely possible for you to overcome your BFRB.

For seventeen years, author Lauren I. Ruiz Bloise compulsively skin-picked before developing these four steps, which she later learned correlate with proven body-focused repetitive behavior treatments.

That said, this guide is simple, not medical or academic.

Despite the complicated names for these disorders (excoriation, dermatillomania, trichotillomania, onychophagy, dermatophagia), How to Heal Your BFRB is a reader-friendly guide that shares concrete steps so you can feel in control rather than desperate, confident rather than ashamed—so your hair, skin, or nails can be nicer, clearer, and fuller.

Overcoming Body-Focused Repetitive Behaviors: A Comprehensive Behavioral Treatment for Hair Pulling and Skin Picking
By Charles S. Mansueto, Sherrie Mansfield Vavrichek, and Ruth Goldfinger Golomb
Published: 2020

A comprehensive treatment plan grounded in evidence-based cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) to help you overcome body-focused repetitive behaviors for good!
If you have body-focused repetitive behaviors (BFRB) such as hair pulling (trichotillomania) or skin picking (dermatillomania), you may feel embarrassed about seeking help. But there are proven-effective strategies you can use to overcome these behaviors and improve your overall quality of life-this book will show you how.
In this evidence-based resource, three renowned experts and clinicians offer powerful CBT skills to help you move past BFRB. You’ll learn why you engage in these behaviors, and how to identify your own sensory “triggers”-places, things, or experiences that cause your behavior to become worse. Finally, you’ll learn strategies to use when faced with these triggers, and develop your own customized “plan of action” for moving beyond BFRB for good.
With time, practice, and solid skills for managing stress, anxiety, urges, and other triggers, this book will help you break free from BFRB and feel more in control of your life.

Skin Picking: The Freedom to Finally Stop
By Annette Pasternak, Ph.D.
Published: 2014

Free yourself from the destructive cycle of compulsive skin pickingh2 Annette Pasternak, Ph.D., the Stop Skin Picking Coach, teaches you everything you need to know about why you pick your skin and how to break free of this frequently devastating behavior. Step-by-step she leads you through: ul liExercises to help you to break the habit of the behavior.li liTechniques to reduce stress and anxiety naturally, thus reducing the body’s need to pick.li liHow to release negative thoughts and emotions holding you back.li liLifestyle and diet changes to restore physiological balance, including which foods to avoid, which to eat more of, and natural supplements to help you stop.li liHow to stay motivated, inspired and positive.li ul This comprehensive guide is a lifesaver for those suffering from skin picking, and is also invaluable for health professionals interested in learning how to help their patients who pick.

Skin Picking: The Freedom We Found
By Annette Pasternak, Ph.D.
Published: 2020

Are you struggling with chronic compulsive skin picking, also known as dermatillomania? Imagine what it would be like to have a whole group of friends who have found freedom from skin picking, and who can’t wait to share everything that helped them get better.

In Skin Picking: The Freedom We Found, Annette Pasternak (author of the best-selling Skin Picking: The Freedom to Finally Stop), brings you stories of hope and advice from dozens of her clients and other people with Skin Picking Disorder.

The book will comfort and inspire you, and give you the tools you need to stop this devastating behavior.

Pearls: Meditations on recovery from hair pulling and skin picking
By Christina Pearson
Published: 2010

People often ask Christina, “What helped you stop pulling and picking? and, perhaps even more important, “How do you stay stopped?” While the tools and strategies that lead one person to recovery will not always work for another, in Pearls, Christina shares many small tools and shifts in perspective that helped her become aware of, and effectively eliminate, these unwanted behaviors on a day-to-day basis. This is a simple – yet in practice, profound – collection of meditations and contemplations geared specifically toward giving the reader insight and experiential anchors in skin picking and hair pulling recovery. In an accessible, easy to understand language and with a delicate prose format, Christina shares the internal process that helped her overcome the colossal challenge of becoming aware of, reducing and eventually moving beyond, unwanted body-focused repetitive behaviors. At first deceptively elementary, this collection of meditations has many layers, deepening and taking on new meaning with one’s own evolving experience of the path of recovery. This quote from a long-time sufferer says it all: “You’ve blazed a path I can follow. Every step may be my own but your courage is my guiding light.” M.C. California