Compulsive Skin Picking (Dermatillomania)

Skin Picking is an impulse control disorder. It is characterized by repetitive picking at skin at various places of the body. It is called Compulsive Skin Picking, because there's an underlying urge to pick, and usually people who have CSP cannot control this urge. It is forced on them by their own unconsciousness.
Medical terms used to describe this disorder are: dermatillomania, Neurotic excoriation, Psychogenic excoriation.

Women are most affected by this disorder. In fact, about 90% of people with skin picking disorder are women. This problem usually starts in teenage years, and is common among teenagers and students.

No one really knows what causes compulsive skin picking. There are different theories on the subject, however CSP did not get a lot of attention from the scientific/medical community, and often is regarded as merely a bad habit. However, this of course is not the case. It is a skin disorder - some believe it has psychological reasons, other tend to turn towards a more scientific approach and explain it as some chemical imbalances in our body. Another explanation to CSP is overloading of the autonomic nervous system as a result of a extremely stressful event in the past (usually childhood).

While there is no absolutely accureate answer to the question "why it happens", the factors that trigger picking in people with CSP are known. Picking episodes are known to show in situations of boredom, stress or anxiety. It also is often linked to depression.

There is no definite method to treat skin picking. However, different methods work differently on different people. Some of the treatment methods are:

Psychotherapy

Psychiatry

Medication

Psychodermatology

Cognitive thrapy

You may visit http://www.skinpick.com
This is a comprehensive online resource dedicated to this disorder. There you can find plenty of information about it, the different symptoms, treatment methods, and also discussion forums where you can talk to other people who have CSP.