Dermatillomania Test (Skin Picking)
A confidential self-assessment built on the Skin Picking Scale-Revised (SPS-R), the 8-item measure researchers use to study excoriation disorder. You get an instant, plain-language result with separate severity and impairment scores, plus a professional PDF report you can keep or bring to a therapist or dermatologist.
Dermatillomania Test (Skin Picking) is a free, confidential 8-question self-assessment, based on the SPS-R. It takes about 4 minutes, runs entirely in your browser, and gives you a plain-language score across 3 interpretation bands plus a downloadable PDF report. It is an educational screening, not a diagnosis.
How much picking is happening, and how much it costs you
Skin picking has two sides: the urges and time the behavior itself takes, and the damage, shame, and avoidance it leaves behind. The SPS-R measures both, because they don't always move together.
The full SPS-R
Eight items covering urge frequency, urge intensity, time spent picking, control, skin damage, distress, avoidance, and interference with daily life. Each is rated from 0 to 4, for a total of 0 to 32.
Severity and impairment
The SPS-R splits into two subscales of four items each. Severity captures the urges and the behavior itself; impairment captures the damage, distress, and avoidance that follow. Each is scored 0 to 16.
The past week
The scale asks about the last seven days, so your result reflects where the picking is right now rather than your worst stretch or your whole history.
| Feature | Typical free quiz | Psychology.com |
|---|---|---|
| Research-validated SPS-R items | Rarely | Yes, all 8 items |
| Severity and impairment subscales | No | Yes, scored separately |
| Honest about screening cutoffs | Vague labels | Yes, clearly explained |
| Clinician-reviewed interpretation | Rarely | Yes, clinician reviewed |
| Downloadable PDF report | No | Yes, branded & shareable |
| Confidential (no data sent) | Often tracked | Runs in your browser |
How scoring works
Answers are scored 0–32 in total. Your result falls into one of 3 bands:
| Score | Band | What it suggests |
|---|---|---|
| 0–7 | Few signs of problematic picking | Your answers suggest little or no problematic skin picking over the past week. Occasional picking at a scab or rough patch is common and usually nothing to worry about. |
| 8–15 | Mild to moderate picking signs | Your answers suggest skin picking is a real presence in your week, whether through urges, time, damage, or the effort of hiding it. This is a good moment to pay attention. |
| 16–32 | Significant picking signs | Your answers suggest skin picking is taking a substantial toll, in urges and time and in damage, distress, or avoidance. That deserves real support, not more willpower. |
Methodology & sources
The eight questions reproduce the Skin Picking Scale-Revised (SPS-R), developed by Snorrason and colleagues (2012) as a refinement of the original Skin Picking Scale and used widely in research on excoriation disorder. Each item asks about the past week and is rated from 0 to 4, giving a total from 0 to 32 across two four-item subscales: severity (urge frequency, urge intensity, time spent picking, and control) and impairment (skin damage, emotional distress, avoidance, and interference with daily life). The original scale uses slightly different response anchors for each item; we present all items as statements rated on a single 0 to 4 scale so the test reads smoothly, with wording adjusted for readability while preserving the meaning of the validated items.
This test is provided for education and self-reflection, not diagnosis. Research on the SPS-R uses a range of cutoffs rather than one agreed threshold, so our bands are educational guides rather than clinical lines: lower totals suggest few signs of problematic picking, middle totals suggest a pattern worth attention, and higher totals suggest picking is taking a real toll. Only a licensed clinician can diagnose excoriation disorder, and because skin conditions can start or maintain the picking loop, a dermatologist can be part of the picture too.
References
- Snorrason I, Ólafsson RP, Flessner CA, Keuthen NJ, Franklin ME, Woods DW. The Skin Picking Scale-Revised: factor structure and psychometric properties. J Obsessive Compuls Relat Disord. 2012;1(2):133–137. doi.org/10.1016/j.jocrd.2012.03.001
- Grant JE, Odlaug BL, Chamberlain SR, Keuthen NJ, Lochner C, Stein DJ. Skin picking disorder. Am J Psychiatry. 2012;169(11):1143–1149. doi.org/10.1176/appi.ajp.2012.12040508
- Keuthen NJ, Wilhelm S, Deckersbach T, et al. The Skin Picking Scale: scale construction and psychometric analyses. J Psychosom Res. 2001;50(6):337–341. doi.org/10.1016/s0022-3999(01)00215-x
- Teng EJ, Woods DW, Twohig MP. Habit reversal as a treatment for chronic skin picking: a pilot investigation. Behav Modif. 2006;30(4):411–422. doi.org/10.1177/0145445504265707
Dermatillomania Test (Skin Picking) FAQ
Is skin picking a real mental health condition?
Yes. Excoriation (skin picking) disorder is a recognized diagnosis in the DSM-5, listed in the obsessive-compulsive and related disorders family. It is a body-focused repetitive behavior (BFRB), the same family as hair pulling, and it affects roughly 1 to 2 percent of people. It is a real condition with real treatments, not a bad habit or a character flaw.
Why can't I just stop picking?
Because picking runs on a habit loop, not willpower. A trigger such as stress, boredom, or the feel of a rough patch of skin sets off an urge, the picking brings brief relief or satisfaction, and that relief teaches the brain to repeat the cycle. Much of it happens automatically, without full awareness, while some is focused and deliberate. Treatment works by rewiring the loop, which is why trying harder rarely fixes it on its own.
What is the difference between dermatillomania and trichotillomania?
They are sister conditions. Dermatillomania is compulsive skin picking and trichotillomania is compulsive hair pulling. Both are body-focused repetitive behaviors, both live in the same diagnostic family, both carry heavy shame, and both respond to the same core treatment, habit reversal training. Many people experience elements of both.
What is habit reversal training?
Habit reversal training (HRT) is the best-studied treatment for skin picking. It teaches you to notice the early warning signs of an episode, then perform a competing response, a small action that is incompatible with picking, until the urge passes. Modern versions like the ComB model add work on the triggers behind the picking, whether sensory, emotional, or situational. It is practical, skills-based, and it has real evidence behind it.
Does skin picking ever go away?
It can improve a great deal. For most people it waxes and wanes with stress rather than vanishing overnight, but with treatment such as habit reversal training, many people reduce picking dramatically and let their skin heal. Progress is rarely a straight line, and a lapse is a data point, not a failure. The people who do best tend to treat it as a skill they keep practicing.
Is this the same thing as OCD?
It is related but distinct. In OCD, compulsions are usually driven by intrusive thoughts and fears, like contamination or harm. Skin picking is usually driven by urges, tension, or the sensory pull of the skin itself, often without a scary thought behind it. If unwanted intrusive thoughts and rituals to neutralize them sound more like your experience, our OCD test may be a better fit.