Some women scratch their faces tremendously. Whether there ever was acne there is hard to tell.
Some women scratch their faces tremendously. Whether there ever was acne there is hard to tell.
Various disorders including trichotillomania, neurotic excoriations, and dermatitis artefacta, are factitial or self-inflicted. The term neurotic excoriations is applied to the patient who picks and scratches the skin usually in response to anxiety or stress and in the absence of a primary dermatologic disorder.
The patient scratches the skin leading to excoriations, scabs, and then scars. The extensor arms are most commonly affected, followed by the extensor legs and occasionally the face. The back is almost always spared which helps in distinguishing this from such diseases as PLEVA, and staphylococcal folliculitis. Many presentations may occur, e.g., factitial cheilitis. Women are much more likely to scratch their acne then men.
The patient may note a watery fluid emanating from the lesions (which represents serous fluid). Delusions of parasitosis should be excluded.
The young woman just "woke up with these".
Homepage | Who is Dr. White? | Privacy Policy | FAQs | Use of Images | Contact Dr. White