Strange: Woman in Ho Chi Minh City scratches her skin every time she is stressed

Dr. Dang Thi Ngoc Bich, Department of Dermatology - Cosmetic Dermatology, Tam Anh General Hospital said that they have just received and treated a PTM patient (37 years old, living in Ho Chi Minh City) who self-harmed due to psychological effects.

Kỳ lạ: Người phụ nữ ở TP HCM tự cào rách da mỗi lần căng thẳng - Ảnh 1.

Every time the patient is stressed, he uses his hands to pinch his skin, even scratching it until it bleeds. (Photo: Provided by the hospital)

According to Dr. Bich, Ms. M. came to the hospital with many dark scars on her arm, severe pain, swelling and oozing wounds. Taking a medical history, the patient shared that for the past year, she always felt upset, irritable, and sometimes desperate because no one sympathized and listened. Every time she felt uncomfortable, she would pinch her skin, even pinching it until it bled. Only when she hurt herself did she feel mentally comfortable. However, recently, she felt a lot of pain in her arm, so she went to the hospital for a check-up.

At the hospital, after examination, the doctor noticed the patient's psychological abnormality. He reassured the patient and worked with a psychologist to examine the wound and treat the patient.

Dr. Bich said that Ms. M's wound was red, swollen, and oozing due to infection. If not treated promptly, it would cause an abscess, causing deeper damage. In addition, many areas of Ms. M's skin had healed and scarred on her biceps and elbows. There were many old scars and new wounds, indicating that the patient had suffered repeated injuries over a long period of time. Ms. M was prescribed topical medications to help heal the wound, prevent infection, and oral antibiotics and anti-inflammatory drugs.

After a period of treatment, Ms. M's mental state was more stable, the wound on her hand healed. She was also given additional scar-fading medication.

During the treatment process, Dr. Bich has received many patients who came to remove scars after repeatedly injuring their skin with razor blades, sharp objects, lighting cigarettes or scratching themselves with their fingernails. Most of the patients felt regretful after their actions. Some patients shared that they had to hurt themselves because they wanted to attract the attention of their loved ones.

Dr. Bich warns that using razor blades or sharp objects to injure the skin can lead to dangerous infectious diseases, even life-threatening if there is a lot of blood loss. Skin wounds, if not treated properly, can become infected, ulcerated, festered, and deeply damaged, affecting the patient's health. If you notice signs of self-harm in yourself, your friends, or your relatives, you should go to a psychologist for advice and treatment.

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