(noun) The joy or pleasure derives from squeezing pimples, blackheads, and other sebaceous skin eruptions. From the Greek roots σπυρίς (spyris), meaning 'basket,' something hollow, or 'pimple;' and '-philia,' a
love of or a fondness for.
Whilst considered repugnant by some
people, spyrophilia is a pleasurable and usually harmless activity for many.
Contrast with 'dermatillomania,' a mental illness related to obsessive-compulsive disorder and which is characterised by repeated picking at one'
s own skin, resulting in areas of swollen or
broken skin and causing significant disruption in one'
s life.
Seeing a blackhead forming on
Eloise'
s ear lobe triggered Ron'
s spyrophilia, and it was all that he could do to restrain himself from reaching over and attempting to pop it!