Types of self-harm
The most common forms of self harm are: cutting the arms, hands and legs, and less commonly the face, abdomen, breasts and even genitals. Some people burn or scald themselves, others inflict blows on their bodies, or bang themselves against something.
Other forms of self-harm include: scratching, picking, biting, scraping and occasionally inserting sharp objects under the skin or into body orifices, and swallowing sharp objects or harmful substances.
Common forms of self-injury that rarely reach medical attention include: people pulling out their own hair and eyelashes and scrubbing themselves so hard they break the skin (sometimes using cleaners such as bleach).