Alicent & Aegon's skin picking in House of the Dragon (Season 1 & 2)

Before you think to yourself, She's really late. The show has been out for years. I want you to know that I made a video about this the moment I noticed it! I just didn't have a blog then! I did choose to wait until after Season 2 wrapped up to discuss Aegon's skin picking.

This blog post may contain spoilers. Read with caution.

In Season 1 of House of the Dragon Alicent is almost always picking at and biting her nails. As someone with a body-focused repetitive behavior (BFRB) I know that her picking could be for many reasons but as a viewer of the show, I believe they show her picking because of what is happening in her life at such a young age. A lot of things that would make anyone extremely uncomfortable. It makes sense that Alicent would turn to self-soothing behavior.

https://video.wixstatic.com/video/e27ab7_a54489d15c82472aafda94ec44b5a12d/1080p/mp4/file.mp4

Above is the first time Alicent is seen biting her nails. It seems like she is doing it without even realizing, something I can relate to. I love that Rhaenyra interrupts Alicent's nail biting by placing her hand on her lap and giving her a look. It brought Alicent awareness without shaming her. It also made me feel like Alicent has been doing this for a while and Rhaenyra enjoys being an accountability partner for her best friend.

https://video.wixstatic.com/video/e27ab7_e8d02098cc49487d9967d95cf0580972/720p/mp4/file.mp4

The clip above is from the same scene but it makes it clear that not only is Alicent biting her nails, she is picking around the nail and causing bleeding. The blank look on her face while she is watching extreme violence compared to her bloody nails is an accurate depiction of what it feels like to live with a BFRB—a lot more is going on inside than what you see on the surface.

https://video.wixstatic.com/video/e27ab7_c74e5813db1046e0a1239619f1790164/720p/mp4/file.mp4

This is the video I made in September of 2022! What really stood out to me here was Alicent's father shaming her skin picking. Asking her the impossible question, "Why do you destroy yourself?" Sadly, it is extremely common for parents to use this tactic when noticing their child's BFRB. He tells her, "You're the most comely girl at court." As if that alone would help her stop doing the behavior. Those of us in the BFRB community know that this type of response just makes everything worse.

https://video.wixstatic.com/video/e27ab7_5b0c6e1509784b2698b7b86b19d86020/720p/mp4/file.mp4

Alicent is so overcome with emotion here that she finds herself not being able to stop biting her nails even though she knows her father has had a negative reaction. She does stop herself in order to make eye contact and show that she is listening to what he is saying.

https://video.wixstatic.com/video/e27ab7_6ab44a46655a426ea70b2aac74309dd9/720p/mp4/file.mp4

Alicent is placed in an uncomfortable position here and is shown trying her best to be attentive and show that she is happy to be there. The only thing that shows her true feelings is her slight nail picking.

I could've recorded 10 more videos because Alicent was constantly touching, biting, or picking nails. It was a theme throughout Season 1.

In Season 2, there is a moment where Aegon, Alicent's son, is seen picking his nails just like his mother. It poses the question that many in the BFRB community wonder: Is my BFRB hereditary? It seems that in this family the answer would be yes.

https://video.wixstatic.com/video/e27ab7_493346520a5246ff82b1cad5d385bc78/480p/mp4/file.mp4

Aegon faces many challenges and like his mother, viewers can sympathize with him and understand why he would need to self-soothe.

https://video.wixstatic.com/video/e27ab7_f40bab7b5060463caa6f16b54104b671/720p/mp4/file.mp4

Alicent's continuation of her nail biting and picking in Season 2 rings true for those in the BFRB community. This behavior is often something we do not grow out of. This class of disorders is labeled as chronic for a reason. When Alicent is feeling any emotion too much, and in House of the Dragon it is often a negative emotion, her hands are going to her mouth.

In this clip I can see that Alicent is doing her BFRB while she is deep in thought. I find myself not only doing the same thing but also feeling that by doing my BFRB I am able to think more clearly.

In general, I liked the way House of the Dragon portrayed body-focused repetitive behaviors (BFRBs). It felt honest to the disorder. Even though I pull out my hair, I could still relate to Alicent and Aegon's behavior. I felt represented and not made a mockery of. I think the addition of their BFRBs humanized them. They're not just some random characters in a fantasy world, they're real people who found a way to self-soothe.