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Hannahsmom40 , 19 Dec 2009

Cysts deep under skin on the face?

I have been skin picking for years. Mostly my arms and face. I squeeze the white oil stuff out of the pores in my arms. Does anyone else do this? I also get what I call, "cysts" deep in my face and they hurt. I had to have the core of one surgically removed. They are worse than a simple on the surface pimple. When I squeeze the pus out of one, it's like a domino effect and I have to get the one next to it, and so on, until I have a huge, embarrassing scab. My husband doesn't believe I have these cysts and my skin picking makes him horribly mad. But I can't stop! He can't stand when I pick my cuticles, either, but he doesn't mind when I twiddle a shoelace in place of picking. So while at church, I keep the shoelace under the Bible on my lap and twiddle it during the service. I have found cross-stitching or crocheting to help--anything to keep my hands busy. But my face always looks horrible and my husband is embarrassed of me. He says, "Why don't you just STOP IT?!" And he chews me out for having no will power. It is very depressing. But it is strangely comforting to know there are others in the same boat. Will this madness ever end?
2 Answers
winnie
December 19, 2009
i only occasionally get deep cysts (got one recently on my neck) and when I pick at them it doesn't seem to help, just makes it hurt more, it gets redder and angrier and then I'm afraid people will think i'm on meth and that is one thing that keeps me from scratching at anything where people can see...(I tend to do it where you can't see (where I can't see....my back)...... I know that some people go to the dermatologist and get a cortisone shot in their cysts....I've never done this though (I would if I had them more often). Tell your husband that if you could easiily stop you would have.......(so would have I).... I'm sure he's not perfect and he does something weird too. My husband doesn't like me scratching up my back but he has all these scars on his lower arms from 20 years ago that he claims used to be "acne". When I confront him with the fact that there aren't any sebaceous (oil-producing) glands on the lower arms, he does admit that he somehow got to picking and then couldn't stop (perhaps it started with bug bites or a rash). At some point he kicked the habit (lucky him)....I bet your husband has a bad habit too....drinking too much, smoking, being holier than thou, biting nails....something...everyone has something right ?
carlean
January 16, 2010
Hi, I also get those deep cysts below the surface of my skin under my eyes and have been picking at them for the last 20 years. I understand what you are going through since there is a domino effect to starting. It seems like they're all attached to one localized monster. Recently I got so annoyed with picking a little here and there that I really went to town and extracted all the cysts I could find on both sides of my cheeks and was left with two big holes which have kept me indoors for over a week. I'm not sure how they will turn out but the healing process left me with two swollen eyes. It's not worth it but in some strange way I feel satisfied that maybe I got it all out and won"t have to be bothered by them any more. I've gone to several dermatologists about this but none of them have given me any satisfaction. One said there were just too many and to just leave them alone, so that leaves me with having to wear three layers of makeup just to cover them up. Other people don"t see them the way I do, and I think that's what you are going through with your husband. If you find a solution or an answer on how to get rid of them please let me know. I am a strong person so it's not a matter of willpower. I wish you the best of luck.

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