What I have found that helps

Posted March 3rd, 2010 by wildflower

What I have found that helps: I am almost one week without picking and that is something BIG. I have had this problem for more than 20 years with seldom a day without picking. I’ve been on probably every systemic antibiotic to address acne, including accutane, having been treated by a number of dermatologists. It has involved my scalp, face, nostrils, neck, back, belly, breasts, arms, butt, thighs, and shins at various times, sometimes requiring better than 60 bandages at one time. It has been distressing and depressing for many years. I’ve also been on many antidepressants for much of that time. But lately, with a new resolve to understand and conquer this insidious affliction, I have been doing much research and have over the last few months made changes to my daily regimen. With today being day 6 of no picking and feeling like my efforts are beginning to pay off, I’d like to share all of what I believe is contributing to my success which I am sincerely hoping will be much longer. Please bear with the details: I try to be kind to my skin and recommend to … wash with warm water, not hot … use a fresh washcloth daily … rinse with cool water (not cold) to address inflammation and to close pores … pat dry with a clean towel … DO NOT PICK … bandage broken, weeping or bleeding sores immediately after cleansing using prescribed medication or a topical antibiotic (if possible) … dress non-broken sores with an anti-itch, anti-inflammatory analgesic ointment (like Tronolane – yes I know it’s for hemmies!, but what better than something intended for such delicate tissue?) … if going out into the world, use sunscreen … apply a moisturizer (avoiding bandaged areas) if you suffer from dry skin … apply makeup to lesions not bandaged … take morning medications, vitamins and supplements for daily health and skin care (a multivitamin, extra A, Bs, C, D, and E vitamins as appropriate, omega-3 fatty acid, calcium, and bromelain) … wear an elastic band around one wrist to snap if you catch yourself touching/scratching/or picking… keep fingers away from your skin (wear gloves if need be) … reapply ointments/makeup as required during the day … drink lots of water … eat well … exercise … limit caffeine, alcohol and tobacco use … and as early as possible at the day’s end, wash up with a gentle soap such as Purpose Gentle Cleansing Wash … rinse with warm water to remove the soap, then again with cool water (not cold) to address inflammation and to close pores … pat dry … DO NOT PICK … immediately bandage up ALL broken, weeping or bleeding sores as well as any lesions that may present temptation to pick at unconsciously over night … apply anti-itch, anti-inflammatory analgesic ointment to healing areas prone to itching to reduce chance of unconscious urges to scratch … take night time medications and supplements (more omega-3 fatty acid, chromium picolinate, etc) … connect with supporters (friend/family member/online group) to share your day’s successes re skin care … pat yourself on the back for a job well done … and get a good night’s rest of 7-8 hours of healing sleep. Although I have a couple of slow-to heal spots that are still needing bandages, I did actually enjoy one night in the last 6 without any bandages!! I'm hoping that soon I won't require any. I am feeling very hopeful about myself and hope that each of you will soon feel as good and with such hope.

On July 3rd, 2010 brooklynfaith said:

Thanks, that really helped:) I am constantly pulling the skin off my lips and my cuticles. There's no way I could stop just on my own, so I was looking for a way that would make it impossible for me to do it. The gloves sounded like a really good idea, but it's usually anywhere from 90-100 degrees F where I live everyday, so I couldn't really do that. So I thought of something different. I wear tape wrapped just over the tops of my thumbs and over the nail. I usually just use my fingernails to pull the skin up, so that really helped, because the tape is really slick, plus having it there reminds me not to pick. Also, I wear a rubber band on my wrist and every time I touch my lips or cuticles (unless I actually have to) I pop myself. That helps more mentally though than anything. It works, but not as well as the tape. I try to always keep ointment or chap stick on my lips at all times. Carmex helps if you can stand to keep it on. It's medicated for fever blisters/cold sores but it helps heal things up faster.

On July 3rd, 2010 wildflower said:

it's great that you're finding and employing things that are helping. keeping your lips moisturized so they don't chap might be the ultimate answer. when i moisturize my skin with vitamin e oil, i ensure i do my lips too and they've stayed really smooth. i'm not sure about the ingredients in carmex, but i believe in simple remedies and fewer chemicals along with healthy practices.

On July 3rd, 2010 MsBlueSky said:

Hey guys, This is an incredibly encouraging thread. I'm definitely going to try the bandages thing. I think covering up my sores will make the compulsion to pick them lessen. Do you all who have covered yours find that the urge lessens even when they are uncovered? I'm hoping that the urge will be easier to manage once the bandages are off and I've given them time to heal. It's amazing how I feel such a strong connection to you all just after reading some of your responses. I've only dealt with this for about a year now, but it made my senior year of highschool a living hell. I'm about to be a freshman in college, and I can't wait to be free from this affliction and to regain control of my life. Peace, Love, and Hugs!

On July 3rd, 2010 wildflower said:

my opinion is the bandages are imperative to help your skin heal quicker and with less scarring. when bandaged, you obviously can't irritate tempting sores or spots. they only postpone the inevitable though, so you must plan a course of attack on the compulsiveness to pick once a sore has healed and for all the tempting bumps and imperfections that will undoubtedly crop up. but perhaps in your case, since it is early in this compulsive behaviour, that bandaging might help break the habit. i hope so. i hope you can nip this in the bud with prompt, committed dedication to do so. the habit won't go away on its own. the behaviour must change. all the best to you. keep reading and researching for anything that will help you through this. ☺

On May 28th, 2010 wildflower said:

in 6 more days it will be day 100 for me and so far i have picked at only 7 spots. only 7! it's not a perfect record but it's vastly better than before i started the 40 day challenge. the above regimen has helped me immensely because i changed my behaviours and i changed my attitude. i got serious about it. real serious. that's what is most important. unless something is really really wanted, it is unlikely to happen and no amount of outside help will make it happen. it must come from within. denial of one's own responsibility in the factor is the hugest obstacle to overcome. i realized that i was in denial for many years wanting some doctor to prescribe me the medication or treatment that would do it for me. i've been on enough medications and treatments and counseling to know that is not all that it takes. it takes personal responsibility, personal accountability, personal strength, personal determination and personal commitment to overcome it more than anything else. by all means, employ whatever tactics deemed to make it easier, but success will not come without the personal realizations.

On May 2nd, 2010 wildflower said:

with this i have managed to get through 66 days less 3 days (i picked a sore on each of them - different sores, but only three) so have 63 pick free days under my belt .... i have learned what it feels like to have healed skin everywhere on my body !! ... it can be done ... my setbacks have been small ... minuscule, even, in comparison to how things once were .... and how i swear i'll never let happen again .... at this time, i am winning the battle ... ☺☺☺☺☺ ... still, one day at a time ......

On April 19th, 2010 jenna90 said:

wow.. this all helps so much. not just all the advice but knowing that people have been where i am right now and that there's hope for me yet. 9yrs of battling and feeling absolutely awful and feeling like there was no way out. Today was the first time i told someone what the real problem is after seeing countless dermatologists, doctors etc and being wrongly diagnosed of a simple acne problem. I sought out this site and am relieved to know that its common and that there is a way out. Thanks for sharing the advice... I could not do this alone. One question though... a bandage is a 'small sticky' thing you put on your face, is that right? Just a barrier in communication haha... i think we call it a band aide here. Thanks again, and here i go.... DAY 1.

On April 19th, 2010 wildflower said:

yes, bandage = bandaid. the latter being a brand name. i try to avoid using brand names of products like tissue vs kleenex. and yes, you certainly sound like you are experiencing too many years of frustration and anxiety dealing with this disorder. i feel for you and hope you will do all that's necessary to conquer this before many more years pass. the internet providing information so readily available and forums such as this certainly has made a difference in that we now can be informed and find support, important and empowering tools to assist the process. along with personal fortitude, it makes it possible to defeat it. strength be with you, you can do it !! <3 <3 <3

On April 17th, 2010 40daysfromnow said:

Another thing I find helpful: I just bought very expensive alpha hydroxyl (spelling?) acid (AHA) cream that I think should only be used on non wounded skin. So when I have the urge to pick I remind myself that I spent a lot of money on my face cream and want to be able to use it. I keep in in front of my mirror.

On April 18th, 2010 wildflower said:

a great carrot !! ... like the face masks i've longed for for many years ... nice things for healed skin .... :)

On April 17th, 2010 wildflower said:

i made it to day 49 and then picked at one white head. i didn't pick madly, just relieved the pressure as it was sore. no squeezing and no mining. and it has now healed but i can truly say that the ones that came and went on their own in that 49 days healed without a mark and this one still has a tiny scab so it truly is better to let white heads go their natural course. i picked and so i started over again and i just finished day 3 without incident despite having an anxious evening which normally would have had me picking like crazy back in the day. having gone the 49 days and now the 3 days i truly feel like i can say that i picked "back in the day" as if those days are behind me !! what an interesting feeling !! although i'll not allow myself to be fooled into thinking that i am not a picker because that would be foolish. i must keep my vigil and "be good", that is, treat my skin with respect. :) i still have some small white heads and a couple small pimples that i'd normally "take care of" but i'm proud of myself for leaving them alone.

On April 17th, 2010 cherrycolalola said:

Good for you! You should def be proud. Sounds like it will be something you can leave behind you. Im praying day number 4 goes just as well as today.

On April 5th, 2010 wildflower said:

if anyone thinks my suggestions above wise enough to keep near the beginning of the forum for new visitors to see, please post an opinion on it now and again as i have done to keep it alive. i obviously think it is as the info in it has been working for me, but i think i'll leave it up to other viewers of this forum to keep it alive as i can't guarantee how frequent i'll be here as i am also keeping a journal of my progress on another site that has that feature. it's the stop picking on me site. do stop and say hello if you visit there and let me know how you're doing if you wish. i will keep checking in here now and again too, tho. i just don't know how often. all the best to everyone in their quest to address your skin issues. <3 <3 <3

On April 3rd, 2010 wildflower said:

i tell ya, this is working for me! day 39 now !!

On March 30th, 2010 wildflower said:

i have made it to DAY 35 !! 5 weeks !! my skin is doing much better and my urges are less severe. i'm proud of myself and don't want to let myself down. i'm sure that my newly adopted daily regimen as outlined above has really helped. has anyone else tried to follow it? it feels good to be bandage free but i have to say that they were an integral part of getting sores to heal. the ones i recommend to use nightly are riteaid's clear latex free round ones.

On March 27th, 2010 ocdFreak said:

wow you are truly amazing! i am up to day 20 and the urges have not passed. when i feel stressed my fingers definitely start to wonder. at those times i still have to put some effort into keeping myself from picking. i have to literally tell myself 'ok - you're about to do it...stop!' i mean, no doubt my hands do look a lot better than they did when i first started. wow, looking back to day 1, the scars were pretty red and noticeable. now, they are lighter in color. not completely matching my skin tone, but lighter and not red anymore. making it past the first two days was incredibly difficult, and now that they're gone, i'm kind of wondering how i did it!! it does get easier when the 'no picking' rule becomes more routine. i guess that's what it is: the urges don't necessarily go away completely (by day 20 anyway, for me), but attempting to not pick anymore becomes more routine. on day 1, it was crazy i almost didn't know what to do with myself lol - now, my attitude is more like 'another day of trying not to pick...' how are things for you now? and by the way, now that i'm back on the site, i've read many of your new posts. i think its great that you're contributing so much, in fact i was hoping people would be this active when i first found the site. its really helped me a lot, thanks ^_*

On March 27th, 2010 wildflower said:

it's awesome that you are on DAY 20 !! and great that at least two of us are making such good headway. i wonder how we can convince others to begin a commitment too? i'd love to hear more and more such success stories. ...... and i wrote it elsewhere, that unfortunately i think the urges are never going to go away. that it will always be an effort. that realization came when i had a bad day of urges and it was a struggle through the whole day and here i'm 30 days along! i come from a family of alcoholics and some of them are recovering alcoholics so i am well aware that addicts still have urges even far into their recoveries and skin picking is essentially an addiction so it stands to reason that we should not expect the urges to disappear. but they should lessen in number and strength, i believe. so it should get better still. similar to a recovering alcoholic i think we would be wise to not take our recovery lightly and know we need to always be vigilant and lean on folk that understand what we're going through and be proud of each and every day we manage to be picking free. again, it's awesome that you are on day 20! you are rewarding your hands with health each day. that is wonderful. i wish i could say that there won't be anymore stresses in your life but i can't so can only wish you continued strength and conviction to be kind and loving to your hands and skin. <3 <3 <3

On March 24th, 2010 wildflower said:

DAY 28 now !!! 4 WEEKS !!! i'm so pumped! all the above has helped immensely and my addiction to bandages (lol) is behind me! with none on my behind for weeks now for the first time in years! i know, too much info lol. but seriously, this is HUGE for me. i've suffered with this for more years than most of you have likely been alive. and i hope with all my heart that you all read all the information on this site and digest it. you don't want to suffer with this as long as i have and continue to wait for some magic bullet to fix the problem. there will be none, no cure other than your commitment to tackling the problem with determination and the help of whatever additional tactics are necessary given your details. please do the research, make the choices, make a commitment, exchange your bad habits with good ones, begin to treat your skin kindly with the love and respect it deserves. you won't regret the effort in the end. all the best to you <3 <3

On March 18th, 2010 wildflower said:

Day 23 now and the urges are still with me. they have been fewer, but today they're stronger. i must be vigilant and work hard today to be at peace with my skin. i didn't get a good night's sleep so i'm sure that has something to do with it. i'm sure anxieties (who's without 'em?) are gnawing at me. wish me luck and strength.

On March 12th, 2010 wildflower said:

DAY 17 now!! :):):) early in it mind you. but this is working for me! i'm feeling fewer and fewer urges to pick and i'm allowing myself to start feeling like this could be it. that i may have licked this habit! i'm leaving bumps alone that normally would have driven me to distraction with bloody results and i'm hardly feeling the least bit bothered by them. my searching fingers find them but i'm content to leave them be! i'm finding it hard to believe but i'm allowing it. i want to see this last and last. my oldest sores are healed over and looking better and better each day! i'm down to applying only one bandage to one sore that's been persistently resistant to healing but i'm sure it's almost ready to not need a bandage. like i mentioned, my old sores are pink scars that are diminishing in size. even the ones on my shins where i'm certain circulation issues caused the sores to be the worse and slowest to heal. i've expected that they might remain looking bad forever, but perhaps that won't be the case. they're improving. i hope this gives anyone and everyone that's trying to keep the urges to pick at bay, however short or long their successes have been, extra strength and willpower and belief in possibilities that it's possible to make great strides. maybe even to succeed but success will always be relevant. one hour, one day, one week, one month at a time. an ongoing struggle but one that should get easier over time. and if a setback is experienced, the next effort less difficult than the last. this feels so good and i wish that everyone gets to feel like this.

On March 7th, 2010 jacquie said:

congrats on your success so far! i have been trying to treat my skin better and work on self talk. i also find that using neosporin after tearing up a spot really helps it heal and also brings to perspective the fact that im harming myself and need to allow my scars to heal. i like your idea of taking supplements for skin health. is there any muti vitamin you suggest or do you take a bunch of individual pills each day? ive heard that prenatal vitamins are really good for skin and hair.. thank you for your suggestion and support!

On March 7th, 2010 wildflower said:

thank you! DAY 12 now !! ... and kudos to you for trying to treat your skin better. i take a centrum silver multivitamin plus 600 mg calcium, 1000 i.u. vitamin D, 500 mg bromelain, and 400 mcg chromium picolinate and i am drinking purified water (reverse osmosis) without fluoride, and am drinking green tea daily. prenatal vitamins are ok to take but if you have thyroid issues and are on medication for that there might be a problem so it's always best to consult your doctor first. all the best to you. i hope you don't suffer with picking as long as i have.

On March 5th, 2010 wildflower said:

this is DAY 10 of no picking for me! my hands still explore my skin but i self talk myself out of the urge to pick or scratch and so far so good !! i wish to add that i also suspect that i may be sensitive to fluoride so now i am drinking and cooking with reverse ozmosis treated bottled water. looking back, things were better when i lived in a community that didn't fluorodate their water supply and my skin condition began after moving to a community with fluorodated water. actually, i succumbed to a thyroid condition, graves disease, too after a number of years. upon retrospect and research i am considering that fluoride has compounded my issues. i always was a scab picker as a child but it did not get bad until my skin produced more and more bumps which i have a compulsion to pick at mercilessly. so i believe it is imperative to me to address the causes of my skin problems by hydrating by drinking more water (unfluorodated), eating better and supplementing with skin-enhancing vitamins and nutrients, kind and careful skin cleaning practices, practicing safe sun, getting good sleep, and employing self talk and disciplinary tactics to address the compulsion to pick and make war with it. and of course, share here to account for my efforts and perhaps help anyone else with their struggles. oh, i also am drinking green tea hearing so much about its benefits. :) and ((hugs))

On March 5th, 2010 Becky77 said:

Wow, Wildflower, this is so encouraging to read. Good for you. I hope you do keep up the focus and kick this thing once and for all. Keep treating yourself kindly on the inside and the outside! Hugs and high fives! Becky

On March 5th, 2010 wildflower said:

thank you, becky! i do hope to encourage anyone and everyone in their struggle to conquer this affliction with what has been working for me. you are so right that we must treat ourselves kindly both on the inside and the outside in order to make it work. supporting each other is also so very important. it's a tough effort to do totally alone. again, many thanks for your kind, supportive words. ((hugs)) to you. and ((hugs)) and much encouragement to everyone struggling with this compulsion.

On March 8th, 2010 hopeful_4_bette... said:

am so proud of you wildflower! =)

On March 8th, 2010 wildflower said:

thank you so much. i am proud of everyone here making efforts to rid themselves of this horrible affliction and helping and supporting others in their efforts so thank you, too!! :)

On May 7th, 2010 jesspicker said:

Wildflower i love you posts! I would love to start a new forum where i can post the days that i havent picked...today can not be one of them because i did pick, but if i start day 1 tomorrow and post about it would you be interested in being my keeping updated buddy maybe?

On May 7th, 2010 wildflower said:

thank you jesspicker! you might be interested in checking out stoppickingonme.com. that site has an online book about picking on it that has a lot of information in it. i am also a member there. the site also has a discussion board in which there are topics with lots of information and people can create journals to post their daily progress or anything they want. others, but members only, are able to post into each other's journals and it seems that many friendships have been formed there. it is also possible to send private messages to other members there so perhaps that is where you might prefer to post. otherwise, you could start your own topic here and keep it up todate. i try to be everybody's buddy as best as i can but can't promise it. ☺☺

On July 2nd, 2010 brens said:

thanks so much for sharing your ideas wildflower. going out to buy some round bandaids and ointment. cover all those spots so i can't pick. i told my partner about my problem this morning, so that is giving me the impetus to try harder.

For information on the skin picking disorder (Dermatillomania), symptoms, causes and treatment methods, get the Complete Guide to Skin Picking Disorders.