Online Test

Find out the severity of your symptoms with this free online test

Thelastday , 08 Feb 2011

Face picking... Trying to stop AGAIN. Help and suggestions welcome

Day one... Again. It started 3 years ago. One tiny spot is picked to infection then I figure I look gross so why not find anything else I can to pick at. I even pick my skin with tweezers, pins, anything. I even get up in the middle of the night to do it.I have to stop today. I've literally put black trash bags over my mirrors. So I'm holding myself accountable and I don't want to do it alone, can't do it alone. So I'm tracking my progress and inviting you to join or help with any suggestions for breaking or replacing this disgusting embarrassing habit. Day 1: covered my mirrors and joined a support group. Just doing that makes me want to do it more but I know if I can't stare at it I won't touch it. It's gonna be a long ride.
76 Answers
anonymous31894
March 10, 2011
in all my efforts to heal, my face is getting irritated from the mix of products...does anyone have any suggestions for soothing?
sho1234
March 10, 2011
They probs hav chemicals in. Green tea-(let it to cool-then dab with cotton wool. I dont use products and use soothing natural things which reduce redness and speed up healing. I have been having an extremly healthy diet and water. Now my skin has shockd me how its healed. I dont wana ruin it now. I had made my skin look terrible-after keeping all that up -i have healed greatly. I always make sure i dont overload my skin. Aloe vera lotion-i use everyday on marks etc. I can rele see the improvement this al has dun to my skin if i hav left it for 2/3 weeks. X
sho1234
March 10, 2011
Yes-i sometimes use cucumber juice which is soothing-refreshes skin and tones pores. Also, i grab a banana-cut it in half-mash it,mix it-put a teaspoon of natural organic honey-mix it all up. Leave on my face 15 mins. This is good for skin replenishment - it moisturises and helps fade marks. X
anonymous31894
March 10, 2011

In reply to by sho1234

thanks i'll definitely try the banana and honey tonight because its definitely a matter of not moisterizing enough and using all these harsh products. i have been floating on pride these past 14 days and that has kept me from picking but today i have been experiencing many urges...it seems to be getting harder. especially because of the rash, my skin is peeling and i have to look at myself in the mirror still to check it out...i can see black heads and small blocked pores that i really want to remove but i won't. i also feel like there is stuff i want to remove from one of my bumpy scars but please help me, i can't do that, thats always how everything starts. if anyone knows of any good exfoliants and moisterizers, those are what i really need right now. thanks for the support guys, you stopped me from breaking today..
sho1234
March 11, 2011
Yes-i understand completely- i also have had urges becuz of tiny percievd blockd pores and i have also scanned my scars and think 'gr i think theres someit to come out' but i didnt do it becuz ive realisd in some mirrors-it looks like somethings there-depending on light) and others i see that there isnt anything there. Its only just a small pore-i zoom out and think right 'do i see anything on the surface of the skin' i stop prodding and stretching it. I stand back a bit and think 'no way-thats fine!-im not gna ruin that becuz of that microscopic thing that isnt rele anything yet anyway'. I zoom out a few steps away-normal distance and i see that there are red marks but if i keep leaving it-its all going to look good from normal distance. And i can see that happening now. If i feel an bump under skin-(the ones i would of dug in and and persistantly squeezed to get it out-which usually resulted in a large wound)- normaly i couldnt get anything out anyway. So i look to see what i can see on surface-normalise my thoughts/perception. If it feels like a bump i cut half a garlic-very slightly rub it on. (quite strong) Leave it on for a few hours. Then do it again. This wil shrink them-reduce the inflamation and its antibacterial. Brilliant. The natural lactic acid in plain yogurt acts as an exfoiliant to skin. Diluted lemon juice also. I would use this method once a week max. X x
whatcouldhavebeen
March 19, 2011

In reply to by sho1234

sho1234, when you wrote "If i feel a bump under the skin-(the ones i would of dug in and and persistently squeeze to get it out-which usually resulted in a large wound)-normally i couldn't get anything out anyway." that's exactly what i do! well, i'm dying to say "used to do" 'cause i want to stop so badly. i'd been doing really well and then "fell off the wagon" last night after removing a scab, thinking again that there might be something inside the "bump" and going to town on it. oh my god, i was so mad at myself for doing that again after i SWORE that i was through with that kind of destructive behavior. i coated it with apple cider vinegar-yes it burned! but, i was almost thinking, "good, you deserve this to hurt after what you did..." i actually talked about this with my husband for the first time tonight and i'm hoping that by coming out with these secrets, it will help me to heal. i'm praying for it.
sho1234
March 11, 2011
Becuz ur skin has a rash and is peeling i would only use soothing natural stuff and aleo vera lotion for the next week. No exfoiliants. I use Aubrey Organics Pure Aloe Vera. But dont panic - i spect ur minds crying 'ahh moistrise,exfoiliate,ahh etc, etc. Spread it al out. Skin needs time mostly. Garlic fades blackheads too but if u stand bak from mirror and look at ur entire face as a whole-they arent worth obsessing over. They'l go-if theres a medium1 that has clearly come to a head then maybe occasionaly people gently remove them (the non skin pickers lol) but as its come to a head itl also sort it self out in bout 1/2 weeks anyway. Tiny bit of Tee tree oil will speed up that process. X x
mnyc
March 13, 2011
Just found this website. Reminded again that I have not licked this darned thing because I did it again. My husband was away yesterday and I am feeling high anxiety about upcoming important meetings-naturally I ruined my face. Started this several years ago after an accident left marks on my previously "perfect" face. Had left it alone for weeks, about a month. Had even gone to Sephora earlier this week and gotten some new really pretty make-up things, of course noticing how great I thought I looked in all the mirrors. There was no problem with my face. Just high anxiety as usual and being alone, I slipped into it. So nearly impossible to stop once it starts. Tried reminding myself that it never helps, only makes worse and that I had these meetings coming up. Now had to actually change one that was supposed to be tomorrow. Praying the biggie won't be until the end of the week. Looking up how to heal asap. Hate going to meetings or work feeling like I have to cover-up or hide. I'm sure everyone here knows the feeling. Maybe connecting like this will be of help. For me, the hardest part is that I can go weeks or months and not do it to the point where I forget about it, let my guard down and then--boom--I lose sleep, get over-tired, am under extra stress, feel anxiety or pressure (usually due to some big up-coming event), don't eat, am alone and the poison combination takes me by surprise and I do it again--so deflating, frustrating, vexing-hate, hate, hate! TY to everyone on here for sharing, consoling, etc. So widespread apparently and yet a big secret.
anonymous31894
March 13, 2011

In reply to by mnyc

when i'm alone and tempted, i come on here or do research on how to stop or kitchen products that assist healing--anything to keep me occupied and i also feel as though i'm doing something about it because it has been an educating experience browsing through websites and books,etc. If i'm anxious and can go to the gym to work it out i'll do that, and if i am simply procasinating and my urges are reallyy bad then i tell myself that napping is a more productive use of time(and i'm not a huge napper) than hurting my face which will take time now and later as i have to keep going abck to it or applying make up etc.
anonymous31894
March 14, 2011
I'm going to be honest and say I slipped up.....on day 18 haha like really? Its not bad at all just an unnecessary red mark. I was holding ymself to full white heads and then I just couldn't control myself and went to this scar-like red mark that was healing on its own. I just am frustrated because I worked up to this peak and now I have been falling bac into the same patterns. Like today I notcied that when I came back from class I instantly went to the mirror even though I very well know thats a big no for me and usually where my problems start. I'm punishing myself and starting over because I've lost my focus completely since my skin has been clear I have adapted the mentality as I knew I would like oh a just a little here and there won't hurt...no. So I'm beginning again. 5 pm today will begin day 1.I can feel finality in this already because how could I not complete a day 1 after going 18 days? So with less on my face the rules are getting tighter and I'm ready to start a new phase in this battle.
Steve
March 15, 2011
What's up everybody? just discovered this forum after deciding to quit (for about the hundredth time) this stupid habit. I'm on day 2 right now and so far haven't picked my face, but unfortunately my fingernails are a different story. I figure I should probably try to just take it one step at a time, the face is the most important for me since everybody see's it everyday and I want it too look at least somewhat nice. I think it's great having an online forum, it's a lot easier to talk about when everybody's more or less anonymous. Anyways good luck to all and I'll try and update every day or couple of days, hopefully my posts and everyone else's give people that extra bit of support they need.
lexyw
March 17, 2011

In reply to by Steve

hey steve! don't downplay the second day! i'm on mine too (for the millionth time) and i find day 2 to be quite difficult usually. also, before trying to quit, could you ever say you went a straight 48 hrs. w/out picking?!? that's what i'm trying to do this time around, think about my success since before i wouldn't even try to stop. i also pick my fingers/hands but at this point, i've got more pressing issues with my legs and face. so i'm def. doing triage on this. i don't know about you, but thinking about quitting every single area makes me almost hyperventilate, like i'd need to be in a straight jacket. haha, so one thing and one day at a time. glad to have a guy on here :) good luck today!
katieB
March 16, 2011
I wish I had the solution for you. i have tried countless times to stop and i never stick to it. i feel like a drug addict or something. i desperately want to stop but dont know how. i think that and the shame of how we los why it seems impossible to stop. ive been picking horribly for 7 years now and i just heard about dermatillomania 3 weeks ago! if the trash bags work let me know. i am desperate to try anything.

Start your journey with SkinPick

Take control of your life and find freedom from skin picking through professional therapy and evidence-based behavioral techniques.

Start Now