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cookiemonster , 25 Jun 2011

Picking progressing (scalp to arms, thighs and chest)

At 21, I’m finishing my undergrad and working full-time and I’ve never been under this much stress..and my picking has never been worse. For nearly five years, my scalp was the only source of my picking. Apart from the embarrassment of going to the salon and claiming “Oh, it’s just really bad mosquito bites” - my behavior didn’t really have an impact on my life. With my summer courses and exams in full swing, I started to notice the damage I’m doing. I can’t remember when exactly it started, but I’ve now unconsciously started focusing my “efforts” on the tops of my arms, the insides of my thighs, inbetween my breasts and the back of my neck. When I see a whitehead or ingrown hair I can’t stop thinking about it until I pick it. I used to be confident in myself, but now I'm embarrassed to wear shorts and shirts that don't cover my arms or chest. I’ve started with the tweezers too – my eyebrow follicles haven’t even broken the service before I pluck them out. And I use them to pick at my stomach and thighs. I’m still in my early stages – I only have a few scars and sores – and have finally recognized that I have a problem I need to address. I don’t know what to do. I worried that as more continues to get piled on my plate, I’ll start picking my face and other areas that will be hard to hide. I’m scared that the now red marks and blemishes will turn into open sores. Does anyone have any fixes or coping suggestions to stop or least slow the progession? I’m trying to seek professional help – but it’s almost a six month wait. With my scalp, I used to dye my hair and the chemicals would burn off the scabs – that would usually give me at least a week or so when I wasn't as tempted to pick. Any other ideas like this for thighs and arms? Did anyone notice their picking getting progressively worse or did you always pick at multiple areas?

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