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shadow.92 , 06 Aug 2012

foot picking

Hi, I'm 20, and I pick and peel at my heel. I used to really hold in my emotions, and get stressed really easily and then one day about a year ago, i was laying in bed and i just started picking at my left heel and i fell asleep doing it because it made me feel relaxed and it didnt hurt when i woke up. So i continued peeling, and it seemed like a pretty good spot to peel since no one ever looks at the bottom of your foot. Lately though, as in the past 4 months i've been getting a lot worse with it, to the point where i will do it until it bleeds and i can't walk without limping, and it's getting a lot harder to hide. My boyfriend recently found out what i've been hidding and obviously he wasnt too happy and he keeps telling me to stop, and i do try but it's really hard, and he doesnt really get it. I've been under a lot of stress lately especially at home, my dad had a major heart attack a few months ago, and my sister suffers from an eating disorder, so ive been forced to take on a lot more responsibility. I think my boyfriend thinks i do it to hurt myself, which isnt true and that's not at all what im trying to do, i pick because it makes me feel calm and it relaxed, and a lot of times i wont notice when im actually picking at it until my boyfriend points it out. I know its not a good thing what im doing, but im not entirely sure how to go about stopping..
3 Answers
Krickster
August 08, 2012
I totally understand what youre going through! I'm 23 and I mostly pick at my face, but I also pick my right heel. I put lots of neosporin on it and wrap it up! Use bandages with tape so it's not as easy to pull off and do randomly throughout the day. Definitely keep your foot wrapped when youre around your boyfriend. My husband doesnt get it either. He thinks I can "just stop" and it hurts my feelings when he says it like that because its just not that easy! I find that I have a tendency to pick more when he gets mad at me for it because it stresses me out and I pick when I'm stressed! Duh lol Just keep it wrapped up and keep your fingernails short. The neosporin will make the skin heal faster and also make it very soft which is harder to pick =) Good luck! You can do it!
smilegotswag
August 10, 2012
I can empathize with you.Im 23 and I do the same thing. I pick my face, arms, chin, neck, shoulders and both of my heals. And yeah when I first started on my heels it didnt hurt and figured no one would see it. Sometimes I can leave my heels alone for a while and let it heal (lol) but then one day out of the blue I wont like the way it looks because the skin there isnt uniform to the rest (undoubtably bc of what ive done to them) and I start going to town again on my heels. I too have picked so much that I limp at work. I really try to cover it up, or tell myself that nobody notices, but every now and then my boyfriend will make a comment, which basically lets me know that he sees what Ive done to myself. I dont know. I feel the same way as you, I'm not trying to hurt myself, its just that picking is so relaxing. And actually when Im picking and I find that I start to bleed or its really starting to hurt I tell myslef to stop but I cant which makes me feel even worse so I find another scab to pick on!!! Its a horrible cycle.... blegh either way one thing that I have found that helps is getting these socks at the Dollar Tree, and rubbing lotion all over my feet, then vaseline to seal in the moisture, then put on those socks. Your skin will really begin to heal. I'm just to lazy to do it, and... I like to pick lol its horrible I know... Maybe I will start again tommorrow. I want to at least have pretty feet again :) good luck shadow!!!
elisabethelisabeth
September 01, 2012
I totally sympathize with you. I do this too....I love the skin on my heels, it tastes so good. Get a manicure kit that has a pointy tool with the top shaped like a V, and scrape at your heel. It's awesome and doesn't bleed nearly as much.

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