Retin-A, chemical peels etc.

Hey everyone - newbie here. SOOO glad to have found a place where others can understand the personal hell we all go through. I have been a picker (mostly face, breasts and arms) for close to 20 years now and am now trying to repair the damage done to my face by using retin-A to smooth out my skin texture. Problem is that when that skin starts to peel I have to fight tooth and nail to not over peel it and end up causing MORE problems than what I am trying to fix. It has helped some - there were areas of hyper pigmentation and scarring that have pretty much disappeared. Has anyone else been successful in repairing the damage done? I would just like it if I could get away with wearing less makeup - right now I have to wear derma-blend (a makeup for severe acne scarring) and while it looks good from a distance - up close it is a hot mess and a half :(