scared!

I just use the walmart brand of moisturizer that is oil and fragrance free. Nothing special. Afraid to put anything strong on my face

Doing a lot better today. The pink area is shrinking. Another scab crusty area formed so just leaving it. It'll flake off within the next few days I'm sure.

All sounds perfect!
q

Did a little squeezing and tugging last night. The area still seems raw. Last night i just put aquaphor on it. Have been putting aquaphor on it again today and its looking way less inflamed. Going to keep being gentle with it. Slowly improving. Wishing there was an overnight miracle i could find!

I wish there was too! Why did you try squeezing? Anything come out?

q

It stil felt a little swollen. Some pus came out below the area. Probably because of all the ointment and lotion.

Sucks when things go on and on and on.......could you call your doc and maybe ask for another course of antibiotic?

q

Think i would have to be seen. Not sure if i want to go back. Just lanced and drained all the pus out of the area. I hope! Looks like complete crap

Think it might have been a cyst. The swelling is starting to go down. Really hoping it does quickly! Going to have to bandaid it when i leave the house tho. Looks way to bad to be out in public looking like i have a huge hole. Look like I've got some disease or something

Really frustrated! Was doing so good then went nuts. My chin is nice and tender and red and swollen...grr! Why do i keep doing this? It's going to be sore for at least a few days. Squeezed the living daylights out of it. Just gave up and let loose. Don't want to have to bandaid it tomorrow. It's worse having to explain the mess behind the bandaid. Plus i tend to have an allergic reaction to the adhesive. Trying to ignore the damage I've done. I keep icing it off and on just long enough to cool it down a little so maybe the swelling wont be so bad. So flippin mad at myself! Took a hot bath and having a drink to help calm my nerves. Just want to feel normal at some point

I would encourage you to see the doc and ask for antibiotics again, because the more you mess with it, the more likely it could spread. That would be my most concern.

I'm with you on not using bandaids....i too would have a mark lasting weeks from them if put on my face.

Made an appt at an urgent care then cancelled it. Gonna see how this looks tomorrow morning before i go. Still has a little swelling but i did squeeze the living daylights out of my chin. It did scab up overnight so thats a good sign. Maybe it will finally heal now that all the pus is out of it

Keep me posted on how it's doing today.

My chin is super scabby now. The pinkness around the area and swelling are going down. Still a little sore but it should be from squeezing the daylights out of it. Just keeping it clean. Using witch hazel to clean it. Less irritating than alcohol. Not using a lot of antibiotic ointment either. Letting it dry itself up

I'm new on this forum. I went to a psychiatrist yesterday. I had not been to one in three years because I moved and could not find one that took my insurance. Finally, I found one. I thought I had been "stable" with my depression and anxiety, but my picking has gotten so bad that I now have places on my face--not just my scalp and arms. I don't know why I broke out so much on my face (8 places). I am 66 years old. I think it was stress. I was sick and it took forever to get well, and the stress of that must have caused a breakout (I also have rosacea). I went to the dermatologist and acknowledged that I have a psychological problem in addition to the skin problem. Once I break out on my face or scalp, I start the picking process. And I don't stop, however good my intentions are. On my arms, if I get scratched when I am gardening or because of my cat playing with me, I pick the scabs that form. I have never talked about this so openly until yesterday. I think this started in my late teens--around the time I stopped biting my nails. I think it was bad at times, but this is one of the worst "episodes" ever. I say this so that you can perhaps better understand your own issues. Compulsive picking, as this website indicates, is a psychological issue for us. For me, I sometimes do it absent-mindedly. But even when I realize what I'm doing, I cannot stop. I have absolutely no reason to be stressed. I am a grandmother, financially secure, and secure in all other ways. I have no reason to be or anxious or depressed, but I am. I have come to understand that it's just part of who I am. I have mental illness--anxiety, depression, and dermatillomania. There. I said it. I have a regular doctor and a dermatologist. I have never talked openly to any doctor (not even my previous psychiatrist) about the picking. I did, as I said, acknowledge to my dermatologist that the picking is an issue that he cannot treat. The psychiatrist I saw yesterday is wonderful. I liked her immediately. I will see her again in two weeks. She added a medication to my depression and anxiety meds. We will likely have to work with my meds until something works as well as possible. I know no "pill" is going to cure this, and the therapy will be on-going to help me to resolve any underlying psychological issues. I am also happy to learn that she treats patients who are 60 and older. This is important because medications affect us older adults differently. And some are not safe for older people. So, for those of you suffering with this maddening condition, I hope you can get some kind of mental health care. Perhaps if I had had such care many years ago, and perhaps if I could have talked about this with my previous psychiatrist, I wouldn't be in such a mess now. I will have scars on my face when these places finally heal. Oh, I will also tell you that the dermatologist did give me an antibiotic ointment for the places on my face. It only made it worse. I picked even more. So, now I'm just washing my face, using a pure facial olive oil moisturizer, and no make up. It's hard. I don't want to go out in public. But my face is actually better in the last 24 hours. I'm still picking, but not as much. Oh, one other thing. The psychiatrist told me to wash my arms, compulsively. That made me smile. She smiled back and said, "Really. Go ahead and exchange one compulsion for another--washing. Just plain soap and water. It will be much better than picking!" It occurred to me today that I probably did exactly that when I stopped biting my nails. I just exchanged one compulsion for another. So, if it works for you to start compulsively washing, I agree that it's probably much better than picking. I have tried it today. Still picked one arm, but have left the other alone.

I'm happy that you found the doctors that you feel comfortable with. My chin is looking way better today. The pink swollen areas around my wound are pretty much gone. The scab looks less dry and much better today too. I usually don't pick at just anything tho. There is usually a pimple or something there to begin with. I've gotten way better except for this one spot on my chin. I have started moisturizing more and have been able to leave the rest of my face alone. Like you said I'm replacing one compulsive behavior for another but it's a good one. Hopefully we can all break this cycle and use good behaviors to help us heal

Woohoo....truly hope this is the end of the infection!
q

So glad your chin is better. Yes, I pick at bumps and scabs that have formed, and I know that is the worst thing to do. I'm getting the hang of this washing compulsively. Hope it works!

Just a quick update. Been a busy day and night. Did some warm moist heat compresses last night to make sure that the area would drain if anything was left. I hate doing that because it tends to leave my skin red for quite a while. Looked really red and irritated this morning but looks way better last night. Just cleaned it with witch hazel. Had put antibiotic ointment on it and the scab got really gooey. Ended up using calamine lotion for about 15 minutes to dry it back out. Reapplied ointment every so lighlty afterwards. Definitely getting smaller and better. The area around the sore is not swollen anymore and not tender. Still pink and cracky skin but i think that'll get better in the next few days. Just gonna leave it be now for real this time. I know there's nothing left there. I'm sure!

Sounds very promising! Good plan.