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I can´t take this anymore
Hi. I am picker. I mainly pick my face and especially my nose where i have large blackheads. I have done this for over 10 years, and cannot stop. I feel so helpless. From the many years of picking i have very uneven skin tone and red marks on my nose and cheeks etc. I always have makeup on when i leave the house, but i have just recently started school where i have to wear a respirator for doing woodwork. And I am extremely anxious to go to school without makeup or to go with makeup and have the respirator on the face rub everything off. I am really self-conscious. I don´t know what to do. How can i get these red marks to be more even? I am considering not going to those classes, but that is really not a good solution.
TCA chemical peels. It works like magic... but you need time off to do them because your skin will peel for a few days. You can try seeing a dermatologist for the first time in order to become familiar with the process. Once your fear and apprehension wears off, you can do chemical peels at home. I use the perfect image brand TCA 15 percent chemical peel which is sold on Amazon for around $30. It's a game changer. You can do other peels like sylacilic acid and glycolic acid...but the TCA is amazing at diminishing scars along with improving hyperpigmentation. The results are quick and immediate once the outer layers of skin peel off. I myself was advised to do chemical peels because I was at a breaking point and if u do them many times over a few years it's the same result as having laser, especially if u do medium depth peels
Thank you for your reply! Sadly I can't take much time off school, so I can't do the chemical peel right now. I have quite uneven skin tone and some recent picking marks, but I a need to hide or get rid of them without using makeup as a coverup. I am very pale, will tanning beds work?
Tanning beds do more harm than good to your skin. I do not recommend. I do have good luck with peels as well and some of them you can wear makeup the next day. Even if you don't get peels there are a couple other treatments you can try. If you can find a good esthetician they will be able to help you and motivate you to leave your skin alone. I see mine monthly and she won't do a treatment if I have a bunch of open wounds, but is very understanding of my condition. Also what kind of makeup are you using. Liquid is for sure to come off much easier than powder. I use Priia cosmetics and it even stays on if I get a bit wet.
Thanks! Since I just don't have red pimple marks, but also kind of splotchy skin because of picking I normally use Korean BB cream by Missha and then on top I conceal with Everyday Minerals concealer powder. I just made an appointment to an esthetician for extractions and microdermabrasion. Hope it makes it better and maybe she can recommend something for the splotchiness and redness. I'm sure that what I have is not that bad for other people, but years of picking have taken a big toll on my self esteem that I just get really anxious if I have to show my bare face.
Do you have white areas on the skin which have lost all of their normal skin pigment? That is scarring and no matter how much you tan, the scars will still show through as white marks because scar tissue does not tan. And I would never recommend tanning since it severely increases chance of skin cancer. The products that I use in order to minimize pores and improve overall skin tone are -- Neutrogena Healthy Skin Anti-Wrinkle Night Cream (contains retinol which speeds up cell turnover). This is also a very affordable option which you can get at the drugstore or order on Amazon, it costs around $10. I am also using Mederma PM Intensive Overnight Scar treatment (in the tube, not jar packaging). Products in tubes sustain their chemicals much better because there is no oxidation which acts to break down ingredients. Thirdly, I am testing out Nuance by Salma Hayek Dark Spot Corrector cream. Here is the review on that product: https://www.beautypedia.com/skin-care-reviews/by-brand/nuance-salma-hay… . The fourth product im using is Andalou Naturals
Acai + White Tea Oil-Free Moisturizer. Here is a review on it: https://www.beautypedia.com/skin-care-reviews/by-brand/andalou-naturals…. Lastly...for minimizing pores, lessening oil production, and decreasing acne (as well as helping to fade acne hyperpigmentation marks) I use Neutrogena Rapid Clear Stubborn Acne Leave-On Mask. It contains 2.5% benzyl peroxide, which is low enough to not cause much drying yet still very effective at killing the p.acneas bacteria. All of these products have been helping me immensely.
Guys - how about dermaroller? I heard/read so many good things about it. Can be used 3 times a week and at home, if acne is not active and the procedures are followed correctly, I guess it can help asp to minimize scars, discoloration and large pores.
I have tried it at home, but not sure of its effectiveness because I did not do it for long. I know that dermatologists use a specific punching technique, some have a machine which punches holes in a direct fashion instead of rolling needles on the skin. They say it gives great results for the deeper acne scars. Especially when combined with lasers or chemical peels, the results improve even more. I might try dermarolling in the future, because I have a few deeper scars that might take too long to minimize with chemical peels. I have seen YouTube videos of users who post reviews and advice, saying that dermarolling really works... so it could be worth a shot to try it.