STOP PICKING - START LIVING

What's under your scab?

24 Jun, 2009,  by nars
I suffer from sever eczema. It goes away from time to time but I've noticed that when I had a really bad breakout last year there are certain scabs that just don't seem to heal. After a while, I've noticed that picking at them started to become a bad habit. And then it became a stress reliever. Whenever I get mad I pick the hell out of my scabs. There are two particular favorites that I have; they're behind my leg and about 5 inches away from each other and they have never healed for the past year and a half. The scab I have on the very bottom of my leg, above my ankle; was actually healing really good. Until I picked it one day and I noticed that under the scab I picked, had little spikes on them. I then became obsessed with seeing the spikes. So I don't even let the scab heal. Two days is the most I go without picking at it. A few weeks later I noticed that the spikes became thicker. It pleases me to know that I'm taking 'foreign things' out of my body like that. But a few weeks ago I've started to notice that there different things coming out of the scab. I picked my scab about a month ago and noticed something in my wound. It was a little white dot and kinda looked like a whitehead. I squeezed my wound and it hurt like hell, but I found so much pleasure in seeing what I got out of it. It looked like a little whitehead. It was hard and shaped like a little ball. Ever since then, I've noticed that-that particular scab is starting to have those white balls coming out of it, or with the scab - connected to it when I pick it. And I look at my wound it now has little holes when I pick it. Does anyone know what these balls are? And why do my scabs have spikes on them? Or they at least resemble spikes.. This is the main reason why I love to pick my scabs. I don't do it for the pain of it. I just like seeing what's beneath it and what's on my scab.

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July 14, 2009

I can't believe I found this. This is the EXACT SAME THING I do and why I do it. The little white spikes under the scab and the little white balls from the scar/scab. What are those? Those two things are the only reason I pick. I've tried stopping but it just doesn't work. I am totally fascinated by them. I wish someone would tell us what it is we are picking!!!
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July 14, 2009

essentially those are a combination of fat deposits and plasma that form at scabs to help heal. i'm not an expert though. try wiki.
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April 14, 2012

Then why do they hurt and prick under and on top of scab
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July 16, 2009

that's insane. i've been looking online for pictures or info on this but i cant find shit. i'm glad someone else in the world knows how i feel. it hurts like hell peeling it but i love what i get out of it.
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January 13, 2012

right! i totally agree what is it that we are taking out of our bodies thats the reason i do it and to get it the hell out!
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April 14, 2012

Was diagnosed as ringworm recently .i believe it could be advanced fungi. New parasite. Synthetic fibers from food microwave. What.
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August 02, 2012

I have the EXACT SAME THING! At first I thought those white balls or spikes under the scab were zits and I tried to pop them. Of course it didn't work because they are not zits. I pick at them until they become like a layer of skin and I am able to peal it off. Then another scab forms and I do it all over again. Not to be an alarmist but when googling "Morgellons" I came across these two videos. It might be sensational, but then again, maybe there's truth to it. The website is: http://www.carnicom.com/morgvid1.htm and http://www.carnicom.com/morgvid2.htm.
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June 11, 2013

I am split between thinking it could be Morgellons or Ringworm.I have noticed that Tretinoin gets rid of them and that seems to fit the treatment protocol for Morgellons, but they reappear somewhere else..so I figure getting an anti-fungal cream might be helpful.All the antibacterial creams,Oxygen therapies,etc from my dermatologist haven't had any effect..So happy I found this thread,I had been calling these the itchy scratchers.If I don't remove those awful white things, it will never heal.The tretinoin forms a flaky scab over them and they fall right out with the dead skin...but as a picker..it is hard to be patient and then I end up gouging my skin..
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October 11, 2014

I do this too. I actually found you can pop out the little white things.. it's become so bad v.v
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July 16, 2009

I believe everything that your picking is part of the body's healing system and you're only stunting your healing. I've never really heard white spikes under scabs or white heads under scabs, but I can only imagine it is part of the body's healing system. Although if you're so concerned, why not go see a dermatologist? They would be able to tell you.
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April 14, 2012

We pick them cuz we know they are foreign and not suppose to be there
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September 10, 2016

We Belive" there foreign........ My scabs look like a boriea pad. Not black but white Come to find out most of what I am pulling out in fact the needs to be there !!! Skin just dousent act like that. So we pick harder
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July 18, 2012

Did you not read the OP or the comments afterwards, these do NOT go away unless you pick out the hard white ball or little white spikes. I've tried leaving them alone, for up to several weeks and they NEVER heal.
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September 10, 2016

Your correct that don't heal fully not till the core is gone
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February 28, 2013

YOU HAVE NO IDEA WHAT YOUR TALKING ABOUT!!! No one does unless they have experienced them!! READ THE POSTS!!!!
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July 17, 2009

Holy crap i get that under my chin.....i think the spikes have to do with sebhorreic dermatitis its like psoriasis..........when you pick the scab it bleeds after the white bally thing comes out.....but then heals within days....
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February 28, 2013

The chin was baddddd for a while!!!! The bleeding is always terrible. But to get the Bally things out you have to push and squeeze then I almost always get a infection!!!
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July 19, 2009

I believe those balls are called calcium deposits. I get them and they look like a whitehead but I cannot pop it. It stays until you pop it out with a pin. That is very bad though and will destroy you. You can ususally get them removed at facial places. I dont know what causes them.
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May 29, 2017

How can I post or attach photos?
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August 28, 2009

OMG, this is crazy, i know exactly what you are talking about... those little balls are not there to heal, they are bad..evil! i actually popped some out tonight and they leave this little hole in your skin then it heals up, but then fills up with puss, and sometimes comes back again in the same spot... but its like, when you pull the scab off you see like 5 little white things under the surface and its like, your skin cant heal until you get them out... does that sound crazy? is it actually doing worse??
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January 13, 2012

i know what you mean they are evil and i never had this problem till my late 20's they itch and flare up and its like i have to get them out! the white balls or spikey things cause i know there under there ! and they just never go away or at least for a little while till the next flare up cant stand it !
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April 14, 2012

And why is it five in a circle one in middle . Maybe a fungus or scabbie eggs . I wish I knew I hate them and can't get to the bottom of it. I find when I poop regularly the g o away. Parasitical warfare.
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April 23, 2012

I am replying to your post because yours is the most recent. I have suffered from this (pimple-like, white roots, won’t heal) for 6 years. I have seen doctors, dermatologists, urgent care clinics. Anyway, I read on another message board this could be Molluscum Contagiosum. At first when I read up on it and looked at the pictures I thought NO WAY. These “pimples” do not look anything like MC. PLEASE, research it further like I did. Remember we are pickers. We notice these things before they progress into actual skin tags. Molluscum Contagiosum is a virus, not a “wart” or a “skin tag”, per se. It’s a virus in your body. Those roots we are picking are skin tags forming, we are just picking them off before they form. I searched my body today and found three “real skin tags” as shown on the Molluscum sites. They were all on my back, so obviously I didn’t see them to pick them, lol. As I read, I found that these things last a few months, the only way to get rid of them is to remove the “root” (once you do, they bleed, etc.). They describe what we all have 100%. Please, all of you who suffer from this, check your bodies. Hopefully you WILL find at least one of these skin tags. If you do then you will have the proof you need to go back to the dermatologist and have them freeze it off. Apparently, from what I read, once you remove every skin tag from your body, you get rid of the virus forever. Hope this helps!!!!!!
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October 08, 2014

Lync2012 Where did you get this information?
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February 14, 2015

Those things are parasites. You need Ivermectin (Stromectrol), Doxy-cycline Mono 100 (two times daily), and Sodium Sulfacetamide 10% wash. I had those things for 7 years. Get rid of them FAST! They spread like crazy. It took me 7 doctors to find someone who knew what it was. Your dermatologist needs to do a 3mm punch biopsy. They won't find anything from scraping.
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July 24, 2015

Yes, yes, yes!!! Nasty little buggers! If you looked under a microscope you would think you are looking at aliens! I had them so bad that one time I stepped out of the shower, looked down on my chest and what looked like hundreds of tiny little white "threads" about 1/4" long sticking out of my skin "dancing". I know this sounds crazy but it was true! I was freaking out! I pulled a few and swear they would move on your finger tip! They have a bunch of stages too. I would find a sudden scab, always in a triangular shape, if you try to pick this scab which was really a layer on your skin not a normal scab only part would release, an edge ALWAYS stayed on. Sometimes the white dot in the middle, sometimes several white dots, sometimes the white hair looking thing poking out around the scab and one time after forcing myself the leave one on the side of my hand alone I could not stand it any longer, picked slightly at it and the scab came loose right away and a worm or larva about 1/4" long and thicker popped out. I put it on the side of my sink and the little basterd moved! I burned it! Another time I picked at one pulled out something, set it on the sink and it was white with an almost bluish line going down the center and like a hundred little tiny legs or whatever on with side. It was tiny but very distinct. I have scars on my arms from these monsters. We happened to loose our home, left it, everything behind, stress was over, new environment and I was taking better care of myself, slowly they just went away. Occasionally I get one back but very rare. A few years later I showed pictures to my hubby doc and he confirmed my fear, said they were parasites. Get them from animals or even your own water supply!!! The little white dots in middle are the adults feeding off you. Pull them out and they are done. If you don't get them then later you get several white dots, even had the "worm" form a "c" under my skin under the scab. Very hard to get then. I do not care what any med pro says, GET IT OUT!!! But always was the spot, I used alcohol and your tweezers.
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June 11, 2017

I had this same problem would pluck the white plugs out with tweezers I had one sore on my cheek had it biopsied came back as plaque went to a plastic surgeon and he removed it along with 4 other spots on my face I dealt with theses sores for 5 years thinking it was anything from demodex to moregellons to kretin the surgeon cut out the sores and sent them off turns out it was basal cell carcinoma if you google the picture you will see it will prob look like your sores the cancer Was so deep that it was til it was cut out that Drs knew what it was fought with insurance for months to get them to cover it 5 years of hell am itch that burned at the same Time and man did they ooze the white plugs for me I was told were mutated cancer Cell I know it's hard but make the Drs listen to you took me forever went threw 5 most thought I was crazy
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February 14, 2015

They are parasites. You need Ivermectin (Stromectrol), Doxy-cycline Mono 100 (two times daily), and Sodium Sulfacetamide 10% wash. I had those things for 7 years. Get rid of them FAST! They spread like crazy.
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December 15, 2016

I have had outbreaks of this kind for the last 10 years off and on. The worst time was in 2014 and my face looked horrible. I would only break out on my chin and there would be 2 or 3 round spots with raised edges that would progress to about the size of a dime. They itched like crazy and would fill up with fluid or blood and would not stop itching or hurting until the white "plugs" were removed. Usually there are a few in each spot. They look like tiny worms. White and shiny. They appear as a round dot at first, but once you actually get ahold of one and pull it out, you find it is longer. The best way to do it is with a mirror that is 10x magnified. Once you get the root out, the think heals right up. It WILL NOT heal unless you get the main root out. These sores take months to surface the white root to where it can be removed. Sometimes you can dig and get lucky and get it out sooner. I just wanted to also mention that I have taken phentermine off and on for the last 10 years and this past year I had not taken any and put on about 15 pounds. I also had not noticed the sores. Just normal breakouts that pop and go away in a day or so. But, I recently went back on the phentermine and about 2 weeks in I broke out with the horrible sores again. I am also noting that I have been eating a lot of cheese. When I diet, I like cheese and pretzels. That is my main food during the day. Those two things are the only things different that I have done and now I am not sure the phentermine does not play a part. Does anyone else use phentermine and have these problems? Or is this a coincidence?
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May 03, 2010

i have the same problem, but is on my balls it started about 10 years ago it started by plucking out my hair then i realize 1 out of 10 hairs will have a white ball in it i must dig it all out. my nipples will do the same thing im a guy i dont get it but it does. im to the point where i will find 5 to 10 pull them all out i know its not a std, i dont think it is any kind of cancer? by the time i get done its a bloody mess, wow i hate my life... what is this and is there a cure??
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May 03, 2010

whatever it is, it would be best to see a dermatologist about it to obtain a medically correct answer about it and the best prescribed treatment for it. as for your compulsion to pick at them, that's a different story. it's become a compulsion, a coping mechanism, an obsession, an addictive behaviour or a bad habit and one that is messing with your health. these can be addressed too. talk to your doctor frankly about it and perhaps you'll be referred to a therapist who may prescribe ssri meds but therapy and meds aren't the ultimate answer. in order to stop the picking you need to want to stop or else nothing else will work to assist the process. anything besides the want is just that, assistance. it takes inner strength and determination and a committed plan of action to address behavioural changes. try properly bandaging up your sores to allow them to heal with soft scabs that you leave completely alone. refrain from picking 100% for a month or so and then see how your skin is without being mistreated. in other words, there is no cure but abstinence. no magic bullet. let your skin heal and don't mistreat it. treat it with respect. as your largest organ it's there to protect you from the outside elements. keep it healthy.
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November 13, 2011

It's called trichotillomania. And the white balls at the end of the hairs are not a disease; they're supposed to be there. If it is just a little white speck, that just tells you which growth phase the hair is in. If it's more of a "sheath" surrounding the hair root, then that is backed up sebum from your sebaceous gland. It just means that dead skin cells are blocking the opening of that pore. I always think I will do myself a favor and remove the hair so that the pore will no longer be plugged up, but when you are violent with yourself like that, it causes inflammation=more problems.
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April 03, 2013

that's complete bull. It's ringworm. These plugs are much much thicker and harder than the waxy hair sheath.
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February 14, 2015

Ellen, those things are parasites. I had them for 7 years without know what it was. A derm tried to tell me it was sebum or keratin. It's not. They cannot be examined by scraping. Your derm has to do a 3mm punch biopsy to detect them.
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May 06, 2010

While i could very well be wrong, i'm not a doctor or anything, I have always thought that the little hard pearly-white balls are a collagen/ white blood cell error. Instead of the protein molecules binding to skin cells, they bond to each other, since they don't have time to do their job properly before the scab is ripped off and blood starts flowing out. I have noticed that if a scab has either that, or what looks like a tiny worm, (maybe the "spikes" you talk about) and i remove it, which i usually use nail clippers to pull out, the pore seems to open up, it's like the pore is clogged with healing agents that can't get to the top of the skin where they need to be to heal the wound. If i leave them alone, the scab on top takes longer to heal than if i remove the white matter and then let it scab over. I now only pick the ones which i can see have that tell-tale white spot and only until out (if all other methods of not picking fail) then its off limits unless i see more. They seem to scar less as well. Just cant stand the idea of goopy white stuff inside my skin, get it out get it out. yikes, now i want to gouge my nose. DEEP BREATH. ok.
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May 06, 2010

i do think it is best, though, to bandage up your open wound and leave it bandaged until completely healed. it won't get a hard scab and the body will take care of healing it properly. if you research wound healing, bandaging is recommended. picking scabs is never recommended. we are deluding ourselves believing we are doing the right thing by all the digging.
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April 14, 2012

IIf u do this sometimes they abscesses or become more painful because the stickers have to break the skin open to come out or build pressure under the thick protective barrier I call it a parasitical cess pool
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February 21, 2017

What is the most common otc Diflucan protocol: dose, ramping up and duration? Do I need to take an antibiotic together with otc Diflucan? What behavioral improvements are most common?
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May 10, 2010

There are some pics of these sores on the'Hospital Diary' website. They are in the 'Latest Diary' section under 'Diary' on the menu bar. I hope that it is ok to post the link on here. http://hospitaldiary.com/content/view/13/27/
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July 11, 2011

I do the same exact thing. You aren't alone. I think it's white blood cells forming in the small pore of your skin. Because I looked at the newly exposed flesh and saw little holes. I may be wrong, but I do the same thing. Kinda how I am with my trichotillomania.
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September 10, 2011

So glad that I am not alone! I "pull" out the white dots with the side of a nail clipper, and it leaves a hole in the skin. I get so much relief when I am able to get it out. I find that they come out easier after getting out of the shower.
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September 14, 2011

I think they are Sebum Pouches. I get them too. Nothing like getting a good hold of one with tweezers and plopping it out. There's an unusual almost euphoric energy release feeling when they plop out. I'm not sure what the actual sac is made of but I think they contain sebum. They are very tough. From my experience you have to go in and remove it or it will remain there. It's like they don't break down. But they can/will sometimes get larger. Then you have to have it surgically removed more than likely. It all started with one little bump in my left arm. Now half my arm is covered is scars. And I have 1 current nickel sized wound producing them white torpedoes. White balls. It's as if a wound can't heal right with one or more of those in it.
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September 03, 2012

I completely understand the euphoric feeling when it comes out. I even started a collection of them on a shower tile to compare!
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February 14, 2015

They are parasites. That's why they are spreading across your arm. Those white "torpedoes" are pupae. Thy hurt when you try to pull them out because of the spikes they have on their legs. You need Ivermectin (Stromectrol), Doxy-cycline Mono 100 (two times daily), and Sodium Sulfacetamide 100% wash. I had them for 7 years. I'd gone to a ridiculous number of dermatologists before I found one who knew what it was.
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October 15, 2011

I suddenly found myself with tiny bumps on my face. I thought it was a blind pimple so I tried to pop it but nothing came out. I poked it with a needle and blood gushed out for about 15 minutes. The bump was not red. After the blood flow stopped, I saw what looked like a white string. I got the tweezers out and pulled it out. It left a small hole and bled a little, but it got me to wondering if this might be similar to a comedome.
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October 16, 2011

the issue with the bump on your face sounds like one of those 'pimples' that pop up suddenly and can be super painful. However, it seems like you got to it before it surfaced on your face.
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October 16, 2011

I know what you're talking about, I'm pretty sure they're hair follicles trying to grow back.
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October 23, 2011

I know just what you mean. They actually act as somewhat of a deterrent now because I know that if i see them, I have to get them out - it's like to me that they're the sources of further infection and only by removing them (ow!) can the area be 'clean'! So I really want to just avoid seeing them. But like many of the comments here I'm fascinated by what's inside the pores, and it doesnt matter how painful it is, I have to remove anything that's in any way irregular. Does anyone else find that they're insatiably curious about things like this in the world around them? separating the layers of things as cleanly as you can, or getting deposits of one substance out of something else? For example - as a kid, before I started picking in fact, i could not stop myself from picking the soft pale wood out of some of the little knotholes on the doors of my new house. I used to sit in the locked bathroom with a compass and just gouge it out. I also got a kick from getting any dirt or limescale deposits out of the little rubber mini-nipples on showerheads where the jets of water come out. it had to be clean! Did anyone else do things like this? It cant be a coincidence, though it was certainly less of a problem when it was just a showerhead.
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October 28, 2011

I can't remember what they are called, but I get these too and did talk to my doctor about it. He said in some people, especially people with compromised immune systems the body sorta walls off little tiny sources of possible infection, and what you get are those little cores in scabs. I call them cores, I've seen white balls, and white spikes used here. I told him that I get them all the time and they are different from millia and that I would leave them alone and they just wouldn't ever fully heal, so I started excising that white spike with tweezers, it leaves a little hole, and bleeds a bit, but after that.. mine usually heal up totally within a day or two. He told me that they are supposed to go away on their own, but some just don't. He didn't recommend digging around in my skin with tweezers, but said that if I use something sterile and clean it out thoroughly afterwards, to dig it out. Especially if they healed so quickly afterwards. I've never had one NOT heal after taking that white thing out, and I don't get scars as bad as I did before either...

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