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abackas , 13 Aug 2009

I'm a woman and I pick my breasts! Does anyone else?

Hi there. I've been a fairly serious skin picker ever since I was about 13. I'm now 42. Also saw the A&E Obsessed show and could totally relate. I pick pretty much anywhere and everywhere on my body but my 2 MAIN areas are my face and MY BOOBS! It's just awful! Do any other women have this problem? It's so sad because it really is a beautiful part of a woman's body and here I obsessively destroy it. Anyway, I just discovered this site and forum. It's great. Hope to chat more.
216 Answers
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Sleep the Cloc…
August 13, 2009
Yeah, it's the same for me, face and chest. It's rough especially since it's a part of your body that is so openly admired/inspected by the opposite sex. I really wish I could stop it, I'm in my 20's and my chest would be such an asset to me if I wasn't completely ashamed to show my skin. I pretty much never wear anything low cut. I buy plenty of cute little dresses and then my roommates just end up borrowing them. I have a pretty lovely body as well, no idea why I seem intent on marring it. Some days it seems intolerable to me but right now? It is what it is.
Interested
November 13, 2013
Hi everyone! I am the grand mother of a beautiful young girl who picks,as well as eats her scabs, I have seen her smell areas. I started looking for information on this subject in order to better help her. I found this site and have read nearly all that is here. I have some medical background. I am also a pretty good problem solver. One thing I do believe may help you al to try is having blood work done. Have your hormone and chemical balances checked. As one person mentioned, low iron might be a factor Here are some of my thoughts. First..this is much more common than you might think As one person here stated, it's like masturbation in that most do it and most will deny it We are first animals. We have instinctive habits that are written on our DNA. Picking, smelling and even eating it is all primitive behaviors. Society has just deemed them unacceptable. It is ok to have a bowel movement or pick your nose, it's just suppose to be done in private. Look at monkeys. Most of the behaviors that are the topic here, would be considered quite normal for the monkeys. Yes, things like past abuse and low self esteem, might make these behaviors more difficult to refrain from. I also feel the actions are very much a self soothing issue. Much like the very first thing a human does, suck their thumb. Touching oneself, stoking, picking, they all give a comforting pleasure and release. I would say in that light, they are NORMAL. One does have to live in society though. That's all I wanted to say other than as a mother, my heart goes out to all of you who are suffering because of this. Please know that we are all more alike than different. Take care and take care of yourself. A friend
Major_Scar
August 17, 2009
WARNING: GRAPHIC. Sorry about this but this is really graphic. I hate to admit it but about 8 or more years ago I actually cut chunks out of my torso and breasts due to self hatred and just really severe depression. There was really no good reason for it, I just had the scissors and did it. I finally admitted it to my doctor who put me on heavy meds that made me fat and sleepy and I eventually stopped. I have sadly started to cut myself again and I need to stop. I am very ashamed and embarassed about it. I hope you find the help you need to stop. You do not want to have the damage on your body that I do. I actually have large keloids that look like nothing more than extra nipples. Very ugly and embarassing.
brownskin88
June 26, 2011
I commend your courage, I too have had thoughts of cutting my arms and breasts in hopes of having "normal scars" that are more easily explained. I do not want to be on medication, but these thoughts are becoming more and more vivid. I hope I can learn from you. Thank You
Ellen
November 13, 2011
If you went up to someone on the street and treated them the way that you treat yourself, they would put you in jail. What's so bad about you that is deserving of hate? Who taught you to hate yourself?
catlady31
August 18, 2009
OMG! I seriously thought I was the only person on the planet that did this. I don't know what kind of bump or imperfection starts on my boobs, but I sure seem to get large infected sores on them all the time. I'm so embarassed of them - they are so gross looking. I can't ever seem to get them to heal on my boobs. I have three sores currently as I write this. In the shower, the sores get wet and the scab comes off (okay, I might help it come off sometimes)... then they are open sores. I've actually gone to get undressed at night and my bra is stuck to me, because they oozed or whatever and dried to my bra. This is gross. I so want help for this...
cranberry
February 15, 2011
i thought i was the only one too. I'm almost 32 and I have been a picker since I was in 3rd grade. I am so happy to hear I am not the only person who picks at her breasts. It started with my legs when I was young and gradually moved to my back, face , shoulders and breasts. I hate it, but I cann;t seem to stop. It's so frustrating. I have 2 young daughters and I fear that they will follow in my footsteps. I am so glad to have found this website and it's encouraging to know there are other women out there like me!
Toria1982
March 08, 2016

Wow, kind of amazed to of found this thread. I am in a sorry state right now, my boob's are terrible, I can't stop picking at any small imperfections. Usually an ingrowing hair that has to come out with sharp tweezers then I end up repeatedly picking the scabs. I can't stop. My boobs look nasty and I wish I could stop but it's like a comfort thing. At night I read my Kindle and pick my scabs. Ugh....

ihatecsp
August 20, 2009
yup, im right there with you. the two places i pick MOST are my face and my chest.
ptenopus
August 27, 2009
I do the same thing! My two main places are the lower part/ under my breasts& my lower arms. I waas diagnosed w/ OCD & Bipolar almost 20yrs ago (I'm 28 now) But, I never knew there was a name for my skin picking or that so many other OCD ppl did it until I saw Obsessed recently! It feels good to know there are others out there!!!
Maria_J
January 08, 2010
i do this too and I really hate it it hurts & its embarrassing i need help but it's hard to talk about
DorisMay
January 11, 2010
I do the same exact thing, though it is the sides and under my breasts. I have actually dug pretty deep into my breasts and have the nasty scars as a result. I started doing that it about 10 years ago. I have been a skin picker since I was like 7 years old. Mainly it is my Breasts, upper arms and upper thighs and occasionally my face. I have scars everywhere. Mine stems from stress and anxiety. In fact my kids were stressing me out today and I caught myself going at my arms.I really thought I was the only person that did that to myself. Sometimes my picking is at its worse when I feel at my best, like when I am feeling a bit of confidence and actually think I look nice I will pick and pick until my skin and my fingers hurt. Then I feel so bad and ashamed that I did this to myself AGAIN, that I pick some more. My husband gets after me when he catches me and then he gets irritated. I wish there was more public information out there so others could understand what we a dealing with and that we need help. It is a bit of comfort to know I am not ALONE in this.
Lara Coimbra
January 13, 2010
I'm 16 years old and i pick my breast a lot i feel so sad, but i'm trying to stop... i started 2010 going to a Hypnoses (i forgot how i write it, sorry) teraphy.. hope it helps me!
SadandAshamed
January 25, 2010
Thanks for the honesty. So glad I found this forum. The breast picking issue is new for me. It's always been an arm/shoulder/back/neck thing, but for some reason, I started on the breasts about 6 months ago. In that short time, I already have scars and some non-healing sores. Any tips on how to heal them up (besides leaving them alone???). This area has really hurt my sexual confidence. I am found attractive by many people, and I engage in sexual relationships, but when it comes down to it, I only want to have sex in the complete darkness, or I don't want to take my clothes off. It's always been bad, but much worse now that I have the "marks" on my breasts. I am so saddened and sick over this... Does anyone else feel like your skin is the problem? I'm really convinced my skin is dysfunctional, rather than the picking being the problem...
mamajones
August 28, 2010
Hello.. I am 30 years old and I have always thought that I was the only one. I started picking when I was maybe 15 but it has gotten worse over the years. The thing is I really feel as though I have a skin disorder because I always get these bumps and they dont heal until I get this white "seed" out of them. It is real, I always find a big white hard thing. Sorry.... Im not sure if I cause them by picking small things or if this is a medical condition. I do find that the more I pick in an area the more probs I have In that area. My worst spots are under my breasts and my inner thighs. It breaks my heart that I have destroyed my boobs. Does anyone else pick for these white "seeds"?
Popcorn47
August 28, 2010
Same here re: those seeds. I used to call them rice grains and even share them by showing my husband when I got a particularly big one out. It always felt so satisfying somehow. My breasts are scarred beyond belief with large purple keloids and some open sores that just never heal, even if I leave them alone. I don't get "seeds" so much there, but I do get them elsewhere. So yep, I know what you're referring to.

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