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wildflower , 23 Apr 2010

Tips and Products

If you have a TIP that helps you refrain from picking and you think others might benefit from it, provide it here. ----->> If you've found a particular PRODUCT that has made a difference to the care of your skin and think that others might benefit from it, provide it here. ----->> If you have positive, inspiring MANTRAS that have helped you refrain from picking and think others might find the same inspiration using them, provide it here. ----->> In short, lets create an information-rich topic. Hopefully this one topic can become a wealth of information for everyone seeking ways to overcoming their skin picking disorder.
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wildflower
April 23, 2010
eg. A PROMISE BRACELET (Posted April 22nd, 2010 by semisweetsara ) A symbolic bracelet as a visual reminder to myself of my commitment to changing my life and being better to myself. To use it as a promise to: 1. Love myself 2. Stop being my own worst enemy 3. Not punish myself if I slip up, but continue on in the best manner 4. Remember that everything will be okay 5. Find something fun to do (something to distract me from picking at my face) 6. Remind myself that I deserve BETTER than this 7. Remember all the people that love and support me and want me to stop hurting myself 8. Remember the feeling of shame and embarassment that I will experience if I pick 9. Pray to God for inner peace and the willpower to stop 10. To calmly step away from the mirror (the simplest, but often, hardest thing to do sometimes) These are only a few of the mantras I will be telling myself, but there are so many more. I encourage you all to try this, whether it's a bracelet, ring, or anything else that visually reminds you of your commitment to be good to yourself.
allforyou
April 25, 2010
I really love this list :) I am new to this forum and starting my first day of the 40 day challenge tomorrow. Thank you for sharing! We are gonna beat this:) All my love <3
40daysfromnow
April 23, 2010
Products that have helped me: Neutrogena oil free sensitive skin moisturizer, bandages with polysporin, Benzoyl peroxide wash (clean and clear), NeoStrata day smoothing cream Level 1 or 2, Differin Gel (adapalene), cetaphill moisturizer. Excuse my spelling please :)
eris23
April 24, 2010
the shorter my nails, the harder it is to dig in, it's frustrating and most of the time, i'll give up. if i keep my sharp tools together, away from my "session spot", i have time to think about what i'm doing. in short, if you make it very difficult and place obstacles that bring to mind what you're about to do, maybe you won't. great mantra- "every single person i see is far too concerned about their own flaws to even notice mine." this is especially helpful when in large groups of strangers, or meeting new people. another one i use a lot isn't really a mantra, but i find it's good to remind myself that 'scars fade after a year. Every skin cell will have died and been replaced by 7 years from now. seems like a long time, but it's far less than the time you've spent gouging at your flesh.' TEPEZCOHUITE pomade and soap- promotes healthy cellular growth faster than Anything. buy it, use it, and see your skin improve.
wildflower
April 24, 2010
i'm interested in trying out the tepezcohuite pomade or soap one day. it does sound interesting. i like your mantras and the thoughts you shared about skin's renewal process. it's good to keep those things in mind. they're very positive.
starfish
May 04, 2010
What if you got manicures or even fake nails that you would need to fill monthly? I pick at my cuticles too, but not very bad. It isn't really a habit, but I do it after I give myself mannis. I NEVER picked at my nails and cuticles when I had tips...it almost impossible, so maybe that would help?
purplegirl13
May 17, 2010
its funny, because all of my life i had picked ate/bite my nails and cuticles. When i finally managed to stop, my nails began to grow longer and prettier. So i started to get more manis/ and tips. but then once i had stop picking my nails, i realized to my dismay that in the absence of my nail biting, i had began to pick at my scalp! only my long nails made this possible. I had given up one obsession directly with another! out of the frying pan into the fire i guess
Slim_Pickins
July 07, 2010
the same thing happened to me. I used to have a horriblehabit of biting my nails. But I got over it, and i took pride in my lovely long nails. but around the same time i quit, i started picking at my legs, at my KP. now i have to file them down. it helps i lil. actually alot, and even though i miss my long nails, id rather have a healed body any day
wildflower
April 24, 2010
eating well is always a good idea. google ANTI ANXIETY DIET to find out good and bad foods. ------>> from elsewhere on this site: A healthy diet will almost always eliminate imperfections of the skin and add strength and luster to the skin, hair, and nails. It will also fortify the fuel feeding the brain, and the moods produced there, so the compulsion to pick will likely become easier to overcome as the patient’s mental outlook becomes stronger.
wildflower
April 24, 2010
EXERCISE ------>> from elsewhere on this site: Recent studies have shown that routine, moderate exercise is almost as effective as taking SSRIs to improve symptoms of depression. A brisk walk every day or so may be instrumental to feelings of well being, optimism, and higher self-esteem. Routine exercise may be just the boost needed to work those negative emotions, and the behaviors they generate, right out of one’s life.
wildflower
April 24, 2010
sweetpea36 also has a topic with lots of tips ... http://www.skinpick.com/node/439
wildflower
April 24, 2010
Positive Affirmations: ---------->> "Yesterday is history, tomorrow's a mystery, and today is a gift" --- to remind yourself that you can't do anything about what happened yesterday and must concentrate on your behaviours today. be mindful in the moment ---------->> begin each day with ------ "I will not pick today. I will be good to my skin and treat it lovingly and respectfully. I will give myself permission to pick tomorrow". ----- saying this of course keeps focusing on the current day and postponing the picking. -------------->> i have the power to change myself ------------->> I am sure of my ability to do what is necessary to improve my life. ---- repeating positive affirmations and thinking positive thoughts will hopefully help deal with daily anxious times. make up your own. keep your thoughts positive and hopeful. be loving to yourself in your thoughts.
timeforchange
April 24, 2010
Ask your doctor for clindoxyl gel for facial acne. I have extremely sensitive skin, so most products do not work on my skin or I react to them. This cream works. It heals your scabs quickly, clears most of your acne, and does not sting on open sores. Put it on only before bed since it causes your skin to become more sensitive to the sun when worn.
CattiBre
April 24, 2010
I have been through line after line of skin care products to keep from getting acne, alot of them have only made it worse. However, for the past year and a bit I have noticed that using Noxema skin care products really helps. Of course I have my ups and downs, but as long as I use it daily, either once in the morning, or before bed (preferably), my acne usually calms down for quite a while. And in turn this helps, because if its not there to see, or feel, I wont pick it. The scars on my skin are one too many for my liking. Make sure to moisturize often to get rid of them. As far as mantra's for picking. Ive resorted to having my boyfriend stop me for the time being. If he sees me picking or pulling, he either lightly swats my hand away, or tells me to stop. I am still working on a system to really stop. But so far Ive gotten quite a bit better than I was, as my stress level has gone down a fair bit in the last few years. Keep your hands busy. Write, or fiddle with some sort of item to keep your mind and hands off of it. Good luck!
starfish
May 04, 2010
CattiBre...I don't know if you are like this, but I get kind of mad when my boyfriend tells me to stop. So I got serious FINALLY on Saturday and haven't picked since. What I told my boyfriend to now is congratulate me when I don't pick. I tell him when i get urges and he tells me how proud he is when I don't. Also, Every day he tells me how beautiful my skin is since I stopped picking. Positive reinforcement is much more motivating. GET SERIOUS. Come on, do it with me. This is the longest I have ever gone and I know you can do it too! I have "sorta quit" and "cut down" but it is like any addiction, you have to make up your mind to quit. Since it sounds like you have a supportive boyfriend I will tell you what I have had to do. I has a white head on my head the other day and since I quit picking I couldn't get it. In the past I have said "just this one, because it's white...or bc it hurts...etc" Because I know seeing the white head would be so hard for me to see and not pick, I told my boyfriend to get it for me. he gentle queezed out the white and that was it. It looked and felt better and I didn't continue to mess with it. He told me he will continue to do this for me but he gets to decide if it is ready or not. If your boyfriend will do that for you, I def reccomend it!
wildflower
April 25, 2010
with our mirror being where we do most of our picking, lighting the bathroom with a night light and not turning the light on unless washing in the morning or evening would lessen the probability of picking ------->> and as for fingers that automatically touch and explore and "accidentally pick", especially in response to itching, i now scratch an itch by flicking the backs of my fingers upwards across my itch, the opposite of a scratch motion, and will rub my face with my knuckles of my clenched hand, rather than with my finger pads (that part likely being less contaminated from touching other things like our finger pads have). these behaviour changes have really helped my skin heal.
cherrycolalola
April 26, 2010
I just bought this aloe vera lotion thats really nice. My skin is kind of sore at the moment and it seems to help calm it. The brand is Lilly of the desert "skin saving aloe vera ointment" It has vitamins E and A in it too, which are great for skin.
wildflower
April 27, 2010
what to eat for gorgeous skin ... health.yahoo.com/experts/healthieryou/9617/what-to-eat-for-gorgeous-skin/

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