Online Test

Find out the severity of your symptoms with this free online test

Take the test
soembarrassed , 08 Aug 2012

Ruining my face

I am 40 almost 41 and for the last 3 years have been destroying my face. Any little bump i pick at until I am left with an open wound. These wounds used to heal fairly quickly now they take months. They start to heal and I CANT STAND THE SCAB OR FLAKES OF SKIN so of course I pick at those. I really need to stop this as now I am starting to get scars, which then I pick at thinking if I can get that little raised uneven skin picked off then problem solved - no more scar. That is not the case. You then have an open wound all over again that starts healing with scar and all. I cant tell you how many times I have called in to work with one excuse or another as I am too embarrassed to be seen. I have even gone to lunch and picked and called in some "family emergency" that I have to go take care of as not to return. I cant stand the feeling that there is a spot light on every little mark. I constantly watch people's eyes to see if they are looking at my marks. This is so ruining my life. I never want to go anywhere. Cancel plans all the time. My friends tell me I am being parinoid that you cant even tell there are marks on my face. Who do they think they are kidding? I have mirrors (which I look in at least 100 times a day) I can see them, so I know they can. I really dont know why I started doing this. The best I can figure is when I started seeing this guy and felt that I HAVE to have perfect skin or he would not be interested. I know this not to be the case as scabby marks or not he always wants to do something with me. I cant tell you how many times I have backed out of plans with him just so he wouldnt see the mess of my face. I am at a lost on what to do. How to stop. How to heal. I really dont want to spend the remainder of my life with band aids on my face at night trying in vane to heal the mess I have created. Any tricks you all have on healing these nasty marks, or stopping the urge to pick would be greatly appreciated and welcomed.
289 Answers
Add Comment
Acneexcoriee
December 08, 2012
There are some pretty good over the counter scar lotions out there. They are usually clear gels, so no one can tell if you rub it in over the scars. I put gel on all of my scars every night before bed and when I wake up in the morning.
soembarrassed
December 04, 2012
Well just picked 2 spots. Just in time for my christmas party friday with a new date. Why why why!?! Not I am beside myself on what to do!!! Calamine? Sudocrem? No skin damage but really red and inflammed! Help me!
goal orientated
December 07, 2012
If you own some calamine and have experienced it working in the past, try it again. However, I think you should opt for a faster solution. I know we are not teenagers, but this works every time for my big days with spoilt skin. Buy 1-3 items and use them religiously today. Clearasil 4 hour spot treatment is the main one now that the day has arrived and I didn't catch this issue earlier. Rub it in, and keep it in your handbag. Also, if you need to spend the night with him, wash your face with clearasil ULTRA night face wash. It is dark blue and works so fast! Or use it befooore the party if it is at night time. You can purchase the light blue daytime clearasil ULTRA 12 hour wash too as the three items work in harmony, but you'll most probably use this last item after the date in the morning for general maintenance. For now, focus on the 4 hour treatment if this regime is a bit much. I know it sounds like items targetted for teenage skin, but it is a Godsend, trust me due to so much salicylic acid and redness calming agents. Good luck. X
Acneexcoriee
December 08, 2012
My skin picking has been getting worse and worse over the past year or so. I am a 19 year old girl who suffered from horrible, horrible acne growing up. I finally, after countless other treatments, was put on accutane. That was years ago, and I still have small outbreaks of acne, but never to the extent of my pubescent years. I was recently diagnosed with social anxiety disorder and dysthymia. I am now on Zoloft for it. However, my acne picking has not improved at all. The moment i see/feel even a tiny pimple on my face, I pick and pick at it until it becomes a bleeding crater in my skin. After a day, or even several hours, it dries into a bloody scab. The moment I feel it, I pick at that too until it is nothing but a stinging, bleeding wound. Right now, there are about eight pretty bad spots on my face that have been there for weeks because I won't let them heal. Do I want them to heal? Words cannot even describe... I want them to go away. I want to stop. I am not satisfied until I pick until they bleed though... It doesn't look like i have acne anymore... It looks like I have some horrible form of chicken pox or the bubonic plague... It's horrible...
goal orientated
December 10, 2012
Use savlon rapid healing cream. It is made to repair skin without allowing for scabs to be formed, and without such a heavy brown scar. It can be brought from chemists in London. X
uglywidow
December 14, 2012
I have always picked my face over the years. It really got bad when my husband was told he had cancer. Now I am picking my arms ,legs any place I can find a bump. MY husband has been gone a year now and some of the marks that were there a year ago are still not healed. My son is so up set with me. He says he wants his pretty Mom back, He is always putting band aids on my face. My sister had me get on this web site, to see if there is any one that can give me advice.She also had me cut all my finger nails off and give her all my good picking tools. I just want to heal in my heart from the loss of my husband... and my skin.
sitting on my hands
December 15, 2012
Look. Start small. Next to my computer I have a pad of paper. Every hour that passes where I don't pick, I get a tally mark. It seems impossibly small, but once it becomes normal for hours and hours to pass, soon they turn into days. Seeing a row of tallies all together makes me not want to mess up and pick. Remind yourself of all the reasons that you want this. Another trick to calm my nerves is cutting band-aids into smaller bits and putting aloe, vitamin E or neosporin over my spots and putting the band-aid on top. Then when I look in the mirror I see only the clear beautiful skin as the spots are hidden from view. It makes me calm down about my skin's condition.
sitting on my hands
December 15, 2012
I started picking my face when I started to realize that I was gay (but wasn't ready to admit it to anyone, not even me). It became a way for me to excuse my anti-social behavior and I could tell myself that I didn't want to go to the bars with my friends to meet guys because I was self-conscious about my face, it was the perfect excuse as to why I didn't date--I convinced myself that everyone would find me hideous and I could put the dating issue on the back burner until my skin "got" better. I told myself that when my skin cleared I'd try to meet guys and eventually find one I liked. But I just kept picking and making it worse, and I never had to confront the fact that I had ZERO desire to meet and date guys. I'm so far past that (out and happy and dating the perfect girl!) and want so much to get past this time in my life! But now it's an addiction, I pick at it without realizing it and I can't look in the mirror without finding things to poke, pop, honestly my skin isn't bad at all, not oily, not acne prone, just dotted with lesions that I've made. But I'm committed to stopping. I'm giving myself permission to not go cold turkey because if I freak out over a laps I don't want to become discouraged. But I'm trying to stop my addiction to putting harsh products on my face (which doesn't need them!) and above all, touching my face with my fingers. phew! off we go.
soembarrassed
December 17, 2012
Derm appointment today. Want to see what she thinks about this scar and get advice from her on my issue about picking....wish me luck!!!! Also about these little break outs I have been getting - not picking them....but still not enjoying them!!!!
soembarrassed
December 31, 2012
Was doing well then caved into a stupid spot now left with a nice red swollen spot to ring in the new year....grrr. hate this
Lizzy523
January 07, 2013
I thought I was the only 1 in the world! I spend literally hours of the day searching my face for anythg tiny I see and make huge holes In my face :( sometimes il spend up ta four hours in the mirror picking my face till is one big mess! I tried covering up my mirrors and everything! And now I'm worried about all the big pores iv made if they will ever be able to be fixed or are they permant scars :(
soembarrassed
January 07, 2013
Face is a mess.....not big open wounds but uneven...huge pores and skin colored bumps...WTH are these? Nothing seems to make them go away.
Finallyfacingit
January 08, 2013
Hi everyone, I was so glad to have found this forum, I have struggled with skin picking for years along with former self injurious behaviors and bipolar disorder, I've always thought that this wasn't a common issue and that it was just so weird that I didn't want to talk to anyone about it, not even my therapist. It's so comforting to find other people with the same issues. I know it's. problem and I know I need to deal with it, I just don't know how. I'm pretty sure that the picking is an extension of my bipolar and self mutilation. I've been able to not cut for months now but picking is so pervasive and sometimes so unconscious I'm incredibly frustrated. I've got all kinds of scars, but most can be hidden, not so much the holes in my face. As everyone else has said, any advice on successful solutions is appreciated, but moreover thanks for being here and being brutally honest. You're all an inspiration. Thanks for the push to admit things.
soembarrassed
February 01, 2013
I was doing so good but damn if this one little spot didnt knock me down. What is weird is that it was a liitle tiny white bump...i barley squeezed it and am now left with a nice dime sized purple...yes purple mark. i didnt even pick and skin off but it looks like I did. What the heck. I have never had a mark turn purple...red yes but not purple!!!
picker123456
May 30, 2013
Im sorry that sucks ive been there! That happened to me too, Is it ur chin? Well regardless i picked a tiny little spot and yep it turned purple and huge i feel ur pain i was so ,mad at myself. But of course i continued to pick at it and figured out all it was was blood under the skin. Now ive had 2 kinds of purple believe it or not. Worst thi ng ever. The one time it turned huge and purple right away, that was blood under my skin, if thats it dont pick it again it will look even worse. I know easy to say right? then ive tried to pop a tiny pimple and when i woke up the next day it was huge and purple, a little scabby. That i realized was bruising on the skin from trying to pop it so hard. Thats even worse it took forever to go away. Ive tried everything in the world for my skin and well it all comes down to me. I just acnt stop picking my face and il just turn one or two pimples into an entire face of scfound scabs, scars and bright red spots. Just horrible. Im on here now cuz i broke out btadly this week and of course i just had to pick and now well im sure you know the deal. Worst part, I found out yesterday my ex will be in town and wants to see me in a day! Im doing everything i can not to pick but i dont know what to do to clear up the red spots turning into scars, i look horrible! My new thought is everytime i start picking at my face im just gonna get on this site! Hopefully it will make me think about what im going to do n how embarassing it is to feel horrible about your face. I get to the point were i dont even want to leave my house. Im so grateful someone made this site cuz yoou really do feel alone and its to shameful to talk about. But wow its crazy how hard it is to stop picking and how i relate to everyone on here!
IcePop
February 02, 2013
So glad to have found this i am driving myself crazy with this!! i have struggled with acne since i was 11 (im now 28) and it ruins my life. I keep giving myself big bleeding holes in my face which won't heal because i just cannot leave my skin alone! every night before bed i tell myself i'll just wash my face & that will be it, but nope, i examine every inch of my skin & pick at it to remove any tiny bumps and i get spots which don't pop so then i start sticking pins in them & using nail clippers to try & get the core out! and as soon as they scab over i hate how they look raised so i scratch that off leaving a crater underneath. I subconsciously scratch and pick at my back all day making it bleed i just can't stop!! it doesn't help that these spots i get literally will not pop or go away until the core comes out, but the core takes about 3 weeks to come to the surface. once that is out they heal over really quick. but i just can't wait so i keep picking & scratching & i just end up really ruining my skin. i definitely do it more when i'm stressed or upset as well. I have not touched my face today apart from to wash it & do my make up and today will be day 1 of no picking. ergh.. for me it is not any form of self harm but just an obsession i need to make them go away!!! but i need to learn that this is not helping me at all. it's scarring me. i've asked my doc for a derm referral again, i had a 6 month course of roaccutane 4 years ago and it worked wonders but now the acne is coming back & although mild in comparison i'm not dealing with it very well & already feel like i don't want to leave the house or look people in the eyes etc. acne blows.
kttttk6
February 04, 2013
I can't believe that there are so many others out there that suffer from this very problem of picking their skin. I am 40 and Will be 41 in April and have been doing this for prob about 12 yrs now. Im so ashamed of myself and can't leave the house sometimes due to the fact that i feel like everyone is looking at the wounds on my face. I Will never forget when i went to a new family Dr 2 yrs ago and they asked me how long i had been using meth. I had never used any drugs but i was so ashamed. I mess with my face for hours out of the day and hate myself for doing it. I have 3 boys, a grand son now and a boyfriend and Im so ashamed of myself for them. My oldest son got a scholarship into a private college to play football for them and my other 2 are in high school. I try to dodge anything they are affiliated with as i also do with my boyfriend.I feel like Im doing them an injustice if i let ppl see what kind of mother or girlfriend they have. I hate that i am this way and have seriously, in the past, even thought of breaking my user hand to manipulate myself but i figured i would find another way anyway. I relate so much to so many of you, especially the person with the username so embarrassed. I don't know of any help from this issue other than to "just stop" which many have probably heard so many times. Thank you for letting me share myself and my pain on here.
spmn7
February 04, 2013
I am 41 and really relate to everything you said. I have often wondered if people thought I was a meth user. And I have never done drugs either. Thank God for the cold weather so I can at least wear a hat to cover my forehead and a scarf to cover my neck and face and not look like a total freak when I leave the house. Other than necessary shopping I have been pretty well housebound for months. There are things I want to do but I keep putting them off, waiting for my skin to clear. I have started using high quality cleansers and products to help and have seen some improvement. I'm trying to change my diet too because I know processed foods and sugar only makes things worse. I am determined to figure this out and then help as many people as I can who suffer with this problem. For free.

Start your journey with SkinPick

Take control of your life and find freedom from skin picking through professional therapy and evidence-based behavioral techniques.

Start Now