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wearytraveler , 19 Apr 2010

I think I can

I used to be the person in high school to tell my friends not to pick a pimple or scratch a scab. A year and a half ago, right around the time my boyfriend moved in with me, I started to have bad break outs and I would pick the skin to get relief. The relief came but then became overwhelming to the point where I would feel as though I would have a bump (even though there wasn't anything there) and need to pick. I would make a wound where there was not anything there which in turn would scab and then I would pick at the scabs. It is a never ending cycle which has only seemed to get worse even though I keep telling myself I won't pick anymore. I put bandages on my scabs yet if they heal and I feel a bump I pick at the bump - thus I start all over trying to heal that area. I am embarrassed and it makes daily life not as enjoyable because I am only willing to wear certain clothes that hide my arms. A girl saw my arms and stated - oh goodness you have really really bad bug bites and proceeded to tell me how to remedy that. I just wanted to crawl into a hole after that.
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jenna90
April 19, 2010
haha and i used to be the person in highschool people probably felt like saying 'dont pick or scratch' to. It is a never ending cycle, especially when it gets really bad and it feels like that whole area(for me its my face) is a wound. It is embarrassing when people comment thinking they know what the issue is. The worst was probably my teacher, infront of my yr12 class, asking if I had chicken pox! Which then left me to somehow awkwardly stutter out that no... my skin was just bad. It happens. But the only way to get past it is to keep your head up just trying to look past their misunderstanding of whats going on. I've just made a new start for myself knowing that this cant go on, im purchasing products to help my healing and im well on my way :) Well, todays actually day one, but im feeling good about the choice made. Hey, I know that for my arms and back phisohex worked really well! all the wounds i had all over those areas are completely gone! good luck :)
wearytraveler
April 19, 2010
Thanks for your support. You would think that teachers would understand not to ask those types of questions in front of other students; I am sorry that happened to you. But I agree with your way of thinking now that this can not go on. It's up to us to take control and change our style of dealing with our habit. Finding this website today has inspired me and ever since I have read how others are getting through I have not picked for all of 6 hours. It's a start but there is a long road ahead. I hope the purchases you made are successful. I just looked up phisohex online and instructions said to use on normal skin only; did you have scabs on your arms and back when using this product or fresh picked areas?
jenna90
April 20, 2010
umm... yer it does say to use on normal skin. Its meant for the problem skin though. I just read this - 'pHisoHex is indicated for use as a surgical scrub and a bacteriostatic skin cleanser. It may also be used to control an outbreak of gram-positive infection where other infection control procedures have been unsuccessful. Use only as long as necessary for infection control'. It is most effective on skin thats just broken out, I use it on my skin when i can see its getting bad/when i feel things forming under the skin and literally by the next day its a whole lot less aggravated and almost gone. When i did have freshly picked areas on my arms and back i still used it, and everynow and then ill use it on my face as a once off, ill admit it is quite strong and burns a bit and dries the wounds up but it fast tracked the overall healing process alot because it reduced the inflammation of the infections, dried the wounds and it stopped it spreading. If my skin becomes too dry, which is usually after about 4/5 days of using it daily, I stop using it for a while. I really was very effective in clearing up my back and arms/it was the only thing that worked. I just had to make sure I used an oil free moisturiser afterwards when it made my skin too dry. Im currently trying other methods for my face as my skin on my face is too sensitive for it at the moment - there is actually version of it for sensitive skin which may be better for starters if there are fresh wounds. They have also started producing it in a smaller bottle (200ml) for a really reasonable price so people can test it first. Good luck! Helps so much being on the journey with someone who understands!
wildflower
April 20, 2010
having very sensitive skin myself, and having tried so many products and medications over time i began to be concerned about the chemicals being applied to my skin and researching what kind of daily care skin really needs believe that it doesn't have to be complicated or expensive. washing with plain water in the morning and a gentle effective soap in the evening is sufficient to unbroken skin. whilst open sores were there, i washed with soap both morning and evening and always rinse now with cool water. that addresses inflammation and closes pores. for open sores a 15+ minute mask of honey is good as it is a natural antibiotic. once that is rinsed off with warm then cool water i would apply makeup if necessary or bandage as required. where bandages weren't present, i apply a vitamin e oil as a moisturizer. once healed, the honey mask can still be used just as a decadent treatment. now that my skin is healed i treat it with egg masks, avocado/honey masks, or banana/honey masks and they feel great.
wearytraveler
April 20, 2010
This is very informative wildflower, thank you. I am actually in the middle of putting bandages on my arms right now. I rinsed tonight with cool water because that is what I read in others posts. With this mask of honey is it pure honey that you would use for baking or a special honey mask you would buy in the bath/body isle at the stores? I rather use natural ways simply for the purpose of putting too many chemicals on the skin, I too am senstive.
wildflower
April 20, 2010
i encourage everyone to research research research and compare information that's out there. what i've grasped is that unpasturized honey has more of the healing benefits as they are likely lost in the healing process. most available honey from supermarkets falls into unpasturized and pasturized categories. but it is also said that raw honey is best. and also it is said that manuka honey is the absolute best. manuka honey is very expensive at the health food store and raw honey is too, but less so. i've found an economical brand of manuka honey at my grocery store and have to wonder how there can be such a price discrepancy but i bought it. lol and i have raw honey in my cupboard now. it will go a long way so i think it's worth it, but i wouldn't spend $35 on it from the health food store on price principle. i'm cheap! lol but i'm slowly getting on the band wagon that i am important too. where once i did every thing for every body, i am beginning to do things for myself now. the right things. they way i should have from the beginning. and i'm doing it "for" myself. not for anyone else. and another thing that i think is important along that line, is to not rely on others for support so much. be the primary supporter for yourself !! my experience is that others come and go in your life. children grow up, parents die, best friends move on, boyfriends and husbands, even, come and go. they all have their priorities and often theirs take them away from us leaving us, mainly, as being responsible for ourselves. we must be doing this for ourselves and not for others and neither should we rely on others too heavily for support. we need to do this bad enough for ourselves. period. otherwise it is too easy to lay blame when others fail us. but also, the rewards and self satisfaction of doing it by ourselves mainly, and for ourselves mainly leaves the feeling of being proud of ourselves for our own strength and determination. no one should care about you more than you yourself should.

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