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Booooob , 17 Feb 2011

Cured! I think

Hi everyone! I have been picking for 5 years now and I finally feel like I have stopped. I relapsed a few weeks ago but I feel like I have a lot more control and I don't feel the compulsion to stick my face in front of a mirror anymore. Have to admit though, if I get one of those super-ripe blackheads I will squeeze it haha. I just discovered this site and that dermatillomania is a thing, and I really want to share my tips and I hope I can help somebody. First of all, lemme share some superficial coverup and clear-skin tips that have helped me. I would be so lost without my concealer. Seems simple, but it really takes a practiced hand to make yourself look natural and not cakey. I highly recommend Almay clear complexion concealer because it contains 1% salicylic acid. Doesn't seem like much, but it really really helps dry up my scabs and help them flake away. BUT FIRST, you have to get good at applying it. I would suggest getting yourself a fresh, clean eyeshadow brush. Seems weird, but bear with me. Don't use the wand that comes with the concealer, because it makes too much product come off at once. Instead, take your brush and lightly touch it to the tip or side of the wand, whichever part will give you a tiny dab of concealer. Then dab it gently on your spot in a stippling motion, taking care that you don't get too much concealer outside of the actual blemish. NOTE: this does not work on "wet", picked blemishes. If you have one of those, best thing to do is to wait until it dries up, then apply concealer. The stippling motion should really get on the blemish and stick to it, since youre kinda pressing it on there. Don't do your whole face at once, because after you put on one bit of concealer, you want to wait 7-10 whole seconds, don't rush, then take your finger wrapped in a tissue and GENTLY blend into the surrounding area. You shouldn't have a lot of concealer, only a tiny tiny bit. It shouldn't rub off your pimple because it will have dried on, but sometimes this happens anyway. If this does happen, repeat and let it dry for a tiny bit longer. The thing I like about this method is that I find that the color really blends in to my (pasty) skin, and I don't need to wear foundation or powder. I would stay far, far away from powder anyway, cause even if you wear foundation underneath there is no way those little particles won't find a naked pore and clog it.
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Booooob
February 17, 2011
Plus, my naked skin still kinda shows through and I don't have problems working out or getting flushed or all my makeup coming off. ANYWAYzz, more advice. I have tried sooo many acne treatments and I have to say my faves are those stridex or noxema pads and benzoyl peroxide cream. I use the pads every night, and they really help establish that there should be a boundary between your fingers and skin ya dig? Plus, when youre done, your skin is slick, wet, and clean, and you can't really get a grip on it even if you wanted to. If youre having an especially oily week, which happens to me once a month lol, then dabbing a thin! thin layer of benzoyl peroxide over the wet stridex layer really helps. Too much, though, and you will get a chemical burn which is no fun. Some people talk about benzoyl peroxide bleaching their pillows and such but that has never happened to me. Also, neutrogena fight and fade gel is really nice, but don't use it at the same time as benzoyl peroxide or the peroxide will flake off. Oh and some people on the forum were talking about what to do about acne marks. Wellllll have you guys tried hydroquinone? I bought AcneFree brand severe scar fade and erase lotion and I've had some good results. I don't know if this is the stuff that really worked for me or the other stuff ive been doing, which im also gonna mention, but it probly doesnt hurt. BUT, don't use hydroquinone lotion on the same day as benzoyl peroxide or you could get purple marks, apparently. I have used them a day apart from each other with no adverse side effects.
Booooob
February 17, 2011
Oh and one thing about the concealer- you really should clean off your brush every so often. You can rinse it in rubbing alcohol OR what I like to do is clean my face with one side of a stridex pad, then rub between the bristles of my brush with the other side. All the acne tips in the world, though, won't help when it comes to this disease and we all know it. I should have realized that I started skin picking at the same time I started hanging out with an emotionally abusive guy. He made me feel like shit, and the only way I could get some relief was to lock myself in the bathroom and squeeze my face. But you guys all know how that feels right? Anyway, acne tips will only go so far. you have to try and remove yourself from whatever situation you are dealing with. I've realized that 99% of the people out there are terrible, selfish douchebags and you CANNOT take it personally. This sounds cheesy, but come up with a self-affirming mantra that you tell yourself every day. I'm serious, too. Say it out loud. My mom always told me I was "beautiful, strong, special, and smart". Turns out I should have listened to her more! Even if you don't believe it at this instant, even if you feel like garbage at this very moment, know that you are a beautiful person. One quote I like is "your spirit is never in need of repair, let your spirit feed you". Another which I think is applicable is my MLK: "We must accept finite disappointment, but never lose infinite hope". Don't be hard on yourself when you pick your skin, be kind and loving to yourself. If you take away one thing from this post, I hope it is that. I know it's easier said than done, and I had to take some drastic measures. I deleted my facebook account because it gave me too much anxiety. I would cry myself to sleep almost every night and feel more alone than anything. What really helps is to give yourself an hour, at least, per day of relaxation and calm and love.
Booooob
February 17, 2011
when i feel anxious, i like to put everything away, blast music, and do a sudoku. The game requires concentration, so it takes my mind off of things, and the music helps relax me and puts me in a better mood. Also, don't judge, but I recommend trying porn. Your fingers have much better things they could be doing than picking your face, if you get what I mean:) I am trying to learn to meditate because I think it will help with the stress and anxiety, but it's still a work in progress. What really does help though, is having a sweatfest right after a big pick. You know when youre done and you feel like crap and your face is all red? I swipe a stridex over everything, then go jump rope until I can feel my face sweating. There is something about sweating THROUGH your acne medication that I think really helps. Plus, then your whole face is flushed, your are thirsty and you will drink water, the blood pumping to your face accelerates the healing process, and ta-da, you will look better. Don't skimp on the sleep, either. I think something that really helped me is being a bio major and realizing all the mechanisms your body does to try and heal itself. It really is amazing. If youre bored, go look up how your body realizes you have a scab and all the things it does to achieve a blood clot, it's really amazing. In fact, that really helped when I would look at my face in the mirror and be tempted to pick. I would tell myself that my body is trying very hard to heal itself and that I shouldn't get in the way. Your body does so much for you if you think about it, so you should show it some respect and love. So ya, again with the sleep and exercise thing. And I like the tip someone had on here about prenatal vitamins. I try to make sure I get enough vitamins A, C, and E, preferably from natural sources. A cooked sweet potato with yummy salad dressing and some spinach is actually really good, and so are avocados!! Also, if you eat better, healing foods, I promise you will feel better about yourself as well and be less tempted to pick. Easier said than done, I know. Personally, I am vegan for various reasons, and I totally agree with the people on here who are talking about milk aggravating acne. My sister had really deep cystic acne, and a vegan diet really helped clear her skin. I don't think you have to drastically change your diet, though, I would recommend less dairy and more vegetables and fruit and water to start.
Booooob
February 17, 2011
Anywho, again nutrition tips won't cure your skin picking either. It took me 5 whole years to realize that the guy I thought I loved and knew was manipulative and an assssswhole and not worth my time. I bet a lot of you feel the need to impress people and constantly prove that youre smart, funny, and attractive enough. In reality, though, you don't. The most attractive people are the people who dont give a shittt. It's still hard and I still miss him sometimes, but I feel like the worst is over and I am doing so so much better. Again, most people out there are total douches. Its your job to find the people who arent and spend your valuable time with them. Also, lemme just say one thing about us skin-pickers. When we feel upset or out of control, we don't lash out at other people, we take it out on ourselves. I know this isn't the answer and it's not good to do that either, but I do think that says something about our characters. I would rather be friends with all you people than most of the people out here. GOod luck and know that you are not alone in this and that you have people who love and care about you, even if you havent met them yet.

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