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ernipop , 14 Aug 2011

does anyone pick their pubic area?

I haven't had a chance to sift through the entire forum about this, but from what I've read so far, I haven't seen any posts about it. I pick the HECK out of my crotch area sometimes! I started picking my face first but I would say I pick at the areas around my panty line just as much, if not more, than other areas. I get ingrown hairs there quite often and picking the infected area causes even worse infections and sores. I have tons of dark scars all around there and my very upper thighs. Anyone else do this???
13 Answers
mm12345
September 24, 2011
yes. i know exactly what you're going through. i will sit on the toilet for hours in a trance just trying to pop and squeeze out ingrown hairs or digging with SHARP tweezers to try and get hairs out. sometimes i've even used safety pins to try and get ingrown hairs out. it looks disgusting like i have a disease and i will not sleep with my boyfriend when i've done this because i'm ashamed. unfortunately i don't have any good advice for you except that you have to remind yourself that picking will ONLY make it worse. even if you get the hair out, you're still going to have that sore and the infection from the tweezers (which are probably incredibly dirty and germy). you are not succeeding. the longer you stay away from the area, the quicker the sores will turn into scabs and fall off themselves. i am right there with you.
Chickpea
September 29, 2011

In reply to by mm12345

I am feeling anxiety over this exact issue, exactly as you described. I'm so frustrated and ashamed. I have red marks along my bikini line from picking ingrowns and also my upper thigh too. because of this i feel uncomfortable in shorts or skirts. I'm get stressed any time i need shave my legs, afraid that it'll cause more ingrowns, and they don't go way if the hair is in there, but picking it only makes it worse. I have scars from picking and while they have been healing it takes time, and i am trying my best not to cause any further harm to my skin. I am crying right now, because i thought it was getting better, but this one blotchy terrrible ingrown that i picked actually looked worse again. So i picked it and now i feel disgusting again. I've never had a boyfriend, and this is probably the biggest reason. How will i explain this?!? It looks like i have an std, but that's impossible because i'm a virgin. .... i like someone, and i want to give it a chance, and that's why i'm crying right now because now i feel like just closing myself off again. I don't want this to hold me back, because i know its gonna take time to heal, but i'm tired of waiting and feeling like i'm going to get rejected over this...it'll probably destroy me if that happens... i just don't know what to do ... If i could provide one bit of hope for you in this rant, its that since i've realized that i'm the one who's made this problem a thousand times worse, there has been huge improvement, and i'm taking care of it a lot better, despite minor setbacks here and there.... But i'm frustrated because it's gonna take time...and i don't want to wait anymore, i'm tired of letting this control me. I'm tired of being so insecure, feeling like i can't be with anyone unless my skin is smooth and clear.... pleaase help me. this is so hard to talk about with people, and no one really gets it....
DeidresSecret.
October 11, 2011

In reply to by Chickpea

I know exactly how you feel. Im 17 and it was hard not tellin my friends why Im not involved in sexual activity. I'm a self injurer, I cut, burn, safety pin and scratch my skin till it falls off. That being said my down there areas has alot of unsightly ingrown that I can't help but liberate. Sounds hard but after being with me boyfriend for a year in a half we were finally sexually active. We've now been together for over 2 years and we still do sexual just in the dark. You can find a guy that'll look past it. Just like I did :)
animator_1
October 23, 2011

In reply to by DeidresSecret.

You're really flipping lucky, is all I can say. I hardly picked at all when I was had a boyfriend at 17 and was still paranoid as hell. I haven't had a boyfriend since and I'm 22, and getting anyone new is totally out of the question until I can completely stop this. I cannot face the idea of anyone even touching me right now, which is ironic considering the fact I cant leave my own skin alone. I want to use it as motivation to stop to be honest. I don't want to be single anymore but i would rather be in control of my compulsion to pick so that when I do find someone, its not a thing I have to worry about or have to discuss - I don't think that anyone can really understand unless theyve done it or something similar themselves. And then when things go wrong, at least I won't feel tempted to blame my skin and find myself picking worse than ever. I'm refusing to let anything set me back rather than forwards on all this! I find the fact i 'do' my crotch to be the most embarrassing thing about it all. It's definitely the most recent area I started on. I totally wished I had never attempted to shave on the numerous occasions ive tried to start from scratch - HOW do people do it and not get that awful rash and ingrown hairs! I wish someone had warned my teenage self haha. I've never tried waxing or creme, has anyone here tried it and did you get many side effects?
Chickpea
October 26, 2011

In reply to by animator_1

I can relate about not wanting anyone to touch you because of this, its terribly embarassing, like why is it so easy for some girls? i don't get it....I don't know about creme, but waxing makes it worse, at least for me it does. I just shave when i need to. I'm looking into laser hair removal, i think it'd be worth it even though its pricey...
animator_1
October 27, 2011

In reply to by Chickpea

Im doing well with my 30 day challenge right now but have to admit - those little b*ggers just starting to grow back on my bikini line are the biggest temptation. I just want to tweeze them out! I dont know why they bother me so much. The thing is when theyre a bit longer I have no interest in them at all. I'd considered waxing my bikini line, just to tidy it up and get rid of the stragglers that catch my attention - for the moment though I'm not, might do more harm than good. Im trying to improve the condition of my actual skin round there so I don't feel as tempted to pluck, and hopefully its less likely that ill get any ingrowns, which are just impossible to ignore. Generally though - I am just sticking with nail scissors from here on in. You gotta be careful not to cut yourself, but i think this outweighs the total pain that shaving ends up giving us who suffer from these rashes and ingrowns. I dont see the obsession to be hairless down there anyway to be honest, we did go through puberty for a reason, so I just have no interest in attaining hairlessness there now. Im just going to try and keep myself short and therefore healthy!
drb4131
November 30, 2011

In reply to by mm12345

OMG I DO THE SAME EXACT THING. i thought i was the only one who did this. I have even used safety pins too!!! SO much of my time has been spent doing this. Do you also do it under your armpits? Have you found anything that helps prevent ingrown hairs? Not just like the ones that get all red and pus-y, but the little black dots that appear that will turn into full hairs, just visible underneath the skin.
secretskin
October 26, 2011
Hi ernipop, yes I've been there with that too... I've stopped shaving or waxing my bikini line because of ingrowing hairs, and have started using veet hair removal cream. Less ingrowing hairs... less temptation! I'm on a mission to stop picking at the moment.... www.secretskinpicker.wordpress.com (if you wanna hear my progress/help me to stop/encourage you to stop) I hope you find a way to stop x x
kiwi-j
October 29, 2011
I'm so happy someone said something about this. I'm 18 and I pick everywhere. I've been doing it since I very little and never said anything cause I was ashamed and disgusted with myself. I've never let anyone very close. I pick when I feel lonely and I stay by myself when I've picked. It's a cycle. It's been getting worse and I decided I needed to change that. I recently went to the doctor and told her about my picking. Not in this area but I showed her the scars in other parts of my body. I'm not saying this is right for everyone but she did prescribe anti-anxiety medication and counseling helps. I only just started the pills, so I haven't notice any changes, but when/if I do, I'll post again.
Nikolaos
November 05, 2011
YES. What is so fascinating about reaching down your crotch and picking away. I dunno but it doesnt keep me from doing it. I guess its the challenge that attracts me because its challenging to stay in that awkward back breaking position for hours on end. Been doing that since i was 13 i think or was it 12 ( 14 to 15 years ago yeah im an old F##K ). If it was easy i wouldnt be so excited about it. Most of the time if not all the time i use a very bright falshlight and go about my business in a dark area ( warm and comfy preferably ). The right type of tweezers is essential. Doing it with your finger nails, no matter how smooth they are, will do more harm than good and frustrate the living F##K out of you because you failed to catch your target 9 times out of 10 sometimes its even 99 times out of 10. Damn its more satisfying than watching your country win the world cup. You see us humans arent as posh and neat as we make ourselves and others believe. Just because we are the smartest animals on this earth that doesnt make us any less animals. There are tons of examples of gruesome murders and canibalism and other out of control actions of these humans who act all mighty but are as much animals as are lions and hyenas. But i dont think everybody can be so patient to do the picking. One thing though, dont over do it and get frustrated and go bleeding yourself and mutilating your body. Leave it for next time. Pick with moderation as i say to myself.
whydoidothis
November 05, 2011
i have totally started doing this since i started epilating and have begun to see a rash of ingrown hairs. i was already a picker, face and scalp. but this seemed like a more 'valid' reason to. i've spent hours going over every hair follicle to get every last one out. i started just trying to 'pop' them out, then moved on to tweezers, then graduated to needles to 'dig' them out when they were stubborn. i've literally looked like i have an STD because of this. luckily, i have a boyfriend i've been able to be honest enough with that he understands my 'rationalization' of why my vagina looks like a mine field. but it's still embarrassing. it's still a problem. but again, i rationalize that no one has to see it but me so it's 'better' than doing it to my face....twisted logic.
Nikolaos
November 06, 2011

In reply to by whydoidothis

Ingrown hairs are bad mofos. Those are the main reason why people have craters on thair skin. If youre destroying your skin then try to make preserving the skin as a priority rathen that the picking. You know theres only so much mutilation a partner can take. You have to make the choice to start changing towards the better rather than leaving it for another day. I eat a lot of sunflower seed till my lips pop then i stop but while i eat them i dont pick. Or try reading a book or even better videogames which require you to use both hands and dont get into competition based games they tend to make you more anxious just relaxed adventures where youre in control. There are a lot of things you can do yourself without the help of doctors andf medication. Im lucky i dont go so far as to bleed myself to death but i was shocked to hear how far people take the skinpicking. Its all about occupying your brain with other things and reminding yourself to not do it ITS BAD. GL with that.

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