Does any know what I'm talking about?! b/c I have no clue..

First post here. This thread provoked me to join because it really nailed the head on what I'm experiencing. It's those white things buried deep in the skin that make it impossible to stop picking. So because I have OCD, it creates a horrible cycle obsessing over these sores. It's not easy to "just ignore" them because they are painful at times. And ignoring them doesn't make it go away. I have to dig these white things out to get it to heal 100% At 36 years old, after trying everything under the sun and moon, I believe I finally found a remedy. The diagnosis...yes I'm going to diagnose myself since Doctor's have failed miserably "it must be caused by yeast!" I've been able to kill the yeast in two ways, thus healing my skin. It's taken about two months to see the results, but now I'm a believer it's working, and I feel so wonderful I will not stop. I'm doing hydrogen peroxide therapy to detox the blood. And taking MSM to detox the liver. This kills the yeast along with all the other toxic stuff that builds up in your body after years of bad eating, stress, medications, etcetera. Because the white things under the skin have disappeared completely, I have not been provoked to pick. When I get the urge to mess around with a black head, I start playing with paper clips. Sounds silly I know, but I need to keep my hands busy. And I now exercise daily. I remove myself from boredom. This behavior has also helped with my stress and anxiety, which before was a trigger to pick and obsess over my skin. Purging the toxins from inside my body has had a miraculous effect on my Mental Health. OMG...I was honestly almost ready to give up and so depressed. Thank God for this. I feel like I've been given a second chance on life.

Hello from Texas! Does anyone who has been diagnosed w/Prurigo Nodular is, aka Hyde's Disease, been even remotely recovered from this dreadful affliction? I suspect I have had it for past 30 years or so. One dermatologist at first said it was tinea corporis. At the time I had no reason to not accept that dx. However, thinking back to how that first manifested itself, and all of the subsequent lumps, etc. I'm pretty sure it's PN. Are any of you good people in the same boat? This is a drag, but I can do it for my Lord if this is my cross to bear. Thoughts?? Thank you for this forum, and God Bless us all. :-)

What you have created is a Staph infection. Do you have a dog? If yes do they lick you? If no pets do u pick your nose? Staph lives in dogs mouths and in your nose. It's a bodies natural defense against disease. I have the same plugs, they itch horrible till u pull out the plug. It's so comforting, its almost like a high cause its soo relieving. Am I making sense?

Hello everybody, I promised myself I will find and share a cure to this, I cant assure we all have the same problem but after all the time and money I have invested trying to resolved this sores with all the characteristics you all are familiar with, white cores, taking forever to heal, et.. I think may be worth it for you to read my conclusions after dealing with this for 18 months and finally being clear for almost 4 months, a little about me: I am a very health conscious lady don't smoke, don't drink, I am an athlete, eat 100% healthy organic, gluten free,dairy free, soy free... I was diagnosed with leaky gut after taking Naproxen on and off for a year... that is probably another story but what I want to point here is that even I have always being taking good care of my body but the health of my stomach was compromised plus I have being taking in different occasions antibiotics since I was little, I wished my mom knew better but parents take decisions base on doctors advice, very sad they still don't understand the consequences of taking antibiotics for everything, So back in 2014 I was prescribed cephalexin (Antibiotics), soon after that I had the first 2 sores that initially looked like acne, so I tried many things that I have posted in the past, after many I really mean many products the following are the strategies that have me clear for the last 4 months:
1. This is YEAST Overgrowth (FUNGUS)
2. YOU need to invest in probiotics and control the fungus novergrowth with medicine, I personally take Nystatin which is working and still gentle with your body
3. Buy the fungus treatment that comes clear with a brush and the main ingredient is Clotrimazole I bought mine at Walgreens and is in the nail products section, I put this on the skin before mackeup, it dries quick and has no color so very convenient for guys too, it penetrates the skin deep and kill the infection.
4 Wash your face with selsun medicated shampoo
5. Prescription Retin A (scars and prevention)
6. facil Lasser hair removal
7. Yeast feeds from the sugar you eat so clean diet is important here, at least keep you sugar intake low.
8. Keep a positive aptitude, I know this can be very frustrating and debilitating when you cant find the right answers, I have being there but if my advice is not effective for your case, keep searching ... God will guide you if you ask for his help :)

I am working in fixing the scares this nightmare left on my skin, I hope this can help someone, thanks to everyone here who shared their experience because of that I felt I was not alone in the worse moments of this situation:) God bless you!
Here a link that explains this with more detail and why the abuse of antibiotics is the main cause of this problem, I tried to pasted but is too long, so visit the link :)

read:http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3970831/

Malassezia (Pityrosporum) folliculitis is a fungal acneiform condition commonly misdiagnosed as acne vulgaris. Although often associated with common acne, this condition may persist for years without complete resolution with typical acne medications. Malassezia folliculitis results from overgrowth of yeast present in the normal cutaneous flora. Eruptions may be associated with conditions altering this flora, such as immunosuppression and antibiotic use. The most common presentation is monomorphic papules and pustules, often on the chest, back, posterior arms, and face. Oral antifungals are the most effective treatment and result in rapid improvement. The association with acne vulgaris may require combinations of both antifungal and acne medications. This article reviews and updates readers on this not uncommon, but easily missed, condition.

I know exactly what your talking about in regards to the white plugs. Let me guess, they also itch like a bitch and absolutely will not heal until you get all the plugs out. Get the last plug out and amazingly it heals, or they used to...however now a days even if they do heal they come back with a vengeance. It's a Staph infection and quite possibly MERSA. I know for a fact that is what it is because I was diagnosed a year ago. The plugs are really fucked up hair follicles and the only cure is the same thing that will possible make it worse or even cost you your limb...antibiotics. However they will lower your immune system and possible get you MERSA. I took the chance and took antibiotics and it went away and luckily no MERSA. Sounds great right! Wrong. Once you have STAPHYLOCOCCI, which you do, you have it for life. Mine came back 3weeks ago. The plugs are just starting. FYI you are a walking contagion. STAPHYLOCOCCI is so fucking contagious that any where you pick will develop STAPH. Also, ID suggest not shaking hands, kissing, sex, etc. I use a prescription ointment called Mupirocin 2%. Get your Dr to prescribe a shit load. You'll go thru a tube in 3 days max. Apply generously! Then cover with gauze and wrap with roll of gauze. DO NOT REUSE ANYTHING!!! Dispose of all daily trash as medical waste. Change wrappings twice daily. It will break the plugs down. You'll notice them turn from white to transparent and they'll fall apart when you try to pull them. This will be frustrating and eventually the wound will heal but the transparent plugs will remain. After a month or so the hair will grow back out. Pull the hairs after healed and it will pull any remaining plugs. FYI the transparent plugs fucking hurt really bad. Bad enough that it will stop you from pulling them. Trust me. Any questions feel free to email me at TyWinters.tw@gmail.com. Hope this helps and remember to wash your hands...a lot.

I want EVERYONE to know I had KP-Keratosis Polaris all my life. It is also known as "CHICKEN SKIN"..bumps. Over 55 years old, my last 2 years had..HAD become worse. Doctor after Dermotalogist, skin Dr..after skin Dr. & being prescribed expensive creams. I found and now use GOLD BOND BUMPY SKIN lotion or 2 together the GOLD BOND HEALING AND EXEMA LOTION TOGETHER. .WORKS..USE IT..IT IS a bit more expensive but its WORTH IT..

I have had these things for YEARS. And I have scars all over my face and neck and a few on my chest and upper arms. My entire upper back is almost one complete scar. I don't care about that, though. But the face and neck, those ones really bother me. I feel disfigured. And well, basically, I guess I am. Only two people have ever asked me what my "spots" are (most of them look like areas of pigmentation loss, but some are really cratered-in). What I tell people, when I have to, is that they are Muriatic Acid burns because I CANNOT tell them the truth. Only my family and very, very close friends know the truth.
These things itch and hurt and seem to just shower all of a sudden out of nowhere. I've gone months or even years without a "flair-up," but when one of them starts, that "lesion" will be there for several, SEVERAL months until it heals. And I truly believe that these areas only break when every single white thing has finally been pulled out, and there are none left.
Like I said, I've had these things for YEARS - probably even decades, and been trying to find out what they are for probably about ten of those years. I have Never been able to find a picture of one of the actual white things, but I have taken several close-up pictures of my own. I find plenty of lesions from caused by a thousand different ailments, ranging from Morgellons to mites to AIDs. To me, all those lesion look the same. I want to see pictures from someone that has the same thing as I do INSIDE the lesions.
This is how I describe them: Aside from the intense itching and hurting and physical NEED to pull them out, they are white (ranging from translucent to opaque, depending on how long they've been on my skin - new ones are almost see-through, but the older ones look like a solid white tumor), elastic, attached to SOMETHING and have to be pulled out and cannot be popped. It will start out as just one, and it usually just starts as one little, tiny itchy bump (which, if it ended up being an actual pimple instead, I'd be able to resist picking). Within a day or a few days, I don't know, it has magically turned into some kind of open sore (still small at this point) with something that isn't supposed to be there. Usually, I can't even see the first white thing; I just feel it. I pull it out, and it's instant relief. If it would stop there, that'd be great 'cuz at this point it feels like like tiny little sore just needs to close up and go away. But the next day there'll be more - in a ring around where the first one was. And that ring - that crater - just keeps getting bigger and bigger and bigger. Then, maybe a few weeks later, maybe months - I've had some over a year - it'll just be kind of like it woke up one morning and decided, "Okay, I'm done." And I'll pull out - what I don't know then - are the last ones.
It's hard to say how big these things are. Some are very, very tiny - even smaller than a grain of salt - but some get HUGE. I'd say the average size is about the size of the little rubbery tip on the end of a bobby pin. The biggest one I ever had was from the back of my earlobe, and I swear to god it was as big as a #2 pencil eraser.
I think these things are hair follicles that have gotten infected or irritated somehow. But I don't know. I've seen three different dermatologists over the years, and no one has been able to tell me what they are. I even brought samples in a tiny little container full of water so they wouldn't dry out. That doctor wouldn't even look at them and literally spent less than five seconds with me - he didn't even come fully into the room. He took one look at me, then very nastily told the nurse I was a compulsive picker and walked right out. I left that place in tears. Another one told me it was Mersa (sp?), and even though I insisted it was not, she took a sample. It came back negative. Long story short - Yes, I AM a picker. But I DO NOT pick at NOTHING. I might be causing the others by disrupting my skin or something, but I DO NOT cause that very first one!! And I am so sick of people (mainly my boyfriend) telling me to STOP and that there is NOTHING there --- when I will pull one out and SHOW IT TO HIM!!! How can that be nothing??!!!?
Anyway, what is this????? The closest thing I've found so far is something called Marzelli's Yeast or something like that. I forget. But it's kind of somehow related to a Demodex infection (i.e. Mange in dogs).

eh --- "seem to just *show up* all of a sudden"

Has anyone tried Grandpas Thyrox Soap?

Hey guys, I suffer with the same thing. I have undiagnosed dermatillomania and when I pick the scab there is that white ball thing and I have to use tweezers to pull out the thing. It bleeds after I take it out and is painful. Unfortunately I have this on my boob and I think it's on the areola. I'm really scared of what this could be and I really hope it's not some type of worm. They range in different sizes and sometimes there's more than just one under the scab. I couldn't tell you how long I've been doing this but I've had enough. When I try to look at the thing I'm pulling out it seems like sometimes I can roll my fingers on it and it just goes everywhere like it's not whole. I really need some type of answer or something to help please please comment back and let me know what helps you. We are all in this together

Perfect post , but I have yet to see someone who actually knew what this is. This first post described exactly what I have been recently experiencing.
Unfortunately, I had just thrown my little fishbone out before reading this. I first experienced this about 2 months ago and must say I was a little disturbed when I pulled the first fishbone out (with tweezers). I thought it may be some sort of spider fang or something. Two weeks later the same thing happened in the exact same spot and I felt the little tip sticking out of the skin and pulled it out with tweezers again. I really thought the second time around was the last as I had gotten it all out right ? Well I guess I was wrong, because today the same thing happened BUT, about an inch away from the first location. I have never been in discomfort from it, but having it happen 3 times in 2 locations is somewhat concerning to me. It's now 7 years after the original post, any progress in concluding what this is, besides bizzare !?!?

Perfect post , but I have yet to see someone who actually knew what this is. This first post described exactly what I have been recently experiencing.
Unfortunately, I had just thrown my little fishbone out before reading this. I first experienced this about 2 months ago and must say I was a little disturbed when I pulled the first fishbone out (with tweezers). I thought it may be some sort of spider fang or something. Two weeks later the same thing happened in the exact same spot and I felt the little tip sticking out of the skin and pulled it out with tweezers again. I really thought the second time around was the last as I had gotten it all out right ? Well I guess I was wrong, because today the same thing happened BUT, about an inch away from the first location. I have never been in discomfort from it, but having it happen 3 times in 2 locations is somewhat concerning to me. It's now 7 years after the original post, any progress in concluding what this is, besides bizzare !?!?

I've found an interesting article. Might be related to our problem.

"Herpetic Folliculitis and Syringitis
Simulating Acne Excoriee

We describe the case of a 46-year-old woman with a long standing history of acne excoriee, confirmed by several
dermatologists, that finally was unmasked as herpetic fol-
liculitis and syringitis.

Report of a Case.

A 46-year-old, white, nonatopic woman who had not suffered from severe acne vulgaris in puberty developed acneiform lesions on her face at age 25 years.
Subjective symptoms like palpitation, burning, and itch-
ing made her pick and squeeze these lesions. Numerous
recurrences over the next 20 years led to considerable scar
formation. The “acne lesions” had resisted the acne treat-
ment advised by several dermatologists. Because of her skin lesions, she was in deteriorating psychological condition that seemed to support a diagnosis of acne excoriee.

When treatment for acne was again ineffective, a
5-mm punch biopsy was performed on demand of the
patient.

Serological testing by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay detected IgM and IgG antibodies to HSV.

Comment.
Over a period of 20 years, our patient suf-
fered from recurrent episodes of acneiform lesions on
the face clinically resembling acne excoriee. Herpesvirus folliculitis and syringitis was diagnosed only by his-
topathologic examination. The diagnosis of HSV infec-
tion was confirmed by polymerase chain reaction
amplification of HSV DNA, by detection of HSV-specific
antibodies using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay,
and by the positive response to antiviral therapy with
valacyclovir.

In herpesvirus infection of the skin, the histopathologic changes are often limited to the epidermis. Remarkably, the involvement of the follicular epithelia (herpetic folliculitis) and the sebaceous and eccrine
structures (herpetic syringitis)
is only rarely reported in the literature.

In conclusion, herpetic folliculitis and syringitis should be considered relevant differential diagnoses
in patients with acneiform lesions that fail to respond to
conventional acne treatment."

Hi there! I n ow this thread is super old but  wondering if you had any resolution in the end? I too after having my second child aged 26 I had exactly what you are describing over my chest, back, kneck, scalp and face. Yep, my face. I was told by the doctor I had cystic acne which can be common in older women after child birth. I jumped through hoops for years to be put on ruaccutane. This don’t really help either. But I too want to know what this white root is!!? I feel so much relief once out and most of the time it seems to heal. I felt too ashamed to ask any dermatologist or doctor. Every time I spoke to one even as recent as 3 month ago at now 33 years of age I’m made to feel like a scolded child and as if it’s my fault my skin is such a mess. If one more person tells me to stop picking… if only it was so easy.