Bringing Down the Beast

Hello BlueSky. First off, I'd like to comment and say that I like your name. :) Anyways, I am totally with you on this. I seek help with my obsessive skin picking and want tips from others too. I haven't done much research outside of this website, but I may after you start this project. I have a few tips/advice that I have personally experienced. First tip - Stick a piece of paper on the mirror that says "STOP!" or "NO!" Then, when you've successfully skipped out on your skin picking regime for the day/night, mark a tally and try to reach 21 consecutive days without picking. Quitting cold turkey is the hardest, so don't be too discouraged if you don't succeed a few times. It WILL help and you WILL notice your skin start to clear up, even after about 2-3 days!! Seeing that really encouraged me to keep stopping! Honestly that one was one of the most effective for me. Tip two - Right before you pick, imagine your face all red as if you just spent hours already picking at your face. If you can't imagine this, take a picture of an aftermath and post it on your mirror. Also try to imagine more scars. Most, if not all of us, don't want scars anymore. Imagining this has also convinced me to stop on quite a few occasions. Tip three - Pretend to imagine someone walking in on you as you pick. Picture the disappointment on their face. You don't want them to see, so stop picking! Please. Tip four - Vitamin E (Moisturizer form in a bottle) is supposed to help heal scars and skin. If you put this on your face every now and then before bed, it will heal while you sleep. I don't recommend using it during the day because it will make your face appear oily while your skin is trying to absorb the moisturizer. Tip five - Using proactiv. WARNING: Once you use this, you can't stop for quite some time! Once your skin calms down after years, you should be able to use a different formula. I have been using it since 8th grade and I switched to something else my senior year - bad idea. My skin broke out worse and I had to switch back. Anyways. If one doesn't mind paying quite a bit ($50 for 2 month supply), it is TOTALLY worth it. Be careful ordering online, they will bill you automatically every month/two months (depending what system you buy). Just a heads up. Anyways, if one follows through and buys this, here's what ya do. I wash my face for about 2-4 mins. Proactiv has these small small beads in the soap to brush away dead skin. NEVER scrub hard on your skin, it only damages it. Hence why I wash for so long. I occasionally add warm water to my face so it doesn't dry while washing. So, after one washes for 2-4 mins, rinse with chilly water. The cold will help close pores. When you start washing, try to use warm water - not too hot though. While you rinse, make sure you get soap by the hairlines too. After the washing step, step two is a toner. Put some solution (about a dime size) on cotton ball and wipe away! You're stripping your face of excess oil and leftover makeup you may have missed. Step three is repairing lotion. Just rub in on your face thoroughly. Step four is moisturizing lotion. The proactiv one wasn't strong enough for me, so I use Clinque Moisturizing Lotion (not gel!!). It does wonders!! :) After the lotion, you may apply the Vitamin E I mentioned earlier. Make sure to use a hand towel (try not to use the same one you dry your hands!) and switch it out once a week. If you have to use same towel to dry hands, just use the back side to dry hands and front side to dry face. Also when you dry face, try to "dab" the towel on your face. Scrubbing your face with the towel will inflame the skin. Whew! A lot of typing from my phone. I hope this post didn't overwhelm you - I just wanted to say EVERYTHING that I have learned from the past. I currently still pick and have picked since I was 12. I'm 19 now and beginning to quit. My face is already healing and I just need support to continue to quit my ol habit. :) Cheers, AtomicPeach If you want to contact me for more (this goes for anyone) my email is Atomicmangox3@gmail.com. :) <3 Good luck to you all.