Online Test

Find out the severity of your symptoms with this free online test

Take the test
forbetterdays , 24 Jul 2012

It's time to commit! - My progress

I have been struggling with picking my face ever since my teenage hormones kicked in and I got a minimum of impurities on my face. Now I am seventeen years old, and I don't really struggle with acne or anything anymore, I only have some clogged pores and an occasional pimple. My face would be more or less flawless - if it hadn't been for the fact that I can't stop picking my face. Up until very recently I never realized why I always picked my face so much and why I was never able to stop even though I was only hurting myself. It made me feel extremely guilty and depressed, not to mention self-consious, and I always had to put on tons of makeup to be able to face anyone. Then, about a month ago, I found this site, and it really helped me realize why it was so hard to stop. This is something I need to fight. It feels like I have tried everything, and still I keep on losing the battle. It has caused me so much pain, and really affected my self-esteem. So it's time to fight back, and to beat this thing. I bear in mind that this is not just a bad habit, and, as I think we all know, it takes a lot to be able to stop picking. My battle starts today. I am committing to fight this, and this will be where i write about my ups and downs, as well as everything that helps to keep my skin clear. I'll try posting my progress everyday. Please feel free to join in and to share you own tips and tricks. We can fight this. Fall down a thousand times, stand up a thousand and one. xx
28 Answers
Add Comment
newperspective
August 08, 2012
I would have to agree with Skreed on the lemon juice - my skin reacted in the exact same way. I have tried Egyptian Magic and didn't see a difference in my skin whatsoever. In fact, as a result of using it, my skin broke out and it just gave me more spots to pick at and obsess over. Exfoliation and bleaching creams that contain hydroquinone would be the most effective approach. Just don't use hydroquinone on freshly picked skin - it will irritate it. I definitely recommend this approach if you are not actively picking. Best of luck to you and I truly hope this helps! XO - newperspective
forbetterdays
August 09, 2012
Yes, I think lemon juice alone will be a bit much for my sensitive skin. Mixed up with water or green tea it might not be so bad though. It's interesting, what you say about Egyptian Magic, because everyone just seem to go completely bananas over this "miracle", but I'm just not so sure anymore. I think I will give it a try though, just to be sure. As for the exfoliating I'm already on it, it's just that I have to stop every time I have a bad picking episode, because I don't want to exfoliate on my damaged skin. I don't like to exfoliate too much either because I feel like it makes my skin out of balance. The bleaching cream is something I will keep in mind and I will definitely give it a try if nothing else works, although I do prefer to keep things as natural as possible for my sensitive skin. Thank you! :)
forbetterdays
August 09, 2012
DAY 16 - 17. I did great yesterday, and I felt soo good today because my skin is looking so much better. I'm certain that I would have done just as good today, only my parents got into one of their rare fights and even though it's never really serious this is for some reason one of the few things that makes my tears stream for hours. I always get beside myself. They made it up though, and everything was more or less back to normal when I went to the bathroom to get ready for bed. Still, the strain from crying and feeling so upset was too much for me, and I picked at a few spots without really thinking much about it. I feel really bad about it. I was doing so good. I picked at a nearly healed wound on my cheek, and four blackheads on my other cheek and forehead. It wasn't extremely bad, but still bad enough. I now have a fresh wound on my cheek and my other cheek is all red and irritated and I'm sure I'll wake up with a big spot there tomorrow. And another one on my forehead. Oh well. When I'm as upset as I was today I always forget that I care about not picking my face, and I just sort of allow myself to do it. At least I'm not this upset very often, so I won't pick much because of it. I'm just going to accept that I picked because I was so upset, and I should just be glad it wasn't worse. I'll just carry on and keep on doing as good as I did before the fight. :)
forbetterdays
August 14, 2012
DAY 18 - 22. It hasn't been pick-free days, and I have definitely picked too much, but today I haven't picked at all and I feel good. I want so bad for this whole thing to end, I want to never ever pick at my skin again. I just want to be able to go out of the house without using an hour on my makeup, and I don't want to feel so self-consious when I'm in school because I feel like my face is all messed up. I just want to never think about my skin again. I want it so bad it hurts. I've been feeling kinda down lately, and I can't help blaming my skin picking for that. I just want to stop. It's funny, I feel like I am actually begging myself to stop picking. I am begging for the skin-picking me to go away. Go away go away go away.
forbetterdays
August 17, 2012
DAY 23 - 26. These last days would have been completely pick-free if it hadn't been for that I picked five spots today.... I'm determined to just keep on as I did though. I'm back in school now, and I just feel SO great when I don't pick. I am actually getting better at limiting my picking, by focusing only on today and nothing else. I don't think what happened yesterday or what I will do tomorrow. I focus only on not picking today, at not picking right now. It really helps. So okay, it sucks that I picked those five spots just now, but I'll move on. I won't pick anymore today. :) :)
AnnCal
September 08, 2012
Ok, So I have been picking at my face for years now. Some weeks I am able to stop picking at it for a while, but ultimately, I always do it again and I make huge swollen spots all over my face, which are painful and unsightly and make me feel like I am not whole. When I say pick, I get up in the mirror and squeeze stuff out of my pores, even when there is barely anything there at all. I want to stop desperately-I would have nice skin if I didn't do this! I am here looking for advice and inspiration. Most people don't know that I have this problem because immediately after I pick I slather my face in Mario Badescu healing cream and sleep with healing mask on top of that. In the morning, I use an enzyme cleansing gel and then cover my face (paint it on thick) with two layers of Lancome teint idole 24 hour wear foundation on top of silicone based primer-so my face looks ok (but sometimes the swelling is still there and you can see that) But I know what it looks like underneath and it hurts. Anyway, I am sick of this. I am getting married in less than a year and I want to look great with little makeup. My fiance is wonderful and tells me I look beautiful no matter what, but I am so unhappy and I am ready for a change.I am thinking of taking the lightbulbs out of my bathroom. thoughts?
valentine
September 08, 2012
I think that's a great idea! Whatever you can do to limit your time in the bathroom is worth trying. I've never tried it but I know other people have had luck setting a kitchen timer, say for three minutes, when they go in the bathroom. That is, when the timer's up you have to leave the room!

Start your journey with SkinPick

Take control of your life and find freedom from skin picking through professional therapy and evidence-based behavioral techniques.

Start Now