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Hi,
I am a 28 year old female who has struggled with acne my whole life. I have been to the dermatologist but they keep prescribing the same things (Benzaclin, Tazorac, etc.) I do not want to try Accutane but I'm open to hearing any of your experiences with it. I'm currently on just 50mg Zoloft for anxiety and I feel the best I've ever felt in my life! I am still nursing my 11 month old daughter, so I can't do Accutane right now anyway, and I also don't know if it would interact with Zoloft. Anyway, I'd rather not mess with my medicine since I've seen SO much improvement. I not only pick at my pimples but I KEEP picking at them (the scab that forms, and then even the dry skin that results around the pimple). I feel like I have to get my skin even, so that my makeup will go on smoother. The dry skin drives me CRAZY. Does anyone have any advice for me? I have tried and tried to stop picking and just go cold turkey but I feel like I CAN'T! I feel like I am a pretty girl except for my skin! And actually, I feel like if I didn't pick at all anymore, that my skin would actually be a lot clearer than I think. In other words, I feel like maybe I don't have as big an acne problem as it seems - It's just lasting longer since I keep bothering them! It's sooo frustrating. I feel ashamed afterwards and even lie to my husband when he asks what I've been doing in the bathroom for so long. I need help!
August 23, 2014
I have a few methods that might help: 1.First is to counteract the picking by doing something good for your skin after. What I do is wash my face and apply a mask or a moisturizer- ones with aloe are the best but you can just straight up put aloe vera on your skin, it's so good at healing. 2. Another thing is to remove any triggers you might have. For me it's magnified mirrors and tweezers. 3.Another method is to cut your nails. Nothing crazy, just short so it's a little more difficult to get a grip on a zit or blackhead. 4. A trip to the beach helps. Salt water and sun are so good at drying up your skin (in a good way) plus salt water is great at helping the healing process, but if you don't have a beach nearby I read somewhere that you can actually use salt water on your face (just make it at home). 5. Try gloves (however they're really annoying) A better method is to apply hand moisturizer whenever you are at home or in a place where you usually pick, that way your hands are slippy PLUS, you're helping your hands by moisturizing them.
I hope these help or at least give you some ideas that you can build off of.
Good luck.
August 23, 2014
I have feel like I have almost the same problem, my skin is actually pretty clear when i don't pick but I pick and it looks like I have huge acne problem. I also have been dating my boyfriend for almost 6 years and I was doing the same thing, lying why I was in thier so long. I finally broke down and told him about 2 years ago explained that its a OCD problem and its hard to stop, he has been helpful in someone I can open up to about it and helped me get out when I was in there too long. He doesn't quite get why i am doing something I hate to do to myself, so it gets tuff but I try to explain to him it takes time and show him stories on here as to why I do it and what happens in my mind and that Im not the only one. And it really does help with the process for me anyways to have his support! He has helped my get out of the zone persay, NOT by saying things like "get out of the bathroom I need to get there" or "what are you doing in there?" because we tried that and its just frustrating to hear those things. He just trys to catch me in thier asap by saying "hey babe, i need your help when this when you get out, but I need to get to bed soon" giving me like a warning with a time limit that makes me want to stop and help him with dishes, cleaning, or just figuring something out with the TV. Even if hes making it up it helps me get outta there, and as we no, the sooner the better! Hope this helps