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Pubic area ingrown hair picking- HELP!
So, after reading some old posts on here I am beyond relieved to find out that I am not the only one who suffers from SEVERE picking habits. It has been going on for as long as I remember, and I'm 23. I pick everything- ingrown hairs, zits, fingernails and the skin around my fingernails, bumps on arms, legs, and chest, my hair and split ends, bottom of my feet, basically every inch of my body. It is constant. I guess I never realized how big of a problem this was until I noticed I was picking while reading through the threads on here. It is extremely embarrassing and I feel so ashamed afterwards, especially when I see the damage I've caused, I want to cry. I might see a possible ingrown hair (a tiny bump that you can barely see) and dig and scratch and pluck until I've left myself with a huge open sore and disappointment at how small the hair was when it finally came out. I'm disgusted to even share all of this, but I feel better knowing I'm not the only one. It literally disrupts my life because I'll spend 2,3,4 hours at a time picking and not do anything I'm supposed to get done. I hate having days off because I know they will be wasted away picking, no matter how hard I try to resist. I've even set alarms on my phone, saying "I'll only pick until the alarm goes off", but end up snoozing them and continue on for hours. How pathetic is that!? I'm extremely humiliated, especially because of how bad the problem has gotten in my pubic area. I pick and pick, dig deep and get so frustrated if the hair doesn't come out easily. I scrape with the tweezers and use a safety pin to try and dig the hair out, it leaves me with all of these open sores that are painful and horribly embarrassing. I don't even want to have sex with my boyfriend because I'm afraid he will be disgusted. He always reassures me that it's not gross to him, but I don't think either of us have realized how bad my problem is. I had OCD in the past (but it seems like I must still have it) and currently have ADD and mild anxiety. I see a psychiatrist but haven't ever brought it up to her, I want to the next time I go in. There is no specific thing that triggers my picking, it's just constant. PLEASE if anyone has any tips on how to stop I would be forever grateful. It is consuming my life and leaving me with extremely low self esteem as I wonder how I can be so destructive to myself. Also, if anyone has any good tips on how to heal sores from picking quickly, they would be greatly appreciated! I just started using neosporin and band aids, but looking for additional suggestions. Thank you!
Have you told you psychiatrist yet?
I've done the same thing and feel the same way...I've even used make up down there to try cover the damage I've done. But I've used the calamine treatment, tea tree/coconut oil , Neosporin, eucerin , neem oil, everything! They all eventually heal the wounds caused by picking , but unfortunately there is no miracle over night cure...
This is the best way I've found to clean, heal, and reduce pain from pubic sores due to picking. First, clean and irrigate wound with Sterile Saline wound wash. This cleans the wound and promotes healing. Pat dry and moisten a 4×4 inch sterile gauze pad with the same saline wash. Don't use the non stick pads. When I had MRSA in a self inflicted groin wound the doctor told me the non stick pads do not facilitate the drainage of wounds adequately. Keeping the gauze moist with the saline spray is the key to healing and pain reduction. Next, you'll want to secure the bandage. One of the most challenging things for wounds in this area is attaching the bandage and keeping it in place. You can try placing a dry gauze pad or a menstrual pad over your moist bandage and securing with adhesive surgical tape, but it's often ineffective. For me, wearing the boy short cut panties helped the most with both securing the bandage and being the most comfortable. Make sure to change your bandage daily and if it becomes dry, moisten with saline spray. So, after trying multiple healing remedies and different bandages ( ex: neosporin, aquafore, skin anteseptics, essential oils, coconut oils, air dry, non stick pads, etc.) saline wound wash, sterile gauze pads and time is how I treat and heal my pubic area after a skin picking episode. I learned this technique from the surgeons at the wound clinic when I had MRSA. I hope this helps you!!!!
https://m.cvs.com/shop/cvs-health-wound-cleansing-kit-prodid-1260298?sk…
I suffer with this as well (even use the same methods). I don’t pick around my fingernails, but I bit my nails almost incessantly until I was in my early 20s. For the most part I have stopped biting them, but I clean them all the time to manage the urge to bite them.
I have yet to find a solution to my derm issue & have seen seen seen a handful of dermatologists in the past 6-7 years to find a remedy for my ingrown hairs (folliculitis - which affects my arms, legs, pubic area... you name it), issues with not sloughing dead skin, & extreme keratosis (arms, legs, stomach, buttocks) with no avail. I even have large, persistent cycles on my breasts, which have severely affected my dating life, mental & physical health, & self-confidence. I’m currently under the care of the head of dermatology at my state’s medical university (have been for 6 months now) with no change.
I feel your pain & am willing to do whatever it takes to have smooth skin below the neck.
YOU ARE NOT ALONE.
For everyone above- while I don’t seem to feel as impulsive as some of you, I’m still a picker myself and maybe it’s only because I do craft and woodwork, but I have a suggestion I’ve discovered is immensely satisfying and gives the same sensation as actual picking, and may help distract your hands from more sensitive areas and prevent damage.
Use high strength glue on your hands and wrists. Smear wood glue, elmers glue (super glue if you are ok with the area being a bit red) to leave a thin film on your skin. It feels the same as picking off a sunburn but isn’t actually skin!! Thicker glue spots feel more like scabs. And you can pick, refresh, pick, refresh, without doing permanent damage, as long as you don’t reapply to the same location too frequently. You can even do it on your legs or feet if you need variety.
I understand that the source of picking should be addressed, but as a wise person once told me-knowing that someone shouldn’t be shitting in the river upstream doesn’t change the fact that there is currently shit in your water.
You (and I) should try to figure out why you feel the compulsion to pick. But since knowing that isn’t going make the issue better, I offer you an alternative. Try the glue solution! Let me know if it helps!
Cheers everyone! May your path be straight, the sun be warm, the be wind gentle, the shade be plentiful and the best drink in the world awaiting your arrival.