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Breakouts before events
Three days before a big event and I don’t like my skin. It’s not the worse and it’s not the best. It’s not good and it had been clear. It’s a combo result of break outs the past few weeks I will blame on the humidity and picking (resisting and picking- a solid mix that’s left me with enough red spots to make me think of only) so I can’t touch my face for the next three days starting now. Helpful to share my intentions somewhere even if it’s just me checking in on myself here. My plan is to go to the beach this morning (happy place) and get a shower and do makeup and get to work after. Come home wash face and put bandaids on. Wake up and put makeup on before work and come home and repeat. Hopefully waking up Friday I will be in better shape than I am now. Friday I have one more night to wear bandaids and mostly one more night to let sleeping so it’s magic while my body repairs itself. I think what’s been the hardest part for me is this and last week I got a cystic spot twice in the same location just slightly lower this time that seemed to start as a very small bump and when I messed with it it turned into a deep and very sore spot that will not pop. These I have to say I don’t get often and these, as with all of us, are my hardest test of strength. They just feel like they are ready at all times to be “dealt” with. I can leave other spots alone now pretty well. Favorite products remain the same: cera ve foaming face wash, simple rich moisturizer, tea tree for antibacterial after picking, trentinoin cream all over every night for speedy cell turnover, and hydrocolloids because they are amazing for speedy healing and a physical barrier whenever I can get away with wearing them...mostly at night as soon as I get in the door the better until I wake up in the morning and am ready to go out again! So I plan to comment again this evening on how I do today and tomorrow and Friday as well! Let’s go!
One day down. I’m am mainly still concerned about the cystic spot because it’s still so sore. I am interested to see how everything else looks in the morning. Hoping other spots clear up at least even if I still have the cyst. Thankfully I used self control and it’s not an open wound.
Special events are my worst trigger. Holding off for three days can be tough but not impossible. Anything is better than an open wound. Better if people see that you have a pimple instead of some gnarly inflamed wound. Pimples definitely look more normal.
I have Numerical Eczema..I was pregnant and my body lost all types of defense. So I have had short outbreaks as child..but after her it got out of control. I feel like a monster! And so alone. Thank you all for sharing..I thought it was just me and felt like a FREAK! PLS HELP!
It can be hard to be uncomfortable to have sex because I get so embarrassed and self aware that it has put my marriage in jeopardy..I feel so unworthy and filthy.
It very rare I even go swimming with my children
I completely feel u serene. I feel like all people do is stare and ask too..too many questions.
Thank you for the encouragement serene! Yes special events either are great motivators or cause anxiety that makes it even harder not to pick. Day 2 done here and doing okay. I have managed to leave the cyst alone and it is not open which as you said is a plus! It’s pretty dark colored because of the original squeezing but under the circumstances I recognize it could be a lot worse because I HAVE been leaving it alone for two full days now! I have definitely touched my skin and picked at a couple small spots but overall I was able to be good and I know if not for the event I would not be worried at all about my skin recovering. Tonight I made sure to put my energy into good skin care as opposed to picking. I made sure to double cleanse my skin to get my makeup off and my face cleaned well. I did a very light exfoliation and a mask with clay and benzol peroxide to target the cyst and other healing acne. I tried to quickly bandage all spots that I knew would bother me and set my timer when washing off the mask and bandaging to keep myself on track. As usual I am using my trentinoin to continue to move along the skin turn over and fade old spots etc. now I just have to get some sleep and hope for some really noticable improvements in the morning!
Update!: I just looked in the mirror and realized a huuuuuge improvement especially with the cyst I had picked at a few days ago and the damaged skin on top of it and I wanted to update because if anyone is desperate for healing techniques they may want to try some of the things I use....but especially because I forgot to mention one thing I did aside from my usual cerva wash and simple moisturizer and hydrocolloids. I used fresh aloe off the plant this morning on my cystic spot and it seemed to smooth the spot over and caused it to darken even more where I had damaged the skin from squeezing. I just now went to change my hydrocolloid bandage before bed (it had been on for 3 hours which is much shorter than I normally leave them but anyways) and the dark damaged skin just came off with the bandaid! Underneath was slightly pink skin and still the bump but 100 times better and there is no rawness at all like when the scab comes off too soon! It’s just nice skin underneath.
Probably my final update as today is my last day of trying to leave my face alone and heal before event and it will be a a busy one! The cyst is still a bump you can’t really see but can feel under the skin and it’s a bit sore. BUT all the skin around and over top is mostly healed and with the dark scab off it’s not very noticable at all! On the other side of my face also on my jaw line was another breakout I had picked 3 days ago and it is pretty healed over and just a bit red an blotchy. It is very itchy and there’s a couple small bumps I want to pick but I WONT! I did pick at a spot on my forehead this morning that was a white head and now I have a small wound there but it’s very small and I’m not going to sweat the small stuff! I am packing this morning so I’ll leave my face be then shower and moisturizer and minimial concealer on spots. I am getting my nails done and probably acrylics so I’m excited to see if that helps as many say. My goal is to forget about my face until tonight and get one more great night of sleep with my handy hydrocolloids so I can be excited waking up my last day and really taking in the improvements of leaving things alone!!!