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italiabella , 14 May 2010

my skin

Hi everyone... Im a 27 year old female that has been picking at my skin for a long time now. It started when I was 12 or 13, when I moved in with some family I didnt know very well. I shared a bedroom with my cousin and she drove me crazy. I started pulling my hair out, to the point I was bald underneath. I dont pull out my hair anymore. It stopped when my family saw what I was doing. I didnt do anything like that for a while. Then I saw my cousin picking at her skin. I dont remember what I thought about that, but next thing I know, Im doing it too. It has a complete hold on my life. I was an exotic dancer for a few years, and I was pretty good at not picking at my skin all the time, but I still did it (I'd like to thank Sally Hanson for making their leg makeup... it covers up soooo much. and it helps fade scars...).Dancing is something I absolutely love doing. Not the taking off my clothes part, but the dancing itself. And it's something good to have in your back pocket when you need it. But unfortunatly, I cant go do that because im covered in scars and open wounds that I cant stop picking at. I'll pick and pick, and then realize that Im causing so much harm to myself, and ease up the picking for a few days. It's all over my back, all over my butt. Im worried this is something my daughter may have already picked up. She's almost 3 and I catch her picking her toenails all the time. She also has a spot on her upper lip that probably started as just a piece of dead skin, but now she's got a big sore on her lip from continuously picking at it. Last night was the first time I ever googled this problem because I need help. I have almost all of the symptoms, except for the eating disorder thing. I def dont have an eating disorder! But im a little relieved to see that Im not the only one that does this....
2 Answers
mdmadre
May 16, 2010
i am new here too and i know just how you feel. i just destroyed my face tonight after almost 2 wks of not picking. And I did it while my son sat on the counter beside me and played with dental floss. :( I felt so terrible .... and still do. He sometimes says, "momma you have booboos on your face" It makes me want to quit for good all the more but it is so hard... its like something takes over me and i loss focus on what I want:( My son is three as well .... I worry about him seeing me doing this and thinking its ok. I just want so badly to end this. I am going to be a doctor ... in med school right now.... and i feel like what patient is going to want a doc that looks like a zit picked teenager:( Its so embarrassing. and i am sick of hiding behind loads of make-up But we CAN quit!! I am so determined even though I have tried what seems like a million times.. i cant give up hope b/c I cant let this skin picking disorder rule my life!
flgrl0821
May 16, 2010

In reply to by mdmadre

I know how you feel mdmadre my 3 yr old son saying that my arms had too many bumps was one of the turning points for me to try and quit. Like you, he would see me tear into my arms and I didn't want him to think that this was normal. You CAN BEAT THIS! Everytime I feel like picking I say to myself that it is not worth it becuase I am the one who is hurt by the aftermath. Stay strong because you can quit this time!

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