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Compulsive Skin Picking (face, arms, legs, and body)

(THIS IS NOT AN ACNE PROBLEM!)
I have a really clean face and body, I just destroy every piece of it by doing this.

Well here, let me tell you my story. I'm 17 years old, the typical high school teen.I have the compulsion of looking in the mirror and standing there for hours looking at every pore on my face then picking. Then it over turned to my whole body, its gotten way worst since I begun doing this since 1 1/2 years ago. Its been putting me down a lot then turning into depression because I can't wear short sleeves or shorts in public without someone noticing i have multiple scabs, bumps, blemishes going everywhere and questioning me about it. I hate this because I thought it was nothing at first, but when I started noticing marks, scars, bumps and never healing scabs that were left after picking or messing with, its become embarrassing. I miss having a clear/clean body and face, but its like a urge to me. Its like an itch that has to be scratched, if you don't itch it, the urge will grow until so. So after I became aware of my problem, I took my time to see if other people had the same symptoms as me, and I actually found a bunch of people. Well I also found something called Compulsive Skin Picking. Which it is but if you search it up on Google, its more of a mental thing, not a hormone imbalance that a drug would take care of it. I recommend not to take any prescribed drugs for this problem, because I can already tell you NONE will work. Probably just a medication that would mess with your mind or make you depressed. Try these helpful hints that I'm going to be trying out also...

When tempted to pick, care for your skin by applying a moisturizing lotion instead.

Cover or remove mirrors if they act as a trigger and get rid of all implements such as tweezers and pins used for picking.

Consider the use of artificial nails to make picking more difficult, it may work for some.

Wear rubber fingertips or cotton gloves whenever possible if you feel the urge to pick.

Try replacing some of the sensory aspects of skin-picking with a more desirable alternative. For example, keep an object by you that you can manipulate (squeeze or pull) such as a soft rubber ball.
( I play with a rubber band around my wrist to occupy my hands when the urge comes.)

Keep your hands busy with something else such as a puzzle or knitting.

If you bite the inside of your cheeks try eating crunchy snacks when you feel the urge to bite.

Reward yourself for making progress with some kind of treat.

As you gain more confidence gradually begin to expose your hands, arms, face or legs to others starting with family and friends. You will no doubt benefit from their support but at the same time the negative consequences of engaging in your habit will be increased.

If all fails, get advice on skin care. If you have a skin complaint see a dermatologist.
(I went to a bunch of doctors and all they give you is acne cream or something along that lines. Most of the doctors won't understand until you explain every little detail of you problem that your having so they can get an idea of whats happening.)
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1699033 tn?1514113133
Here is a link to what I wrote in the beginning of December about skin and scalp picking.  Please check it out.

http://www.medhelp.org/posts/Obsessive-Compulsive-Disorder-OCD-/skin-scalp-picking-disorder/show/1641481

My best...JGF
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
THANK GOD IM NOT ALONE!!! IVE ALWAYS BEEN A SLIGHT PICKER..(JUST FACE) BUT OVER THE PAST YEAR I HAVE BEEN AT EVERYTHING!!! MY BOYFRIEND IS ALWAYS YELLING AT ME TO STOP PICKING.. BUT HE DOESNT UNDERSTAND THAT I CANT!! ITS IMPULSIVE THERE IS NOTHING I CAN DO TO CONTROL IT. IM SURE THERE IS BUT I CANT SEEM TO FIGURE IT OUT YET. I SPEND 3 HOURS EVERYDAY IN THE SHOWER WITH A MIRROR & A TWEEZER. I PICK AROUND THE DEAD SOFT SKIN, AND LATER ON REGRET IT BC MY FACE IS COMPLETLY RED AND DISGUSTING. I CANT LEAVE THE HOUSE WITHOUT POUNDING TONS OF MAKEUP ON TOP OF IT. ITS NOT EVEN LIKE MY SKIN IS BAD, I DO IT TO MYSELF. I AM OBSESSED W TWEEZERS I HAVE THEM IN  MY POCKET OR CLOSE BY AT ALL TIMES. AND NOW I HAVE TAKEN ON MY SCALP, ARMS (ONLY IF SOMETHING APPEARS) AND ANYWHERE I CAN FIND AN INGROWN HAIR. I KNOW THIS SOUNDS REALLY GROSS.. BUT I WILL PULL OUT LIKE 100 HAIRS DOWN THERE.. EVERYDAYY W/ A TWEEZER. I GET AN INGROWN HERE OR THERE.. BUT I NOW HAVE MADE EVERY HAIR INGROWN. NOT ONLY IS IT EMBARASSING, AND I LOOK LIKE ****, I AM DEPRESSED, I DONT LEAVE THE HOUSE, AND IT WASTES MORE  THAN HALF OF MY DAY, BUT MY BOYFRIEND IS REALLY HAD IT W MY PICKING AND MY ATTITUDE WEN I RESPOND ABOUT IT, AND THE AMOUNT OF TIME I SPEND IN THE BATHROOM. I CANT GO IN THERE TO BLOW MY NOSE WITHOUT SPENDING ATLEAST 45MINS-AN HR. AHHHH!!! IM GLAD I AM NOT ALONE, BUT I WANT TO STOP. PLEASE HELP!!!!

i feel so relieved that there are others like me. i use tweezers and pull out hairs from my legs. i get bumps from it and i can pop them like pimples. that's my favorite thing to do, but i also pop zits on my face, arms, and chest. and more recently i discovered that i can pull out little hairs from my butt (ya, its kinda weird) and thats also something that i do alot. i've been picking since i dont even know how long. it started as just popping pimples and at bumps on my arms. my arms got so scabbed up that i never wore short sleeve shirts. in my sophomore year of high school i tried using my tweezers to pull out hairs on my legs because i thought it would be like waxing them, only one hair at a time. but i started getting ingrown hairs, which i would pop. sometimes i cant pop them, so with my tweezers (which are really sharp) i dig down until i can get to the hair and pull it out. i gave my tweezers to my boyfriend today (lukester1250) in the hopes that maybe that would at least help me keep from pulling out hairs. i really have no idea how to get over this. i've tried but i can only go for a few days before doing it again. if im not doing one thing, i'm doing another. i dont like all the scars that i've put on myself and all the blemishes, which sometimes hurt. is there anything i can do to make this stop?
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
I have some ways to prevent and make u stop picking. I am also a picker for about 11 months and i know how frustrating and embarrassing it is to pick. I am 13 and so happy to find out that i am not the only one. I usually pick every time i go in the bathroom. I can spend hours in there just picking my back, face, breasts, and shoulders. Afterwards i feel awful and tell myself "Ok, this is the last time.", but i always end up doing it again and again. I have recently stopped because of these simple steps.

      1) DO NOT LOOK IN THE MIRROR!! (If you start to look at all the imperfections on your body, you get the sudden urge to pick, and when u start, u cant stop until your face and body is completely red.)

      2) IMAGINE SOMEONE IS WATCHING YOU!!(If you imagine someone like your friend, mom, crush, etc watching you, you start to feel really embarrassed and stop immediately.)

       3)DO SOMETHING ELSE!!!(The rubber band and squeezing your fists do work, but for me, this may be weird, but singing and dancing works too. O and don't sing too loud cause then your family will hear you and u will be really embarrassed haha.

I hope any of these things helped anyone who has been searching for a cure to stop. I can only advise you to keep a positive look on your body, but the rest is up to you to overcome picking. It may not work the first time, but reading other peoples situations really will motivate u to stop, for good. No offense to anyone, but reading some of these stories about people picking for 20 years really made me want to stop so i don't end up like one of them. GOOD LUCK AND DON'T GIVE IN TO PICKING!
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
Gosh I so thought I was alone in this. I can't even tell you how many years I've been picking its been that long. I constantly picked @ my face,  back, legs & my arms are the worse. Basically I feel the same way all of you do & I thought it was only me cause I never seen or heard of anyone with the same problem. Its almost like smoking you gotta wean yourself from picking I'm still in the process of trying to stop.
Helpful - 0
1699033 tn?1514113133
I think you could benefit from psychological therapy.  This is a habit and all habits can be broken.  A psychologist specializing in behavior modification would be right up your alley.  You are so young, you need to get a handle on both the bulemia and the picking so that when you want to have a family you will be in great health and able to do so.  Bulemia rots the teeth and gums, can cause esophagus problems, stomach problems.  Get on the phone and make an appointment.  
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
And to think I was the only one. I never realized that this was an actual problem until today I got so fed up with looking at my blotchy face after I picked.

It started when I was around 14, I'm 21 now... I remember just picking the hairs on my upper arms one day, and I would just kind of go into a trance because the hairs would come out so easily. A few days later small bumps would form, and I'd pick at them like they were pimpled. I eventually would pick obsessively so much that my arms were so scabbed/scarred up. One day I was sitting in class, and being a nosy kid, this girl's just like "What's up with your arms, why are you wearing makeup on them?" In front of so many people, I was so completely embarrassed. The picking on my arms eventually slowed down when I was about 16, and that's around the time I became bulimic.

I hated every second of throwing up, but never had the will power to just starve. Eventually I'd watch into the bathroom and sit on my sink and pick at my face in the mirror. I think in a way I did that because I wanted to avoid purging.

There was a year that everything just kind of stopped. I  was at a very happy place in my life, very busy and I just didn't get the urge to pick or purge for that matter. Like I said, only about a year that lasted. I am now 21, and have recently got married to my high school sweetheart and moved across the country because he is in the air force. Not only has the bulimia started again, but the picking is ten times as worse. I had flawless skin on my legs, but now I find myself even picking there. I will disappear into the bathroom for hours and hes just like uhh where were you? I've mentioned it to him before, but it's a very embarrassing habit. I don't think he thinks its that serious. There's been times I've had to cancel plans because not even makeup could cover the mess I made on my face. I now also find myself picking at my head which is so weird. It causes scabs which I will pick over and over and over again.

I'm just so sick of it. If it helps at all, I've been diagnosed with Depression, Anxiety, Panic Disorder, and Borderline Personality Disorder. I take Zoloft, and the psychiatrist prescribed me Zyprexa. But I think she was stupid for prescribing that to a Bulimic because it can cause severe weight gain. I've tried everything, covering my mirror, putting lotion on instead. I even painted my fingernails five times in one day because the urge kept coming back. It's literally driving me up the wall. :(
Helpful - 0
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