No one’s posted in a while. But this thread spoke to me. I too meet the criteria for dermatillomania (excoriation disorder), but I haven’t been officially diagnosed for it. It’s an embarrassing habit that I’ve never really talked about with anyone.

I squeeze my clogged pores (or what I think are clogged pores) all over my face, chest, arms, and sometimes legs. Sometimes it’s just before bed, sometimes it’s just before doing something stressful like work, or school, or an appointment.

I’ve been doing this for years since puberty when I started developing acne. My skin picking habit was very bad then. I would literally sit in front of a mirror for hours trying to get every last one I could see. I just felt so compelled to do so. The pain from picking was strangely satisfying.

I’m better about it today. If I do pick, I don’t do it for as nearly as long. But then again, maybe it’s just because my acne isn’t as bad as it was then.

Now that I have a better understanding of my body and its needs, I take some measures to keep my skin from becoming too bad:

I make sure to wash my face, or take a shower and scrub with a salicylic acid cleanser directly after picking myself. It seems to help the redness and swelling go away a little more quickly. I have a theory that this is because the bacteria that was pushed into the skin from the picking is being scrubbed away, allowing for the skin to heal more quickly. The sting from the salicylic acid is also “satisfying” and helps me from picking even more. And most salicylic acid cleansers smell nice, which is a plus.

If you can afford this luxury, I might also suggest makeup for the exposed areas. I tend to save the makeup for the really bad days when I’m stressed and I’m obligated to go somewhere. I tend to leave my face alone when I have makeup on because I don’t want to mess it up.

I’ve also noticed that the condition of my skin is strongly correlated to the elements of my diet. The more oily or buttery things I eat, the worse my skin gets. So, I’ve tried to cut back on the butter, oils, and fats in my diet so my pores don’t become so clogged all the time. Fewer clogged pores = less picking. But it’s been tough giving up on my favorite foods. Everyone’s dietary needs are a little different. Do what’s best for you.

These suggestions are just some things that work ok for me. But they are just superficial treatments for a habit that probably has a deeper underlying problem. And for that, I would recommend professional help if you can afford it.

Why do we pick? Maybe it's some unhealthy desire for perfection, and picking at perceived imperfections is our subconscious way of trying to rid ourselves of them. Who knows.