[SophiaG]

Have you ever played with one of those Kneaded Erasers that artists use ? i bought one and i cant stop playing with it. I play with it instead of picking at myself!

Now, i'm not sure but I think that if I use this long enough and then slowly wean myself off of it, i'll have an end to my face picking problem!

I just thought I'd share this discovery with other sufferers of CSP.

[Knitnut]

I was just going to post here to see if anyone on this forum knows of this problem. I have been doing some research and found the answer to my questions: Dermatillomania.

I am sorry to say that I need to visit this forum!!

Has you been successful stopping this compulsive obsession?

[krzyk101]

I am obsessing on what a kneaded eraser is? I feel a need to exit for a moment and google it and possibly find out and then return to try give all a definition, I am really hoping an image, as I have bad skin picking problems and now my mind is going in circles wondering what this eraser is, I will work on this and try and return here in a bit before I go nuts wondering.

[kris9999]

I didn't even know that face picking was a problem like this. I have been face picking for years. Needless to say just a small pimple on my face lasts months because of my constant picking. I've tried to stop but I get SO aggitated when I'm trying to force myself to stop. I even do it without realizing some times and than I see what I'm doing mid "pick" (gross I know) and I'm pretty much yelling inside my head telling myself to stop but I just can't. I continue until there is nothing left to pick. Every one says my face will get scars but I have been lucky enough to not get any. Yet.
I try to pick at other places on my body, I'm even relieved when I get a small nick on my leg or arm. It gives me something to pick at when I start on my face, yet it's still not satisfying and I end up at my face in the end any ways. I have a mark on my arm that I have been picking at for years. It's a freckle/mole that I picked off when I was about 11 and of course it left a little scar but when I get too stressed and need to pick something I go for that if everything is gone from my face.
I don't have bad acne at all, if I would stop picking at my face I know it would clear up fast. I just can't.
I have other signs of OCD, for instance as soon as I walk out my front door and lock the door I HAVE to go back inside to make sure the stove is turned off and the hair straightner is unplugged. Even if I haven't used them. If I don't I will be extremely uneasy until I get home.
I got to the point where I was on my way to the doctors and got 1/2 way there and knew I didn't check the stove but I was running late so I tried to push it out of my mind. It didn't work so I had to turn around and go all the way back home (my doctor was about 30 minutes away) just to check and make sure I didn't leave the stove on. And I didn't use the stove that day and I knew I didn't.
I wasn't aware however that skin picking was related in any way until now. Until today and this thread I thought it was just a bad habit.

[RebbieDoll]

Another thing I've found that helps me is peeling bark off twigs until they're perfectly smooth. It satisfies that desire to "fix"

[Maven]

As far as kneaded erasers go, you can buy them at arts and crafts stores like Michael's and A.C. Moore, and probably at Wal-mart, too. Just look in the drawing section.

[TheTrishgu]

A kneaded eraser just isn't as satisfying as picking my head.

EDIT: Maybe I will pick the eraser?

[mouseie]

i just heard about myself and im one of preson that pick my face and neck ears they say is cormon in OCD. im new around here

[Amanda_1981]

Thank you for the advice of the eraser! I am a REALLY bad skin picker... mostly it's with my fingers and nails. I pick 'hangy nails' and the skin right around my finger nails ALL the time to the point where my nails bleed and are SO short. I will give the eraser a try!! Thanks!

[zainyzoe]

hey all,

I did a search today as picking my skin (face in particular) is becoming more and more of a problem for me, i never realised it was a such a widespread problem or that it was even related to OCD and anxiety until i stumbled upon this site...
www . skinpick . com
It gives so much info on the various different forms of picking problems, there are also forums to discuss issues and get support for stopping. They also advertise a book which sounds good called skin pick; compulsive skin picking disorders by David Florendale (which i found on amazon for slightly less)

On the subject of finding a 'cure' i have noticed that when i had acryllic nails done for a wedding that it is a lot harder to pick at face, arms, legs or scabs etc as the edges of the acryllics are too blunt to make any serious damage! If its nails and cutitcle picking thats the problem then i'm not sure this will help but it may be woth a try still as acryllics are really tough so chewing them off will take a lot more effort than just chewing your nails and it may help you become aware of what your doing as to help break the habit (and you get to pick the glue instead lol!) Cuticles... not so sure but it would depend how badly picked and raw they are already...

Wow, I never realised that skin picking was so common in OCD! I pick at the skin on my fingers, hangnails, and I pick at my face. It's very frustrating because any blemishes on my face will last much longer since I'm always picking at them. I do this all day, even at school, and I'm POSITIVE that my classmates see me do it and get grossed out, (I also eat the skin that I pick off) and it creates a lot of anxiety for me.