[SophiaG]

Ok, so I know I am struggling with school right now and honestly its the first of my priorities I want to get straightened out, but for the past few years I've been compulsively picking at my face to the point where my mother, my grandmother and even my old nurse comment on it. (my mom is forever trying to get me to stop doing it)

I do it as a self-soothing behavior. If i am very stressed out, guess what, my face gets pretty messed up. I pick at scars/pimples/bumps on my face until they become wounds and then i pick the scabs off. (I know this may sound gross and I'm sorry if I am grossing you out)

The reason why I am posting about this is because I think it causes me imparement in my day-to-day activities. Like, it just makes me look weird to pick at my forehead or arms or legs...or back. It's just weird. It makes me look "absent minded" as my mother said to me.

Unlike other people who suffer from this, I do not use anything besides my fingernails. I know some people use actual objects like a scapel or a pair of sissors. I dont.

But it's still bad because it makes me look weird and probably makes me look as though I have something wrong with my head. Plus, it'd be nice to have nice clear skin again.

So this is something I want to work on and will begin to in earnest more over summer break.

Any tips or suggestions would be appreciated.

Ok, mental list...

1) Improve school-work
2) work on skin picking

[SophiaG]

OMG guys. guys! I've stopped picking my face!

This is a HUGE victory for me.

I've been "clear" for like 3 weeks or so. And i've never had that happen before.

All it took was applying a skin care routine to my face and now the urge to pick is gone because ...well...i'm taking care of my face.

Maybe in a weird way with the picking i was trying to take care of my skin?

Anyways. YAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[armatthaei]

Sophia,

I am glad that you found out about this destructive behavior when you did. I was almost 30 before it was diagnosed. I had even been treated for about 4 years at a major university medical center for my depression and anxiety, but no one seemed to catch on to what was happening. I think my picking started about the time I was 10 years old. It also sounds like you are lucky to have limited your picking to your face. I pretty much have picked at just about every part of my body.

I primarily use my finger nails also, but when I get really obessessed, I do get in these fit where I insist on trying to pull out all my facial hair w/ a tweezers. Actually, my only hospitalization was about a year ago, when I went into a trance like state and and was lancing some "bumps" on my ear lobe with a sewing needle. I snapped out of it when I felt blood running down my neck. It scared me so much I didn't even stop to pack for the hospital, I just drove myself there and asked to be admitted. (Had I stopped to pack, I probably would have talked myself out of going.)

I was lucky that my out patient psychiatrist was around because he could see that was so much more distressed than usual. I also knew that I needed to keep this behavior under control @ my next job when I traveled to a major research facility, so when I noticed the pick marks on my face, I called back to my doc and we developed a plan to access a psychiatrist in the area where I was at. It never did happen because the job ended early. (It seems to be that I subconsiously knew something was going to happen.)

I still don't have the habit licked, but at least for right now, I am not so stressed out that I am picking.

I just want to wish you healing.

[justdontknow]

That is great Sophia! It is wonderful to hear that you had this success.

[SophiaG]

I"m still struggling with this.

I'm trying to take better care of my skin and my face is still clear. I still get urges to pick and I don't know why.

Somehow I feel like my hygiene and picking are related. My hygiene routine has become much more intricate than it used to be.

[SophiaG]

I notice that the first step I do when I go to pick at myself is to "inspect" my skin. Either I do it with my fingers or I lean closer to the mirror.

I'm currently trying to stop myself when I find myself "inspecting".

[SophiaG]

I am still inspecting. Every time I catch myself doing it, i tell myself "stop inspecting." and pull my fingers away from my skin.

[JustAPixie]

(((( Sophia ))))

These things take time and it sounds like you are making tremendous progress. Keep trying and don't give up.

Pix

[sujunew]

Sophia,
I think that it really is just a time thing, and dependent on what is happening at the time. I started picking at my lips 26 years ago, and it progressed from there. My fingernails are my 'tool' too, and I find bumps that maybe weren't even bumps to begin with. I can't leave the scabs alone, and the more I pick the bigger and worse they become. The things that have helped me to decrease this behaviour include keeping my fingernails as short as possible; CBT (which I did for SI behaviour and which applies to this); and as you said greater awareness around times of 'inspecting'. It is even harder to control when you dissosciate or are unaware that you are doing it, so this greater awareness is really important. Good luck, and I hope you have longer and longer periods of clear skin

[sane1logic1]

Originally Posted by SophiaG

... Somehow I feel like my hygiene and picking are related. My hygiene routine has become much more intricate than it used to be.

Although I'm a bloke, thanks for the clue.

[Gently1]

I think getting over picking is a daily event.
Like now I just noticed I was picking the psorasis on my scalp.

Thanks to your post, I checked in with myself, and will treat with area with the medication.

g1

[lavieenrose]

Skin picking has been an enormous problem for me. I deal with depression, anxiety, and ADD. I've always had oily skin and would squeeze pores, which caused enlargement. I went through a horrible time a few years ago. Hormone changes led to acne rosacea which led to the worst picking of my life. For 2 and a half years, I was out of control. My face was covered in open wounds, and I didn't leave the house for a week at a time. I still don't know what that was about. It's much better now, but the urge hasn't disappeared. I feel a lot of embarrassment about the appearance of my skin, rough, thickened, waxy, flaking, and sometimes flushing red. I already had a full plate emotionally before this skin problem started. One day at a time.

[dondvs]

I pick the skin in, under and around my nail almost incessantly when watching television or reading a book (which I absolutely love). The skin gets very tender, bleeds and then heals and has hard rough areas that are prime fro repicking! It's an endless cycle, and I don't know how to quit this nasty, embarassing compulsion. I have been diagnosed with BPD. Any help out there for the picking problem? Suggestions are so very welcome.

[sujunew]

Arggggghhhhhhhh!! How can I stop??? Only came to this forum because I forgot the name 'dermatillimania' but could also really use some advice right now. My face has never been so bad, and I have never had so many ppl asking me outright what has happened. I have caused friction burns in 1 part that now have lumps of liquid under them in places which makes it look even worse. Is there anything I can do (besides trying to squeeze the liquid out which has been unsuccessful) to help clear this up, PLEASE?

[SophiaG]

I met someone in the bathroom today at school, she was picking at her face. It made me feel not as alone, but i didn't say anything to her and she just walked away.

I need to quit this behavior. I started picking when I was quite young, and it really escalated when I started with acne as a teenager. My face was an obvious target, but over the years I progressed to different parts of my body - my chest and shoulders being worst affected. It's like obsessive grooming, but it's stupid because it ruins and scars my skin. It's a really addictive thing to do, though, and I find myself in a trance sometimes before I manage to stop myself and think 'what have I done?'

My worst problem at the moment is that since I started epilating and shaving the hair off my arms and legs, I sometimes get ingrown hairs, or the hair is below the surface, and I have the bad habit of squeezing the pores or digging around with needles or tweezers. I make problems where there were none. Sometimes I wind up looking like I have a really bad rash.

My skin is awful, pretty much everywhere except my hands and feet. I don't tend to pick my face much anymore, and I use a lot of makeup to help cover up the damage (including filling in my eyebrows that I messed up with years of obsessively plucking.)

I'm jealous that most people can be so carefree about wearing short sleeved tops, shorts and skirts, low cut or backless dresses, and go about without makeup -- all without having to worry about how their skin looks. Even if I stopped picking today, my skin will never be good again. My forearms were about the only part of my body I was comfortable showing - but although the picking hasn't ruined them, recent SI has. Every part of my body is now ruined with blemishes, scars, or stretch marks. I hate that I have to hide and cover up like I do.

I won't go on holiday anywhere hot because I can't wear anything summery, let alone a swimming costume or bikini. I don't have relationships because I can't stand for anyone to see my body or what I do to it. I live with this shame every day and can't tell anyone. I can't believe I even posted it here.

[unaluna]

You're still young so your skin is still elastic and has good collagen and is reparable. Every 7 years all your cells replace so it's like a whole new you. Actually I find that a little sun evens out my picking scars. My t has such smooth beautiful skin - he says he "uses a lot of product"! Although his nail cuticles are a little dry... he is a good role model for me.

[salukigirl]

I guess I never thought about it before but I pick all the time. My bf gets really upset. I pick at scabs, zits, fingernails and even my cuticles to the point of bleeding. I don't even realize I'm doing it. I didn't know it was like....a.....real "thing"? I thought I was just weird.

[Amoslass]

OH. WOW. This is a thing??? There's a name and all? Why hasn't anyone told me about this and why has no doctor diagnosed me with this (because I need ANOTHER label attached to me, don't I?)

I started biting my nails when I was 6, and it got really bad, I'd bite right down to the quick, they would bleed and get infected. When I started going through puberty I picked at my spots ALL the time. I'd find spots that were probably not even that bad and scatch and pick. On my face, my legs, my arms, my back, my shoulders....I'd find bumps on my scalp and pick at those, making them so bad they'd take weeks to heal, if I even let them heal. I'm now 32 and my nail biting is so much better, jst the odd nibble, but the picking is still bad. It seems to have gotten worse now my self-harm has eased off a bit. Is it connected to anxiety at all? That would make sense in my case....

[Chatnoir]

I was also excited to see that dermotillomania is a thing. I've had this problem for as long as I can remember. I have scars on my legs, chest, back, arms, scalp and face that will never go away. I have noticed that they do lighten after a time. My legs are the worst, there are scar on top of other scars, although my scalp has probably suffered the most damage but the hair covers it (mostly, have to be careful where I part my hair).

Funny how I never even thought of it as a mental thing, or something that I can be rid of. There were times when I would miss the bus for school because I was up in the bathroom, in a trance, picking my legs and unable to stop even when my mom would bang on the door. Now that I know this actually has a name (how cool is that?) I can discuss it with my doctor, I've never mentioned it before because I was ashamed. I always thought it was me, that I was odd, but somehow knowing it's and actual disorder makes coming to terms with it so much easier.

[7NKI]

Sophia- I can relate to your struggle completely! I think you're on the right track- I used to pick my face pretty regularly until I started investing in expensive (for me, lol) facial products. The thought of having to wipe blood off of my face and wash it and reapply (waste) my moisturizer helped me break the cycle. My hair-pulling is another matter entirely, but the dermatilia has all but disappeared. Also, I found that using a microdermabrasion home-kit once a wk helped me not pick my face- a big trigger for me used to be "blackheads" on my chin....of course they weren't really blackheads, but instead were just normal pores, but all the squeezing would create huge pimples which would exacerbate the picking. Exfoliating regularly (and spoiling myself with good moisturizer) has eased this compulsion. I hope you continue to find relief and your path to healing is straight and quick! take care and good luck!