74 replies to this topic

[quitting]

Hey This is my second attempt at the 11 day challenge. My first attempt ended on the 6th day because I picked. Hopefully I'll complete it this time! Anyone who wants to try the challenge of no skin/acne picking for 11 days, go for it!

Today is the first day of my second attempt and I didn't pick, yay!

[kiaora]

I want to join you in 11 days of not picking! I reduced the picking the last couple of days but I totally need to stop squeezing. This morning I popped a few tiny whiteheads.
I have a lot of hyperpigmentation spots and clogged pores. I know that I have made it a lot worse over the years by not letting my skin heal by itself.

I hope that joining you on this forum will help me in the process to fight compulsive skin picking!

Goodluck

Some thoughts that could help:
-Picking is NEVER worth it
-Stressing about not picking is better than stressing over damaged skin
-No more will I injure my skin. I have been complicating the life of each blemish unwittingly for years.
-We are on the road to recovery.

This is the day that I stop picking.

[quitting]

The second day of the challenge is almost up and I haven't picked I really want to complete this challenge to the end! I can't keep picking to deal with my problems. That's what I'm going to keep telling myself until I believe it.

kiaora - I'm glad you joined! I hope this helps you too! Whenever you feel like picking, just post about it instead of doing it, it really helps. Also we can motivate each other. I've also made my skin much worse by picking and not letting it heal because I'll just pick again. Thanks for the thoughts. It was weird because I tell myself the same exact thing as the first two thoughts you mentioned. Good luck to you too!

[kiaora]

Keep up the good work!

It is morning here now and I hope this will be a day free of skin picking!
There's another thing that I should stop doing that much, looking in a small mirror on my desk all the time to analyze my face/spots. Do you check your face often?

Does washing your face with warm water and then rubbing a little bit harder with a washcloth counts as picking (so that some tiny whiteheads go away)?
It is probably not that great for my skin as I always read that you have to be soft because your skin is sensitive.

Bye!

[kiaora]

I feel BAD.

I'm not going to a group dinner because of my face. I don't want to sit in class all day tomorrow in the spotlights because of my skin. I am a beautiful girl with bad skin. The previous week I started to notice the many scars/hyperpigmentation I already have under the corners of my mouth due to acne (and picking). And it just keeps on going.

I have not picked my face today but my skin looks terrible, even worse. There are several new pimples and I put tea tree oil on them and it makes it more red.

On my chin (under my mouth corners, this is really the worst place, I always get pimples in that same area, there are a lot of scars but also new inflammations so it can never heal) and next to my nose there are often small whiteheads. I want to get rid of them but this morning they would not go away during wash. I don't know if I should rub harder.

Anyway, I am just trying to write down my sad feelings...

[kiaora]

I am on a fruit/vegie diet with nuts and drinking a lot of water. However my skin is not improving (yet). Since last week I eat many oranges each day and now I read that even oranges could worsen acne..

I just get crazy from all this. I do not know what is best and one site/person would state this and another the contrary.

Plus, today I ordered Emu oil. Even though I promised myself not to order stuff anymore. Recently, I bought H2O moisturizing products but I quit because I don't think it was good.

The last couple of days I hardly put on anything, just washing my face with a cleanser.
I did make an avocado mask everyday, but then I thought it was not that good, maybe I will try it tonight again.

BLEEH

Edited by kiaora, 01 March 2011 - 10:51 AM.

[xgirl]

Coming in a couple days late to this, but I will join you. So today is day 1 for me. It's almost 1pm and I haven't picked today, so here we go.

Brief introduction: Female, 35, have had acne and as a result an OCD about picking since I was 16. My acne comes and goes, and so does my OCD. Or maybe it's the other way around. Maybe when my OCD lies dormant I don't have acne? Anyway, I have made HUGE strides in the past 6 weeks or so to stop picking. I'm not perfect and I have no ability it seems to leave a "ripe" pimple alone. Still, I've stopped touching my face in search of every lump or bump to scratch and pick at.

I had a bad day yesterday. I had a pimple under my chin and went to town on it. Actually, now that I think of it, the first thing I did today was try to pop 2 pimples. So I guess maybe today isn't day 1 afterall.

Anyway, I want to kick this bad habit 100% to the curb. So bring on an 11 day challenge!

To Kiaora-- hugs. Keep writing it out rather than taking it out on your face. Hang in there!

[kiaora]

Coming in a couple days late to this, but I will join you. So today is day 1 for me. It's almost 1pm and I haven't picked today, so here we go.

Brief introduction: Female, 35, have had acne and as a result an OCD about picking since I was 16. My acne comes and goes, and so does my OCD. Or maybe it's the other way around. Maybe when my OCD lies dormant I don't have acne? Anyway, I have made HUGE strides in the past 6 weeks or so to stop picking. I'm not perfect and I have no ability it seems to leave a "ripe" pimple alone. Still, I've stopped touching my face in search of every lump or bump to scratch and pick at.

I had a bad day yesterday. I had a pimple under my chin and went to town on it. Actually, now that I think of it, the first thing I did today was try to pop 2 pimples. So I guess maybe today isn't day 1 afterall.

Anyway, I want to kick this bad habit 100% to the curb. So bring on an 11 day challenge!

To Kiaora-- hugs. Keep writing it out rather than taking it out on your face. Hang in there!

Thanks. Great that you joined! Even though this forum makes me kinda sad, reading your message also made me smile.

Best of luck!

[quitting]

Today is the third day and I didn't pick!

[kiaora]

Today is the third day and I didn't pick!

Good for you!
I already failed for today...
So I need to start over. I do not think I can do it.
My skin is all red now because I washed it too harsh.

[xgirl]

Today is the third day and I didn't pick!

Good for you!
I already failed for today...
So I need to start over. I do not think I can do it.
My skin is all red now because I washed it too harsh.

yes you can! tomorrow is a new day. But don't wait til then, start NOW. Hands down!

I know what you mean, I had a picky day yesterday. But don't give up. It's SO worth just trying again. If you need encouragement to why NOT to pick, I will post some pics for you of me 7 weeks ago when I picked like crazy, and me today, where I "mostly" have it under control. HUGE difference. I am a work in progress and every day takes effort, but if I can do it (hello, 20 years of picking!), anyone can!

[kiaora]

yes you can! tomorrow is a new day. But don't wait til then, start NOW. Hands down!

I know what you mean, I had a picky day yesterday. But don't give up. It's SO worth just trying again. If you need encouragement to why NOT to pick, I will post some pics for you of me 7 weeks ago when I picked like crazy, and me today, where I "mostly" have it under control. HUGE difference. I am a work in progress and every day takes effort, but if I can do it (hello, 20 years of picking!), anyone can!

Thanks. Yes, I can do it! It is indeed a work in progress.
I'm just having a very difficult time. Been struggling with psychological and physical problems for quite some time already.

Do you want to upload your pics?

Edited by kiaora, 02 March 2011 - 09:12 AM.

[09alisa]

I want to do this. I'm new to this site, and I've tried to stop picking so many times. I feel like my life revolves around my acne. I try to stop picking, and sometimes I just find myself doing it when I'm bored. I just want to stop more than anything. Do you ever feel like people won't look at you in the eyes when they are talking to you? I feel like they look away when talking to me so they don't have to look at my hideous face. I want to feel beautiful for once. Is that too mush to ask?

Do you guys have any advice? This is day 1 for me.

[xgirl]

I want to do this. I'm new to this site, and I've tried to stop picking so many times. I feel like my life revolves around my acne. I try to stop picking, and sometimes I just find myself doing it when I'm bored. I just want to stop more than anything. Do you ever feel like people won't look at you in the eyes when they are talking to you? I feel like they look away when talking to me so they don't have to look at my hideous face. I want to feel beautiful for once. Is that too mush to ask?

Do you guys have any advice? This is day 1 for me.

It's not easy. The day I decided to STOP IT was a long time coming. I couldn't do it the day before, or the day before that, or a week before, etc. It was that moment that I had had enough and said "ENOUGH" and there was no looking back. Every time my hands touch my face and find a bump, they want to pick. It takes major effort to tell myself to put my hands down, leave it alone, that the bump doesn't NEED to be picked. My brain understands logicially, but there is this impulse inside me that says "NO, I NEED TO PICK". For me it's been hard, but doable. And it's been about 6 or 7 weeks now and I have gone to picking ferociously to probably just one time (like, at one zit) a day. Now I want to go cold turkey. Today is day 1 again, since yesterday I had a setback.

Just keep swimming!

OK, pics coming. Let me set that up.

[xgirl]

Here is January 21st:

before

And this is me now (6 weeks later?). Not perfect. Lots of scarring and hyperpigmentation. And I have one picked spot on my neck. But much better.

today

and it will only get better if I keep it up.

I recommend doing before pics, then taking progress pics. It will keep you motivated that NOT PICKING does work!!!

good luck!

[madswim]

So I am new to this site, but I am going to try the 11 day no pick challenge with you! I want to quit picking so bad... I am determined to stop. I have notes all over my room reminding me DO NOT PICK! And they are helping I think because I haven't picked all day! Day 1= success hopefully I can keep it up for the next 10 days and beyond...

[quitting]

kiaora - Yes, I check my face and skin often for blemishes. In order to stop picking we need to stop checking our skin. Since I started the challenge I've tried not to check my skin, maybe you should try the same Get rid of the mirror on your desk , it should help.

I wouldn't count rubbing your skin hardly with a cloth as picking. So although it isn't good for your skin as you said, if it stops you from picking, I'd say its ok. Be careful because you don't want to form a bad habit of always rubbing your skin aggressively.

It's great that you're trying to talk it out instead of pick! Please don't let acne control your life, go to that dinner. Remember that even if you think it looks bad, it'll definitely look worse if you pick.

I think you might be irritating your skin with the different things you're using to try to clear it up. After you've tried a couple of things, try to stick to the one you felt worked the best or give your skin some time off and see how that goes.

You can do it! You can quit! We all can, we just have to try really hard. It's ok that you picked since at least you're trying again, like I did

[quitting]

xgirl - Yay you joined! I'm glad that you've improved when it comes to picking and that you're trying to quit. The progress on your skin looks good! Hopefully this challenge will help you (and all of us) quit. I'm a compulsive, OCD, subconscious, self-injurer, and whatever else exists when it comes to picking so I feel for you. Best of luck to you!

[quitting]

09alisa - I'm glad you joined this site and this challenge! I also somewhat recently joined this site (January) because I wanted to stop picking. I'm sorry you feel that people don't look you in the eyes because of your skin. I hope they aren't doing it on purpose Feeling beautiful is not too much to ask for! Hopefully when you stop picking you will feel better about yourself

[quitting]

Day four = I didn't pick I've been forcing myself to not think about picking and to not look in the mirror. I think it's helped. So here's advice: Rather than focusing on not picking, focus on not thinking about your skin and not looking at your skin... not touching/picking your skin should follow. Don't think. Don't look. Don't touch.

madswim - Welcome to this site and I'm happy you joined the challenge! I also want to quit picking really badly. I'm glad you're trying to remind yourself not to pick. Next to the notes, try putting up pics of your skin when you've picked it. I've never tried that, but maybe it'll work. Yay you passed the first day keep it up!