7 replies to this topic

[LoLo83]

So I've just made the decision (after picking at my face for the last 2 hours and leaving it a bumpy red mess) that i am stopping this picking and prodding- Once and for all. Also gonna throw in stopping chewing at the insides of my mouth and lips- this has given me pretty deep lines over the last years.
I recognise that these habits are most likely from some deep rooted anxiety or OCD but I am just going to try and stop cold turkey....starting now!

Wish me luck

[Geeking]

2 hours?! wow
Best of luck to you!

[Seashell12]

I have done this for years and can really understand how you feel. I'm trying to not pick as well and have gotten a little bit better but I still attempt to destroy my face from time to time when my anxiety flares up. My advice to you is to avoid mirrors and anything that you can see your reflection in well enough to notice your zits. Go outside and do things that distract you from thinking about your face because not only does picking scar aggravate and create new acne, it also takes time out of your day that you could be doing positive productive things. Plus chances are, your acne is really not as bad as you think it is- people do not see your face at every single angle and inspect every little pore. I wish you the best of luck, you can do it!

[LoLo83]

I have done this for years and can really understand how you feel. I'm trying to not pick as well and have gotten a little bit better but I still attempt to destroy my face from time to time when my anxiety flares up. My advice to you is to avoid mirrors and anything that you can see your reflection in well enough to notice your zits. Go outside and do things that distract you from thinking about your face because not only does picking scar aggravate and create new acne, it also takes time out of your day that you could be doing positive productive things. Plus chances are, your acne is really not as bad as you think it is- people do not see your face at every single angle and inspect every little pore. I wish you the best of luck, you can do it!

Thanks Seashell!! How are you getting on with the whole not picking thing at the minute? Have you tried any anxiety relief things, yoga etc?

[LoLo83]

Good luck! I'm doing this too. Best piece of advice: do not at all look in the mirror. Not even a little bit. After a few weeks, you forget how you look, and it makes not picking insanely easier.

If I didn't have PIH scars, I would probably be able to feel okay with the small pimples I have now.. and they were of course scars caused by picking

Thanks!!! The not looking in the mirror thing wil be sooooooo difficult for me i think as I am an obsessive checker of pores etc but gonna try my best. Sick of the cycle of making my acne worse!

[Seashell12]

I have done this for years and can really understand how you feel. I'm trying to not pick as well and have gotten a little bit better but I still attempt to destroy my face from time to time when my anxiety flares up. My advice to you is to avoid mirrors and anything that you can see your reflection in well enough to notice your zits. Go outside and do things that distract you from thinking about your face because not only does picking scar aggravate and create new acne, it also takes time out of your day that you could be doing positive productive things. Plus chances are, your acne is really not as bad as you think it is- people do not see your face at every single angle and inspect every little pore. I wish you the best of luck, you can do it!

Thanks Seashell!! How are you getting on with the whole not picking thing at the minute? Have you tried any anxiety relief things, yoga etc?

I am doing much better but still far from perfect. I'm just slowly learning that picking does not make my face look any better and actually worsens it in the long run so I have to keep reminding myself that! It's definitely hard though, I have my good and bad days. I am an obsessive face checker as well, I am CONSTANTLY examining and making myself depressed and it's been completely killing my social life, so i'm also working on forcing myself to do more things. I am a high anxiety person anyway so I try and do yoga which calms me down a bit but I do not do it nearly enough! Working out helps, abvoiding mirrors helps, talking KINDLY to yourself and saying positive things instead of putting yourself down...sounds so cheesy but it helps!

[meganwillnotpick]

good luck! im doing this too. i mean ive been trying to quit for years, but i really just need to do this.

[Lipslikesugar22]

I use to have this problem very badly when I was younger. Something that helped me. It's going to sound weird. But every time you have that urge to pop something on your face. Go visualize it somewhere else. Like on you tube. Search popped zit.


Eventually you'll stop craving that urge to pick and then you'll realize a minute of seeing the pus come out of your pores is not worth the years of scars you'll have.

Less picking = less bacteria = less acne = more healing. ;-)