2 replies to this topic

[blinkiii]

I have had pretty severe acne since the time I was 8. When I was younger, my mom always told me to just pick everything and I was completely oblivious to the fact that it was actually making my skin worse. I am now 17 and still haven't broken the habit of picking because over the years I have actually grown to really enjoy my "picking time". It's kind of therapeutic to me.
Although, I think 9 years is starting to get a little out of hand. I pick for at least a half an hour every night and it's really starting to show on my skin. I am already getting noticeable acne scars at my considerably young age. Once upon a time my acne was actually completely gone (thanks to accutane) but through my obsession with picking and touching my face it has come back.


Can someone please help me break this habit for good? Because I am really sick of dealing with it...

[mameha]

I feel you because I know how incredibly tempting it is!

It's the most tempting when I've got a painful one that has a massive white head, just begging to be squeezed.

What I do to stop myself is I start this argument for myself:

Do I want what's best for the short-term or long-term?

Short-term: I'll purge the pimple in hopes it will disappear sooner with the potential of spreading bacteria or scarring

Long-term: Leaving the pimple be knowing that it will eventually heal, and minimize the risk of making the breakout worse or leaving a nasty scar

[iskaestar]

I feel for you. It's hard to know that we "like" doing something that can hurt us. I wish I would have known before that picking made not only the scarring worse, but the acne itself worsen. I've found that reading about people's experiences has been encouraging. I'm trying to be mindful.