Today is day 2 of no picking for me. All the marks I picked earlier this week are healing, and I'm really hoping they don't scar. I signed this contract [Edited link out] and hung it on my mirror. So far it has been helpful.

I've been reading the same book.! I too have this issue with anxiety and picking. it's awful. sometime I cant sleep at night knowing what I just did to my face.

I love the contract! I will also sign it and tape it in my bathroom.

thanks ! we can do this!!!!

hugs

On 11/25/2014 at 1:49 AM, nancypan23 said:

I've been reading the same book.! I too have this issue with anxiety and picking. it's awful. sometime I cant sleep at night knowing what I just did to my face.

I love the contract! I will also sign it and tape it in my bathroom.

thanks ! we can do this!!!!

hugs

It's a great book! This article is also really great and gives a lot of wonderful ideas: [Edited link out]

I can totally relate to not being able to sleep because of picking at my face. I actually sometimes get panic attacks because of the damage I've done. What actually prompted me to get the book and start this log was a horrible picking session which left scabs all over my face I had a panicky feeling in my chest for two days after doing that. I don't want that to happen again and I don't want anymore scars so I'm determined to not pick this time! Feel free to post your your picking journey on here as well if you'd like. I think it's helpful.

Thanks for the link!!! I'm actually thinking about going to one of the support groups. It'll be hard for me. I feel so embarrassed. I only recently told everything to my husband, and i've known him for 10 years! He knew i had the problem, but not the deep emotional stress that goes with it. It was great to finally tell him.

I know the anx feeling all too well. Even just this morning i picked a small pimple on my cheek and chin. now i'm so scared and anxious that it will get infected and worse. but i have to remind myself, even if it does, it'll be ok. i'll be ok. it's just a blemish and no one cares. it will heal over time. Also, i have to stop beating myself up over it. Breathe!

thanks for letting me vent. keep in touch. This might be good for us all

i used to pick all the time ...thinking that could help

but what help me stop is realising that even touching my face could cause acne so im scared to even touch my face and that stoped picking also

sorry for my english

I can relate so much.. Wish I could feel good about myself everyday. I hate the fact that my face has a big influence on how my day will be. The best remedy is to avoid mirrors at all time.. Time does heal open wounds

Hey guys! Sorry to hear so many of you are struggling just like me. My boyfriend knows about my picking problem. I finally admitted it to him after I picked at my face and felt too ashamed to see him. He's great, though, and loves me even though I sometimes tear apart my face.

Anyway, today is day 3 of not picking! My face is healing well from my last picking session and some of the scabs are flaking off. I'm trying to keep them on there as long as possible, though, to avoid scars.

Hey Paige,

Here's some strategies that worked for me. Train yourself to walk past the mirror when you have to use the toilet. Pee in the dark if you have to. Also, keep your nails short. For me this was necessary. Nail marks always make everything look 10 times worse, and oils under your nails can get into broken skin. When you must pop a zit, be smart about it. Don't force it. If it doesn't pop easily, walk away from the mirror. Leave scabs alone to heal and be militant about treating them gently. No wash cloths. No scrubs. When you encounter an unpoppable zit, especially those deep under-the-skin ones, walk away from the mirror. Don't even waste your time. Just walk away. When you feel the mania threatening to take over, walk away from the mirror. Because at that point, you aren't thinking straight and aren't in a good frame of mind to help your skin. It's the mania that drives you to do things that don't make sense, like spend hours in front of the mirror. It's hard not to develop OCD behaviors when you have a chronic skin condition. To this day, even though I am clear, I still periodically feel my face throughout the day for little sebum plugs or any random zits. I no longer have a picking fetish but it's the old mania still driving me to look for things that aren't there. Luckily my skin never was prone to scarring easily or I would have a lot more than I do.

Being smart about picking really helps prevent or minimize scars, but avoiding it altogether is even better. Obviously being diligent about your skin care plan is important. Eliminate the zits and you eliminate the picking...easier said than done I know!

I know these can be awkward things to discuss or admit to people. Kudos to you for being so proactive with this...not an easy thing to overcome and probably harder to beat than the acne itself IMO. So well done!

Best of luck!

Hey Paige,

Here's some strategies that worked for me. Train yourself to walk past the mirror when you have to use the toilet. Pee in the dark if you have to. Also, keep your nails short. For me this was necessary. Nail marks always make everything look 10 times worse, and oils under your nails can get into broken skin. When you must pop a zit, be smart about it. Don't force it. If it doesn't pop easily, walk away from the mirror. Leave scabs alone to heal and be militant about treating them gently. No wash cloths. No scrubs. When you encounter an unpoppable zit, especially those deep under-the-skin ones, walk away from the mirror. Don't even waste your time. Just walk away. When you feel the mania threatening to take over, walk away from the mirror. Because at that point, you aren't thinking straight and aren't in a good frame of mind to help your skin. It's the mania that drives you to do things that don't make sense, like spend hours in front of the mirror. It's hard not to develop OCD behaviors when you have a chronic skin condition. To this day, even though I am clear, I still periodically feel my face throughout the day for little sebum plugs or any random zits. I no longer have a picking fetish but it's the old mania still driving me to look for things that aren't there. Luckily my skin never was prone to scarring easily or I would have a lot more than I do.

Being smart about picking really helps prevent or minimize scars, but avoiding it altogether is even better. Obviously being diligent about your skin care plan is important. Eliminate the zits and you eliminate the picking...easier said than done I know!

I know these can be awkward things to discuss or admit to people. Kudos to you for being so proactive with this...not an easy thing to overcome and probably harder to beat than the acne itself IMO. So well done!

Best of luck!

Thank you for all the tips. This was very helpful to read!

Today is day 6 of not picking. Today I feel like I really want to pick because I have an itchy bump on my face. So far I have been good about not giving in.

Im a picker as well and what you write really hits home with me

I had my last horrible session before Halloween and still see the scars everyday in the mirror

Ive been trying my best to never do that again..at times I feel the anxiety rising

I try to avoid mirrors..especially after washing in the evening...as little time in the bathroom as possible is best for me...hope you are still doing well

stay strong!!!!

kim

wow 6 days without picking. awesome!!! I'm jealous! I've been keeping a log book and I cant seem to go two days without picking. I feel like I have idle hands. aggrrr

I have been doing better, but I want so bad to stop too. thanks for letting me vent. All your posts give me strength and I realize I'm not alone.

Im a picker as well and what you write really hits home with me

I had my last horrible session before Halloween and still see the scars everyday in the mirror

Ive been trying my best to never do that again..at times I feel the anxiety rising

I try to avoid mirrors..especially after washing in the evening...as little time in the bathroom as possible is best for me...hope you are still doing well

stay strong!!!!

kim

Sorry to hear you struggle with the same thing. Avoiding mirrors has really helped me, so has taping that no picking contract on my mirror. I'm still doing good. Today is day 8! Unfortunately I also have some hyperpigmentation and scars from my last picking session, but I'm hopeful that they will fade.

wow 6 days without picking. awesome!!! I'm jealous! I've been keeping a log book and I cant seem to go two days without picking. I feel like I have idle hands. aggrrr

I have been doing better, but I want so bad to stop too. thanks for letting me vent. All your posts give me strength and I realize I'm not alone.

Two days is not bad! I used to not be able to go much longer than that either. I think my picking just got so destructive recently that it made me feel like I reached rock bottom and needed to stop for good. The longest I've ever gone without picking is 11 days. Today is day 8, and I'm hoping I can beat my record and continue going from there. Feel free to continue posting on the thread!

Despite the lack of updates lately (was sick and busy with work), I'm still going strong! Today is day 13! That's officially the longest I've gone without picking! I have definitely been tempted to pick, but I've been able to resist. What has helped me the most is not getting very close to the mirror and using dim lighting. I've had a few small spots crop up, but thankfully they have seemed to go away quickly. My nose is actually the hardest thing for me to not pick. I have lots of blackheads/ sebaceous filaments in my nose and they drive me crazy. I feel like they look so gross and other people can see them so I get tempted to squeeze them out so my nose is more "presentable." I haven't done this in 13 days, though, and it has definitely been a challenge. My initial goal was to get past day 11 which was my previous record. I think my new goal will be one month.

I'm a picker and I do now wait til they have white heads but I'm told to not pick ever on accutane but these spots are large pussy white heads.... If I didn't pick them what would happen?

I'm a picker and I do now wait til they have white heads but I'm told to not pick ever on accutane but these spots are large pussy white heads.... If I didn't pick them what would happen?

They'd probably pop on their own. Have you heard of hydrocolloid bandages? They suck all the white out of the whitehead. There's a great brand I like called nexcare acne patches.

Hey Paige! Congrats on 2 weeks...WOW!!!!!! (the catdance is from KLM15, our sister Site Watcher!)

Well done!!!

I picked at my nose today. I don't really feel too bad because I didn't cause any damage. I had so many little black dots on my nose I couldn't take it anymore. I lightly squeezed them about and applied a gentle peel to hopefully prevent them from filling back up. That has never work in the past, though :/

I haven't posted in a little while. I'm still doing quite good at not picking. After my nose picking session I did pick at my nose a few more times including today. I squeezed a blackhead on the side of my nose pretty hard and I think it might form some sort of scab. Other than that I've been good at not picking. The rest of my face looks great. I've been using TCA peels and they've really helped keep my pores clean. I don't want to pick at my nose anymore so that's why I'm updating this log (to give me incentive). So here we go again, day 1!

Hey dude, I've been picking for ages, but I did stop for a few months about, hmmmm maybe a year ago. lol Anyway, since then I've obviously 'picked' up the habit again, but I'm going to stop for good this time. I think this site might help me a bit because I'll have people to actually put me up to the challenge of stopping. So, your day two is gonna be my day 1. Well, actually since I already picked today, I guess tomorrow will be my day 1. Anyhow, I hope we can both help each other out!

I failed my first day, and picked, so tomorrow will be day 1 again. I can do this though!

I failed my first day, and picked, so tomorrow will be day 1 again. I can do this though!

me again. it's been awhile since I've posted here myself. I love reading everyones successes and nots. It makes me feel like i'm not alone. I keep trying to go just one day without picking. It's hard this stressful holiday season. I picked this morning at something that only I could see. why!!!? who the hell knows!

tomorrow will also be my new day 1. i'm with you all! we can do this

I totally failed again too lol. But today is my first day again and I didn't really pick so far

Good luck to you! I am glad we're all together on this annoying journey lol

I'm glad to see so many people are also trying to stop picking! I wound up in the hospital a few nights ago, and that's the reason for my lack of updates. I almost went back last night because of some pain I was having. Thankfully, I didn't have to, but when I was in pain last night I picked at my face It doesn't look that bad, but I am so mad at myself because I went so long only picking at my nose a little! Oh well. I'll be starting again with you guys. Today is day 1.

I already messed up and picked a whitehead that resulted from my picking yesterday. The hardest time to not pick is right after you've picked (at least for me). When I pick at blackheads they usually turn into inflamed bumps the next day which are the hardest for me not to pick.