Hey all, and happy almost Friday!
After staying up late last night searching this site for some support, I decided to start my own 30 day challenge. The 30 day challenge consists of no picking, popping, or touching the face. I've had acne since I as 11 years old and I'm 16 now. It's been brutal but have managed to not kill myself over it. Right now I'm on Tretinoin .025% gel. It's been almost 3 months and I don't know how I feel about it. Monday, I had one healing zit. Now it's Thursday and I have a face FULL of zits and emerging red bumps. What went wrong?! GAH. My skin always teases me like that. I don't know how much longer I should continue with my Tretinoin. I did just start the .025% a month ago, so maybe that's why. I started on .01% gel.
Anyway, back to the challenge:
I already screwed up today. There's this medium sized pimple by my nose that's sorta under my eye that I just HAD to try popping. I got some stuff out and it bled, but I don't think it's going away anytime soon. These small whiteheads near my mouth are killing me. I want to pop them so bad but I haven't. I even cut my fingernails really short to avoid picking. I don't know what causes me to pick and pop. I think the fact that I try pushing the bacteria out and thinking it'll heal faster is what my problem is. With some zits, yes, you pop them and they're gone with only a mark left behind which is easier to hide then an inflamed zit. Then there are those suckers that once you try popping them they become angry and don't go away. This zit is one of those. I get them in this exact spot every once in a while. It looks like my sinus is inflamed or something. dumb inflammation! I've been putting honey and cinnamon on the zits to avoid picking which seems to be working both at keeping my hands off and helping the zits heal. It's so tempting though. I better not cave in. Whenever I go into the bathroom I look at my face for a new pimple, and pick it. HOPEFULLY that will come to a stop. Maybe my skin would look better if I don't pick. That's what I imagine when I do go picking at a pimple. I imagine that if I don't touch my face it'll heal faster and bacteria won't grow as a result of popping.
Wish me luck.
Picking will put you at risk for scars! I have a few dozen scars because I was picking, and now I'll likely get some punch excisions with Fraxel Re:pair. It'll cost me at least $2000 out-of-pocket! Remind yourself that the brief satisfaction after picking isn't worth the aggravating scars and the high cost later!
Good luck!
hey, i feel your pain. i've picked for best part of 5 years... ive got about 6 small indents from doing it. i think the only way they will ever be smooth is by something like fraxel or dermapen. either way i still pick :/ which is madness. but me, like you, NEEDS to stop. enough is enough
i'll join you on this if you fancy it. support each other. let me know. tomorrow Tuesday 18th feb will be day 1 for me. today i picked/popped/squeezed about 4
I'm all about supporting others. i too caved and picked a bunch. There were these two zits on my forehead that were coming to a head and I forced them out. They're both red but flat and healing. Those are the only two I picked since the day after I started. I'm also trying not to wear makeup, ONLY for when I have to see a bunch of people for an event. Otherwise, no foundation. I went to my ortho today as I was getting impressions for my retainer and didn't wear foundation. It was weird. I hate when they pull at your mouth it makes my skin feel so dry! But nobody looked at me weird, maybe because there were only like 8 people there. Whatever. It felt nice not wearing it. It's so hard to not pick and then NOT wear foundation. I always touch my skin when there isn't makeup on it. That's how I'm going to quit touching my face: imagine there is a layer of foundation on.
