I feel your pain! But, just try to stop yourself from doing it next time, because in the long-run it will help alot! I can't say I've stopped myself all the time, but do try your best. And if you do pop, at least dis-infect it properly!

Try turning off your light when you are in the bathroom, and put a night light in one of your bathroom sockets. This should give you just enough light to apply your topicals without getting anything in your eyes, but not enough to see where new whiteheads/ other blemishes are. It might seem silly, but not being able to see them will reduce your urge to pick at them. Obviously, putting on makeup might be difficult so you would need to turn on the light for that, but I think you would be less likely to pick at blemishes right before you put on your makeup then while you are putting on topicals (at least, I know I would be).

Thanx for the advice. it means a lot to me especially cause I never talk about. Like everybody can see it why put more attention to it. @Megtree I already hide myself when I do my eyebrows. When I pluck I use a handkerchief to cover my cheeks(like a bandit) lol. Ok, What can I do to prevent scarring from the pimples I have already popped? I have extremely oily skin.

Need more info so I can give feedback. How old are you? Are you doing anything besides Dan's regime? How long have you been doing it? Are you seeing a derm? With really bad acne it's nearly impossible to avoid picking...willpower alone won't do it. What needs to happen is to get your acne to where it is less severe and then you'll have the ability to fight the picking urges! I know because I've been there. Also the red veins by your nose indicate you may also have rosacea which will get too inflammed with topical BP like Dan's stuff...it takes a different approach. If you have both rosacea and acne then there is a regime for that (see my regime below). Getting the right regime will control your acne, not inflame your already sensitive skin and will lessen the scarring. I'm so sorry for your suffering! Also there are dietary things that will really help stop the pustules such as avoiding all dairy (incl. cheese), sugary foods, and oils such as butter, marg and cooking oils. PM me if you want. Hang in there!

I'd love to share my story but I can't post for some reason!. Arrrrgh this is confusing!

I also deem the lights in the bathroom because it makes me feel better about my skin and my acne doesn't look as bad. Picking is ok if you do it the right way with a disinfected needle. My dermatologist had showed me how. Let's face it, we all have the urge to pick at them at some point.

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- I'm 22 yrs old. I've been on dans regime for about 3 months give or take a week. At the beginning of year I tried doing those done at home chemical peels. In hope that it would help get all the junk out of my face. But i ended up burning my skin . But yeah I had to stop using the Bp when I was doing the peel. Other then that I've been trying to stick to the regime. I dnt take vitamins or supplements. I do drink occasionally. I saw a derm once. Last year when I had insurance. But my acne wasn't inflamed.I was on a tropical gel call clindamycin and it really helped me. I'm scared to go to a derm because I'm not sure what to ask for. Especially now that I don't have insurance. I dnt want to end up buying something expensive and it just ends up making my acne more severe. Oh by the way I went to the derm that one time to get my first peel done.

I hate to say this but you should probably see a dermatologist. Your kind of acne can leave scarring and if you're getting 30+ pustules at a time this is serious acne. Your skin may be too sensitive for topical BP (...I use a BP cleanser instead...). Another thing is that you've only been using Dan's regime for 3 months which isn't very long...sometimes BP can take months and months to clear out the existing plugs before you have clearer skin. However if you're getting a massive reaction like it sounds you are then topical BP may be too strong for you. A derm will tailor a regime to fit your particular skin type. I have extremely sensitive skin with very resistant chronic acne/rosacea so my derm tailored a specific regime for that.

Over-the-counter (OTC) treatments like Dan's regime don't usually help severe acne, especially if you have sensitive skin. But that said, you could try a combination of OTC products that may give you relief and still be gentle. The key is to use them at the same time because they work together to kill acne bacteria and shed skin cells in the pores so plugs don't form (precursor to pustules). This is the regime used by a doctor friend of mine and her husband for their mild acne: St Ives Blemish Control Apricot Scrub - it has salicylic acid to open pores (...personally I can't use salicylic acid but many people swear by it). Nature's Gate Tea Tree Calming Shampoo and Conditioner - yes, this is for your hair but the tea tree oil also washes over your skin and helps kill acne bacteria. I use this shampoo and use it as a body wash too.

Don't be scared to go to a derm. Put together a list of what you have done over the years to treat your acne - with approximate dates and how your skin reacted. This will help the derm determine appropriate treatment. Just say you want clear skin...that's all you have to say. Be prepared to go through a time of experimenting to figure out what regime will work for you. This can sometimes take awhile. If your skin seems sensitive be sure to tell the derm this.

I went to a derm when I was young and then tried to go all natural. Big mistake - my acne just got worse and worse and my self-esteem plummeted. In my 30's I did 2 rounds of accutane, got clear, thought I was cured and stopped all treatment. Another big mistake - acne came back. In my 40's did OTC products with BP and lived with chronic red inflammed skin...destroyed my skin. In my 50's finally returned to derms and began the very slow journey of restoring my skin. Now I am 99% clear. I share this story because I think that if you have severe acne in your 20's then it is important to put out the bucks and get proper treatment. You may have underlying rosacea which sensitive skin and if so, then harsh topicals will make things worse and can break you out. Only a derm can determine true causes.

It doesn't hurt to try diet too to help with inflammation and reactive skin. I'm sure you've read about this on this site. I personally think avoiding all dairy, sugars, processed oils, caffeine and alcohol make a huge difference. Eat whole fresh foods.

Hope this helps!

I feel miserable.