Pickers, Poppers, Flakes and Scars !

[Anonymous]

I am a big picker and popper of anything I get on my face. I squeeze every pore. I do NOT have acne. I have combo skin. I have many scars left from this horrible habit unfortunately. Anyone have any recommendations for scaring?!HELP PLEASE. I just want to be able to not wear foundation one day. I use Glam Glow SuperMud mask, Boscia Charcoal Peel mask, Bosica Charcoal Deep-Pore Exfoliating Peel Gel, Boscia Purifying Cleansing Gel, Boscia Tsubaki swirl two part gel & cream deep hydration moisturizer, Neutrogena Daily Scrub, Neutrogena Foaming Cleanser, Estee Edit White Mud Exfoliating Scrub+Mask , Super Good Everday Sunscreen. All this and I have terrible looking skin. Cops once detailed me saying I was on meth. I never have done drugs in my life. Its really heartbreaking and have no confidence because of this.

[kendra1991]

IPL laser treatment with gentle, moisturizing products will do the trick. May also want to try the Dr Dennis Gross daily peels.

[CJE223]

Any Peter Thomas Roth glycolic product will help you with this. Try the 10% face cream or the 20% swabs and leave on overnight. It may feel itchy or burny a little bit - that means it's working. Wear sunscreen the next day! I had cystic acne with similar scars 20 yrs ago and an aesthetician at the time finally healed it all with glycolics. I've used them ever since and no one can ever guess my age. PS the PTR glycolic face wash was drying for me - try the other products, though.  

[jodi236]

Acids will be your best friend. Sunday Riley's Good genes has lactic acid for day and night. Drunk Elephant has Vitamin C for day and Glycolic at night. Other brands have similar ideas. By using acids you are breaking up the glue that holds the dead skin on and help the cellular turnover go faster. Neogen peel pads are fantastic.

[Anonymous]

Hey girl i get pretty bad discoloration from any scar or anything i pick at on my face since i have an olive complexion. One of the best things you can do to help scars is to keep the skin hydrated. I use the ordinary alpha arbutin 2% + hyaluronic acid serum on my dark spots consistently this works with lightening my scars greatly over time (use it at night). Also one of the best things you can do for your skin is wear sunscreen cause the alpha arbutin will do all this work correcting but as soon as you step out in the sun with no sunscreen on your face the sun damage just re-darkens those areas again over time. Honestly i get really bad discolored dry patches from picking and one of the things that has been a miracle for healing them and it sounds super weird but it’s a miracle. Get the Marula oil from the ordinary brand and then get a bandaid and put a good amount on the cotton part and apply over scar or dry patch over night repeatedly until it’s gone. Trust me girl it’s a miracle cure. Good thing is the ordinary is super super cheap yay! But i also use the marula oil most nights on my face before bed i have noticed the most amazing difference in my skin! Plus the particles in the oil are very small so they absorb into the skin quickly and leave your skin feeling hydrated and not super slick like you would expect. I’ve tried a million things but this is what ha worked best for me so far. Hope it can help you too girlie.

[deathkitty]

@Anonymous sorry you have to live with this, I have cystic acne that leaves behind discoloration when it (finally) heals so I know some of your pain (plus I am also a picker/poker).  I have found alot of success with the Neogen Lemon peel pads, they also come in wine & green tea which I hear are just as good, they have really helped my dark spots lighten up.  Like others have said any good AHA serum will help as will Vit. C, you just have to remember to do that at night as it makes your skin more sensitive to the sun, I tend to slack off & not do my night routine so adding the Neogen pads really works for me since it is just an extra min or so in my morning routine.  Good luck, I hope some of the suggestions work for you 🙂

[Anastasiya13]

Sorry to hear what your going through, I been through that too during my high school years and it was really bad to the point i would be wearing sweaters during summer since it was all over my arms too. What i did is go to a dermatologist and had a few chemical peels. It was life changing, I now have minimal scars on my arms, and my face is all cleared up. It boosted my self confidence too now, and I am able to wear tanks and strapless shirts without feeling all self conscious

[Shantelleg7]

Hi Sweetie,

I'm so sorry that you are going through this! I went through a similar time with my skin when I was younger. Here is a little advice that I would share that has changed my life and skin forever. Addressing the issue internally is more important than the product you use. I am a holistic practitioner and I can tell you that all chronic skin issues stem from an imbalance in your body, more specifically in your gut. Typically it is a yeast/candida issue. Make sure you try to avoid processed foods, fried foods, dairy and soy. These foods raise havoc on your gut and hormones and contribute to breakouts. As far as the scarring is concerned I would highly recommend the Sunday Riley Good Genes. It's really pricey but worth every penny. There are also several small trial sizes available. Kate Somerville also has a great dark spot corrector that will work wonders on the scarring. A good glycolic acid or AHA peel serum will work wonders on your skin texture and clarity too.

Good luck xoxox

Good luck!

[reneeeeee]

I had a very similar skin problem myself. I was getting a lot of breakouts and scaring constantly. What I did was stop using so many products as my skin could only take so much. I cut down to chemically exfoliating one a week and sticking to a basic skincare routine (cleanser, occasional serum and moisturizer). Once i did that I saw such a big difference! Since doing this, i haven’t gotten anymore breakouts and my scaring is starting to fade. My breakouts were not coming because of dirty skin, but because I was stressing it out too much. Eventually, once my skin got in a good spot I started using Murads post acne lightening treatment at night once a week. It helped lighten my acne scars! Just make sure you use it at night and not everyday as it has hydroqunone in it. Good luck!

[LittleMissIvy]

Girl that is heartbreaking! 😞 I see your picture and I promise you are beautiful and it isn't near as bad as that. Not even close! I have seen first hand what meth does to peoples skin, and if someone mistook me for a meth user I would be hiding under my blankets and crying until my Sephora and ulta orders came in. That cop is a jerk! Those orders would include the following: 1.) AHA TONER- either the pixi glow tonic, Tarte Knockout, or the Ordinary Gycolic Acid 7% Toning Solution is actually fantastic and it is under $10. Use this in the AM and use a regular toner or essence like witch hazel in the evening. 2.) A good aha treatment for evening. Physical exfoliates are ok but will never be as effective as a chemical one. Both play a role in healthy skin though. Sunday Riley Good Genes or Ren Wake Wonderful are the best imo. 3.) Vitamin C serum helps with lightening the hyper pigmentation and scaring. Drunk Elephant C Ferma Day Serum or Ole Henriksen Truth Serum are the best I have found. Vitamin C is unstable so its important to find a good one but they can be pricy. I make my own now, but that's a whole different story and for another time. 4.) A nightime serum. Something with niacinamide, peptides, and hyloranic acid would be beneficial. 5.) A simple moisturizer and maybe a beauty oil if you need extra moisture. Belif and First Aid Beauty for the mositurizers are my favourites and simpliest and I have never met a beauty oil I didn't like. Sunday Riley makes one to help with acne scaring and I believe maracuja oil helps with scaring as well. The Ordinary makes tons of real afforable oils for different ailments and they are all great. 6.) A gentle cleanser. First aid beauty or even something from the drugstore will work. If you struggle with acne try something with salicylic acid in it. I use a oil cleanser or micellar water to remove my makeup and then go in with a gentle cream cleansers. In the morning I only use micellar water or the oil cleanser. I get both from the drugstore. Avoid heavely frangranced products. Use the physical exfoilents you already use too and any masks you deem helpful. Again, try to avoid products with a lot of fragrance. It takes time but a combination of good actives and a simple but regular skincare routine and you should start to see results in a month or so. Good luck!

[taylor966]

this was super helpful and answered some questions I had about this problem as well

[MackyDeanna]

Also want to recommend Peter Thomas Roth vitamin c serum- it’s 20% which might be the most potent serum, and uses an extremely stable form of vitamin c. Best of luck—- and also sorry for your experience with that police officer!

[TrysBeautyItems]

@Anonymous Sounds like you might have excoriation, skin picking disorder, which a doctor or therapist can help. Keep a fidget toy in your hands, use that when the urge to pick occurs.

Yes you're abusing your skin daily. Have you seen a dermatologist to go over all the products you use and how often to use?

You mentioned the skin soaks up moisturizer, it's pleading for balance. Lots of drying ingredients like clay, Neutrogena, purifying. 

[Llamamama2]

@Anonymous, you have PM

[illucescit]

I'm basically just gonna second all the advice people have posted above. Less often really is more, especially when it comes to skin care. If you don't have acne anymore and your only real concern is the post inflammatory hyper-pigmentation and scarring, I would recommend using only products that focus on correcting that issue. 

Chemical exfoliation imo is much gentler and more effective than physical exfoliation. A good combination of alpha and beta hydroxy acids will help clean out your pores and remove dead skin cells. Kojic acid, vitamin c, and niacinamide all are good skincare ingredients that help with lightening pigmentation and brightening the skin over all. Some people do get clogged pores from vitamin c (and vitamin c is generally not very stable) but if you find a vit c serum that works for you, it should help. My personal favorites are the TLC night serum and babyfacial face mask from Drunk Elephant. Paula's Choice has a good 10% niacinamide booster. I haven't really found a good enough vitamin c or kojic acid serum yet, but korean skincare tends to include those ingredients more so that might be something you'd want to look into? 

[AnDiscretion]

Hello @Anonymous . I totally feel your pain. I have the same bad habit. sometimes I pick at my skin without realizing it. my fingers wander, I feel a bump, I pick / squeeze it without missing a step. and on top of that I scar easily. I too have combo skin. I do not have acne; however I do get the occasional hormonal pimple around that time of the month. I've learned that skin needs balance. it needs to be clean & exfoliated but at the same time nourished/ hydrated. You may have to experiment and find what suits you best. I'll give you names of products that I have used that worked for me: my skin is not too picky about cleansers, as long as it is not oil based and is not too drying. if you do not have acne then don't use products for acne prone skin thinking it will prevent acne. I use an alcohol free toner / essence, that boasts hydration and /or brightening properties (ie. high-end option: SK II essence, mid-range: Fresh hydrating toner with rose petals or Caudalie's brightening essence, cheap and effective: Thayers Alcohol-Free Rose Petal Witch Hazel Toner). For brightening complexion and lightening scars Clinique Even Better Dark Spot Corrector (I prefer the all white bottle; not the dual pump one that is half green half white with Optimizer); this one took time but definitely worked. But recently I have been using and have restocked on Caudalie's Radiance Serum. There is a limited edition 3 pc set that works very well (comes with the brightening essence, radiance serum, & a night cream) & is a good deal. To smooth out textured skin I use Sunday Riley's Luna and Good Genes a few nights a week. I am also a huge fan of masking. I rotate between detox masks, hydrating ones, firming ones, and brightening masks depending on my concerns. My skin had hyperpigmentation, Sun spots, and brown scars. I still have a few stubborn Sun spots that have lightened but have not disappeared like my acne scars. My skin is much clearer and brighter now. Good luck!

[kelbel111]

I was told by my dermatologist that sometimes less is more. She said that by using too much product (especially exfoliants- I was obsessed with exfoliating) I was causing more irritation and inflammation. It took me a while to stop what I was doing and listen to her but when I did my skin improved SO much. I also use the soy cleanser the first poster mentioned. I still exfoliate but I use an acid and then just moisturizer/sunscreen. It was hard to let my old habits die hard but it really did make a big difference. Best of luck!

[marakitty]

I totally agree with the poster above. I say shy away from the drying, acne-fighting ingredients that you seem to be using. I would switch to a gentle, sulfate free (if you can handle it), scent free, hydrating cleanser for morning and night, some gentle chemical exfoliation (such as with a mask or toner, I love @theordinary's glycolic acid 7% toner, it smells like cucumber and doesn't burn or irritate but has wonderful AHA/BHA)... As well as a deep hydrator such as a beauty oil or moisturizer. I really personally like Kiehl's ultra facial cream. You don't need much more than that. Facemasks that help with scarring are nice, and you are already good with SPF. I think simplifying would help a lot, as well as implementing some gentle chemical exfoliants to help with scarring. 🙂 Cheers!

[RachFace2921]

@Anonymous, I don't have significant scarring, but can't resist squeezing and popping acne, and because I'm so pale, everything leaves a mark. Everything. Usually for weeks

It sounds like you're using a lot of products that draw out oil or gunk, like clay masks and exfoliants.  Have you thought about cutting back on that, and focusing on a simple cleanser and good hydration?  For the longest time, I thought the most squeaky clean cleanser would keep acne at bay, and when I finally switched to a gentler cleanser and added a serum 2x/day, I had less acne overall, and when I did get a pimple, my skin healed much faster.   Your skin will also heal faster if it's super hydrated (think of an exposed cut vs one under a bandaid).  I use fresh soy cleanser, and had good luck with Caudalie Vinoperfect serum for hydrating before my moisturizer. 

You mention you use a sunscreen -  that's a must for lessening scars, so keep that up!  You'll need to give it time though.  It can take me weeks or even months for my skin to turn and fully heal a scar.  

[Anonymous]

Thank you for the advice . i just love knowing my skin is clean unfortunately jt takes a lot of products to make feel like im preventing any little zit from forming. i know a cut back isn't impossible and i know i over do it. as for the healthing with moisturizer i really love putting on my night cream i feel like my skin soaks it right up. Im just so impatient if a tiny zit forms I freak out i try to wear foundation over them as soon as i prep my skin for make up.