Products to Help Skin Problems Associated with Chronic Skin Picking

[Anonymous]

Idk if I chose the right "group", this is my first post on here. Anyways, I have always low-key been a picker.. Scabs. Bug bites. Whatever. However, I was fortunate enough to never have to deal w acne. Now, it's like I have become obsessed with it. I have blackheads ans little bumps all over my face and I just sit in front of a mirror w a desk lamp pointed at my face and just attack every imperfection I can find.. I just want them OUT! BUT that's not really what this post is about. Yes, I know that I should not pick or pick scabs.. It's extremely hard for me since I am a chronic skin picker. Especially at my face... Which sucks. Here's the kicker, I am trying to stop. I was curious if anyone else is recovering from dermatillomania/chronic skin picking/skin picking disorder... & what kind of products/ingredients helped you stop picking, skin clear up, improve scarring outcomes, and heal up broken skin the best? People w/o skin picking issues are welcome to respond if you have something beneficial to add or believe that there is a product that would help my skin heal better/faster and have me enjoying life more vs. Sitting in front of a mirror obsessively picking. 

[jozkid]

@Anonymous  I’m so sorry to hear about your issue. My best advice would be to keep your hands busy so you’re not tempted to use them on your face. One of my sons sucks his fingers (and he’s 17, so not exactly socially acceptable) and he wears one of those rubber bracelets to fidget with. You know, the kind they give out for fundraisers and things. You can also try buying a kneaded rubber eraser from an art supply store. They are gray and come in small rectangles. When you put them in your hands, they warm up and you can stretch them and wrap them over themselves. It’s rather satisfying and something I used to mindlessly play with in art classes in college. 

However, that doesn’t really get to the root of the problem. I don’t want to offend, but it does sound like you might benefit from seeing a counselor or therapist. 

[MaevaRocks]

I, too, suffer from dermatillomania. I started out 9 years ago when I fell into a severe depression. It was my way of « coping » with the pain in my head and my heart that I couldn't help, so by picking and hurting my skin, I could control some pain... Hard to understand for non-pickers. 

In January 2020, I virtually had NO scabs or lesions! I was getting good at NOT picking... then Covid arrived... then my ex husband is suing me for $15K (so lawer's fees, stress, etc.)... then my boyfriend lost his job... then I had a skydiving accident and broke my 2 feet... all that by August 1st 2020... You should see my upper back, chest and face... horrible and painful scabs all over 😞 

I am, too, looking for products that could relieve the pain, help scaring... 

I might not help you in your research, but know that you are not alone. ❤️

[tg1973]

Please do not take this as any kind of insult, but I can't help but wonder if you have ever reached out to a mental health professional for help. I have suffered from chronic major depression my entire life, and one of the ways it manifested before I got treatment was a period of obsessive hair picking. For me it was my eyelashes, and only the top lashes, where I wear mascara. My top eyelids were completely bald for a couple of years. This was before I got medical help, during an extremely hard time of my life that led eventually to a suicide attempt I barely survived. I'm not diagnosing you, I just want to point out that this kind of obsessive self-mutilation can sometimes be a symptom of very real and dangerous health problems as well as a problem in itself. And if even a tiny part of you thinks this might be true for you, I am begging you to reach out for help sooner rather than later. The danger is real and absolutely no one deserves to suffer from mental illness, it is torture. If this doesn't sound like you at all, I still have some advice. For one thing, my advice to pretty much everyone is to NEVER own a magnifying mirror, especially not a lighted one! Nobody needs to see that. Perfectly healthy normal gorgeous skin can look weird under extreme scrutiny and feed an obsession. If you have such a mirror, throw it out. You can obsess just fine in a regular mirror, why tempt your inner demons? Also, understand your temptations, know that mirrors aren't your friends right now, walk around them. I have one mirror in my bathroom and a full-length one in my bedroom just to check my outfit. All those small mirrors you have around the house have to go. If you have a mirror hanging in front of your desk, get it off the wall and out. Remove as much temptation as possible. This really does help. Unfortunately, I got over pulling my lashes by developing a self-destructive drug habit instead, but I also used drugs to get my attention away from my lashes and onto something else. Sudoku puzzles, crossword puzzles, knitting or crocheting, drawing, adult coloring books, almost anything to keep your hands busy will help channel the fidgety energy away from your face. That stress is real and needs to go somewhere else. Even if you don't feel like you have a mental illness, mental health counselors are great for teaching you relaxation techniques. Meditation, positive visualization, progressive relaxation, breathing exercises, there are lots of techniques to wind down your stress and something will work for you. But while you are learning that, simply picking up something else to do when you feel the urge to pick will help you stop the cycle of picking and scarring. Even the word association is easy--when you want to pick, pick something UP instead. Keep your hands busy and have something pretty to show for it, it's good for your soul and will take attention off your appearance and onto your abilities. As for products to help erase past sins, people have had success with everything from rosehip oil to complex acid routines to microneedling. It depends on your age, your healing ability, and your budget. Severe damage may require laser treatments, but that's actually pretty rare. I have seen people make scars completely disappear in one bottle of rosehip oil. You have tons of options.

[UsmanLong]

Thank you so much for these recommendations!

[jessie416]

I am a skin picker too ! It becomes obsessive and I end up making it worse ! What has helped me is facials 1x a month with LED light and for a product Derma E scar gel .

[RAWRitsRED]

Hi @Anonymous!

I used to peel my lips when I got anxious.  This problem was on and off for me since I was in elementary school.  I use Vaseline now and it really helped since my lips healed 2 days after using it!  I still peel them a bit when they get dry but I made it a habit to apply Vaseline immediately.

I also try to squeeze out blackheads.  It's made my nose dry and skin peel a bit several times and I would pluck at the dry skin.  I did a lot of research on how to get rid of blackheads and my other skin concerns the right way.  I bought the right exfoliating products and masks which really helped me to stop squeezing them out.  I love seeing the results and that also helps me since it makes me feel more confident and I know I'm doing something right!

Try finding something you like to do.  For me, making art is a stress reliever that also takes my mind off of criticizing all my blemishes.