Are you a skin picker? Or just a mere pimple popper?
You’re definitely not alone, but you are also doing so much unseen damage to your skin that it needs to stop right now. If it doesn’t, you are in danger of not getting clear and also setting yourself up for more acne in the future. Watch the video below to find out why!
The website referenced in the video is www.stoppickingonme.com. Everyone go read it, right now!
Do you pick, pop, poke, or prod? Are you trying to stop, or never thought about it? Tell me about it below.
This is one of those things that I KNOW, but I just don’t follow it very well! I’ve been really, really trying to not do it at all… My biggest issue is that I get really inflamed spots, and I want to touch them to see if they get smaller or bigger.. I’ve pretty much stopped squeezing for the last few weeks – but I’m going to discipline myself more with this. I would say more than picking, I have a mirror problem, especially since my skin is at its worst right now…
I had a question – you briefly mentioned it in another video, but what are your thoughts on the “caveman method”? I haven’t actually washed my face for about a week, and I started seeing slow improvements, despite there being a huge amount of dead skin on the surface that I was dying to wash off… Last night though I pretty much did an oil cleanse with Jojoba oil and really set my skin back… apparently just a gentle cleanse with the oil really irritated my skin again and now I’m back at square one. Really red again, a couple spots were bleeding afterwards even though I was very gentle. Ah! Frustrating, but I haven’t put makeup on in a while, over a week. What are your thoughts on this method? Is this a wise thing to try if your skin reacts really badly to ANY kind of cleansing? Even gentle cleansing with a supposed gentle product like Jojoba oil or even just water? I can’t seem to use ANYTHING anymore…
Also, when you had your really bad acne and dry skin, did you ever have an issue with it tingling or itching? This is a pretty new problem for me. Is this normal? I’ve seen a lot of hype online about Demodectic mites on the skin that can cause acne and itching, but I don’t want to jump to such a crazy conclusion as that! Is it just the dry skin, or the skin struggling to heal that causes it to itch?
Hi Taylor,
I know, that’s why I started touching my face… seeing if spots were going up or down and I’ve never gotten rid of the habit, but I am going to try my best to stop it. Touching your face pushes bacteria into the pores.
-I am very intrigued by the caveman method, and I think for people with sensitive skin, and it sounds like your skin is super sensitive is that it’s probably what their faces need… a much needed break. If it’s working for you, keep going with it! Don’t bother cleansing with anything if it’s going to irritate your face.
-I’m fairly certain itching on the skin is pretty common if it’s getting used to something, like not washing. It should go away within a couple weeks, I’m sure you don’t have skin mites!
I cheat sometimes. :X I was never really a picker, but when I shave, sometimes I shave over it to sort of “pop it.” Lately I only try to do that when the pimple is going away or a scab has formed and it’s pretty much healed, but the “scab” hasn’t fallen off. Most of the time I do it by accident though, since a lot of my acne (which is now thankfully mostly under control) is concentrated around my jawline/cheek/chin area. I do have a small issue with touching my skin though. I almost never touch it because I’m afraid of breaking out (which is partially good, but it’s also a bit of an irrational fear that I know I’ll need to get through eventually.) However, if I see a spot in the mirror or I go to scratch an itch on my face and feel something, I’ll keep touching it to see if it got worse or better or just for the sake of I’m-not-sure-what.
I’ve heard horror stories of people having to wear mittens and stuff because they were compulsive pickers. That’s pretty damn scary.
Also I think you should do a video addressing Candida. You mentioned it in passing in a previous video, but I think a lot of people should be made aware of it. It seems like those who do know what it is, think they must have it. And those that don’t know about it, might have it and need to be made aware of it. It’s not nearly as common as those who do know about it think it is, but it’s certainly an issue that must be addressed.
Love your blog by the way. It’s coming along very nicely and I passed it along to a few people. ^_^
Thanks! 🙂 Okay I will think about doing a video about candida!
[..YouTube..] Very informative, i have noticed a big difference in my skin since i stopped picking!
I used to pop every single pimple but I’m MUCH better about it now 🙂
I love your makeup in the “what natural products I use on my face” video! What makeup brands do you use? Do you use mineral/organic?
Hi!
To be honest, I try to keep my makeup usage to a minimum (I was only wearing eye shadow that day because I was going to try out to be a movie extra here in Vancouver!), so I’m just lazy and use whatever… I think it’s Maybelline or something. If you wear a lot of makeup, I would definitely recommend getting some high quality mineral makeup.
hi, i found your blog on acne.org. i’ve been struggling with acne pretty much my whole life! when i was younger, i went on birth control pills and spironolactone for about 6 years and that worked great but now i’m not so into the artificial hormones. i live a mostly chemical free life now and hesitant to use any products on my skin. i do have the BP from acne.org though…
i’m a 31 year old mom of 3 young boys. my acne was horrible when i was pregnant each time, it’s mostly on my neck, right under my jawline, near my ears and on my back. i feel grateful it’s not so bad on my face but i’m still very embarrassed by it and i keep my hair long and always down to cover it up.
anyway, i am a compulsive picker and squeezer and thanks to your video, i know i have to stop! seems silly to say but it’s been 24 hours without picking and you are so right, i can already see a difference! my skin was SO itchy last night, screaming to be picked, but i stopped myself. there’s a big ol’ white head that i’m dying to touch but i know i shouldn’t.
thanks, i look forward to reading and watching more of your journey. i have no idea what causes my neck and back acne but i want to figure it out and treat it naturally.
~kelly
Hi Kelly! Welcome to the site 🙂
Make sure you read http://www.stoppickingonme.com if you haven’t already! It will really drive it home and scare you into stopping for good, I promise!
I was just wondering, what do you think about pimples that come once in awhile (i’m basically clear) that are really small with whiteheads? are they okay to pop? they’re not inflamed and don’t hurt …
Haha well… you can pop them at your own discretion. Personally, I think that if there is a pimple that has come to a clear, white pussy head, just dying to burst… then it’s okay to lightly scratch it off with a clean fingernail. OR, I find that those ones tend to pop themselves when I wash my face. I personally feel that the most damaging part of the whole process is the actual squeezing action. I try to avoid squeezing as much as possible.
If you’re someone who is basically clear and get a spot once in a while, it’s up to you. If you find that you do it and then get another pimple right next to it, or a spot in the exact same place fairly soon after, then that’s an indication that popping was a bad idea.
Hi Tracy,
I found the link to your site on acne.org, and am VERY happy that I did. I think it’s very amazing, and I hope inspiring for me, to see someone overcome their acne holistically. I have had acne for at least 12 years now, and am a SERIOUS picker. I know I need to stop, and that things will be SOO much better once I do, but I haven’t been able to. It seems that when I try to think about not picking, I pick EVEN MORE. I sit at work all day and pick at my face. Once I get into my car and look in the rearview mirror at the end of the day, I wonder why I do this to myself. It’s like there’s this subconscious idea that picking will somehow make things look better, because you think you’re ‘removing’ the imperfections, when realistically you’re only making them worse. I plan on reading the stop picking on me site.
I’ve also started your ebook, and really believe that acne stems from subconscious stressors. Over a year ago I was on an antidepressant/anti anxiety med, and my skin ended up SO much better ( I was also doing a dermatologist recommended regimine, but I had already used all the similar products before with no results). I’m glad to have found your site, because I’d like to heal these issues without medication this time.
So, thank you!
Hi Nicole! Don’t worry, after all these years you can get better naturally 🙂 I’m glad that you’ve realized how much of a psychological, emotional issue it really is, especially if you’re a serious picker. Acne, picking, controlling food etc are all ways in which we express our hurts and pain and feelings of low self worth when we can’t face them head on. Good luck with your journey Nicole! 🙂 You’re beautiful!
It took me three months to completely stop picking and now that I have, I had like two months of clear skin and then I started to get actual acne breakouts. Before all my spots were from squeezing harmless whiteheads. 🙂 now I have hormonal acne, but I’ve improved my diet and started sleeping more
Awesome, I hope it helps Sandy 🙂
hi im a guy and im at my worst acne ever.. Pimples r everywhere and frustrates me!. Im using a cream call differin and it said my face mite get worse for 2 o 3 weeks to make all acne come out. I used it almost 2 weeks n i hate dis. My acne crzy n so desperate to make it go away. In da morning der is alot of white heads n i pop all of dem b4 i read dis. Any advice? I need help 🙁
I don’t know what to say about using Differin. I once was prescribed it by a doctor, and I went and filled the expensive prescription, and used it like… twice, and already huge nodules started to form… I couldn’t deal with it and decided to stop using it because I read many accounts from people using it – some of which said the initial breakout did go away, but many said it never stopped. Most people also said it made their skin incredibly sensitive. I just really dislike unnatural medication…. I recommend you try to clear your acne holistically! And yes…. I would advise trying your hardest not to pop all your pimples, because it really does only make the appearance of acne worse, and sends the bacteria deeper into the surrounding skin, making more pimples pop up. No squeezing!! If you have a whitehead that is sitting there waiting to burst though, I find that it usually pops itself as you wash your face… or you can gently scratch it off with a clean fingernail… only if it’s just sitting there and you can do this without causing a lot of irritation. Just no squeezing!!
What and how i do ur recamendation. Holistically? What it means
Well.. just… read the rest of my website! Download my free ebook (Roadmap to Clear Skin)… that’ll explain it!
That whole site about picking was really painful to read. I can see that there is really a lot more going on than just some marks on my face. I feel like I have a long road to recovery in all this, but that its something I can achieve.
Thank you for everything youre talking about, and for leading me to that resource.
Cheers.
Hi Sam… yes it’s a very powerful website – scary to read, but so worthwhile. And I’m glad that you believe you can achieve success – I think that is the most important factor in actually reaching success – belief in oneself that you can make it and never giving up. Lots of love xo
Hello? Do you think DERMA FACIAL is good to remove blackheads and whiteheads or pimple?
That’s funny, I never liked to pick at my skin, so I never did it, I mean sure.. When you have a huge pimpel, there might be an itcvhing or something that just makes you want to pick it and squeeze it out, but I always found it so painful to do (and besides, when I was like really young, my mom would do it for me until the age of 14 because I had no idea what I was doing and I was pretty much harming myself back then. ;P but the way she did was so extreme.. Aww! So I never really picked my skin… So I avoided scarring that way and I’m glad for that.. Even though I got like a tons of red marks.
Uff.. I was at this facial clinique because I wanted them to do something about the acne marks that I had.
They started by using a fruit acid peeling treatment for my scars. It wasn’t painful.. But then came the deep cleansing treatment I had no idea what it was but then I found out they would pick every pimpel that I had on my face.. I was like.. Omg you’re kidding.. They popped probably every pimple I had on my face and.. Erm.. now I’m just scared that i made my condition worse.. Any advice?
What tools did they use to do that? Did they squeeze your skin as they were doing it? Or did they do it very gently without downward pressure on the skin?
They were using q-tips to do it. Erm.. There was a few squeezes but I asked them to be gently since.. well yeah. I’m a crybaby. ;p .. The only times there was downward pressure but other than that.. no.
Hi Tracy,
I just wanted to thank you for posting such valuable information about the “insanity” of the picking and popping cycles. I appreciate your honesty about your own struggles with acne and the bad habits that can sometimes arise from it.
I am a picker and a popper (lucky me) I have had mild to moderate acne since I was around 18, I am now 30. My acne is more on the mild side at this time, but I do get flare-ups right around my period.
I really need to stop picking at my face, but it is so hard. It is very unconscious habit that begins with the touching, then goes to the picking, and then the popping (when a pimple rears its ugly head). I think a lot of my problem stems from the anxiety that I get from acne. I notice that the habit is worse when I am nervous about other things in my life as well, which makes me think it has turned into a maladjusted coping mechanism to deal with general stress and anxiety in my life. I have been looking into behavior modification techniques-such as keeping track of the behavior by recording each time I pick or squeeze, and replacing the bad habit with a new one, as well as doing deep breathing whenever the urge to pick comes up. I haven’t implemented these strategies yet and I was wondering if you’ve ever tried anything like this-if so can you elaborate? I am also looking for better ways to deal with my stress-Your meditation challenge has inspired me to do my own challenge! I think learning to relax deeply will help me in so many ways.
Thanks so much for your honesty and willingness to share your journey with everyone!
Hi Elizabeth!
I know, it is such a difficult thing to stop. I actually have JUST released a new ebook (like 3 days ago) about this subject that lays out an entire strategy for quitting these things. You are right in that for most people it is a way to take out the anger and anxiety about themselves and other areas of their life, except it comes out in an unhealthy way, which is these skin compulsions. My ebook deals with getting to the root behind these emotions, shows you healthier ways to deal with them, and then talks about the behaviour modification strategies used in clinical psychology for treating this problem (and ways to support yourself as you go through the process). Check it out if you want, the price is half off right now: https://thelovevitamin.com/ebooks-products/cure-your-skin-compulsions/
I am 17 years old and i can not seem to stop picking at my cuts and pimples. it makes me so insecure to wear tank tops and shorts because i have scarred my skin. one thing i can say is that my legs got so much better! but i still have scars here and there. Im so insecure about myself that i only feel comfrontable when i am tan because i feel that is when my scars blend in. I know tanning damages skin but it is the only way i feel good. i want to have beautiful skin like the rest of the girls in my grade but it is so hard to stop. it makes me so frustrated. I’m so young and I’m ruining my skin. i obsess over gorgeous girls with beautiful skin. I just wish i could wake up one day and stop
Hi Mandy,
I know it can be so, sooo hard to quit, but you have to be committed and resist doing it in the beginning … as hard as it is… muster all your might to avoid doing it at all costs. Once you have done that for a few days, stick with it and it will begin to get easier… essentially you are training your brain.
Just so you know, I also have a full ebook dedicated to this subject with a plan that really works to stop if you stick with it, check it out if you want to: https://thelovevitamin.com/ebooks-products/#compulsions
I’m sending you lots of healing love, sweetness x
Hi, I’m 18 years old and have had acne for over 6 years. I’ve tried everything except for acutane. I’m on the topical combination version of that though that my doctor prescribed to me. She tells me everytime I go that I need to stop picking and I know that but I can’t stop. I pick my fingernails too and I don’t know if that’s related but I’m sure it could be. Advice?
Hi Lyndsay,
please read this website:
http://www.stoppickingonme.com/
I‘m sure you‘ll be scared to death and probably stop you picking habit immediately. 😉
Other things you could do:
Identify triggers: mirrors, boredom, stress, anxiety, depression, …
Keep a journal of when and where you pick.
Eliminate triggers as much as possible. If you can, cover all mirrors. Invent yourself some fulfilling activities to prevent absent-minded picking. Keep your nails as short as possible to reduce damage and make them harder to pick. Write encouragement notes to yourself, leave them where you pick and force yourself to read them. Speaking openly about your picking habit with close friends or family (somebody who will NOT judge or criticize you) might lift a huge weight off your shoulders. I know, it’s HARD, but these people can keep an eye on you and it will be harder to break a promise to someone else than to disappoint yourself. Celebrate your victories, never get down on yourself! If you feel that you have symptoms of depression or anxiety, try to see a psychiatrist and/or therapist.
Also, Tracy has written a very helpful ebook about it.
Just had an epiphany ~ lightbulb moment ~ Like primates that ‘groom’ each other for a myriad of reasons within their group mechanics of living together in a hierarchy etc ~ we humans are not far removed ~ after reading some of the stop picking on me material, I am wondering if the psychological aspect of the compulsive behavior is not a simple case of not belonging to or a belief of not belonging to “the group” because myself, I have never been a self picker but I am 50 and have always had a strong sense of my own self governance and acceptance through self love, but my daughter self picks and unlike me she had no siblings and has had a rather hard time of it – unlike me, being rather fatherless due to her dad being taken out of her life at age 6 because of a car accident and though she is popular within the school framework she also has to deal with alot of rejection through jealously as she is seriously beautiful, on top of this she has yet to meet a man that is capable of loving her more than himself and at present is with a real doozy ~ so all these issues combined (to her perceptions and reality) make for one lonely abandoned family-less, unsupported partnered young woman – hence no-one is grooming her, comforting her through touch, so she does it herself ?? just an idea _ any thoughts 🙂
Hey Sharktooth, interesting theory… it does make a lot of sense!
Hey Tracy! I know this is a REALLY old one, but I wanted to say thank you. I’m intrigued by this issue (as I’ve battled with dermatillomania for ages).
Curious, have you ever considered trying the no mirror challenge (not looking at your reflection at ALL for an extended period of time?)?? I tried it last spring and it was a beautiful journey in and of itself.
I have done it while away on little trips, and it’s very liberating 🙂
Excellent post Tracy, your site has always given me a lot to think about (even if I do think us guys need to treat our acne slightly differently). In fact my own journey to clear skin after ten years came from reading one of your articles about vitamins and minerals for skin. One of the first improvements ever in my acne came when I gave up popping spots; I firmly believe that picking acne is a “one step forwards, two steps back” situation. Psychologically, I don’t think you’ve got to give up looking in the mirror, just grit your teeth and steel yourself – it all comes down to just how much you want to clear your skin, and once you re-frame the act of picking as something damaging, giving up should be the easiest thing in the world!
Thanks for all your advice and keep those great posts coming.