Hey everyone!
I’ve definitely lacking in updates with my little dermatillomania twitter project called #ProjectNoPick, due to an unannounced and unexpected hiatus. So, to ease my mind and others who are drawn to my posts about dermatillomania, here’s some pictures of the last few days of #ProjectNoPick and my overall conclusions.
Day 15 – Halfway point!
Day 16 – I’m liking the decrease in redness 🙂
Day 19 – A result of subconscious picking. Usually happens when I’m absorbed in reading while stressed or anxious.
Day 20 – Half the facial damage is from the previous day’s picking and the other is the reappearance of my acne, ugh right?
Day 21 – Sometimes it surprises me how quickly my skin heals from picking.
Day 22 – This is my “I may or may not be guilty of picking” face.
Day 26 – Definitely one of my better skin days ^^
Day 27 – Last picture I took. Not too terrible, I’d say.
All right!
My conclusions have been organized into a Q&A. Cause I can.
Has this challenge helped my dermatillomania?
- Yes!
How has this challenge helped my dermatillomania?
- I’ve learned there are many dimensions to battling dermatillomania, and this challenge has helped me acknowledge each one:
- How I Pick: If and when I do pick, it is no longer as deep or hard anymore. I mostly pick to remove perceived imperfections like zits, blackheads and etc. My compulsion used to be picking until I bled; like that was the sign that the imperfection was removed or something. Now, I’ve learned to leave a stubborn zit alone or if stuff does comes out, then its time to just leave it be.
- When & Where I Pick:Â I now realized there are three major times when I am vulnerable to picking: first, when I wash my face in the morning, second, when I wash my face at night, and third, when I read for a period of time while stressed. The third is unfortunately done subconsciously, though when I do notice, I am mostly able to stop myself. But, as for the first and second, the giant bathroom mirror reflecting my (perceived) imperfections is the main culprit. So, I’ve resorted to avoiding looking in the mirrors when I have a bare face, and placing notes on my bathroom mirror in order to curve the urge.
Would I recommend #ProjectNoPick to anyone?
- I would, but one caution should be noted: this is not a challenge that aims for complete dermatillomania remission. It’s a challenge aiming to raise your awareness, which will (hopefully) lead to a decrease in the picking behavior. Dermatillomania can and does differ from person to person.
What were the biggest difficulties I faced while doing #ProjectNoPick?
- Showing my bare face to the world. I do have a big complex towards it, though I’m pretty sure this challenge has decreased that anxiety.
- A pressure to succeed in no picking. It’s probably the greatest hurdle to get over. Like many other difficulties, dermatillomania is not something that can be easily or quickly resolved. Accepting that fact was so hard.
- Remaining positive in the face of the negative. Whenever I had a day where I picked, a wash of negativity would take me. Turning that feeling around could be hard at times. But, I would try my hardest to think thoughts like: oh, you picked but you made sure you didn’t bleed! Or Hey, you stopped after only two zits, that’s great!
And that’s all I can think of for now.
Check out the dermatillomania tag on my blog regarding my journey!
If you have any questions, the comment box is below and I’ll try to answer them the best I can!
With love,
Nadine, T.M.E
Exploring 
I understand Anxiety to the fullest degree and I applaud you for your bravery. You are beautiful in every picture I have seen 🙂
Thanks so much!
Hi again Nadine, I wonder if you could try wearing gloves while reading? Or do something which will draw your attention to the fact that you are picking.
You’re going very well and I agree with your comments about not aiming to completely stop – because if we aim too high and fail, we just get more anxious and pick even more. A slow, steady improvement is best.
Congratulations and keep going.
Hello!
I have been recommended to try gloves in the past, but I feel extremely uncomfortable wearing them and my hands sweat up real quick (gross I know). I haven’t quite come up with something to prevent the unconscious picking yet. I’m kind of putting it on the back burner at the moment. Though, I’ve been entertaining the thought of purchasing one of those spinning rings.
Thanks so much for your support, it does mean a lot to me!
ps: I swore I replied to your comment earlier than this, I’m not quite sure what happened!
Wow that’s awesome! I’ve gone 30 days almost without picking during the no-picking challenge twice in my life :). And I must say it helped me a lot. Today I’m on a day 1, hope I can do it again. Greetings from the Czech Republic.! 🙂
I’m glad to hear of your success with the no-picking challenge and I wish you the best with your new one!
Where can I see the steps you followed? Thanks for sharing btw. Hugs
Hey, I’m sorry to say that I’m not quite sure what you mean by steps I followed? Though, feel free to check out the “dermatillomania” tag on my blog for anything relating to my dermatillomania, including my journey through the 30 day challenge/projectnopick.
Hi, I just saw your posts, and I applaud your bravery! I didn’t realize that this disorder had a name. I don’t know that my picking is so bad as to qualify as dermatillomania, although I can certainly relate to some of it – the feeling of euphoria from a “good pick” especially – but I really appreciate your candor and willingness to help others while you are on your journey. And I’d like to say, you are truly a beautiful woman! I’d be hesitant to post photos of myself at all, even with perfect skin, lol. I totally get how you felt with the painful pimples – I just feel like they have to go! And also about picking until you see blood – I have a never-spoken-out-loud theory that if I don’t see red blood, there is still pus to be evacuated. This has led to scabs way more often than I’d like to admit 😦 . One idea that popped into my mind while reading your story: I have found that when I am in a place with a mirror that is hard to get up close to – my dad’s house or a hotel room, for instance – I pick WAY less. At home I have a mirrored medicine cabinet which makes it all too easy to fall into “search and destroy” missions.
Thank you again, and I hope you are still making progress, as I see that your posts are actually over a year old, lol.
Thanks so much for the comment, I’m glad awareness is getting around bit by bit. I hope you overcome your own dermatillomania!
I can’t say I’ve completely recovered from mine, but I have definitely been less destructive as I’ve been in the past, despite it being a year since this little experiment!
Anyhow, all the best!
Wow you are pretty without makeup, but when you have it on you are drop dead gorgeous! Way to be brave and show your bare face. This blog helped me as a fellow picker, and I wish you the best of luck. Thanks!