Q - Dear Annabelle, Alright, Here is my problem. I have a light case of acne, (nothing that serious), but I pick my face constantly making it more red. Also I pick at my back and chest. When ever Iām nervous bored anything!!!! Why do I do this? How can I stop? Iāve tried just stopping, but it doesn't work. This sounds crazy doesnāt it? A - Dear Jade, No, it doesnāt sound crazy....but, if you donāt stop, you WILL scar your face and body.....and, if you persist in the habit knowing what I just told you, then there are other problems. You don't say how old you are or anything else about yourself. (Vital statistics and facts about what makes you nervous, how often you find yourself feeling bored, and so on, might be a big help.) Speaking directly about acne and picking, ....it's fairly common, although that doesn't make it a Īgoodā thing. Do you pick at spots because they itch or tingle? Does the habit interfere with your social life...or anything else, for that matter? Have you asked your dermatologist about it? He will be able to prescribe an easy-to-use topical anesthetic, or some other type of helpful ointment. There are very good medications, both topical and oral to help with acne. Your pharmacist may be able to suggest something. He's probably been asked about it before. When the kind of picking you describe is very severe, it can be a symptom of psychological trouble, anger at yourself for any one of a thousand reasons, perhaps...desire to feel pain because otherwise you feel numb. Your letter doesn't indicate anything of that sort. However, if there is something you were too shy to write about the first time, write again and give the whole story. Otherwise, it sounds like no more than a troublesome habit that the doctor can help you control. There IS one way, (behavioral), that might be of some use to you. Put a rubber band around your wrist. The next time you feel like picking at your skin, snap the rubber band instead. Not too hard, just enough to sting the skin. You are creating a Īnoxious paired reactionā with the impulse to pick. It could take as much as six weeks to stop, but, eventually, the negative pairing of the sting with the impulse to pick at your skin will stop the impulse from forming.....unless, of course, the stinging becomes fun...in which case there IS another problem. Keep in touch! - Annabelle Q - Dear Annabelle, I wrote you before so now Iā m writing back answers with all your questions and what not. I really appreciate your taking the time to do this, (and I know a lot of other people do too.) I already have small scars on my back from picking. I canāt wear tank tops, or anything that will show my back, or low cut shirts that will show practically anything below my collar bone. Iām 15 and I pick all the time.... during class, watching tv, talking on the phone, surfing the net, anything at all. (Even if my hands are busy I still do it.) Right now Iām using a cream that my doctor gave me for my face, its called retisol A 0.01%.... can I use that on my back and chest too? I went to my doctor for my acne and he gave me that. I didnāt show him my back or anything because, when I went it wasnāt there, (or it wasnāt that bad.) Now my cream is on a refill. My refill does end soon though, (I think I get one more tube of cream.) I donāt pick at my skin because itās itchy, I pick just because itās there....and I donāt pick at my face, just my back and front, since no one can see it if its really red. Even knowing that I will, (and am), getting little scars, I still pick. I tried cutting my nails really short but it just made me frustrated that I couldnāt pick. I also tried that elastic thing and it didn't seem to work either, but Iām willing to give it another try. Maybe if I cut my nails short and did the elastic thing that would work. The habit doesnāt interfere with my social life, except that I canāt dress nicely or show my tattoo to people since itās on my back, ( which isnāt a big deal.) Iād go to the doctor in a second, but I donāt have any money to pay for the creams since the cream I use on my face already costs me 30 dollars for. Is there anything else I could use? .....rubbing alcohol or something like that? Thanks for your time your site is amazing and helpful. A - Dear Jade, Well, in my never-to-be-humble-opinion, you have something other than extra energy driving the picking. At the very least, itās a impulse control issue. Thereās also a compulsion component, and I have no idea what the linkage is. Your parentās have medical insurance and that will pay for most of the cost of the cream for your skin.....it would be a very good idea if you could visit your school counselor, (most are degreed professionals), to get at the source of the anxiety driving you to damage your outer covering as you are doing. You probably wouldnāt want to drive a car with a bad paint job, so you might want to give some more consideration to how it is that you are willing to damage the outer skin on your container. (See, just looking at the problem from a slightly different viewpoint may give it a slightly different context.) Yes, do try the rubber band, for a minimum of six weeks. Thatās how long it takes to create a behavior change. You might also add mini rewards for each day, and then each week, that you forgo the sensual pleasure of self attack. Instead of excoriating yourself for this behavior, put a note on your bathroom mirror complementing yourself for getting through each hour, then each day, and week and looking on your skin as something to be appreciated and nourished. When youāre an adult, youāll most likely be glad that you did. - Annabelle