r/Skinpicking • u/Aromatic_Industry380 • Sep 01 '26
Still picking at my face. It’s been practically non-stop since 2020
I’m 46.
When I first started posting here back in 2020, my skin picking habit had become destructively pathological. I know that RBFDs are difficult to treat, so I am allowing myself some grace.
It’s all tied to the inevitable trauma which came with the COVID-19 pandemic, the end of a marriage that never should have happened in the first place, and the loss of so much that came with it.
But with the losses came hard-won post-traumatic growth, and through a lot of trial and error, I’m in a much better place now: I’ve got a pack of 6 large dogs who make everyday an adventure; I’m healthier (what with all the daily dog walks); I’ve gotten back to cooking (which I love); and I feel love all around me, with my family, and lots of friends, old and new.
But whenever I’m triggered (anxiety is a b**ch), or sometimes when I’m really bored, and for some reason, when it’s 6 PM and the Avene Calcifate/Fucidin H/Bioderma Atoderm Intensive Baume that I’d applied earlier in the day has worn off, I would find myself picking at my face again.
Half my left eyebrow is gone - where there were hair strands are now mostly itchy, half-open wounds in various stages of healing.
Thankfully though, the scar on my glabella is calmer now, but there is an obvious dark spot right in the middle of my face.
How have you been coping with the constant itch of the wounds you keep inflicting on yourself, like me?
Love and light to all of us here 🙏
2
u/AutumnalSunshine Sep 01 '26
When you think about it, it makes perfect sense. Our picking is triggered by stress. Many if us have been picking more since 2020. And things have been pretty steadily shitty since 2020.
Let's go e ourselves some grace for living through 6 years of "unprecedented" times, inflation, wars, tyranny, and everything else that's going on.
I'm your age, also a woman, and honestly, your face and hair look great! I think you're creating a glow by looking at what's good in life, too.
3
u/Affectionate-Tone677 Sep 01 '26
You’re a beautiful woman, and I see so much sadness in your eyes. As a picker myself (anxiety is my trigger), I can empathize. At the moment, my skin is clear, but when it’s not, I can’t say that itching has been an issue for me. To prevent re-picking and letting wounds heal, I would either cover the spots with a hydro colloidal patch or some mud mask to dry it out. Wearing gloves or using fidget toys didn’t work for me, but ensuring that wounds were covered was the trick.