[Acne] I DIDN’T PICK! 🎉
I’m in my 30’s, and have always had compulsions with picking- in college people thought I was on drugs at one point because my face was so scabbed. I would be in the mirror for hours picking even though I really only had mild breakouts at the time.
My skin is clear now thankfully, and I have no idea how there’s no permanent scarring. As I’ve gotten older though I get a hard, blind nodule once or twice a month. And I pick them every. Single. Time. I try to poke with a needle, and they immediately swell up into huge and super painful lumps. Ice and hydrocortisone don’t even work on them at that point. They’re so big I usually can’t hide them so then I’m stuck in the house for a week until it heals.
Well, for the first time EVER, I decided to resist. I noticed a nodule on Thursday, and did everything to distract. Instead of picking I did hot/cool compresses, microneedle patches, topical benzoyl/azelaic, and green tea. Normally by now I’d have a giant throbbing bump from where I picked, but instead the pimple is almost gone!!! I won’t have to lay awake at night regretting my choices and worrying about infections or cellulitis.
If you have one of these and are thinking of popping, take this as your sign not to do it!!