Skin Picking and acne
Is Skin Picking Getting in the Way of Your Clear Skin?
Ever stand in front of the mirror thinking, “If I just popped this pimple….” and are then left with an even more obvious, inflamed pimple and regret? We all know that we shouldn’t pick, but sometimes it’s difficult not to.
What is skin picking?
Skin picking is the act of picking at healthy skin, minor irregularities (acne or calluses), open wounds, scabs or other skin irregularities. This can causes injury to our skin. Often this is a chronic concern that varies in severity when it occurs, and has times when no skin picking occurs.
What makes us pick?
Emotional triggers like stress, anger, and anxiety can increase skin picking, but so can boredom and sedentary activities like watching TV or reading.
Why is skin picking bad for my acne?
Not only does skin picking spread bacteria and often lead to more acne lesions, it can also lead to tissue damage and long-term scarring or changes to our skin.
What is skin picking?
We can classify “skin picking” in severity ranging from subclinical - where no “treatment” would be given - to a more serious excoriation (picking) disorder.
Less than 1/5th of folks who struggle to control their skin picking seek treatment - and if they do, it’s usually a dermatologist who gets them in their office versus a psychologist. Most people view it as simply a bad habit that they need to kick however it’s always best to consult with a health professional to assess the severity.
When its more than boredom
The clinical symptoms of excoriation disorder (skin-picking disorder) are characterized by a more obsessive-compulsive and impulsive pattern of picking, scratching, rubbing or digging into skin. Although acne is one of the most common triggers for skin picking, it’s not the only reason folks start picking.
What can I do?
Depending on the severity and difficulty we face with regards to skin picking, there are a few treatment options.
Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) can be quite helpful here! This is a form of therapy that focus on the here and now and helps people examine how they make sense of what is happening in their lives. It then works on how our perceptions impact our behaviours and how we feel. This kind of problem-focused therapy tends to be helpful.
Acceptance and Commitment therapy, a form of CBT, has also been shown to help those struggling with skin picking by helping accept negative thoughts and feelings as part of the human experience, and encouraging thinking about ways of responding to these negative emotions in a way that is in line with our values and goals. This includes not engaging in destructive behaviours such as skin picking.
How can I get support?
At Crafted Balance, we like to approach skin health from a few angles.
We look at how can we optimize the health of your skin from the inside-out to reduce acne and minimize the trigger to pick, while also supporting stress, coming up with behavioural strategies to minimize picking, and referring for additional support with a therapist when that makes sense for you.
In a naturopathic appointment for your skin, your ND will ask about your nutrition but will also ask about digestion, sleep, mood, stressors, habits and lifestyle.