best medicine for scabs??

[i M]

hey everyone, I must say this board is really helpful! It is a great comfort knowing that there are others out there just like me! Its helpful knowing there are people out there who can easily relate.
I have been a picker since I was a kid. I was an accident prone child so i always had scabs to pick. Then when i became a teenager and got acne- more options for picking! Now i've been VERY lucky and havent had major scarring on my face, until recently. I guess its cuz i'm older (in im in my mid-20s) and ur skin changes with age.
I had been totally fine and didnt pick for a long time till 6 months ago cuz i went off birth control and it lead to my face having regular breakouts, UGH! I am seriously considering goin back on the pill. Because, the other day i overdid it... i popped & picked these 2 huge zits with my eyebrow tweezers and I SHOULD NOT HAVE!! now i'm left with these two, large, oozy wounds on my face, my face looks MUCH worse than it did before!
the first one is on my forehead, right above the end of my eyebrow. and the second is right smack in the middle of my cheek (like an inch away from the corner of my mouth) I am really kicking myself for picking.... especially since i KNOW from previous experience that the location of the cheek one is a BAD place to pick cuz its a different kind of skin and takes a long time to heal... why why why do i do this?!
I cant stand seeing pus on my face when i have a big zit, so i "must squeeze" ....yet i just screw it up even worse. I hate it, and now the wounds are getting all scabby which makes it so difficult to cover it up with concealer! (dont u hate that stage of the healing process?)
Sorry for this rant, i needed to vent....

I've finally admitted that I have issues with picking and I have taken steps to get over this. I have taken a photo of myself looking at my worse, photoshopped out the sores and printed both hte good & bad. and wrote on it "You would have looked like this... if ONLY U DID NOT PICK!" LoL its kind of amusing... but i put it on the inside of my medicine cabinent, so whenever i open it and reach for those tweezers... i see the photo and shudder. it really makes me think twice! I suggest trying this, its a good reverse psych technique, I think.

Now, finally, I do have a question for you guys... what is the best thing to put on these current scabs?? I want them to heal ASAP! I have been putting Neosporin and breaking open Vitamin E softgels. What do you think of this solution, anyone have anything else more helpful?? I also have major scabs & scars on my back. I have such bad backne now. I must say though, I AM SO VERY happy that my face isnt as bad as my back is!!

Any tips u guys have is appreciated!!
take care!

[anonymousartist]

Hi. You sound a lot like me. I thought I could heal from everything 'til recently. I guess it's age. I have been thinking about taking some pictures of myself as well. The photoshopping and posting it up sounds like a great reminder.

If you are in the US, try Desitin Creamy at night to help heal your scabs (yes, it is diaper rash ointment, but it works wonders. I think in other countries the equivalent is pseudocream or something like that) and clear Aloe Gel (or pure from the plant) any time.

[i M]

Heya, thanks for replying to quickly!
Yeah definitley try the photo technique... ive only had it up for 3 days but its made me refrain from picking and letting my scabs heal. It was actually a bit easier to put make up on today! I hope by this weekend itll be much better! IF I DONT PICK! AND I WONT! I just need to control my acne, cuz the less i get, the less ill feel like i have to pick.

Desitin Creamy eh? (yes im in the USA) lol, butt cream for the face! how funny, I have heard about that before but I didnt take it seriously... Now I'm really gonna go to the store and try it out! I need something for my back scabs as well.

I do have aloe plants and I've tried it, my only problem with the aloe is that after I leave it on for a certain amount of time, i find that the greenish yellow color of the alow goo turns my sores a very dark shade of red. Like a reddish brown, like dried blood. Its kinda strange, has this happened to u?

Anyhow, thanks for the Desitin tip!

[anonymousartist]

Oh. I forgot to mention my tip for "backne". I don't know that it'll help with scabs, but for me, using a loofah (the kind with the handle so I can reach) on my back every few days has helped prevent it in the past (I'm too lazy lately). Also, make sure if you work out or something you change out of sweaty clothes as soon as possible.

My mom has always sworn by regular desitin for cuts and pimples and stuff, though the regular stuff smells like fish and is oily so I use the lighter kind.

I haven't noticed a problem with aloe. I'm using the clear gel that can be found in stores (usually with the suntan lotion). It's Fruit of the Earth brand and I think they have a website. A small bottle is only about $1 so it's not much loss to try out.

[AmyL]

Just found an amazing scab healer! A few days ago of a horrendously stressful day I went crazy and picked. My usual routine after I stand back from the mirror and realize "I've done it again....." is to clean my face and dab Neosporin or Polysporin (I was told Polysporin is better for not scarring but takes longer to heal) on the "wounds" and keep the covered with it until a protective scab forms. If I have something coming up in a few days that I want to try and have the scars gone in time for, I usually rotate between dabbing the scab with rubbing alcohol (to dry out the top) and the dabbing on neosporine. Today I decided to dab on some "Lansinoh" on my scabs and had the most amazing result!!! Two of my day old scabs are already gone!!!!! I'm going to go to sleep with some on the three remaining scabs and hopefully they will be ready to come off tomorrow. Hope this helps!

[guest a]

Lansinoh? what is it and where do i get it?

[Pammi3096]

Hi...I have been a "picker" for years in conjunction with having a severe case of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (I am in treatment). I have found (at least for me) that WATKINS MENTHOL CAMPHOR OINTMENT heals any wound very rapidly. My friend is a nurse and introduced me to it a long time ago - I still use it today. As far as scarring is concerned, you are fortunate to be so young. So many cosmetic procedures are geared towards improving the skin on our faces with many new procedures developing constantly. I myself am in the process of having laser treatments on my face and am absolutely amazed with the results. I really think that the picture in the medicine cabinet is a great idea. Hope that it is still working for you and good luck with the scabs!!!

[Bogilou]

Desitin works wonders.. I used it for everything like cuts, scabs, acne, rashes, hives etc. it really works.. I use the 40%.. Downside is the smell.. So I use it at night when I go to sleep.