Is it ok to just pop ONE pimple?

[Margaret]

I try hard to stop...but I always have to pop a pimple! Is it ok if I stop after that and let it heal?? Normal people do that! The only thing I have to learn is to actually stop after popping the pimple.....!

[skigirl]

I don't know if you're a smoker, but let's assume for argument's sake that you're not. While it's true that some people can smoke just one cigarette, like maybe when they're at a club or drinking with friends or whatever. One cigarette per month or one cigarette per year is quite enough and they don't become addicted. But for the people who become addicted to cigarettes, there is something about the behavior that draws them in and a habit is formed. Ex-smokers (including myself) often go through a phase where they are envious of people who can have just one and not ever buy a pack. But eventually when the habit has completely died and you've quit for awhile, you have no desire to even have one. I'm thinking this may also be so with picking. Maybe you can get to a point where popping even just one pimple is not something you even want to do anymore. What I'm currently attempting to do is whenever I see a pimple that is dying to be popped, I remind myself of all the time I've already spent doing this, and I just don't want to devote any more time to it at all. I still have quite a problem with roaming hands, kind of scratching at bumps, but as far as the mirror popping and spending even five minutes at it, I really hope I'm done. The other thing that concerns me about even going after just one is that maybe I won't be 100% successful in my excavation on the initial try, thereby letting this simple pimple rule the next week or so of my life. Just something to think about.

[anonymousartist]

Well, I wish I could leave anything on my arms or other parts of my body alone without picking because I know even getting "whiteheads" makes them worse on my body and I can't stop.

When I'm concentrating on not picking my body, it's easier to leave my face alone, so when I'm not grazing on my face or being compulsive about picking it I've found:

For me, the whiteheads that result from not picking are not noticeable from a distance of 2 feet or so away. Picking these tiny white non-noticeable bumps is trading each one for a larger, noticeable from a distance, red bump that will scab and take at least two days to heal with risk for a whole breakout and compulsive picking.

Anything irritating on my face that's not a white-head is only going to get more irritated if I mess with it so that is a no on safely popping it "like a normal person." (plus they probably won't pop anyway)

However, if I had a big, giant whitehead, I would most definitely pop it 'cause it would probably annoy other people as much as me. To be safe and not feed this "addiction" use a q-tip with some rubbing alcohol or hand sanitzer and just press against it, let it pop, clean it off. This kinda hurts so you don't get the pleasure of popping and it sterilizes and lessens the redness so it'll probably be gone by the next day.

The trap I fall in of course is not stopping, or double-popping something, which just makes it horribly inflamed. It really may not be worth risking.

[Mags]

Thanks for your advice guys..deep down I wished for an answer I wanted to hear..that it's ok to pop some pimples...but I know it's not ok, because I cannot stop there! I'm glad that I most of the time stay away from most areas of my body, no scars anywhere else but my face..the worst place to be scarred! But I try hard not to let it control my life, I mostly do whatever normal people do, although I'm very careful about my make up..and I don't like people standing too close to me!

I'll tell you something sad...I even wear make up when I go to the gym! It's so many cute boys there though, and I would hate people looking at my skin without make up on!

I still pick, cause I don't feel that I'm able to stop, so instead of always getting angry at myself for failing, I let myself pick a bit, but nothing major. I just don't think I'm ready to stop yet!

Exams are coming up..and I'm starting to stress...! It's so scary!

Hope everyone is ok!

Margaret

[skigirl]

Mags

I refer you to my most recent post under support board. I attempted one pick and am also under stress of finals. We just all have to do the best we can and say what the hell, just not be so hard on ourselves. Hard to do for anxiety-ridden perfectionists, but we're all obviously trying, or we wouldn't be here (support group).

[M]

Margaret,

Often, changing behavior is a gradual process, and I think that if you can have a clear plan/goal as to how that gradual process will look, you will have better control over your successes. If within this "goal" you set up smaller goals with rules that you feel you can successfully follow, do that. Once you've met that smaller goal, move to the next one, which, at that point should still be one that you feel you can have success with. (However, in looking back to your original goal, it will be more challenging, but you will now have more control with some success already behind you!!) Don't set you expectations of yourself too high, or you may keep disappointing yourself and then think that you just can' t do it. Set yourself up to succeed!! Be very realistic with yourself. Only you know what your immediate capabilities are as far as setting goals. Also, make sure you write them down. This will help you to remember that you do have a clear plan and help you to stay focussed on it. I just don't think stopping cold-turkey is the best idea in this case. Remember that when you decrease a negative behavior, you also need to work toward increasing a positive one. Learning new behaviors takes time. So, be sure to put this into your plan too! What is your routine now? What usually happens first before you start picking? What time of day, what trigger it? These are all places that you can look at for creating a replacement behavior.