everyone,


I know it sounds awful and nasty, bt I have a terrible habit at picking at my KP and trying to squeeze them. I dont know why I do it, at first I did it to try and get rid. Little did I know.

It makes my arms look even worse and very red and sore, but I get some satisfaction being able to get stuff out. Sounds vile I know.

Does anyone do this or am I the only one??

Or does anyone have any tips on how I can break this habit as its not making the problem any better.

Many thanks, x

i do!! i try really hard not to - i manage to leave them and then i seem to go on a picking frenzy - once i've squeezed one i can't seem to stop myself and it makes it worse, all red and inflamed. sorry can't think of any tips on how to stop, but i have noticed it's a habit i do in the same way i used to smoke cigarettes - when i get stressed i pick.

Unfortunately, I do also.
I think it's pretty common. Stress is a big factor for me. I found some help for a little while with this using an anti-depressant (ssri?).

oh ya, it sort of satisfying watching the stuff "ooze" out of your body. i've noticed though that when i didnt pick at my KP, it got a lot better.

Tips: dont be by yourself with your shirt off. i used to just start looking down and start popping them. treating my KP and not picking has cleared up my problem though, so now there is almost nothing to pick.

Hi buttons - this is very common around here:
obsessive picking and popping
and I bet if you did a search on this site for "picking" you'd turn up even more posts - bd

I do it so often, i almost feel like if i dont, ill never get the hairs out...then ia ttach the hair once its revealed with tweezers....im so frustrated with this kp stuff

Before finding this site I thought I was the only one who obsessivly picked. I do feel better knowing that, but I just wish I could stop. It's hard for my husband to understand why I do it because I know I shouldn't and I know I make it worse by picking. It's obviosly a compulsion and I'm already on an anti-depressant! Stress is definitly a factor and for some reason picking relaxes me...pretty crazy huh!?

I pick at my KP to I know I shouldn't.....but sometimes I just can't help it. When I feel like picking I try to remember that myt KP looks better when I leave it alone, that helps

Yeah I do, sometimes I don't even notice that I'm doing it which is pretty bad because by the time I do I'm covered in little sore lumps and bumps xx

I had enough willpower to stop bitting my nails, but the longest I have ever been able to stop picking is a week. Even before I had kp I used to pick any scabs or bumps on my skin, I didn't stand a chance when this showed up.
I also know what you mean by "satisfaction", I feel like I won the fight between me and the bump. It's sad, because you know you really didn't win at all, just made it worse.

Same here - Always have picked them since I can remember...Im almost 30... I believe I started when I was in 4grade...pretty sad huh...
Its a extreme hard habbit to JUST STOP.
I have KP since child birth....sucks

I pick at my KP too. I do it when I get stressed out, or when I want to avoid studying for a test. I get so mad at the little suckers that I just want to pop them!! It's kinda a relief, but then I remember that I'm probably just making scars for myself. That's not good. I've tried to wear long shirts so that I'm not tempted, and it works for a while bcuz I forget they're there. I also heard that when I pop them I may be opening the skin for infections, so if I do pop them, I make sure to clean the wound with an antiseptic.

I do this all of the time. I always thought it was to do with my autism more than anything, as I treat it as a stim... Mostly I do it without noticing it and then randomly look down and I'm picking at the bumps. It's really strange and extremely hard to stop, I sometimes have to physically wrench myself away and distract myself. It's almost calming, I do it when relaxed or bored. It doesn't hurt like I think it should, sometimes I even go so far as to make them bleed... People who see me do it cringe and think I'm out of my mind.
I'm not sure if it's an obsessive habit (I may have OCD?), a stim or just me being crazy. I've done it since they started to become raised from my skin (they weren't when I was little) and haven't been able to break the habit yet.

I had no idea that so many people did this too. Now we can all be crazy together!

I do it too. My upper arms and lower legs (and to a lesser extent my upper thighs and butt) are covered in scabs induced by me more than the KP. I think it's an anxiety thing, really.

Here's one thing I've noticed: years ago during the summer I decided that I would tweeze a small patch on one of my legs obsessively, yanking the hair the second I could and continuing to just shave the rest of my leg area. 8 years later, that patch is still completely hair and KP-free. I now use an epilator on my legs every few days hoping that eventually i'll be able to replicate those results. I don't think it will work on my arms though...the hairs are just too thin.