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Skin Sin#10: Frequently picking on it
“Let me make something very, very clear… your skin.”
A good number of my clients pick their skin. This is an addictive habit exacerbated by extreme or chronically stressful situations. And the worst of it is that there is more to pick when we are stressed! Psoriasis, eczema, acne and dry flaky skin can all be partially attributed to the excess cortisol that is produced as a stress response. Hormones, neuropeptides and other signaling molecules also released during these times can be as aging as sunlight because they break down proteins and DNA.
All this disruption drives many clients into the bathroom in a questo to somehow fix or ‘cleanse’ the situation. Not to mention, we now have ‘maskne’ to deal with from wearing masks every day. Many people who never experiences breakouts are now joining this tenuos category.
I recently had a client tell me that she prepares her bathroom for a picking session. She brings in a magnifying mirror, comfortable chair and box of Kleenex and then works at her skin for an hour or more. She told me it gives her a sense of control, relief, and emotional release. Which in these crazy times is somehow understandable.
It is also the opinion of Ted Grosshart, an assistant clinical professor of psychology at Harvard Medical School, that the compulsion to pick can be intensified…
