Scarleteen

So I'm 27 and I have worse skin now than when I was a teenager. I've been using prescription face cream (duac) the past few years and I feel it helps but doesn't solve the problem. I've always been a big diet coke drinker and my addiction has now worked its way up to aprox 10 cans a day, every day. Which is doing my skin no good. I'm convinced it's the diet coke giving me big cyst like infected spots and my OCD and NEED to pick anything pickable leads me to destroying my own face then trying to get rid of them. Over the past few years I've been accumulating more and more really bad scars on my face. Big indented scars. Now more so than ever it's REALLY starting to stress me out. I am trying to gradually cut down on diet coke and keep promising myself every day when I look in the mirror that I am going to keep my hands off my face no matter what but even if I do succeed with these 2 goals what the hell am I ever going to do about all the scars I already have?? Does anyone have experience with laser treatment for facial scars? Does it really work? How much does it cost? How long does it take etc? Has diet coke ruined anyone else's skin or does anyone else have the same NEED to pick spots, bumps, scabs etc on their face?

Hi Tia,

The concerns you're describing, both about feeling like you can't go without a certain food and compulsive picking, are going to be best addressed with a mental healthcare provider (as well as possibly a general healthcare provider if you're concerned about the scars). Do you have access to that kind of resource?

If it helps to know, that feeling of needing to pick at your skin is something that other people experience as well and you're not the first person to struggle with it. That means that there are likely going to be resources to help you address the habit, should you choose to look for them.