Weve all had the urge at one point or other to stop in front of the mirror and start prodding acne. Sometimes the prod moves on to a squeeze and suddenly were picking our acne. This is a vicious cycle because the prodding, poking and picking (the three Ps) leads to worse looking skin and usually even more acne than before.

Most of us pick occasionally and can stand back and restrain ourselves after a point or even before we start picking, but some are sufferers of whats known as acne excorie des jeune filles. This is a condition in which acne sufferers experience an almost irresistible urge to be compulsive acne pickers. It can literally develop into an obsessive compulsive disorder. This is a very sad condition because sufferers experience great embarrassment over their appearance, they can be ridiculed others and the compulsive picking leads to severe scarring on the face when a normal pimple becomes are larger wound.

The condition named for the young women who may have been the first to be recognized as having the disorder, but often sufferers are grown women who have dealt with it for many years. They cover it up with lots of make up, are usually in front of that magnifying mirror first thing in the morning and have been known to completely alter their social life in an attempt to hide what they feel is horrific adult acne.

Those who find that they are really unable to control the urge and that it is leading to potential disfigurement need to talk with their doctors about a two pronged approach, both treating the acne and the disorder.

For those of us who have simply developed the bad habit of picking, try to be aware of where your hands are in relation to your face at all times to help curb idle picking. If you find that you simply cannot resist the urge to pick when standing in front of a mirror get yourself an egg timer and start limiting the amount of time you have to pick. Start with five minutes and when that timer goes off walk away from the mirror and give yourself something active and constructive to do. Gradually reduce the amount of time you have to pick so that you are only spending thirty seconds to a minute at a time. This way you will greatly reduce the amount of damage you can cause by compulsive picking.