From today onwards, I'm aiming to not pick for a month. If you'd like to sponsor me, I will donate all my sponsorship money to The TLC Foundation for BFRBs (Body-Focused Repetitive Behaviours) at the end of the month. I think that if I have people's support behind me, and a charity to donate to, I'll feel more obliged to carry through with it.

Obsessive skin-picking, (also known as dermatillomania) is a mental disorder in which picking your skin is used as a coping mechanism or simply a habit you can't break out of. It has been classed as an OCD-type behaviour. It can manifest in lots of different ways for different people. I've struggled with this for years on end, and I've tried a lot of different methods to stop, including therapy and changing my skincare routine. So far, nothing has worked as a long-term solution.

It's something that's constantly on my mind and I will become distressed by the tiniest of spots, sometimes even pores on my face. If I have blackheads, I will feel an urge to 'get them out' of my face. I can get so absorbed in it that I'll be in front of a mirror for 15-20 minutes until my face is painful and blotchy and I'll feel awful and guilty about it afterwards. It also extends to other imperfections on my body. Recently, the longest I've gone without picking is 5 days.

I'm currently reading more books on self-acceptance and trying to be more aware of the patterns that lead me to pick. For example, I know I turn to picking to deal with anxiety. This behaviour can absolutely drain my confidence, with it sometimes being difficult to leave the house in the past, if I was that self-conscious of what my face looked like. It's sort of a scary and vulnerable thing to share, so I would massively appreciate your support. Even if it's like 50p, my theory of being held accountable by it will still stand!

Thank you <33