Horrifying photo shows the long-term damage caused by picking spots including severe discolouration and scarring
Skincare expert Renee Rouleau shared the shocking snap of a woman in her 40s whose skin has been left scarred and discoloured by years of picking
IT'S the cardinal skincare rule that we're all guilty of overlooking - but a horrifying image has revealed that picking your spots can cause long-term damage to your complexion.
Celebrity esthetician Renee Rouleau has shared an image of an anonymous client in her 40s who picked her spots for years and now suffers from severe discolouration and scarring.
Sharing the image in a recent , Renee - who also owns her own skincare range - wrote: "Every expert will tell you that picking at your skin is a habit you should stop, yet most people don't necessarily see the harm in it."
In the post - titled The Long-Term Effects of Skin Picking - Renee said she can immediately tell whether someone has picked at their spots, regardless of whether they own up to it or not.
Describing this particular client, Renee added: "She first came to me with visible scabs on her forehead, cheeks and chin, along with deeply pigmented, spotty and uneven-looking skin.
"That combination made it obvious to me what had happened, and after a thorough consultation, my assumptions were correct."
Although the woman suffered from acne in her teens, her skin settled down as she got older - but her complexion still didn't improve.
Renee added: "[The client] had acne in her younger years which triggered the desire and need to pick at her blemishes.
"As she got into her 30s, her breakouts were few and far between, but her picking habit stuck."
Describing the effect picking at acne can have on older skin, the expert added: "In her 40s, when pigment cells rise to the surface, the trauma and subsequent damage from messing with her skin started showing up in the form of dicolouration.
So while the client may not suffer from frequent break-outs anymore, her "increased melanin activity" - caused by "chronic picking" - made her complexion look "very spotty".
The celebrity esthetician - who has worked with Demi Lovato and Miranda Cosgrove - then warned: "I have seen so many people like this through the years and they never realise it's from picking at their skin."
Categorising her clients into four categories, Renee divided them into "mild", "moderate," "advanced" and "severe" spot-pickers.
While those deemed as "mild" only "pick when there is a blemish that needs attention", severe pickers are those whose "fingers are constantly picking at something on their face" as well as having "no control over the compulsion to pick and scratch."
In reference to severe spot-pickers, Renee added: "You may have a condition called Dermatillomania which is classified as an impulse control disorder."
- Night Time Spot Lotion, £25 from Renee Rouleau -
- No Picking! Twisting Toy, £4 from Renee Rouleau -
Discussing why people pick at their skin, the expert said it could be down to a nervous habit or subconsciously feel as if you're treating your blemish to make it go away quicker.
For those in the latter category, Renee asked: "Do you want to have a spot that you have to cover up for only a week or two - or a few months?
"The answer is obvious, but now you must recite that in your head when the urge comes to pick."
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