This little-known skin condition ruined my life. It's not acne or dermatitis, appears out of nowhere and 1 in 20 people get it. These are the signs to watch for - and how I'm finally beating it

Professional make-up artist Beth* grew up with great skin. Even in her teens, she was blessed with a flawless complexion with no breakouts. 

But in her late twenties everything changed. She started to get spotty and found that 'every pore was blocked'. 

So began Beth's obsession with her skin. She was so upset at the state of it that she spent thousands on products and treatments, tried a huge array of diets and masks, and eventually turned to a Harley Street skin specialist armed with an acne laser which claimed to shrink pores, reduce oil and clear complexions. 

However, upon arrival, the specialist took one look and told her: 'You don't have acne – you need to see a psychologist.'

What the expert immediately identified was that Beth wasn't actually suffering from spots, but dermatillomania. 

Also known as skin picking disorder, this is a condition where someone will pick at spots, scars and moles to try to smooth the skin, whether with fingers, nails, teeth, tweezers or pins. It's not always conscious and can often flare up when stressed or anxious. 

And it's not uncommon. According to the NHS, one in 20 people in the UK will have it at some point in their lives.

For decades, Beth felt she was alone in her suffering. She told very few people in her life, because as a celebrity make-up artist, she had all the supplies, tools and skill to hide the condition that was ruining her confidence. 

However, despite being able to cover up the worst of the illness, dermatillomania had – and still has – a huge impact on Beth's life. She admits pretending to be unwell to avoid social gatherings during a bad flare-up, and even her boyfriend hasn't seen her bare-faced, with a strict ban on touching her face during kissing sessions. 

She dreads going to the gym in case she sweats her concealing make-up off. She's even had to get up at 3am in order to squeeze in her cover-up process with make-up before the working day begins, as it can take two to three hours for her to be satisfied that nobody can see any blemishes. The lack of sleep is hard to cope with.

At home, the three rooms Beth spends the most time in have big magnifying mirrors with lights on, so she can easily inspect – and pick at – her face. 

Of course, many people reading this will think: just stop picking your skin. But Beth explains that it's simply not that easy. To her, picking feels like a compulsion. 

And yes, sometimes it's satisfying, but often she says: 'It goes too far and then you regret it. Blemishes stay longer, sometimes there's blood. And it's no good for me... Because you are literally picking on yourself.' 

Could this be a sign of deeper emotional problems? Beth says she has never had any anxiety or depression, and always felt quite even-keeled, but she's never seen a specialist. 

'Perhaps I'm scared of knowing,' she admits. 'Maybe I'm fooling myself into thinking I'm normal - but as a make-up artist perfect skin is a part of my job.' 

The only time her skin has ever cleared up has been when she was so ill she was bedbound, and literally couldn't get out of bed to get to a mirror and look at her skin.

 Aside from that, Beth finds spot stickers useful – not only to help heal her open skin but also to limit how much unconscious picking she does. 

When it comes to make-up, Beth stresses that less is more. Thick make-up on textured skin emphasizes any issues, and she likens her cover-up process to restoring a painting, with very delicate and considered placement of minimal product.

Having never been able to just 'wake up and go' in her life, she wonders what it might have been like if she felt she could just stop picking and didn't have any issues with her skin. 'How many years have I spent, and how much of my life have I wasted?' she wonders. 

And that psychologist? She's finally planning on paying one a visit.

The NHS recommends you see a GP if: 

• You cannot stop picking your skin 
• You're causing serious damage to your skin by picking it, like cuts that do not heal within a few days  
• Picking your skin is causing you emotional distress or affecting your daily life

*Name has been changed