Singer Tulisa Contostavlos has spoken candidly about her struggles with a condition that led to her “tearing into her face”.
The N-Dubz star, 36, is among the famous faces to have entered the I’m A Celebrity…Get Me Out of Here! jungle. Before taking on the show, the singer has been open about her struggles with her health, including a battle with Bell’s palsy, which can cause swelling and sudden paralysis in the face.
When she was younger, Tulisa said she suffered from a devastating condition she believes was caused by anxiety. The star says she found herself battling dermatillomania – or skin picking disorder – when living at home with her mum, Anne.
In her book, Honest: My Story So Far, Tulisa said: “One on occasion, when my mum was having a particularly bad day, I shut myself in the bathroom and began scratching and picking at a tiny little spot on my chin. It was a strange feeling, and hard to describe, but concentrating on this little spot seemed to distract me from the situation at hand.
“So after I’d picked away at that spot for a while, I found another spot, then a small blackhead, and then a tiny mark that wasn’t even a spot, and after an hour I felt extremely relaxed. The only thing was, I’d picked and squeezed non-existent spots all over my face until it looked like I had really bad acne.”
Her mother’s battle with schizoaffective disorder, a combination of schizophrenia and bipolar, influenced her own mental health. Tulisa revealed that the compulsion persisted for “years,” with a significant episode occurring in 2010 while she was working on a documentary about young people with parents facing mental health challenges, reports Gloucestershire Live.
She elaborated on the severity of her condition: “As far as I was concerned, it was just something I did to get away from my mum, but it got so bad that eventually I was tearing into my face with nail clippers and tweezers, just to get at any minute blemish or invisible little bump under my skin. At times I caused absolute catastrophe on my face, leaving gaping, weeping holes that must have looked horrendous.”
The singer explained how she had to prove the legitimacy of her condition to management and colleagues by sending them information about it, rather than being accused of “shirking her responsibilities”. Thankfully, Tulisa has since managed to gain control over her skin picking and hopes to avoid future episodes.
The NHS advises that anyone who can’t stop picking at their skin or is causing serious damage should consult their GP. The doctor will then determine if they would benefit from talking therapy or medication.
I’m A Celebrity…Get Me Out Of Here! is back on ITV One at 9pm tonight.
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