Tired of Battling Skin Picking? Try These Simple Tips to Kick It For Good!

We at HabitAware know how hard it can be to stop skin picking, especially when it feels like it's out of your control. But you don’t have to fight it alone. In fact, we believe that you shouldn't feel like you're fighting it. There's much more progress to be made when you try to understand it.

With a few strategies and the right support, you can start taking steps toward healthier skin and peace of mind.

1. Keep Your Hands Busy
   Lots of us pick our skin as a mindless activity while we focus on tasks like school, work, TV, or reading. By keeping a fidget toy or stress toy handy, you can give your hands something else to do while you focus.

2. Create Barriers
   Barriers can help you grow your awareness of your skin picking. You could try bandaids on your fingers, or pimple patches on your face. This makes it harder to pick subconsciouisly.

3. Track Your Triggers
   Keeping a journal can be a helpful way to track your triggers and patterns. However, for more unbiased, accurate data - try the Keen2 smart bracelet, designed for behaviors like face picking. It detects when you pick and sends you a gentle vibration, growing your awareness and helping you identify trends.

4. Replace the Picking
   Skin picking is a self-soothing behavior. Even if it feels mindless and purposeless in the moment, it actually is serving you by helping your nervous system regulate itself. To stop skin picking completely, you have to learn healthier ways to self-soothe to supplement the need that the skin picking has been meeting.

5. Seek Support
   Therapists can offer Habit-Reversal Training to help you manage your skin picking. Talking to peers who understand the struggle of managing skin picking or another body-focused repetitive behavior helps make the condition feel less overwhelming and shameful. There are free support groups that are sometimes hosted in-person, and sometimes over zoom. HabitAware provides a different kind of community, a "growth group" hosted by Peer Coaches that actively takes you through HabitAware's Methodology. If you prefer something more private and direct, HabitAware also offers 1:1 Peer Coaching with experts who have been there!

Looking for more strategies to implement? Sign up for our newsletter!

Header Image by Gabriel Silvério