How to stop skin picking

7 easy steps to help you stop picking your skin

Do you skin pick and can´t stop? You do know it´s bad for your skin, but you do it anyway. Often you don´t even realize that you are doing it? You are not alone!

Skin picking comes in many forms. It can be anything from playing with your hair to biting your nails to touching your face every minute.

Until recently, I didn´t know, that I am a skin picker. Nor that it is a disorder/illness and so widely common. However, once I knew the term “skin picking”, I started my research and tried a lot of things to stop me from picking on my skin.

The big secret? Acknowledge your picking. Know what triggers it. Reduce and redirect your urge to pick! And be patient with yourself!

Keep a journal

First of all, you need to identify causes and situations of your skin picking. Keeping a journal is crucial to identify the situations. Because before you can stop it, you need to know in which situations you are skin picking and why.

Best outcome, you can avoid these situations and don´t skin pick anymore. Otherwise, you are at least aware of the circumstances and can handle them much better.

Also, writing down your feelings when you are skin picking or when you have the urge to pick, can identify why you skin pick. Stressed? Anxious? Bored? Nervous?Knowing, helps a lot to stop!

Most times hormone imbalances are to blame. So get that checked out. My urge to skin pick is much less since I use natural ways to balance my hormones. Besides a diet change, the Herbal Extract “Natural Balance” by Earthley helped me big time! They also have an Anxiety Relief Herbal Extract and so much more. It´s all 100% natural, hand made and safe for the whole family!

Keep your hands busy

It doesn´t matter how but it is crucial that you do keep your hands busy. Why? Because when they are busy, they won´t end up on your skin/ in your hair or in your mouth. For me stress balls and my wedding ring work most of the time. Other have widget spinners, pens, hair ties, drum sticks etc.

Lately, I fold my hands together, form a fist, place my chin on my folded hands, or twiddle my thumbs when I want to pick.

Also, having a bottle of water on my desk, helps me. So every time I want to pick, I take a zip of water. Having nuts, berries or other healthy snacks in reach, helps as well. Plus, it keeps you hydrated and healthy. So it is good for your skin, body and mind.

Avoid mirrors

For me having acne makes looking in the mirror difficult. Every time I look, I see imperfection. This drives my urge to pick crazy. That´s why I try to look only in the mirror in the morning and evening, when I do my skin routine. But even then, I keep my distance from the mirror. This way I don´t see all the little black heads, white heads, scars, etc.

During the day I avoid mirrors as best as possible. So no mirrors in the house except for the bathroom. Also, when going to the toilet, I keep my head down and/or the light off to avoid looking in the mirror.

Hanging motivational quotes and “don´t pick” signs at your mirrors (and everywhere where your urge of skin picking is the highest) helps as well.

Avoid Sugar, alcohol and caffeine

The last months I had severe hormonal acne and had to change my diet completely. One thing I noticed in this process. My urge to pick on my skin decrease a ltd! So of course I did some research and found out, that sugar often triggers the urge to skin pick, as well as alcohol and caffeine. Once I knew, I watched my new diet closer. And except for some honey in the morning, I realized I don´t consume sugar anymore. Alcohol only on occasions and caffeine not more than one cup a day.

Good to know? All these ingredients alter our hormonal balance. And this triggers the picking. So do everything to keep your hormone levels balanced. Eat healthy, exercise (!), avoid stress, drink calming teas, try Earthley, do meditation or yoga, have sex. Whatever works for you.

Keep your nails short and shiny

Doesn´t matter what type of skin picker you are, keeping your nails short helps. Try to skin pick with short nails… For me also having nail polish on helps. Every time I want to pick, I look at my nails and smile.

I read on another blog, that some people ware gloves to avoid picking. Others tape their finger tips. Do whatever helps you!

Cover the body parts you like to pick on

You don´t need to cover your whole body, even so you might. I cover the parts I am most likely to pick at in specific situations. For me these are my shoulders, arms and décolleté (can´t cover my face…).

So when I am working on my laptop I wear pullovers or at least T-shirt covering the neck. Why? Because with my journal I realized that I pick mostly when working on my laptops. And in the summer, when I am wearing T-shirt and dresses, which uncover these parts.

Find support

Doing something alone sucks. So get support. From your friends, family or in support groups. Tell them, that you want to stop picking. Let them remind you when you pick. For example my husband checks on me when I am in the bathroom for longer than 5min. He knows that I am most likely skin picking. Also, he tells me when I am skin picking unconsciously. Because often I don´t even realize I am picking.

"The Struggle is real"

There are many more things you can do and try. These are just the things that helped me most. So do your own research!

Be aware that you can´t stop picking right away. It´s a process. Because it is a habit. And changing habits is hard. And in order to change them, you need to know what triggers them. So your first step should be starting a journal.

I really hope some of these tips will help you reducing your skin picking. I will update this post when I find something else, that helps.

If you liked this post, and know friends and family members whom this post could help, please share! Let´s stop picking together!