Stop Picking Skin
You've told yourself you'll leave it alone. Then you find a bump, and twenty minutes later you're still at the mirror. If you keep trying to stop picking your skin and it keeps coming back, this page is about what helps.
By Nathan Peterson, LCSW, OCD and BFRB therapistKnow the signs
Picking a scab now and then is normal. When it happens over and over, causes damage, and you can't stop even when you try, it could possibly be dermatillomania, also called skin picking disorder or excoriation disorder. For the full rundown, see what dermatillomania is.
Signs and symptoms of dermatillomania include:
- Picking with fingers, nails, tweezers, or pins
- Scratches, sores, scabs, or bleeding from picking
- Infections or scars from picked spots
- Picking without noticing until after
- Feeling tense or restless when you can't pick
- Shame or embarrassment about your skin
- Covering spots, or avoiding people and places because of them
Want a quick read on where you are? Take the free skin picking test.
How to stop picking your skin
These are the same pieces a therapist uses in habit reversal training. You can start on them today.
1. Track it first
For a few days, write down every time you pick or catch yourself about to: where you were, what you were doing, and what you felt right before. Picking usually has a pattern, like the bathroom mirror, bed, or the car.
2. Catch the moment before
Picking usually starts small. Your fingers search for a bump, you lean toward the mirror, you touch your face. The earlier you notice, the easier the next step is.
3. Give your hands a job
When the urge shows up, do something with your hands that makes picking hard, like making a fist, holding a fidget, or pressing your fingertips together. Keep it up for about a minute, or until the urge drops. The urge is allowed to stay. Your hands go somewhere else while it does.
4. Make it harder where you pick
- Dimmer bathroom light, or a timer when you're at the mirror
- Bandages or hydrocolloid patches over spots you pick
- Bandages or finger covers on your picking fingers
- Nails kept short and filed
- Tweezers and pins kept somewhere inconvenient
- A fidget wherever you scroll or watch TV
I know, a bandage on your finger sounds way too simple. The simple part is the point. The work is doing it every time, especially the times you don't want to.
Seek therapy
If picking has taken over a big part of your day, a therapist who treats BFRBs can help. The main approach is habit reversal training, often as part of the ComB model. It works on your hands and your setup, not on arguing with your thoughts. For the details, see excoriation disorder treatment.
Try medication?
No medication is approved specifically for skin picking. Some doctors prescribe medication off-label to help. That's a conversation for your doctor or psychiatrist, and it usually works best alongside behavioral treatment.
If a spot looks infected (red, hot, swollen, or oozing) or won't heal, see a doctor or dermatologist.
Pick your number one picking spot and change one thing about it today. Swap the bathroom bulb, put patches by the mirror, or keep a fidget on the couch. (Yes, you'll take the patch off. Put it back on.)
If you want help building the whole plan, that's what the course below is for.
Common questions about stopping skin picking
How long does it take to stop picking skin?
It depends on the person and how long you've been picking. The urges usually get easier to ride out before they stop altogether. Slips are part of it, and a slip doesn't erase the work you've done.
What can I do with my hands instead of picking?
Anything that keeps your fingers busy and away from your skin. Some options are a fidget toy, a stress ball, silly putty, a textured ring, or clasping your hands. Pick one you can keep where you usually pick.
Is skin picking caused by anxiety?
Skin picking and anxiety often go together, since picking can take the edge off stress for a moment. But picking also happens when you're calm and bored, so anxiety is one trigger, not the whole story. See skin picking and anxiety.
Should I cover the spots I pick?
Covering spots with bandages or hydrocolloid patches can help a lot. It protects the skin while it heals and puts something between your fingers and the spot. It works best alongside the other steps.
