One of the most valuable things you can do, Wood says, is to reframe how you view your skin. “Anyone that’s a chronic picker, this is usually the first thing I’ll say: ‘I don’t see you picking and poking at your liver or at your heart. I’m like, would you do it to any other organ?’ No, just because this one is the outermost organ, like there’s usually some element of control, fixation, or even boredom,” she says. It’s important to remember that your skin is an organ, and when you damage it—you’re damaging you.
Obviously a mindset shift is one of the largest hurdles to tackle when you get over your skin picking habit. But that’s, of course, not all you can do. Here are some additional tips to help you stop poking and prodding your delicate and precious skin.