Sophia,
I think that it really is just a time thing, and dependent on what is happening at the time. I started picking at my lips 26 years ago, and it progressed from there. My fingernails are my 'tool' too, and I find bumps that maybe weren't even bumps to begin with. I can't leave the scabs alone, and the more I pick the bigger and worse they become. The things that have helped me to decrease this behaviour include keeping my fingernails as short as possible; CBT (which I did for SI behaviour and which applies to this); and as you said greater awareness around times of 'inspecting'. It is even harder to control when you dissosciate or are unaware that you are doing it, so this greater awareness is really important. Good luck, and I hope you have longer and longer periods of clear skin