You are brave for sharing your compulsions and skin picking problems... it is not always easy to admit this disorder since it is so embarrassing and many people do not understand.

I have anxiety issues also, and without even realizing it sometimes I'll start skin picking. I had a lot of skin issues on my back and arms from a thyroid condition 3 months ago and compulsively picked that. Now I am depressed and dysmorphic about the hyperpigmentation a lot of that caused. I never used to skin pick, only when I started getting GAD and then, a rash. So it was more like I was focusing on the skin problems and hurting myself [also past issues with SI so maybe that plays into it?] than what was going on inside my head.

Skin picking sucks but you can bring yourself to do it less and less. The fact that I actually saw the ugly scars of my picking was luckily enough for me to do it less although sometimes I cave and allow myself a session to pick at my arms. It's Ok to slip up once in a while since that makes me way less prone to doing it like 7-10 times a week as I used to. Now I only do it once or two times max a week, sometimes not at all for a week which is a big accomplishment.

I agree with Phfead, try the rubber band trick. Since I also have deal with SI issues and I hold a piece of ice on the area I want to harm to remind me not to, also to cause another less harmful sensation. Good luck. XOXXO