Advice on stopping skin-picking?

So I'm not sure if this would be the right place for this, but it seems this forum is for
dermotillomania as well, so here goes:
I can't stop picking at any injuries on my skin. I've done it for years, and only just began to think about stopping the habit. However, I'm finding it nearly impossible to not do. I've tried posting on the self-injury forum, but thought I might get more relevant advice here? When I pick, it's not because I want the pain (it doesn't really bother me), but because I feel like I'm making myself "cleaner" somehow, even if i end up making myself bleed.
Does anyone have any ways I could prevent myself from doing this? I find that focusing on not scratching makes me stressed and fidgety, and when I'm stressed I'm more likely to pick, so it's like a horrible vicious circle. I also find myself doing it when I'm not fully paying attention or when I'm not aware of what I'm doing. Any advice?

I'm not sure I can offer any real help. I do the same thing. I can't stand scabs so I am always picking at them, even though, I'm making things worse. I have done this since I was a small child. It was really bad when I was a teenager with acne. Now that I'm past that I don't have as many to scratch. It takes great strength to over come this because it has be come a habit. Try putting bandaids over injures to help remind you to not scratch. Distract yourself by finding something to do with your hands like painting, crochet, draw, etc. You can't scratch if your hands are busy. Hope this helps a little.

I do this too Anthony, I once read a helpful article all about skin and the functions of all the different parts of it and why we injure ourselves by skin picking. There is loads of text so it might take a while to read... Stop Self Injurious Skin Picking - Heal the Nervous Obsessive Compulsive Habit of Skin and Acne Picking

It did help temporarily when I really realised the damage, and now it does make me stop sooner and I don't gouge quite so much but I just relapse constantly and I waste hours picking when I should be working or doing other stuff. I'm talking to my therapist about it. It's a cross between self-harm and OCD. I know exactly what you mean about trying to make yourself clean and smooth. Once I've caused a big bleeding red lesion on my face I then obsess about healing it - it becomes this absurd ritual. It's also not about pain for me.

I don't have anything helpful to add, but appreciate the responses that have been posted thus far. I used to do this (especially with acne, but often with scabs too) until I learned it was related to my OCD and then I stopped. That lasted for a few months, but about 2 weeks ago I started up again and fell into the "can't quit" mentality as the acne/scab just "needed to be gone". Right now, I only do it very mildly again.

It is hard for me to sometimes relate it back to having an anxiety base, as it has gone from anxiety to a habit (so I guess it's an anxious habit, haha).

I do this, too. I'm always pulling hangnails and pulling my cuticles off or picking at any bumps on my face, neck, back, arms... I find I do it mostly when I'm anxious, so you can kind of tell my state of mind by how scabby I am... My son pulls at hangnails and picks at his scabs, too.

Thanks to everyone for the advice and the personal accounts; they've been very useful in seeing how other people experience and deal with it. Especially the article was very helpful as things to stop myself when I'm about to pick (some of it really made you think twice about picking ).
Also taking another look at the actual cause of my skin picking, since I think only about half of it is the conscious "cleaning" behaviour, so we'll have to see where that leads.

Good luck with that Anthony... I'm going to work really hard on it too. Bird and Birds (!) both identify it as an anxiety thing which it most definitely is for me.

I'm so glad you posted this thread. I've been scratching and picking at my scalp for months. I have sores under my hair and often cause them to bleed. It's so bad I had to quit using certain shampoo because it burns.

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I pick other places of my skin like an occasional pimple or whatnot, but my big problem is my feet. I rarely pick anywhere than my feet. And I really go to town on my poor feet. I use tools to help me pick. I ha e to have socks on at all times to remind me not to touch them. But that does t always work. I've had some very serious staph I factions resulting from picking. But sometimes I can't help it, it just needs to be done. My advice is to wear something on your hands that would make it harder to pick when you are doing something like looking in a mirror or whatever activity triggers you. Also avoid things at have become part of the picking habit...if you pick in front of a mirror put the mirror away and only take it out to get ready or something like that. Change up your routine and it sort of helps break the cycle. For me it's picking while watching TV or right when I get out of a shower. So on go the socks and it does help. You need to retrain your brain.

Thanks, Fantastic July

My T said I may need to see a dermatologist re any infection. But that's not much of a long term solution. I started doing this after a really traumatic stay in the psych ward. Now, I do it when I'm anxious or nervous - so basically every day

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Thank you, birdpumpkin....you said something I had thought, but wasn't sure was right...my recent ex used to pick his fingers (cuticles) until they bled...I did finally manage to get him to stop but then he started (months later) to pick the skin on his arms. Once, sitting with him on the front stoop--he was actively picking and we weren't talking---it was a bad day and he was stressed. I asked him why he was doing it. With total seriousness, eyes nearly brilliant with clarity, he squeezed his forarm and said "look, you see this?" I did look. I saw nothing. He was so certain there was something there and he had to pick at it. I told him, there isn't anything there, as gently as I could. He just retorted "just because you don't see it doesn't mean its not there!"

The thing is....he'd started picking at his arms, neck, shoulders when he was home, so when he came to visit the last time, I knew he was over the top stressed. His skin was scabbed in so many places. Wasn't until later I realized what was causing this...and I seriously believe, looking back that he was having a psychotic break that eventually took over when he was with me, here.

After I ended the relationship, he went back home, then went back to his folks place. Although I haven't talked to him, I fully believe he's stopped picking..at least with the violence from previous. It was the most astonishing, heart wrenching thing I'd ever seen.

Yes, he was NPD and there was loads about him that ultimately crushed me. But the fact he was actively being crushed because he couldn't keep up the facade anymore....was just sad.