- Cover your mirror with paper. This is a very drastic action to take, but it is also very effective. Keep the mirror covered for as long as you need to; this may be weeks, this may be days, this may be months. Decorate the paper with something inspirational and beautiful. For example, mine had picture drawn by my favorite artist on it with the Lisa Gerrard poem “With one wish we wake the will within wisdom. With one will we wish the wisdom within waking. Woken, willing, wishing.” I felt strong enough to take it down after about a month and a half after I put it up.

- Tell someone. Not everyone is fortunate enough to have somebody who will understand. I was blessed with an awesome, supportive mom. I was completely scared to tell her. But after I did, I felt so much better. She encouraged me to quit. Keeping it bottled in side of you is not healthy; telling someone takes a lot of weight off you and gives you more initiative to stop.

- Keep your skin as clean as possible. Use anti-bacterial soap or an oil-free cleanser. Try to see a dermatologist. The more clear your skin is, the less of an urge you’ll have to pick at it.

- If you slipped up: rub affected skin with alcohol and apply antibacterial ointment.

- Have a loved one write a little note or draw an anti-picking picture. Tape it on the corner of your mirror. Or, write yourself a note urging yourself not to pick. Make the following rule: you can pick your face at any time, but your only condition is that before a picking session you have to read the note you wrote to yourself. Make the note as emotionally appealing as possible. Dissect and refute any arguement you may have for picking.

- Set records for not picking and try to beat them.

Tips from others:

- Luvox and other drugs against OCD.

- Long, fake nails! The thick tips help reduce picking. There has been a lot of positive stories from women who got fake nails.

[Found on a message board]

"1. For a couple of weeks, stay out all day. After you get dressed in the morning, go out immediately. I know you won't do this (face pick) in the bathroom at McDonald's! I never have!

2. Try not to spend any idle time at home for the same reason. If you're busy, you won't have time to do it.

3. If you are going to be home for a while, take down the small mirrors and cover the big ones with blankets or towels.

4. Clip your nails extremely short.

5. After you clip your nails, I'm sure you know you'll find something else to pick with, so throw away all pins, needles, and tacks, etc.

6. Try really hard not to pick for three days, then look in the mirror and see how beautiful you are! (Just don't get too close to the mirror!)

7. Pray."

From Jennifer: 

I still pick and have tried different methods to stop, and have been able to cope better when I pamper my face- doing facials, using the latest skin care technology from Biore, the Body Shop, and other companies, etc. Those pore strips help a lot! The new blemish bomb from Biore seems like it might help me too, but I haven't bought one yet. I also cut my nails short and have even tried wearing gloves so my nails can't get at my skin.

Another thing I've tried is not washing my face at night because then I want to pick afterwards, but that caused more acne too. Now I wash my face quickly and get some kind of pimple prevention cream on as soon as possible, which makes it less likely that I will pick. So, in short, pampering the skin with anti-acne products is the best thing for me. Oh, and I also like to reward myself with more skin care products if I go a certain period of time without picking. Oh and carrying a worry-stone in public so I won't worry at my cuticles instead helps too.

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