Commit to healthy practices

Feel free to add suggestions of your own. --- a guide for daily health practices --- CLEAN your skin – use a gentle cleanser nightly with warm water, not hot. Hot water dehydrates. Do a final rinse with cool water to close pores and calm inflammation. Do it lovingly -- BANDAGE open sores - keep bandages on as long as possible to allow healing. Bandages deter sores from being picked at and keep wounds moist and protected from contamination -- MOISTURIZE your skin - avoiding bandaged areas. Use gentle effective moisturizers such as olive oil, Cetaphyl, or Aveeno, etc. especially in dry climates and seasons -- SLEEP well - Get 7hrs + nightly on bedding cleaned weekly (consider fragrance hypoallergenic laundry detergent) -- CLEAN gently with warm water and cool rinse in the morning -- MOISTURIZE again. -- DO NOT PICK – use what deterrents help: snapping an elastic on your wrist, wearing gloves, using only candle light in bathrooms, sitting on hands watching tv, driving with both hands on the wheel, bandages kept on sores under clothing, avoiding situations used previously, anything that helps -- take a MULTIVITAMIN -- DRINK LOTS OF WATER throughout the day -- EAT WELL – a good diet for skin includes whole grains, water, green tea, omega 3 fatty acids (salmon, walnuts, flax seeds, avocados), low fat yogurt, berries (esp blue berries), nuts (esp walnuts, almonds, cashews, brazil nuts, pistachios), cottage cheese, mangoes, whole grains, good oils (olive, safflower, canola), and carrots/sweet potatoes -- AVOID too much caffeine, alcohol, tobacco, sugar, and fried foods -- EXERCISE – take walks at minimum. It stimulates anti-depressant activity in the brain naturally -- AVOID STRESS/EMPLOY STRESS MANAGEMENT PROCEDURES – research this to see what you can do within your limitations. Seek help with this. It may be the underlying cause of CPD -- NETWORK with others that understand skin picking disorders. -- SUPPORT EACH OTHER – this is the best, to know we are not alone. -- RESEARCH relevant topics: wound healing, skin needs, picking disorders, stress management. Information is power. Best wishes to all. And again, feel free to add tips and suggestions that have worked for you and may for others. We are in this together.