Done.

Day 1. Feeling good this morning even though I didn't sleep well last night. Sometimes being tired makes me anxious but thank God I am not. And even if I was I know I still have control over not touching my face. My plan in to do my morning routine and pop on some makeup and go about my day.

Day 2. I didn't pick yesterday. There WERE times I had to stop myself and walk away from the mirror but no picking.

What exactly were you picking? Seems you're doing well at this point. I agree about the peeling skin.....it's the scabs that get me and no change underneath.
What do you mean the patches are a crutch?
Good you can use the Simple products.

I pick at anything on my face that I deem imperfect: a clogged pore or scabbed or dry skin or if it's an actual pimple forget it I can't hold back! The hydrocolloids are amazing because they heal things so quickly but I feel like when I know I have one waiting in the bathroom to pop on if I mess up I am more apt to let my guard down and pick without holding back. I think the simple products work for me because they are so gentle and basic and it's only when I pick my face that I feel like I need to use products geared towards acne etc but I think that in the end it just throws my skin out of balance and I end up breaking out more. Crazy how much I complicate things when I pick my poor face! Left alone it's pretty low maintenance. Anyways no picking today either! Yay! I have been forcing myself not to scan and zoom in when looking in the mirror. But the biggest comfort right now is simply telling myself "you don't have to fix it" if I feel or see a bump. For some reason I think I felt like I "had" to for so long and never truly gave myself permission to let it be!

Day 3. So this is definitely my accountability log here. One slip up this morning but I did stop myself no damage done. I woke up and the tip of my nose was a little sore to the touch as if there may be a pimple starting. I saw a clogged pore in the general location where it hurt and extracted. I went to keep pushing and prodding seeing if I could get to anything more significant (since I figured a clogged pore doesn't cause soreness) but I all the sudden stopped myself and left the bathroom quickly. I'm going to count that as picking because there's no way around it. That's where it already begins. But I'm thankful I was able to stop!

Hope that one goes away on its own. Good to hear you had a controlled reaction!

Keep it up!! I hope u continue to do good and are able to stop. Don't be too hard on yourself that you slipped up a bit, look at the positive which is you were able to stop yourself! I KNOW it's it easy, I'm able to stop for short periods of time....then it kinda starts all over again....BUT it started as one day of no picking before I messed up, then it was a couple days and now I can make it about a week. It's slow progress, but it's progress none the less. So it's obvious we CAN stop....we just need to keep it up. You can do it!

*I know it ISN'T easy

Thank you Nikki179! So today will be the 5th day of this. Day 3 was good! Day 4 was yesterday which was also a good day but for some reason at night I found myself compulsively going to pick multiple times. All little things and each time I stopped myself so I let no marks but it was frustrating because it was like my brain wasn't reacting as quickly when I needed to stop! Today I want to be extra strict with myself considering I will be extra tired tonight after 12 hours of work again and it being the end of the week. I need to have my guard up and not even let myself study my face in the mirror today!

Oh and that sore spot on my nose that I figured was a pimple beginning has already gone away completely and never even became visable when I left it alone! Hehe proof of what I already knew...my blemishes will heal themselves much better without me trying to "help"!

End of day 5...exhausted 12 hour work day, fit in a run and out to dinner with my dad. Had to clean my house for company tomorrow just now before even getting into bed. Felt "picky" getting ready for bed washing my face...extracted some things which is against the rules I set because I know it's a slippery slop even if tonight it wasn't anything abnormal or damaging to the skin...I was playing with fire! Just going to keep going!

Day 6 overall was good. Again another exhausting long and active day at work so when I got home my over stimulated mind wanted to pick. I think it's because it gives it something it focus on and anything other stressor seem to fade into the background. I did not pick last night. This morning waking up on day 7 I wanted to pick again found myself zoomed into the mirror touching things, kind of like my pre-pick mode. I walked away before I actually started into but my goal is to get to the point where I am not even touching and scanning my face for imperfections!

Day 7 zero picking! Day 8 great all day until just now a little picking but no more for the night! Possible there will not even be marks left but it's the principle that I need to not even dabble in picking haha! Trying not to be discouraged by just now and get back on track! Sometimes I have less motivation when my face is good!

I respect your persistent determination. You are doing so well! I hope that you find the strength to keep breaking away from this habit. :)

Thank you Serene! Day 9 went okay...I feel like my skin wasn't as good today and I picked a little tonight! I sense the cycle restarting. I need to get myself back on track starting now! I think I need to "re-start" my commitment tonight for no picking or touching!! I have to be as diligent as I was a week ago! I have hydrocolloid bandaids on the spots I picked. They are small but I want to get back on track quickly and the bandaids are the quickest way I know how!

I need your strength to stop my scalp picking you seem on the right track looking forward to reading your future posts!

Okay so the past 3 days...day 8,9, and 10 were bumpy. All basically similar success rate. Nothing horrible but simply not following the rules I set and therefor a now have a scab on my forehead and about 3 small red spots on the rest of my face. Nothing that noticeable but also not nothing. I know I have been working a lot so I am tired which contributes. My guard was done at first because my skin was good so I wasn't anxious about anything. Either way back on the horse so to speak....I have a vacaction I am going on 3 days from now so guard back up and high alert....no picking no touching no "looking for imprefections"!!!!! I do need to give myself credit that I left 3 spots around my nose center of my face cheek area completely alone because I know that never goes well and always swells there and also it the most stressful for me to cover up! I didn't touch them they were small bumps that normally get me thinking that I am about to have a breakout and I need To somehow stop it but not this time! And now, as I always knew they would, when left alone they have completely disappeared!

Better day! No picking! Back on track!

I made it to vacation week and my skin is good! Not flawless but also not "picked at" and injured!!!! Thank you God! My best advice is simple and so hard but works....when you put your hands to you face to pick whether you have actually started in on the spot or are just thinking about it....say NO and run from the mirror. You have the power to stop yourself. If your house was on fire and you had to get would you stand there and pick while the bathroom was on fire or stop? If you can stop then than you do have the power don't tell yourself otherwise!!!!

Congratulations....enjoy your holiday!