GentleskinTracking skin picking
Keeping a log of your skin picking shows you when it happens, where on your body, and whether it's getting better. Noticing is the first step of habit reversal training, the most common therapy for skin picking, and a log is a simple way to practice it.
What a log shows
Most people pick in a few places and at a few times, and a log makes those obvious, so you know what to change. It also separates the picking you didn't notice from the picking you chose to do at a mirror. Those need different fixes. Over weeks, a log shows a trend that a single bad day hides. When you try something new, like gloves at night, it tells you whether it helped.
What to write down
Keep it short or you'll stop doing it. Note the spot and how many times, or how long if counting doesn't suit how you pick. Add how aware you were. If you got through an urge without picking, write that down too. Log as soon as you can, since you'll forget the details by evening.
Streaks
A streak that goes back to zero after one slip can make a hard day worse. A weekly trend and a daily target you can reach are easier to live with.
What to bring to therapy
If you see a therapist, a few weeks of tracking makes sessions more useful. Bring totals per day or week since your last session, the body parts and times of day, how aware you were on average, and what you tried. Your therapist can see the pattern without you having to remember it.
Gentleskin logs picks in two taps and makes a printable PDF report for your therapist. See it on the App Store.
General information, not medical advice. Next: how to stop picking your skin.