Call me crazy . . .

[tryingreallyhard]

I'm fairly new to this board, and very excited to have found it, so "Hello" everyone.

Okay, call me crazy, or stop me if you've already heard of (or tried) this trick, it just came to me this afternoon -- balloons on your fingers.

In an effort to stop myself from the unconscious picking and scrathing that I do to my face while I'm reading or watching TV I headed to my nearest mega craft store to buy some rubber thimbles to put on my fingertips. Well, they were a little pricey to be buying 10 of them, so instead I thought, hey, small balloons (not inflated, of course)! They are cheap, and I can keep them in my pocket, in my purse, in my car, by my bedside, basically where ever I go. They're also colorful and cheerful, something not often associated with our sort of problem. (And if someone else sees you, so what! They don't have to know what it's really for.)
I don't plan to leave them on all day, mainly just long car trips, when I sit down to read or watch TV, etc. I can even keep them on while I'm typing since I bought the small water balloon type. Now when I know I'll be doing something for a while that might lead to my hand finding it's way to my face to search for bumps when I don't even realize it, there will be a barrier, not to mention a funny rubbery feeling that should bring my attention to my actions. My hope is that if I can't feel the bumps when I'm not paying attention, I won't move on to scanning in the mirror for bumps I've felt that I need to 'work' on. I'm gonna give this a go (as part of my 'Zero Tolerance' effort) and I'll keep you posted. Please reply if anyone else wants to give this a try.

This might also presumably work for cuticle picking or fingernail biting.
So, there you have it -- Balloons on your fingertips!
My theory behind this: Create a barrier for yourself and bring your attention to your actions.

[tryingreallyhard]

Okay, no one else has posted, so I'll reply to myself.
Either that means you're all out buying balloons for your fingertips, or you do indeed think I'm crazy. Either one is okay. But I have to say that this is working for me, so if you see a lady walking around smiling with colorful balloons on her fingertips then you'll know you've spotted someone that's a part of this secret society of pickers, and most importantly, someone who is healing.
As an added benefit I've got the softest cuticles I've ever had because I started putting a dot of lotion on my cuticles before putting on the uninflated balloons.
And let me remind you that balloons come in all shapes and sizes, so whether you have small or large hands there's a size for you. You could also use surgical type gloves and cut the fingertips off for use. But the balloons are really cheap, like 60 for 99 cents!
I don't intend to do this forever, but it sure has helped to kickstart my zero tolerance effort.

Wish me luck tomorrow as I have a four hour car trip to make. Hopefully my face won't look any worse when I reach my destination.

Good luck to everyone else and your efforts to stop picking or to pick less, no matter what your approach!

[FarmGirl]

LOL trying--you are certifiably Crazy!

Just teasin, but your post was really cute! Did you survive your journey unscathed? I don't know where you are but I'm in Maine and we got about 2 feet of snow this weekend. Fun times abound--not

[Laura]

Crazy...? maybe a little...
Brilliant....? hell yeah!

I think its a great idea! I haven't been able to get out of the house yet, but next time I go out, I'm going to buy some water bomb balloons. There's a party shop just round the corner from my school, so its not out of my way... except that I am on holidays at the moment! But the school year starts on Jan 29...

I do have one question though. You said you could type while wearing them, but what about handwriting? I probably wouldn't wear them at school, but I am thinking about after school when I do my homework. And, is it uncomfortable to wear them to bed? Because just before I go to sleep is when I do alot of damage, whether its while I get my PJ's on, or while I'm lying in bed trying to fall asleep. And lastly, can you wear them in the shower? Or does it make it too difficult to wash yourself? Because the shower is another place where I hurt myself. Basically any time I see my bare skin, and don't have anything to distract me from it.

Tell me how it goes for you! Good Luck!

[tryingreallyhard]

Woo, long time since my last post. Been extremely busy. Crazy busy!
I'm doing well. Have only picked a couple spots on my face in the last couple weeks. I even went to the dermatologist and got one of those cortisone injections on a bump that came up right before my husband's office party last week. Phew, what a relief to see that thing go away so quickly without me having picked at it once.
As for the balloons, they work for me! I think one important factor is that they bring my attention to the fact that I was picking especially when I never realized I did it (riding int he car, watching tv, reading, times when I'm focusing on other things, basically).
Just be sure to get balloons that fit you, and not too tight. You don't want to cut the circulation off of your fingertips. You just don't want them to fall off too easily. As for the shower, I've never tried it, but don't see any reason not too. I personally use a scrubby puff thing so that I never actually touch my skin while bathing, just soap up the puff and get the job done. Handwriting seems okay too, again, just not too tight of a balloon. Or you could use dishwashing gloves or thin painters gloves as an alternative I suppose for better grip on the pencil. I've never worn mine to sleep in, but I'll wear them in bed while I read a book before falling asleep. I just slip them off before turning off my lamp and leave them on the bedside table. I have an adorable little puppy and I'm very careful that she doesn't get a hold of one and choke. The same would be true if you have small children around.
Good luck!