In the book “Overcoming Body-Focused Repetitive Behaviors”, the authors talk about how hair pulling and skin picking can be viewed as “healthy/positive grooming behaviors that have gotten out of control”.
As I read this, a lightbulb appeared over my head. I always thought I was doing myself well by getting rid of all the bumps on my skin.
Also, the tricky part is that popping pimples and picking skin feels great and rewarding in the heat of the moment.
But after seeing the damage I did to myself, I feel like sh*%t most of the time. My skin is bloody, red, and looks a lot worse than before.
Little did I know that I had developed unhealthy and self-harming grooming patterns.
Since that realization, I’ve been trying to introduce healthier grooming habits into my everyday life; bringing a bit more self-care into my suuuper minimalist bathroom routine.
These are some of my new positive grooming habits (this list will evolve over time):
1. If you’re picking your fingers like I am, I give you the advise to moisturize your fingers as if your life depends on it 😉 Regularly moistening the cuticles prevents dryness and cracking. I use hand creams, cuticle oil or lotions for severely dry skin.
2. I struggle a lot with nail-biting. Although I can grow my fingernails a bit longer at times, I know they’re gone as soon as I get a little more stressed or nervous. To avoid unnecessary disappointment, I cut my nails twice a week on set days.
3. I show my skin a little more love by cleaning, exfoliating, and moisturizing it regularly. Exfoliating especially helps to remove dead skin cells and prevents clogged pores. Not only does this lead to fewer breakouts, but it also makes the skin feel smoother afterward. My goal is to improve my skin, in order to improve my skin picking.
Skin Care 101 Videos
Skincare can be very overwhelming and scary. I can only recommend Hyram’s Skin Care 101 Videos. They have helped me better understand the basics of skincare.
Tiny adjustments in the daily positive grooming routine already make a significant difference.
It sounds a little silly, but my biggest “win” came from juicing a lemon with my bare hands without my fingers burning! Since then, I’ve been using juicing lemons as a good indicator of how healthy my fingers are.
