Categories
BFRB Tips

Gel Finger Covers–the Best Way to Protect Your Fingers from Picking & Biting

illustration of gel finger covers

The reusable gel finger covers are the most effective in protecting me from picking and biting my nails and the skin on my fingers. They are the upgrade from the finger protectors I shared a while ago. 

Like the finger protectors, the finger covers are tubes that you can cut into small rounds, depending on how they work best for you. I prefer my protective gear to be as small as possible. That’s why I cut my finger covers quite narrow.

The covers protect the fingertips from nail-biting and finger picking. But they also work great for dermatillomania and trichotillomania as you can create a barrier for your problem fingers. Protecting the thumb alone can works wonders sometimes. 👍

I wear the covers either preventively or as soon as I start picking or biting. Or to hide the damage I’ve done. 😬

Information for the gel finger covers: 

  • easy to clean – just wash with warm water
  • the gel material is soft and elastic
  • comfortable to wear
  • the snug fit feels like a second thicker skin
  • they do not lose their shape
  • they cover any wounds on fingers
  • unfortunately, I only found them on Amazon: Canadian store, USA store or search for “gel finger cots” or “gel finger sleeves”.

Extra tip:

Apply cuticle oil before putting on the covers. That way, your skin will get that extra nourishing boost to stay soft and healthy. Moreover, your furniture or keyboard will not get oily from the cuticle oil 😉

gel-finger-covers-pieces
Categories
Coping Cards

It’s Okay. Keep Going.

Lettering saying: It's okay. Keep going

Setbacks are part of the healing process from body-focused repetitive behaviors. Our BFRBs are deeply ingrained, and if it were easy to “just stop,” we wouldn’t be here, eh! 🙄

Therefore, it helps me if I accept that fact – it makes it a little easier for me to forgive myself if I slip. 

Feeling negative or self-loathing during or after a picking or biting episode will only make the situation worse.

With this in mind, I’m trying to change my inner monologue: from “since I screwed up, I can keep picking and biting” to “it’s okay if I get lost in a BFRB episode. Keep going and focus on the healing path.”

To sum it up, let me tell you: It’s okay to slip. The aim is not to slip as hard and as often.

Sending you much love. Anja

Categories
BFRB Tips

Wrap a Rubber Band Around Your Sleeve to Avoid Exposing Skin

Illustration of a rubber band that's wrapped around a shirt sleeve

I like to find everyday household items that help me cope with my BFRBs. In this post, I’m going to talk about how to use a rubber band or headband to create a barrier against picking your arms and legs.

At home, I looove to wear baggy clothes – preferably my husband’s (🤫). The problem is, it’s easy to mindlessly slide the wide sleeves up my arms and expose the skin. 

I start scanning the skin with my eyes and fingers, looking for something to pick.

To avoid disappointment, I try to stay covered to avoid visual triggers like small bumps, pimples, or scabs.

So, when I wear clothes with wide sleeves, I wrap a rubber band around my wrist and over the fabric. This way, I not only create a barrier to keep the sleeves in place, but I also become aware of my BFRB actions.

Sometimes I even loop a rubber band over the sweatpants around my ankles. You can tuck them into your fluffy socks as well. ☺️

Alternatively, wear tighter clothes like leggings or a turtleneck to avoid visual triggers on your skin. 

If anyone has any other more sophisticated method, please let me know!

Another example of a household item in my BFRB toolbox is the DIY fidget ring.

Categories
BFRB Tips

Hold Adi Mudra to Keep Your Fingers Safe

illustration of hand holding adi mudra for BFRBs

I first learned about Adi Mudra in the book “Heal Your BFRB.” (great book, by the way!) Let me tell you all about it and why it helps to cope with BFRBs. 

Adi Mudra is a hand gesture that is often used in spiritual yoga and meditation. It means “first gesture” (Adi = primal, Mudra = gesture) because it is the first position a baby can make with their hands.

Fold your thumb and gently hold it with your remaining fingers. That’s it. Easy right!

Adi Mudra calms your nervous system, helps raise awareness, and increases breathing and lung capacity.

For this reason, it can be a good idea to keep your hands like this while doing your breathing exercises to help manage anxiety and stress.

I use Adi Mudra a lot to control my restless fingers. It became my go-to action when I catch my fingers wandering around feeling every so little bump or cuticle.

This hand gesture breaks my urge and protects my fingers from picking, biting, or pulling while I can refocus on my mission of not engaging in my BFRBs.

I love this little BFRB trick, especially in social situations. You can use it casually without anyone noticing. Somehow, holding my thumb(s) with the rest of my fingers soothes me and makes me feel safe and in control.

Try it out, and let me know what you think of this BFRB tip!

Categories
Coping Cards

I Can Learn to Live With Imperfect Skin

illustration saying: I can learn to live with imperfect skin

Whenever I see very tempting bumps on my skin, I tell myself, “I can learn to live with imperfect skin,” trying to convince myself not to give in to the urge to “fix” them. Because once I start, I can’t stop myself.

The goal is to accept pimples, blemishes, and little bumps. The urge to pick becomes less intense when we accept what’s underneath the skin.

When we have better control of our dermatillomania, our skin has time to heal. The skin becomes healthier and looks better. And in return, we get the motivation not to pick our skin and ruin the progress we’ve made in weeks or even months.

What does perfect skin look like anyway? I think I’m slowly awakening from decades of distorted thoughts about what skin should look like. 

Even though we know that the images of people with seemingly natural, perfect skin that we see in magazines, billboards, and social media are edited, we still strive for that impossible “glass skin.”

But certain bumps, a pimple or two (or 4 or 5), and little bits of redness are perfectly normal. Healthy skin isn’t flawless. “Perfect” skin is more likely to be an outlier. There is nothing to feel bad about!

I keep trying to get the best version of my skin through the right skincare routine and remind myself that nobody really sees my skin up close anyway.

And if they do, they probably don’t care if I have uneven skin or not. Everyone is preoccupied with their insecurities and thoughts.

Find alternatives to keep your nervous system calm and satisfied

Fixing imperfections due to visual triggers is one thing. The satisfying feeling of popping pimples, pulling ingrown hair, or getting the white stuff out of blemishes is a whole different matter. 

Our BFRBs are the wrong coping mechanisms for fear, anxiety, stress, or boredom.

We even get hooked on the sensation we get when we pick our skin, bite our nails and cheeks. These things cause our brains to release dopamine, which makes us feel better – at least for the moment.

We need to find new habits to calm our nervous system and new ways that provide soothing sensations. 

Coping with BFRBs is a personalized experience. It is specific to your needs. So try to mix and match coping techniques and develop your own strategy that works best for you. 

I keep my fingers busy with fidget toys and calm my mind with breathing exercises, sport, and meditation. It’s a constant learning and adaptation process.