How to Stop Touching Acne
- 1). Keep a log of your behavior. Bowers recommends that you keep a notebook handy so that you know how often you're touching your acne and what is happening when you do. It might help you realize how often you do it and take note of what things trigger you touching your face. Recognizing that you do it is a first step to stopping the behavior altogether.
- 2). Try replacing the acne touching or zit-popping behavior with something that feels the same and gives you the same amount of satisfaction. Perhaps making the motion of touching your acne on another part of your body, such as your hand, can give you the satisfaction of touching your acne without causing more problems. Popping bubble wrap may stop you from popping your acne.
- 3). Clench your fingers or otherwise engage them so that you cannot touch your acne. Take up a habit that causes you to use your hands, such as crocheting or playing a video games, so that you distract your hands from touching your acne.
- 4). Note what situations cause you to touch your acne the most. Some may find that they tend to do it more often in stressful situations. Learning different stress coping techniques will help you to stop touching your acne. Breathing deeply when stressed or humming a song may distract you. If you find that you touch your acne most while looking in the mirror, wash your face somewhere where you can't look in a mirror to avoid the behavior altogether.
- 5). Remind yourself to stop touching your face with notes posted where you can see them. You can use a code phrase if you are embarrassed of other people seeing them. Paint your fingernails a bright color that will catch your eye and remind you not to touch.
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