How to Stop Picking Cuticles

Cuticle picking is a habit that some people use, often absentmindedly, to regulate uncomfortable feelings, such as fear, worry and stress-related tension. Even though it is an undesirable habit, it is difficult to quit because it provides temporary relief from discomfort. One treatment that has been successful is a habit reversal technique known as "competing response training." This means people suffering from this skin-picking habit perform a different behavior with their hands that makes cuticle picking impossible --- such as making a fist --- each time they feel the urge to pick.

Instructions

• 1

  Identify under which conditions you are most likely to pick your cuticles. Noticing what causes you to seek this type of relief helps you become more aware of your behavior when the urge to do it arises.

• 2

  Perform a competing behavior for about one minute each time you want to pick your cuticles. Experiment with different types of competing responses to discover what works best for you. Examples of competing behavior include making a fist, sitting on your hands, squeezing a foam object, rubbing a polished stone or tapping your hand a number of times.

  If you choose tapping, start with tapping your hand steadily 60 times in a row, approximately once per second. The counting helps distract your mind from the situation causing your stress. If you are working in an office when the urge to pick your cuticles arises, you can discretely tap on your thigh as you sit at your desk or in a meeting.

• 3

  Ask someone who is willing to help you break the cuticle-picking habit to praise you for performing your competing behavior on a regular basis. This type of encouraging reinforcement was part of the competing response training in a 2006 study led by Ellen J. Teng, as reported in "Behavior Modification" journal. At a three-month follow-up, one study participant had completely stopped skin picking, and the remaining treatment participants decreased their skin picking by 77 percent, as compared to 27 percent in the group that did not receive any treatment.