Hey everyone! Like most of us here I pick at my skin and it is a horrible habit to have! I create scabs out of nothing but even worse when I do have pimples I create huge scabs that take weeks to heal. It's really stupid because in the end if I had just left the pimple alone it only would have taken a few days to go away. I suffer from anxiety and body dysmorphic disorder so this dosen't help either.
Anyways, I'm just wondering if anyone has any miracle solutions for dealing with open broken skin and scabs? Do band-aids overnight really help? I've heard of using liquid band-aid over the spots to cover them with makeup but it sounds like it will just irritate the area more? What do you use to speed along healing? Thanks for your help!
hi i have this problem too, where i scab over but then when i go to sleep at night i touch my face and the next morning the scabs are all broken 
i think the conventional wisdom is to put neosporin or some sort of petroleum jelly on the spot, but it hasn't really been working for me...
Put a first-aid antibiotic on it (Neosporin, etc). I believe there are antibiotic gels that have a type of zinc in them, and I've found these to work really well. Just plaster it on right over the scab or scratch really thick and leave it on overnight. The next day keep a thick layer on over the scab whenever possible. Repeat this until the scab is basically just a flake or skin and dried up scab and you can pull it off easy. Usually takes 2-3 days for really bad scabs.
Band-aids and neosporin will keep it from scabbing but can speed healing long-term. So I guess it depends on what you're looking for. If you want a scab which is easier to deal with than an open wound, then just leave it alone. If you want it to heal in 3 days instead of 4, use a band-aid and neosporin overnight.
Also neosporin creams with zinc are the best.
on days that i feel like i picked my skin raw (ew lol) i use like a vitamin e mask before washing my face, i just cut open one of those softgel ones and put it on my face, leave it on for like 15-25min? and then wash my face in the shower. after, depending on how bad it feels, i might dot some vaseline on it overnight
last time i used a bandaid (on my leg though, not for acne) i got a weird leathery dryness/rash where the bandaid sticks and later found out i was allergic to the adhesive. so id just say be careful about which bandaids you use, and how you position it since it might aggravate the acne around the spot youre covering
I'm at a loss of whether keeping wounds moist or dry helps them heal faster. I have tried keeping scabs on my face moist before with ointment etc, but then it just seems like it's never healing and scabs over when it gets the chance. Then I've let things scab over and just try not to touch the scab as much as possible, and wait a couple days, and usually the scab comes off by itself while washing my face or something.
Scabs ARE a natural process of healing so I guess I kind of believe in them. For me, letting things scab over and letting nature take its course is the best thing for me.
I'll throw in my two cents here. I'm a plain old (former!) picker--it doesn't matter if was zit-related or not, it got picked. Anyway, I've tried all the bandaids and salves and have NEVER found one that would heal my wounds because I would inevitably pick them anyway. I feel that putting on the lotions/potions/bandaids attracts my attention to the spot and makes my urges to pick greater. This time around I'm quitting picking and not using any type of aids like bandaids, etc. I have found that I need to heal internally (get my urges to pick under control, find my triggers, teach myself a competing behavior, positive body image, etc) before my outer skin will heal. I would like to disagree with the person who commented that waiting until your wounds are nice thin scabs and then picking them off will help you...it will not help you quit picking. Since I've been trying to quit for a week now, I've got lots of nice big pickable scabs that would fit the definition. I've succumbed to the temptation on a few occasions and it inevitably has made my urges greater. My motto HAS to be NO picking, ever, or they cycle restarts. Of course, this is all what is working for me. Good luck to you, be strong, find your way to quit! 
I saw this stuff the store recently for "popped pimples" but it probably wasn't that good for your skin. I work with raw shea butter from Ghana so I have been putting a little of that on at night if I messed up with the picking. I did try the antibacterial cream with a bandage thing and I felt okay about it.
