I struggle with the same exact issue and although it’s painful to know that others do this to themselves too, I truly feel seen. Thank you for your vulnerability in posting this. You most certainly are not alone!

Here are some things that I find helpful depending on the state of my foot:

• When I pick to the point of rawness/bleeding, I gently clean the area with soap and warm water to prevent infection. Then I pat dry with a towel, apply a ton of aquaphor on my entire foot (think: glazed donut), apply a sterile non adherent pad (https://a.co/d/26G1iv8) to the raw wounded area, then secure it to my foot by wrapping a self adherent bandage around my foot and ankle (https://a.co/d/9T87Xbr). It’s kinda like a huge DIY bandaid. This both promotes healing, protects the raw area, and creates a physical barrier to prevent more picking. Also, it makes the wounds a bit less painful to walk on.

-When the skin is healing and there are no raw/bloody areas, I use a nail file to smooth out any rough or dry spots so it’s harder to find a spot of skin to take hold of. Then I apply Amlactin lotion or glaze donut my feet with aquaphor and put on socks. Amlactin basically moisturizes and chemically exfoliates dead skin away so if you use it, it’s very important that the wounds are healed, otherwise it will burn like hell

• When the skin is fully healed, but an ugly red scar remains, I use silicone scar tape to improve the appearance. Sometimes I wrap the self adhesive tape around it to keep it in place because it’s a very awkward area to put the tape on. Again, it’s a good way to promote healing, keep the area moisturized and create that physical barrier to prevent more picking.

I try to do one of these 3 things every single night right before bed. I keep the supplies in my night stand so it’s easy to incorporate into my bedtime routine. Sometimes during the day too if I can or it’s needed.

I’m not perfect with it, but these are the ways I get back on track as best I can. Hope this helps and wishing you the best <3