When lost in thought, we rest our chin in our hands; when nervous, we touch our nose or mouth; and when our eyes itch, we rub them absentmindedly. Even though we know we shouldn't touch our faces, our hands keep wandering back up. The real problem isn't the act of touching itself, but rather "how many things the hands touching our face have come into contact with."
Touching the face is a very common habit, and people do it far more often than they realize. One study showed that the number of times people touch their face ranges from 9 to 162 times per hour, with a significant portion touching mucous membrane areas like the eyes, nose, and mouth.
Why is touching your face a problem?
The biggest issue is the possibility of germs or viruses on the hands transferring to the eyes, nose, and mouth. Respiratory infections like colds, the flu, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), and COVID-19 can spread when droplets from an infected person's cough or sneeze land on a surface, get picked up by your hands, and are then transferred to your face when you touch it. Reducing the habit of touching your face helps lower the risk of infection.
It can also affect your skin. Sebum, dust, and various impurities on your fingers can transfer to your face, clogging pores or worsening acne. The American Academy of Dermatology (AAD) notes that frequently touching the face can aggravate acne, and squeezing or scratching blemishes in particular increases the risk of inflammation and scarring.
So why do we keep touching our faces?
Surprisingly, the power of "habit" plays a huge role here. Karen Tucker, a behavioral health clinical therapist at the Cleveland Clinic, explains that touching the face can be an unconscious action, sometimes appearing when we feel nervous. This is also why we don't specifically conscious of resting our chin, rubbing our forehead, or touching our nose.
Therefore, rather than just relying on your willpower to never touch your face again, the first step is to become aware of when you do it.
How to break the face-touching habit
① First, observe “when” you do it. Notice if you rest your chin while in a meeting, rub your eyes while looking at the computer, or touch your face while watching TV. If it repeats in specific situations, designate those moments as your face-touching alert time. Habits begin to change the moment you become aware of them.
② Give your hands something to do. The more idle your hands are, the easier it is for them to wander to your face. Holding a pen while working at your desk, a stress ball, or a fidget toy are great ways to keep your hands busy.
③ Change your chin-resting posture. Resting your chin on your desk with your elbows propped up is the easiest posture to lead your hands to your face. Take your elbows off the desk, keep your hands on your lap, or let them rest by your sides. Creating even a small distance between your hands and face gives you time to notice your hands heading upward.
④ Use a tissue instead of your hands for an itchy face. There are times when your eyes or nose itch and you need to touch them. In these cases, use a clean tissue to create a barrier between your hands and face. Especially if you have a habit of rubbing your eyes, make sure to wash your hands thoroughly beforehand.
⑤ Handwashing is just as important as “not touching your face.” No matter how hard you try, completely avoiding touching your face is practically impossible. Ultimately, the important thing is to keep your hands clean. Wash your hands with soap and water whenever necessary, such as after going out, using the restroom, or before eating. Reducing the frequency of touching your face while maintaining hand hygiene is a realistic approach.
Instead of “never touching,” aim for “touching one less time”
Touching the face is a natural action for everyone. Therefore, thinking you need to keep your hands away from your face all day can actually become stressful. The goal is not to never touch your face at all. Start by replacing one unconscious action with another — such as reducing the habit of propping your chin, using a tissue instead of rubbing your eyes, or holding a pen in front of the computer.
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