Hands Off

About Hands Off

Hands Off is a desktop application designed to help individuals overcome unconscious body-focused repetitive behaviors (BFRBs) such as nail biting, skin picking, and hair pulling. It uses real-time artificial intelligence to monitor your webcam feed, detecting the specific hand-to-face movements associated with these habits. The core value proposition is its proactive intervention: the moment a habit is detected, the app instantly interrupts with a screen overlay or alert, stopping the behavior before damage occurs. This approach directly addresses the key failure of traditional methods like bitter polish or manual trackers, which rely on conscious awareness or willpower after the fact. Hands Off is for anyone who struggles with these automatic habits during periods of stress, focus, or boredom, offering a private, automated solution that works silently in the background while you use your computer. All video processing is performed locally on your device, ensuring complete privacy as no data ever leaves your computer.

Features of Hands Off

Real-Time AI Detection

Hands Off employs advanced AI that continuously analyzes your webcam feed to monitor hand movements. It is specifically trained to recognize the patterns associated with bringing hands to the face for biting, picking, or pulling. This 24/7 monitoring happens in real-time, providing constant vigilance against unconscious habits without you having to remember to activate anything.

Instant Habit Interruption

The moment a BFRB is detected, the app triggers an immediate interruption. This typically takes the form of a full-screen pop-up or alert that breaks your focus and draws conscious attention to the action. This instant feedback loop is designed to stop the habit in its tracks, preventing the physical damage and reinforcing awareness at the precise moment it matters most.

Multi-Habit Support & Customization

The app supports five common Body-Focused Repetitive Behaviors: nail biting, skin picking, eyebrow/eyelash pulling, nose picking, and ear picking. Users can customize their settings to enable detection for only the specific habits they want to address, tailoring the intervention to their personal needs and ensuring the alerts are relevant and effective.

Local Processing & Privacy-First Design

All video analysis is performed locally on your computer's hardware. No video footage is recorded, stored, or transmitted to external servers. This ensures 100% privacy and security, making Hands Off fully GDPR compliant. Your habit-tracking data and webcam feed never leave your personal device.

Use Cases of Hands Off

Overcoming Unconscious Nail Biting

For individuals who bite their nails without thinking, especially during work, study, or while watching content. Hands Off runs in the background, catching the hand movement toward the mouth and providing an instant alert. This breaks the automatic cycle and helps retrain the brain over time to self-correct before the app even intervenes.

Managing Dermatillomania (Skin Picking)

Ideal for those who engage in compulsive skin picking. The AI detects when fingers are moving to pick at skin on the face, arms, or other areas. The immediate interruption helps prevent injury, infection, and scarring by creating a moment of awareness that disrupts the compulsive behavior pattern.

Reducing Trichotillomania (Hair Pulling)

Supports individuals who pull hair from their scalp, eyebrows, or eyelashes. By monitoring for the specific gesture of hand-to-head movement associated with pulling, the app delivers a prompt intervention. This helps preserve hair and reduces the urge by consistently breaking the habit loop during computer use.

Curbing Nose Picking or Ear Picking

Addresses these common but often socially stigmatized habits that are frequently done unconsciously in private. Hands Off provides a discreet, private method for awareness, using the same detection and interruption system to help individuals gain control over these automatic actions.

Frequently Asked Questions

How does Hands Off protect my privacy?

Hands Off is built with a privacy-first architecture. All video processing from your webcam happens locally on your computer. No video is ever recorded, saved, or sent over the internet. The app does not collect personal data, usage analytics, or share information with third parties, ensuring complete confidentiality.

What habits can Hands Off help with?

Hands Off is designed to detect and interrupt five common Body-Focused Repetitive Behaviors (BFRBs): nail biting, skin picking (dermatillomania), eyebrow or eyelash pulling (trichotillomania), nose picking, and ear picking. You can customize which habits to monitor within the app's settings.

Does the app work in the background?

Yes. Once installed and activated, Hands Off runs quietly in the background while you use your computer for other tasks like working, browsing, or studying. It uses your webcam for passive monitoring and only becomes active with an on-screen alert when it detects a targeted habit.

What happens after the free trial?

Hands Off offers a 3-day free trial. After the trial period, continued use requires a subscription priced at €2.99 per month. You can cancel the subscription at any time directly through your account settings.