Oh my goodness, i have the exact same thing,and that is exactly what goes through my head when i do it..I want the skin to be smooth and its not so ive torn chunks off that leave holes,it hurts so much but like you say,we dont realize we are doing it until its too late. I would really like to quit because i have been hearing of eventual cancer but how do you quit something you dont even realize your doing...ugh,someone help!!!
Damn, its good to know that im not the only one biting my cheeks and lips lol. Iv been looking up reasons for the biting and have found why we do it, what it can cause, and how to stop. We do it out of habit, anxiety, and nerves. But it can cause cancer in untreated wounds if you smoke. Its direct contact. It can cause painful sores and infections. Also i read that with infection, it could spread to the gums and damage out teeth and could even lose them. Ways to stop, gum of course and lip balm for us lip bitter. One thing i let my friends do it give me a little slap when i do it. It helps not gonna lie. Id get over the biting than to recieve a slap any day lol!
I'm so relieved that I'm not alone with this strange problem. All what you describe is exactly my problem. I've been biting my lips for as long as God alone knows. But now that I'm writing this, I have made up my mind to stop robbing my lips together, as that is the beginning of the biting process. I want to have beautiful smooth lips like other women and men. I want to stop staining my muscles by twisting fom one side of my lips to the other. I want to stop the pain and bleeding on my lips, some times in public or party occassions. Is there anyone who wants to do this with me? Please join my train, lets say STOP!!!!!! and fight to STOP it all. Let me know your progress...........
Like everyone else, I bit my lips and cheeks. Pretty much the same amout. I tend to make my lips bleed often. Normally my bottom one though! Ive made my cheeks bleed a few times but normally, like a lot of other people here, i do it to even it out. I was never abused or something like that but I still didnt have the best childhood. I got teased a lot especially in middle school. im not sure how long ive been doing this actually. i really cant remember but its been quite a while. Ive always wondered if i had some type of anxiety problem. i think I do but im not positive because i really dont have anything to be anxious about. But anyway... I hope none of us have oral cancer though! (:
Im 15 and i have been doing it since i was 4. I am completely un aware when it happenes until i taste blood. Then i cant stop. Its an addiction and it hurts so bad. ive tried to stop but it doesnt work. I Need to find a way that will help me stop.:'(
If it helps normalize further, I am a psychologist and still struggle with this habit! It's not bad in my case, but definitely happens more when I am nervous. I have found one thing that works well when I implement it.
Put a rubber band around your non-dominant wrist.
Every time you catch yourself biting (or starting to bite) pop the rubber band. It does not have to hurt!
This has two functions:
1. It makes me more aware of it, which alone reduces the behavior.
2. It creates a stronger negative emotion, since I know the snap is a "punishment" for the behavior. Because it is so second-nature, this helps bring negative feelings back to the behavior that decrease it.
This works for me every time when I bother to do it! It often takes something additionally motivating to start it. For example, anticipating a date with someone I really like on the weekend, I know that I am going to be able to intervene and stick with it. I know I wil not be kissing anyone if I am self-conscious about it!
Put a rubber band around your non-dominant wrist.
Every time you catch yourself biting (or starting to bite) pop the rubber band. It does not have to hurt!
This has two functions:
1. It makes me more aware of it, which alone reduces the behavior.
2. It creates a stronger negative emotion, since I know the snap is a "punishment" for the behavior. Because it is so second-nature, this helps bring negative feelings back to the behavior that decrease it.
This works for me every time when I bother to do it! It often takes something additionally motivating to start it. For example, anticipating a date with someone I really like on the weekend, I know that I am going to be able to intervene and stick with it. I know I wil not be kissing anyone if I am self-conscious about it!
Does anyone do it because their lips are always dry. I had a rough dental cleaning and she chipped a lot of my teeth off and I believe cracked my jaw as my bite is all out of whack. Had more dental work and it made it worse. Major health problems now
This is all very shocking to me! I thought I just did this to do it. Until a few years ago I saw someone else doing it and was like wow I look horrible I bet when people see me doing this. Also, my boyfriend told me one day he said, open your mouth and let me see what the insides look like. He gasps and the look on his face was enough to make me cry from embarrassment. All these years I've done this I've never cared to look inside my mouth to actually see what I've done. Yes it scared me but I still continue to do it. I've even told everyone I know, if you see me biting, yell at me. Let me tell you many people have yelled at me held my hands down, you name it. I still do it. It releases such a weird feeling of like relief like a cigarette does. I'm also a smoker so the sores or ulcers even are worse because of my cigarette smoke. I just started to research this problem and are now amazed at what I'm reading. It makes me feel more comfortable knowing there are many others who do it. Also I would love for someone to answer if this is hereditary. Only because, my mom has done it since I can't remember. So am I doing this out of my own self or am I copying her in a way?
Anyone having dental pain that is doing this? I find if I don't bite the lips, I can rub them off when I wash my face or use my tooth brush to get the dead skin off. Also my skin is dry everywhere.
My boyfriend does this, Bites his inner lips until they bleed. Hi also grinds his teeth at night and he is a smoker. He used cigarettes to curb his eating habits and he lost a lot of weight, but now he is highly addicted to smoking and lip biting. I think he does it because he is stressed from work and from anxiety. i want to help him so much it hurts me to know he is doing this to himself, not to mention annoying when i see him doing it!
I have the same problem - and Dr. Oz recommends chewing gum. unfortunately I can still chew my cheek around the gum and it only makes the tmj worse. So I got a night guard and I wear it during hte day or whenever I get started on a biting episode - hope this helps!
thanks everybody for your candid responses ! I have been chewing my lips, cheek and sometimes tongue for as long as I can remember! I remember my mother doing the same thing ! I notice it's been quite bad lately-mostly lower kip...same thing- trying to smooth it out. Years ago somehow I got a mass on my lip and had it removed- thankfully nothing came of that. You'd think I would have been cured by that. I surely admit life has been quite stressful lately. Went to the dentist last week, the hygenist advised that a few upper molars were a bit loose- I now realise I am clenching as I chew as well.. that is also motivating me to try and stop !! I am trying to be more conscious of when I start up and also try and rest my tongue between my upper and lower teeth when I want to chew. I will try gum...though the hygenist ( before I realized what I was doing to cause this) said that could make the teeth worse..I think I have improved a bit, but am trying to stop...will also try the rubber band method. Behavioral therapy!
I have been biting my lips since the Hygenist ruined my teeth. She scraped them all off and polished with the dremel and I was do scared I think I had a stroke. Stupide did not call dentist in and from the following day I could not swallow, then sensitivity, then another cleaning from same Hygenist and when I saw the doctor he said let us wait and watch. I told him I don't want to lose my teeth. Now I can't open mouth and lips pushing outwards and peel split. No blistix vasolene and anything works. Foodskes lips get druing
I'm 23 and I've been a lip/cheek biter most of my life. A few years ago I went on zoloft to treat my depression and broke my habit during that time. It's come back though since I stopped the medication. I no longer chew my cheeks but still notice I do it with my lips. From what I understand it's linked to anxiety and stress. I don't do it as frequently now, but notice that stress contributes a lot. My best suggestion for quitting is to work on your anxiety and reduce your stress levels. I cut back a lot and that seemed to help. I'm asking my therapist for tips next time I go in. I'd love to completely quit this nasty habit.
Has anyone considered a Chapstick with a bitter flavor, something similar to the product you put on your nails to stop biting them? Might not be healthy for your skin, but I'm sure it's better than biting your lip. Perhaps try putting a drop of the nail biting product on your Chapstick, if you can't find the product specifically for your lips...good luck