The habit of biting the upper or lower lip is common to many people, and those men and women who have this habit often do not even notice that they are biting their lips while talking or thinking about some serious issue. Meanwhile, biting your lips is not only unaesthetic, but even harmful to a person, because you can chew delicate skin until it bleeds and cause inflammation, which will cause unsightly, painful cracks to appear on your lips, which are quite difficult to get rid of.
It is obvious that a person’s habits play an important role in creating his individuality, and by the totality of habitual gestures and patterns of behavior in a given situation, one can determine the character traits of an individual. can say a lot about a person, and also make his behavior and manner of conversation more vivid and emotionally rich. But not all habits are good, and the tendency to bite your lips is one of those habits that you want to get rid of.
Reasons why people bite their lips
The muscles of a person’s face are in motion most of the time, because we talk, smile, frown, purse our lips, laugh. Facial gestures reflect our feelings and mood, and lips play in a person’s facial expressions significant role, because most of emotions are reflected precisely on the lower part of the face. But if a smile reflects positive emotions, then lip biting is a facial gesture, indicating in most cases that a person feels uncertainty, fear, confusion or some other negative emotions.
Many psychologists believe that The habit of biting lips appears in people even in childhood , and the reason for its formation is complex relationships in the family and on the part of the mother and father. For example, if parents often scold a child for crying and bickering, the baby may begin to bite his lips in order to hold back tears and indignation. Over time, this conscious action turns into a habit, and the child will bite his lip every time he needs to hold back negative emotions.
The answer to the question why people bite their lips in adulthood, when they realize that this habit is unsightly and harmful, is also simple: biting your lips helps you cope with emotions and calm down . Since it is human nature to “spit out” through facial expressions and gestures, people replace crying, indignation and other manifestations of dissatisfaction with biting the sensitive skin of their lips. And after the emotional outburst is expressed through lip biting, the person feels relief and can calm down.
Another reason for biting your lips in a state of stress, emotional outburst or nervous tension is the desire to “pull yourself together.” Physical pain is sobering, so many people, in moments of severe mental shock, hurt themselves in one way or another - hitting a wall with a fist or an open palm, digging their nails into their palms, biting their lips until they bleed, etc.
And the last one the reason why people bite their lips is purely physiological - many people want to get rid of rough skin on their lips in this way, which causes discomfort. In cold weather and strong winds, lips become “chapped”, crack and become rough to the touch, and some people try to chew off the rough and flaky crust. It should be noted that biting your lips in this case will only worsen the situation, because bleeding wounds will appear at the site of the bitten skin, so to avoid damaging the thin skin of your lips, it is better to use chapstick or other similar products.
How to get rid of the habit of biting your lips
Try to keep your lips moisturized at all times. Use only balms, lipsticks or creams of proper quality. Don't forget to take these products with you always and everywhere. Knowing yourself, you can pre-apply any of these products to your lips, even a little in excess.
You can also resort to taking homeopathic remedies with a mild sedative, that is, calming effect. But you should not abuse them, because addiction may occur. These drugs cannot get rid of this bad habit forever, the maximum is to reduce its frequency.
To wean yourself from biting your lips, there is also a method of self-hypnosis. It helps some people with strong willpower, but, of course, not everyone, because there is no universal remedy. All people are different, and everyone needs an individual approach.
Drink coffee in the morning, cross the road just opposite the store, sit on the bus only near the window, be sure to read before going to bed or go for a walk in the evening, and it doesn’t matter that a snowstorm is blowing - habits that characterize each person as an individual and become an essential component of life. way of life Not every habit is nice and healthy. Unlike an evening walk, which can be beneficial, compulsive movements or actions are often more detrimental to psychological, emotional and physical health. Similar habits include the habit of biting your lips.
Causes of lip biting habit
The emergence of any habit is a consequence of repeated repetition of the same action under the influence of any stimuli. A tightly ingrained habit can no longer be controlled, has become automatic and, at the slightest emotional experience, manifests itself as a defensive reaction. It often happens that the causes of obsessive movements have long disappeared, but the bad habit itself remains and continues to exist in human behavior.
The habit of biting your lips, as a consequence of a psychological problem and the cause of its occurrence, lies somewhere on the subconscious level. Psychologists are inclined to believe that any bad habit begins in childhood. Lack of attention, warmth, and love from loved ones gives impetus to a defensive reaction in the form of unconscious movements. In adulthood, the reason for such an action can even be exams at the university, when it was not possible to find an answer in the head to the ill-fated ticket or the examiner’s question. Anger, irritation, stress, nervous shock, unexpressed emotions - all these irritants are reflected on the face and in movements.
What are the consequences of lip biting?
Lip biting can easily be classified as a bad habit. If enough has already been said about the dangers of alcohol and smoking, then what arguments can be given regarding this habit?
- First- aesthetic side. A person with bitten lips is simply ugly. Parent in kindergarten, applicant at interview, partner at business negotiations they don’t look attractive, and the only thing they do to attract the attention of others is the wounds on their lips. Bitten lips can be regarded not only as a failure in self-care. Many companies, for example, have long been using the services of a psychologist during interviews. A tendency to protest, nervousness, and – a conclusion that a specialist can provide to an employer as a result of communicating with a person with wounds on the lips.
- Second– health, which directly depends on the inherent bad habit. As a result of lip biting, wounds and cracks form on thin skin and mucous membranes. Through such damage, an infection or a virus can quickly and easily enter the human body. The consequences of such processes can have varying degrees of intensity and complexity in the struggle.
- Third– a woman with bitten lips is deprived of the opportunity to use decorative cosmetics. This consequence can be derived from the previous two, since lipstick of any shade looks unsightly on wounds, emphasizing all the imperfections and irregularities, and at the same time threatens to cause an allergic reaction or inflammation.
Quitting a bad habit means starting a long and persistent struggle with yourself. There are several methods that are considered the most effective and efficient in the fight against harmful addiction.
First– dietary adjustments. Due to a lack of vitamins/minerals in the body, excessive dryness of the lips may occur. Be sure to pay attention to the daily menu. It must be balanced and must include foods that are rich in fats, proteins and carbohydrates.
If you cannot eat a varied and balanced diet, then you can replenish the missing vitamins in the body by taking vitamin preparations. In this case, there is no need to self-medicate and independently determine for yourself what exactly the body lacks and how to make up for it. Consulting a doctor would be the wisest decision. The examination will allow a qualified specialist to see the full picture of the body’s condition and choose the right treatment.
Second way- fight fire with fire. Psychologists say that finding an alternative can help you overcome a bad habit. We are talking about instead of biting your lips, arm yourself with, for example, seeds or get chewing gum. Another option is to try gnawing on hard fruits or vegetables – apples, carrots. But we should not forget that the replacement should be temporary, and it will also need to be abandoned.
Third– self-control. A very difficult method to implement, because it requires the presence of willpower and character. Not everyone can stop in time, or even resist the urge to start biting their lips. You can try to avoid situations that will lead to nervous tension, or minimize their impact. But it is basically impossible to have perfect self-control. Therefore, physical activity, healthy, sound sleep, and setting a daily routine can help combat stress.
Fourth method– medicinal. Sometimes psychologists advise starting to take mild sedatives. But such a solution is only a temporary measure. After all, in fact, it will not be possible to get rid of a bad habit, but only to momentarily alleviate the impact of irritating factors.
In addition, any drugs that are taken for a long period can cause dependence or addiction. Alternatively, you can drink herbal teas. This tea is not addictive and has no contraindications.
Fifth method– lip hygiene. All kinds of moisturizing balms, ointments and lipsticks will help you cope with your bad habit. Ensuring that the skin of your lips is constantly moisturized and does not dry out is not difficult and does not take much time. The main thing is to purchase only high-quality cosmetics. An allergic reaction to one of the components in the composition can cause a lot of discomfort.
And the sixth, final, method- conversations. At the moment when you really want to bite your lip, you need to start talking. But the person with whom you can constantly talk is not always nearby. You can make a couple of phone calls. If there is no one to call, and maybe there is no need, then you can try reading aloud a newspaper article, declaring poetry, or even singing! When the lips are in motion, it is impossible to bite them purely physically.
The main thing is to start the process and firmly decide for yourself that the habit cannot be stronger. Patience, perseverance and fortitude, together with desire and perseverance, will ultimately lead to the achievement of your goal. After all, what could be more pleasant than realizing that the goal has been achieved on your own. And the reward will be beautiful, healthy lips without wounds or other physical defects.
Involuntary repetition of characteristic actions is inherent in every person. Some of these movements can only emphasize his individuality, while others can spoil the created image. Among the unaesthetic habits one can highlight the love of biting lips. This happens especially often when the lips are already inflamed under the influence of rhythmic influence.
The mouth and lips are one of the most mobile organs on the face. When facial expressions change, the lips constantly change their position: they stretch into a smile, gather into a tube, or purse. A particularly pronounced change in facial expressions is characteristic of emotional people. Over time, small (and with age, deeper) wrinkles, as well as nasolabial folds, form around the lips. The habit of biting your lips, among other things, is quite a harmful activity. As a result, the skin around the lip area becomes inflamed, wrinkles appear and deepen faster, and cracks appear on the surface, which cannot be eliminated quickly.
Sometimes, involuntary lip biting occurs as if by itself. Although it is possible to explain the reasons for such actions, as well as to get rid of the annoying action. More often, the fight against such flaws occurs during psychotherapeutic treatment. Psychologists insist that the ability to avoid painful reactions to stressful situations will ultimately make a person more self-confident and calm, and, therefore, happier and more cheerful.
Why does lip biting occur?
Any habit, especially if it is classified as “bad”, is the result of psychology life problems. People who are able to recognize this can hope that they will be able to cope with harmful manifestations.
Involuntary actions of the body often go back to our childhood. Most often, the habit of biting their lips is observed in people who, from an early age, constantly feel insecure in themselves and their strengths, they were “disliked” by their family and friends, or the child was completely deprived of care and tenderness. As a result, such “wounds” are replaced by systematic repetition of actions that are invisible to oneself.
Child psychologists urge parents to ensure that the child constantly feels the care, love and warmth of loved ones, then he will not acquire many harmful addictions with age.
Those people whose work is directly related to the manifestation of emotions or is tense and nervous involuntarily bite their lips. This is influenced by: anxious feelings, stressful situations, emotional outbursts, excessive thoughtfulness.
How to stop biting your lips
First of all, it is worth establishing increased control over your actions (especially if they are involuntary). You should never forget what habit can do. Those who like to “feast” on their own lips can be seen from afar: the organ is constantly inflamed, deformed, and sore. In addition, these people experience additional discomfort when interacting with lips and food (violent reaction to sour, spicy, salty foods), in the open air, and during communication. Ugly, unkempt lips will attract excessive attention, especially the fairer sex. The damaged surface of the lips is much more difficult to cover with decorative cosmetics. Chapped lips in a man indicate that he is not confident in himself, and he also loses some of his attractiveness.
A person must, first of all, love, pamper, and please himself. Only maintaining a good mood, cheerfulness and calm will help you avoid getting used to repeating seemingly uncontrollable habit actions. Try it for a few days and you will see that you begin to feel better. Reward yourself for your efforts with some trifle. Continue to live in harmony with yourself, calmness and self-confidence are a step towards getting rid of lip biting.
Sometimes people who do not have enough vitamins in their body bite their lips. Lips can dry out and crack, which causes a number of inconveniences; constantly biting, you want to return them to their previous appearance. This should not be done; it is precisely such desires that subsequently develop into a habit. You can fill the gap by taking multivitamin preparations. Lips can be kept hydrated by applying special products: balms, Vaseline-based lipsticks (hygienic), moisturizing lipsticks, etc. You should especially monitor the stability of lip moisture during the cold season and outdoors.
It is possible to get rid of a bad habit! Set a goal to change yourself and you will succeed. True, the more invisible the habit is to you, the more difficult it is to get rid of it. It may not be possible to “destroy” it quickly, but don’t despair. For convenience, keep a diary. In it, enter data about the days of “bad habits”, and especially about when the day passed without it. Information about “breakdowns” in therapy is useful in such records: write down information about what prompted you to bite your lips. This will be useful in further analysis of the problem and control over it. We do not offer clear guidelines for maintaining such records. Each of us creates our own methods of getting rid of bad habits.
Diversifying your pastime is not a panacea, but also a cure for the “illness”
Just denying that you bite your lips or giving a clear command to stop doing it once and for all may not be enough. Stimulate yourself, praise, through slight suggestion, make yourself believe that you can... And, as a result, one day it will happen. When? You won't notice it yourself.
We advise you to avoid stressful situations, increased anxiety, and in general, pay more attention to your state of mind. Reduce your use of antidepressants or other anti-anxiety medications. Do not neglect spa treatments and relaxation methods (essential oils, aromatherapy candles, etc.). Read mantras, do yoga, go for a massage, lie in the bath, visit the gym. Find something you like, take a break from everyday life, this will help you break the habit. If you can’t switch, your activities aren’t distracting, and your irritability and anxiety don’t go away, unfortunately, you won’t be able to cope on your own. You can get rid of a depressive mood under the supervision of a specialist.
Concentrate on the positive emotions that arise during your “leisure activity.” If it helps you get rid of lip biting, use this method in case of urgent need to control your emotions. Sometimes a few minutes are enough to pull yourself together again. The main thing is to believe in yourself!
People are very diverse. That's why people's habits are different. Such habits include, for example, lip biting, which is completely unaesthetic. Moreover, after such a “procedure” the border of the lips begins to become inflamed and painful.
It must be said that whether we are silent or talking, our lips are constantly moving. And over time, small wrinkles begin to naturally appear around them. And biting your lips only speeds up this process.
However, people rarely ask themselves the question: why, in fact, do they bite their lips? Although there are certain reasons for this. And it is quite possible to fight such a bad habit. Moreover, if you manage to cope with it, then most traumatic situations can be solved.
Reason to bite your lips
Before you try to find the reason for this habit, you should understand yourself. It's no secret that Each habit of this kind reflects the psychological problem of the individual person. And only if this question is answered can you begin to look for a way out of this situation. Although, some psychologists believe that most habits are born in childhood. The reason for this is also a lack of attention or love, affection or warmth.
In addition, it has been noticed that a person begins to bite his lips precisely at the moment when control over his emotions is lost. This is an overly busy work schedule, and some of your own thoughts, anxiety or a strong outburst of emotions.
How to get rid of lip biting?
The first thing you need to do is start controlling your behavior.. Those. a person must constantly remember that he can start biting his lips at any moment and what unpleasant results this can lead to. In addition, if you bite your lips while talking with other people, as you do, then this bad habit will not hide from their eyes. And the lips themselves will gradually acquire an untidy appearance, which, of course, will not add confidence to a person’s own abilities.
If after two days of “abstinence” a person still does not start biting his lips, then it will be very good if he gives himself something like incentive “bonuses” for this. Don’t forget to love yourself and compromise with yourself. If self-hatred prevails, then the situation can only get worse.
Lip biting due to lack of vitamins
In some cases people bite their lips due to a lack of vitamins in their body. If you suddenly have a food problem or eat foods that are unusual for you, this indicates a deficiency of important substances. As a result, the lips begin to crack and become covered with a crust on top that you just want to “bite off.” Although, solving the problem in this way is not the best and does not provide complete relief from the habit of biting your lips. In such cases, you need to gradually ensure that your lips are well-groomed and slightly moist.
We monitor our emotions
It is simply necessary to monitor your emotions. In case of stress, it is worth taking urgent measures to “pay off” it. Those. drink tea with lemon balm or mint, decorate your home with beautiful toys or trinkets. It is also recommended to take a warm, soothing bath. You can even do self-hypnosis or yoga. In a word - everything that will give you the opportunity to focus your attention on something else and forget about biting your lips.
Some replace the habit of biting your lips, but when you get rid of one addiction, you acquire another. If all attempts to get rid of this habit on your own are in vain, then apparently it’s time to visit a psychotherapist, whose task is to provide assistance in getting rid of depression and bad habits.
A person’s individuality is expressed in a wide variety of habits, but not all of them are useful, much less harmless. Why do they bite their lips? It’s not aesthetically pleasing, especially when there is redness of the border, inflammation caused by constant mechanical stress. Our lips are always in motion, because we chat, smile, or purse them dissatisfied.
All this is natural for humans; we cannot live without expressing our emotions. Over time, wrinkles form in the area around the lips, and the nasolabial folds deepen. If you have a habit of constantly biting your lips, deep wrinkles appear faster. At the same time, the skin around them often becomes inflamed, cracks appear on the lips, which are quite painful, and it is not easy to get rid of them.
Most people don’t even think about why they bite their lips, although this habit has its reasons. According to psychologists, bad habits require elimination. In this way, we solve a number of traumatic situations, get rid of nervous shocks, gain self-confidence, and ultimately become happy people. To find out what is the source of such a habit, you first need to understand your own life. It's no secret that almost every bad habit reflects psychological problem. And if you realize this, you will be able to influence the situation in the future.
According to psychologists, the roots of bad habits should always be sought in childhood. Perhaps the person lacked understanding, he was raised without tenderness and love, his parents were strict people. In this case, uncertainty is removed from childhood, and in real time these events are replaced in the form of obsessive movements that are not noticed at all. Losing control over their emotions and succumbing to feelings, people often bite their lips, and various events lead to this state. More often these are work-related tensions, stress, anxiety, deep thoughts, and emotional outbursts.
The question is often asked why people bite their lips, whether it is possible to get rid of such a habit quickly and painlessly, without spending a lot of effort. This is quite possible, you should start by trying to control your behavior. Remember that you can start biting your lips at any time, and often remind yourself of the negative consequences of this habit. Please note that after you injure your lips, an inflammatory process begins, accompanied by constant discomfort. When eating food, a burning sensation occurs; this condition also interferes with conversation and walks in the fresh air. Your unkempt lips will always attract the attention of your interlocutors, causing confusion. If you are talking to a girl or woman, she will immediately demonstrate her hostility.
The habit of biting your lips entails many difficulties, and in particular, painful sores and peeling will prevent you from applying lipstick. But a man with bitten lips looks no less sloppy than a lady. Therefore, you shouldn’t lose self-confidence because of such a ridiculous habit. If you managed to resist biting your lips for at least two days, then you should reward yourself with a pleasant gift. Remember that you need to love yourself, create favorable conditions for yourself, and always make compromises. If you hate yourself, the situation will only get worse, and it will be more difficult for you to break the habit.
How to help yourself
It is important to understand why someone who is nervous bites their lips? There are factors that will help you overcome a bad habit and save your lips. Start taking vitamins, since often people bite their lips precisely because of vitamin deficiency. Against this background, cracks in the lips appear, the skin becomes dry, and there is a desire to remove it so that the lips regain softness and smoothness. But such actions only aggravate the problem and a bad habit is formed. It is important that the surface of the lips is always moisturized and well-groomed. Try not to stay in frost or cold air for a long time. Do not forget to constantly use hygienic lipstick and special lip balm.
Try to show character, because you can do it. Set yourself a task - not to bite your lips. There is no need to scold yourself if there are no immediate results. You can keep a diary and write down information about whether you bit your lips during the day. Also indicate why you did this. With this approach, you will get used to discipline and will not give up halfway. In such a diary, you should describe in detail the negative consequences of the habit, and also indicate the results of success. For example, self-esteem, beautiful lips, the ability to achieve the desired goal.
Diversify your leisure time
Very often, thanks to interesting leisure time, you can take your mind off a bad habit. You shouldn’t be too categorical; don’t rush to say that today was the last time you bit your lips. Gentle suggestion works better, and don’t forget to encourage and praise yourself. Pay attention to your emotions, and if feelings of anxiety increase, you should take action. You can use sedatives, take aromatic baths with various essential oils. Scented candles have a good distracting effect.
A bath with the addition of sedatives should be taken every day, before bed. Take time for self-massage, you can do yoga and exercise. Increasing physical activity will allow you to significantly shift your attention, and you will forget that you usually bite your lips. If you use your imagination, you can find a worthy occupation for yourself. If it is impossible to concentrate on anything for a long time, then the intervention of a psychotherapist will be required.
Organization interesting leisure is necessary, and if you want to understand why lip biting, then solve the problem with leisure time first. In some cases, fifteen minutes is enough to gain peace of mind, a feeling of pleasant emotions and relaxation. At this time, remember that you promised yourself not to bite your lips, because it’s so easy if you want to!
Ever since school, have you been chewing on caps and every time you apologize to a colleague after “sharpening” her next pen? Or maybe you just can’t control the urge to put things in order everywhere, and you automatically line up cosmetic jars in neat rows on your friend’s dressing table, and then meet her indignant gaze? Whatever you say, habit is truly second nature, and getting rid of another “I” that interferes with a normal life can be very difficult. However, before you get rid of something, you need to understand the reasons for its appearance, says psychologist Oksana Alberti.
We repeat the same action every day, sometimes without realizing it. We often encounter the disapproval of others and quarrel with loved ones if our habits are completely harmful, for example, smoking or a passion for alcoholic beverages. But here’s what’s surprising: no matter how hard we try to get rid of them, habits don’t go away. In addition to damaged relationships with relatives and friends, we also experience internal discomfort that prevents us from living. “Most habits are signals from our subconscious. If you know how to read them, you can understand about a person even what he does not understand about himself. You can also understand what he knows about himself, how he lived and lives, how he built himself. This requires desire, attention and a little knowledge,”- says the psychologist. That is why we took on a very interesting, but difficult task - to find out what certain bad habits say about us.
Habit of biting nails
Needless to say, a person with bitten nails looks repulsive? For many men, neat female fingers are a fetish, and therefore you should not expect increased attention to your person if, instead of nails, you only have something vaguely resembling them. “The habit of biting nails speaks of internal tension, unconscious anxiety. As a rule, it is associated with low self-esteem and lack of self-love. In addition, by gnawing our hands and making them ugly, we unconsciously punish ourselves for not being worthy of love.”— the expert comments.
Habit of chewing pen caps
Firstly, every time you bring a pen to your mouth, remember that it may be dirty, and then problems will begin for you not only on a psychological, but also on a physiological level. And secondly, such a habit will most likely negatively affect your reputation at work. Oksana Alberti is sure that a person who chews a pen is perceived by others as an unbalanced type: “This habit speaks of the internal anxiety and tension of its owner. And one more thing: as you know, any elongated oblong object in our unconscious is a phallic symbol. The habit of constantly sucking or gnawing on something like this is an unconscious way of receiving pleasure through the mouth (oral). This may indicate high degree subconscious concentration on erotic pleasures.”
The habit of dirtying your pen cap will certainly negatively affect your reputation at work.
Smoking and alcohol addiction
According to the psychologist, the role of physiological dependence in this case is greatly exaggerated, and talking about physiology is just a way to justify one’s own reluctance to give up a harmful addiction: “Smoking and alcohol give us additional pleasure, give us a feeling of an influx of energy, and pump up our senses. They also play the role of some psychological« painkillers» . People who are active smoke often intellectual activity“They need it to slow down their actively working consciousness.”
Habit of overeating
Unfortunately, some people cannot stop not only with alcohol, but also with food. They eat until the button on their jeans pops off and they feel sick. The result is excess weight, dissatisfaction with oneself and an uncontrollable desire to eat away the grief that I created for myself. “The root of most of our bad habits is the desire for additional pleasure. Food is a powerful pleasure. In addition, in our subconscious, food and sex feel very similar. When we lack love, we try to compensate with sex. When we lack love and sex, we compensate with food,”- Oksana Alberti explains.
Fanatical love of order
Such people are called neaties - they put things in order everywhere, even where they are not asked to do so. This sometimes really irritates those around you, since such behavior takes the form of mania, rather than a healthy craving for cleanliness. “This habit speaks of a person’s craving for the ideal, and it can prevent you from feeling comfortable if someone violates your ideal order. The more you want to hold on to something perfect, the more often it will be violated, because perfect does not exist in the world. And the stronger your desire, the greater the trauma for you will be the violation of this ideal. For example, you will constantly quarrel with those who rearrange things on your desk, and you will simply become unbearable for your colleagues,”— the expert comments.
Habit of asking again
Surely you sometimes ask your interlocutor for the end of a phrase, although you heard it perfectly well. Many people are interested in why this happens. Oksana Alberti answers: “Most likely, this refers to echolalia - an uncontrolled repetition of the last phrase heard. This phenomenon in adults may be a symptom of developing schizophrenia or other mental illnesses. In this case, it is better to contact a specialist.”
Habit of picking at something
If you are haunted by a healing wound, nail polish, or a pimple that has appeared and you definitely want to pick them out, then most likely you need to work on achieving inner harmony. “This habit is akin to biting nails - it speaks of anxiety and dissatisfaction. Also about subconscious idealism - you want everything to be somehow ideal, but most importantly, not as it is now. For example, you touch undried nail polish - this is a subconscious desire for it to dry as quickly as possible and quickly make you perfectly beautiful. It’s the same with the sore.—this indicates a constant internal rush", explains the psychologist.
Habit of cracking fingers
According to Oksana Alberti's observations, men crack their knuckles more often than women. “Such a habit speaks of inner self-doubt,” adds the psychologist.
Habit of biting cheeks and lips
Those who constantly bite the inside of their cheeks and lips are familiar with the problem of unpleasant ulcers in the mouth, but this is not the only difficulty, says the psychologist. “The mouth is a place through which we receive many sensual pleasures, not only from delicious food, but also erotic ones. Unconsciously injuring yourself in the mouth area is punishing yourself for being too internally focused on these pleasures.”
Habit of tearing off labels
Previously, those who constantly tore off labels from everywhere (from packages of shampoo, jars of cream and various pickles) were said to be lacking sex, but Oksana Alberti has a different opinion on this matter: “Once again we are talking about idealism and perfectionism. In our subconscious, a smooth and clean surface looks more perfect.”
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Do you have a bad habit of biting your lips? You're probably doing this because they're dry and cracked. Taking good care of your lips will keep them smooth and elastic, so you won't have to bite them anymore. By exfoliating your lips, moisturizing your lips, and making some lifestyle changes to promote healthy skin, you can achieve beautiful lips and eliminate lip-biting for good.
Steps
Part 1
Moisturize your lips- A clean washcloth is another good option for massaging your lips. But be sure to use a new washcloth, as bacteria can live in the old one.
- Don't rub your lips too hard with the brush. If after this massage your lips are still a little rough, it’s okay, this is normal. You may need more than one session to completely get rid of dead skin.
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Try a sugar scrub. This is a great option if your lips are very chapped and sore as it is a little gentler than brushing. Make a simple mixture of one teaspoon of sugar and one teaspoon of honey. Apply a small amount to lips and massage gently with your fingers. This will remove the top layer of dead skin without damaging the bottom layer. When finished, rinse off the scrub with warm water.
Apply a softening lip balm. A softening balm is a substance that retains moisture in the skin and protects it from drying out. When your lips are extremely dry and chapped, regular chapstick may not be enough to help them heal. Look for a product that contains one of the following emollients as a main ingredient:
- Shea Butter
- Coconut oil
- Jojoba oil
- Avocado oil
- Rosehip oil
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Repeat the above steps until your lips are free of dry skin. It may take more than one moisturizing session to return your lips to their previous shape. Repeat the process of exfoliating your lips every few days. Between sessions, apply an emollient to your lips throughout the day and at night. Do not repeat the process more than once a day as this may cause skin irritation.
Protect your lips overnight. Do you often wake up with dry lips? The reason for this may be an open mouth during sleep. If you breathe through your mouth all night, your lips can dry out quickly. While changing your breathing habits can be difficult, you can still correct the problem by protecting your lips throughout the night. Remember to apply lip balm every night before bed so you can wake up with hydrated, not chapped lips.
Drink plenty of water. Dry, cracked lips are often side effect dehydration of the body. You may not be consuming sufficient quantity water during the day. Drink whenever you feel thirsty, and try to replace coffee and soda with plain water whenever possible. After a few days, your lips will feel softer and more hydrated.
- Alcohol is a notorious cause of dehydration. If you often wake up with chapped lips, try cutting out alcohol a few hours before bed and drinking plenty of water before you go to bed.
- Carry a bottle of water with you throughout the day so you can always drink when you feel thirsty.
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Try using a humidifier. If you have naturally dry skin, a humidifier can be a lifesaver, especially in winter period. It humidifies dry air so that it causes less damage to your skin. Install a humidifier in your bedroom and see if you feel a difference after a few days.
Work on moisturizing your lips instead of biting them. Do you unknowingly bite the dead skin that has collected on your lips? When you feel a small piece of skin peel off, you can't resist biting it off. However, biting your lips doesn't actually make them less dry or healthier. Instead of biting off pieces of skin, invest that energy into improving your lip health. The result will be soft, dead skin-free lips that look great, rather than rough-looking lips with blood where they've been bitten.
Massage your lips with a toothbrush. Wet your lips warm water, and then use a clean toothbrush to massage them in a circular motion. This will remove the buildup of dry, dead skin that causes lips to peel and become chapped. While lip biting often removes too much skin, resulting in bleeding, massaging with a toothbrush only removes the top layer of dead skin and does not affect the protective layer of the lips.
Part 3
Making lifestyle changesConsume less salt. Salt accumulates on the lips and can cause them to dry out quickly. Changing your diet to reduce the amount of salt in your diet can greatly affect the texture of your lips. If you do consume salty foods, rinse your lips with warm water afterward so that no salt remains on them.
Do not smoke. Smoking is very harmful to the lips, causing dryness and irritation. If you're a smoker, there are many good reasons to quit the habit, and healthy lips are one of them. Try to keep smoking to a minimum to protect your lips from damage.
Protect your lips from sun exposure. Just like the rest of your skin, the skin on your lips is sensitive to sun damage. Apply lip balm with SPF 15 or higher to protect your lips from sunburn.
Cover your face in cold or dry weather. Nothing can leave your lips as dry and chapped as cold, dry winter air. If you are more prone to biting your lips in winter than in summer, then this will be the reason. Try pulling up a scarf and covering your mouth when going outside in winter to protect your lips from the cold.
As we age, we acquire a large number of different habits. Some of them undoubtedly emphasize our individuality, some of them we simply do not notice.
But there are some habits that are very harmful. These include the habit of grimacing when laughing or irritation, often touching your face with your hands, squeezing out hated pimples on your face, and the habit of sitting with your legs crossed. For example, when we laugh, the body produces happiness hormones - endorphins.
And although laughter is good for the mental and physical health, grimacing while laughing leads to the rapid formation of common wrinkles in the corners of the eyes, the so-called “crow's feet”.
And when we frown or purse our lips irritably, the consequence of this habit is small expression lines around the mouth, on the forehead and deep nasolabial folds. If you have a habit, you not only increase the number of small wrinkles around them, but also injure your lips, which can lead to inflammation of the skin around them.
Many doomedly put up with their habit, believing that there is no point in fighting it, while others do not give up and still overcome the habit that harms them.
Psychologists are convinced: any habit is a psychological problem.
Bad habits can and should be fought.
If you show enough endurance and go to the end, despite all the difficulties, you will certainly achieve what you want.
As you know, in order to defeat the enemy, you need to get to know him as best as possible. So it is with habits.
In order to get rid of a bad habit, you need to understand where it came from and try to convince yourself that there is no longer any reason to continue indulging in your habit.
Experts say that all habits, both good and bad, originate in our childhood. We won’t talk about good habits, since you don’t need to get rid of them; rather, you need to increase their number. So why do we develop bad habits?
Why do we suddenly or not begin to perform actions that were previously unfamiliar to us?
Psychologists believe that the most common reasons for the appearance of bad habits are a lack of attention or love, a lack of affection and tenderness in the child’s relationship with his parents, basic self-doubt, and imitation of someone in authority.
Simply put, your bad habit is nothing more than a forced replacement of those actions, the absence of which you were acutely worried about in your childhood.
This is why it is so important that there is a close and warm relationship between parents and child.
How to get rid of the habit of biting (biting nails) lips
– explain to yourself that you need to get rid of the habit, because it somehow interferes with you. For example, the habit of biting (biting) lips leads to constant injury to the mucous membrane of the lips during biting. Wounds and cracks appear on it.
- control over your behavior. You must constantly monitor yourself, trying not to resort to your habit.
Experts are also convinced that people tend to imitate. This is why psychologists recommend that while you are trying to get rid of your bad habit, you should stay away from people with the same addictions.
– be sure to encourage yourself if you succeed at something. For example, buy yourself a small gift for not biting your lips for three whole days.
– meet yourself halfway, create favorable conditions for getting rid of the habit, do not be afraid to compromise with yourself.
Causes of crusty lips
– lack of vitamins can cause increased dryness of lips, peeling and cracking;
– the bad manner of licking and biting your lips is actually also a way to achieve pleasure. In this way, a person easily and gently massages points located in the corners of the mouth and in the middle of the upper lip - right in the nasolabial groove. The only pity is that after such a “session of pleasure” the lips often become cracked and chapped;
– Toothpastes, especially fluoridated ones, are often to blame for excessive dry lips. In this case, inflammation of the skin around the mouth does not go away for a long time. At the first signs of such trouble, you need to change the paste;
–, especially with increased resistance, can cause feeling of dryness on lips. It lasts a long time due to deep penetration into the skin. As a result, the skin is degreased and moisture evaporates faster from its surface. This lipstick should not be used too often.
– Cheilitis(cheilitis; Greek cheilos lip + -itis) - inflammation of the mucous membrane, red border and skin of the lips. A distinction is made between actual chronic illness, which occurs independently, and symptomatic illness, which develops as a result of other diseases, such as hypovitaminosis. The most common forms of X are: exfoliative, glandular, contact allergic, meteorological, candidal, eczematous, chronic fissures of the lips, abrasive precancrosis Manganotti cheilitis.
Exfoliative cheilitis- chronic inflammation of the red border of the lips along their entire length. The lower lip is most often affected. The etiology has not been fully elucidated. It is observed, for example, in people who have the habit of frequently licking or biting their lips, in patients suffering from thyrotoxicosis. Possible causes include immune disorders, allergies, and genetic factors. Women aged 20-40 years are most often affected.
There are dry and exudative forms. In the dry form, translucent scales at different stages of development are visible on the red border of the lips. The scales are tightly fixed in the center, their edges are slightly raised. 5-7 days after the appearance of the scales, they are easily separated, and in their place a bright red surface remains.
Patients are concerned about dryness, sometimes a slight burning sensation when eating in the affected area. Biting the scales leads to erosion. The exudative form is characterized by swelling and hyperemia of the lip, the appearance of large purulent crusts on the red border, sometimes hanging from the surface of the lip.
After removing the crusts, a bright red, slightly moist surface is exposed. Patients experience burning and pain that worsens when eating. A transition from one clinical form of H. to another is often observed. The course of the disease is long.
Treatment is ineffective. Neuroleptics (thioridosine) or tranquilizers (chlozepid, sibazon, etc.) are prescribed, and courses of psychotherapy are conducted. Patients suffering from thyrotoxicosis receive specialized treatment from an endocrinologist.
In the dry form, it is recommended to lubricate the red border of the lips with indifferent ointments, creams, a hygienic sponge, and lipstick. A certain effect is observed after radiotherapy (Bucca's rays), and in the exudative form - after preliminary removal of the crusts.
– Meteorological cheilitis caused by the action of various meteorological factors (wind, cold, low humidity, insolation, etc.). It is more often observed in people whose profession involves working outdoors (for example, shepherds, builders). Increased dryness of the skin predisposes to the development of the disease. Clinically characterized by moderate hyperemia and dryness of the red border, the formation of small scales and cracks. Under the influence of sunlight, the development of an exudative form (actinic cheilitis) with pronounced swelling, the appearance of bubbles, erosions, and crusts is possible. Patients experience a feeling of tightness of the lip, itching, sometimes burning and pain when talking and eating.
The course is long-term and recurrent. The diagnosis is difficult. Differential diagnosis is carried out with exfoliative and contact allergic H., lupus erythematosus and lichen planus. During treatment, it is necessary to reduce the time spent outdoors, avoid direct exposure to sunlight, it is recommended to lubricate the red border of the lips with photoprotective creams and hygienic lipstick. In cases of severe inflammation, applications of glucocorticoid ointments (0.5% prednisolone, etc.) and oral B vitamins are indicated.
– Chronic cracked lips appear, as a rule, as a result of injury, with a decrease in their elasticity, which may be due to meteorological factors, occupational hazards; with a lack of vitamins A and group B; after diseases accompanied by blistering rashes and leading to disruption of the integrity of the red border of the lips. The microbial flora that penetrates into cracks supports the inflammatory process and prevents their independent healing. More often the crack is single and, as a rule, is located in the center of the red border; the simultaneous existence of several cracks of different lengths, depths and locations is possible.
How to help dry lips and get rid of crusty lips
Creams with added vitamins A and E intended for lips will help prevent this. Such creams have a softer consistency and are absorbed faster;
– increase the proportion of foods rich in vitamin A in your diet. Make carrot salads, eat yellow peppers, orange fruits, sea buckthorn, and cook liver dishes.
At the same time, do not neglect eggs and dairy products. However, excess vitamin A in the body can also cause lip cracks. Irritation and cracks in the corners of the mouth often result from a deficiency of B vitamins, found in fish, eggs, milk, liver, cheese, leafy greens, oatmeal, pumpkin seeds, brewer's yeast and wheat bran.
- do nourishing masks from natural products. Cucumber juice will make your lips soft and tender. You can spread honey on them, leave for 15-20 minutes, then rinse and apply cream. A mask of cottage cheese and carrot juice, applied for 10-15 minutes, will give your lips elasticity.
After it is good to cover them with a thin layer of vegetable oil. In order to keep your lips smooth for a long time, it is advisable to wipe them with the juice of some fruit or berries every day;
– drink more. If the room where you work is unbearably hot on a very cold day, or if in the summer outside the city you spend all day under the hot sun, you need to drink a lot;
Dear girls, the next time you catch yourself biting your lips, remember that...
and the perioral region play the role of an erogenous zone, which is very important in the perception of a woman by a man. Socially, the condition of the lips, nasolabial area, and “bitterness” folds in the corners of the lips can also play an important role.