A bad habit I'd like to break

[pegkerr]

Okay, this is probably so trivial that it's hardly even worth posting, but I'll still send it out there: I feel kinda silly asking this, but does anyone have any tips to help me stop biting my lips? Am tired of sore, shredded lips, but can't help biting away at those little flaps of dry skin that stick up. They drive me crazy.

And no, it's not my worst bad habit, but it's the only one I'll admit to publicly.

Wondering,
Peg

Comments

[serenejournal.livejournal.com]

My first suggestion is to see a dermatologist and fix the dry lips. It's not usual for your lips to always be dry, and maybe fixing that might help.

[lcohen]

i do this too, and the only thing that works for me is to apply lip balm whenever i get the urge to chew. of course this has given me a bit of a lip balm habit......

[aome.livejournal.com]

Keep a thing of lip balm - whatever works for you - on hand at all times. I use Chap Stick's UV-block stuff, which isn't nearly as waxy and dry as their plain stuff. And I keep a little pot of Vaseline next to my bed (the weird smell goes away very quickly - and it works very nicely.) You might also try brushing your lips wiht your toothbrush after brushing your teeth -- might help get rid of any loose skin.

I had a problem with biting my nails, and it helped to keep a nail file on hand every time I was moved to bite them. So perhaps keeping lip-goo nearby any time you're moved to bite *them* might be an equally feasible solution?

[praetorianguard.livejournal.com]

Ah, the Minnesota dry lip problem. I have that myself.

I've found the best thing is to keep good lip balm all over. Chapstick, Blistex, Carmex, Vaseline or this horribly expensive Body Shop Lip Lotion stuff. Nothing really fun in that list, I know, but I haven't bit my lips to bleeding in a couple months now.

Oh, and apparently Minnesota had the driest three months on record from November to January. No wonder we're flaking apart.

[blackholly.livejournal.com]

I bite the skin on my lips and the skin on my fingers, but yeah...the only thing that'll stop me is a tube of lip balm slathered over my mouth before I get a chance.

[misia.livejournal.com]

I find that a twice-daily rubdown with The Body Shop's Lipscruff helps exfoliate the ooky bits off, and it also is a heavy-duty moisturizer and protector.

Between times, I am a big fan of the following options: Burt's Bees Lifeguard's Choice lip balm, Total Bitch Lip Balm, and my new fave, Shaved Peach flavor Pussy Pucker Pots lip balm.

Why yes, I am a femme, why do you ask?

[roadnotes.livejournal.com]

I use Blistex, usually, and try to keep that, or some sort of balm, with me at all times. This winter, though, has been harder than some of the recent ones.

[blackholly.livejournal.com]

oh! another weird no-biting tip--when brushing teeth, you can brush your lips with the toothbrush and it will exfoliate the heck out of them. this is particularly good if you wear lipstick a lot as it will get off *everything*.

[ambtiondata.livejournal.com]

Chew gum :)

[skg.livejournal.com]

I had a problem with biting my nails, and it helped to keep a nail file on hand every time I was moved to bite them.

Did this work?

Am desperate to stop biting my nails.
*sigh*

[porcinea.livejournal.com]

I burned my lips at the Women's Day march on washington. Ugh, I hate the peeling.

I slather on forbidden fruit pomegranate lip luster. Tastes great (must love pomegranate), feels wonderful. Dry skin just rubs off when I rub it in.

Stila strawberry lip glaze has worked similar wonders on wind-and-sun-burned lips while canoe camping. Again, I slather on thickly and leave it be.

Kiehl's lip goo comes highly recommended by my sisters.

[aome.livejournal.com]

It did help. The minute I started to nibble on a rough edge, out came the file. Make sure you have one everywhere you go.

Actually, what also helped was I gave up the nail-biting for Lent (twice). And while you may not normally participate in a ritual like that, I think it helps to set a *finite* time when working on a bad habit, at least at first.

So, say, you tell yourself "I will not bite my nails for two weeks." Do the nail-file thing during that time. See how long you can continue the new habit past two weeks. Once you start to slip, set yourself another finite time. It's a lot easier to say "Ok, I can hang on and not do this" for a short time, rather than feeling despair over trying to kick something "forever" all at once.

It took a couple of rounds, but then it stuck. I *occasionally* nibble on a nail now and then, but I've otherwise had to rely on nail-clippers to keep my nails down for the past 12 years. No more biting. :)

[splagxna.livejournal.com]

i bit my nails for years - from when i was about seven up until i was 21 - and finally cured myself by taking care of them - painting them, mostly. every sunday afternoon i'd sit down, take off the old polish, file them, soak them, push back the cuticles, and then repaint them. seeing them 'all pretty' -- or at least colored -- every time i raised them to my mouth helped me remember not to bit them. that was a few years ago - i don't paint them anymore, and i don't bite them, either.

but i do the lip thing, too. using lots of lip balm helps me from developing the dry bits in the first place, but once they're there - well, that's it.

[roadnotes.livejournal.com]

Pomegranate lip luster? Where can I find that?

[porcinea.livejournal.com]

Oh! I'm so glad you asked. It's my favorite lip stuff. And it's *really* pomegranate. Stains your lips brilliant red and is unbelievably tasty.

forbidden fruit makes it. Comes in a flat rectangular metal box with a sliding lid. Oh! Googling, I see forbidden fruit is made by Dirty Girl. I bought it at Ricky's (NYC drugstore chain). It seems to be readily available online, as well. (Plum, bad apple, and pomegranate, it comes in. Pomegranate is the tops. [It's the Eiffel Tower.])