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Why do people bite their lips and how to get rid of this bad habit? What happens if you chew the inside of your lips? How to stop biting your lips: giving up the bad habit Lip biting psychology

Jack Schafer, a former FBI special agent, psychology professor, and behavioral analysis consultant, in his book “Turning on Charm Using the Secret Services Method,” says that the lips of the interlocutor can tell a lot to an attentive observer.

Fake smile

Both psychologists and simply observant people have long known that smiles can be genuine and fake. Characteristic signs of a sincere smile: raised corners of the mouth and the appearance of wrinkles around the eyes. A fake smile usually comes out crooked and out of sync. If a person smiles sincerely, his cheeks rise and wrinkles appear under the eyes and at the outer corners of the eyes. With a fake smile, the corners of the mouth do not rise and there are no folds around the eyes.

People sincerely smile when their desire to communicate is genuine. If you notice a fake smile, this is a sign that something is going wrong. An artificial smile or its absence means that the person is not interested in making acquaintances or continuing the conversation.

Pursed lips

A person automatically purses his lips or folds them into a bow if he is not happy with something. This facial signal can be interpreted as disagreement or protest. Pursed lips also indicate that the other person has said something that contradicts his own thoughts. Knowing this gives you a huge advantage. By noticing that a person is pursing his lips before you have finished expressing your thought, you have a chance to make him change his mind before he has time to express his opinion out loud. Because if a person says something out loud, then he prefers to be consistent and stick to what he said.

For example, imagine that a husband says to his wife: “Darling, I’ll now prove to myself that we can afford a new car.” And then you notice how your wife purses her lips. You understand that she has doubts and is ready to energetically object to you. You just need to immediately bring new arguments before she has time to express her thoughts out loud. Otherwise, it will be almost impossible to convince her to agree to the purchase. This technique can also be used perfectly in conversations with husbands.

Pursed lips

If the upper and lower lips of the interlocutor are tightly closed, it means that he wants to say something, but is holding himself back. Suspects often purse their lips before confessing to a crime. They want to confess, but involuntarily purse their lips so as not to give themselves away.

Lip biting

Biting the upper or lower lip is another eloquent facial movement. At this moment, the interlocutor wants to say something, but for some reason does not dare to do it. This is what the old saying "bite your lip" means - to refrain from speaking your mind.

During a conversation, try to notice this nonverbal signal. This is a good sign to encourage the person to speak up. Say something like, “It sounds like you have an opinion about this. Would you mind sharing?" Many will be surprised by your ability to read their minds and your attentiveness, and will be glad that you show sincere interest.

Touching lips

Touching the lips means that the person is confused by the topic of conversation. Touching your lips distracts attention from the subject being discussed and reduces anxiety. If the person touches his lips with his fingers or a pencil to test the waters, you can clarify your assumption: “I think you are embarrassed to talk about this.” By doing so, you give the person the opportunity to confirm or refute the statement and explain their reaction. And your interlocutor will be pleasantly surprised by your ability to notice such the smallest details.

Lip touching can be used effectively in both business and personal communication. For example, if you are discussing the merits of a product in private with a potential client, notice that he thoughtfully strokes his lips with his fingers. When you notice this gesture, say something like: “You must be confused because you have never used such a thing before.” Your words will encourage the customer to express concern about the quality of the product or service. Once you understand what's bothering him, you can adjust your offer to successfully sell your product.

Based on materials from the book “Turning on the charm using the methods of the secret services”

The habit of biting lips is a problem for most adults. Thinking about the problem, worrying and worrying, they bite their own lips. It looks unaesthetic. This way it is easy to cause infection and inflame the skin.

You can get rid of such a habit. You need strict control over your actions and detailed psychoanalysis.

Possible reasons

We use our lips to express our feelings. There are people who have developed the habit of biting their lips or cheeks. This expresses their feeling of self-doubt and worry. This facial gesture shows that a person is puzzled by something, feels fear and is nervous about something.

The habit begins in childhood. Its causes: lack of attention, lack of parental love, frequent stress and nervous breakdowns. By biting his lip, the child tries to hold back tears or anger when he is scolded. He does this when he doesn’t know the answer in class and is nervous about it. He bites his skin every time he experiences negative emotions. If the baby does this regularly, then the action becomes a habit. And being of a conscious age, he cannot get rid of it.

Biting the skin helps calm you down. In this way a person tries to cope with emotions. When he makes this gesture, he feels better and calms down faster. They believe that physical pain sobers up and helps you come to your senses.

The habit of biting your lips is a way to get rid of rough skin. In a strong wind, lips often become chapped, the skin becomes flaky and irritating. And instead of lubricating it with a moisturizing balm, the person once again chews off the rough skin. But often this brings discomfort. Lips can be bitten until they bleed, which will lead to the formation of cracks.

Consequences

Bitten lips look unattractive. Especially if wounds with blood are visible. Even beautiful lipstick won't help hide it.

Other consequences:

  1. Inflammation. Infection can occur through cracks. Especially if you have another bad habit - biting your nails. And herpes on women’s lips looks ugly.
  2. Discomfort. For a person with bitten lips, every meal will be problematic. There will be a burning sensation and pain in places where there are wounds. Especially if the dishes are salty and spicy.
  3. Skin condition. Due to constant biting, the skin will become rough.

Problems with the lips and chewing on the inside of the cheek can cause problems throughout the mouth. This negatively affects the condition of the teeth. Microbes penetrate the oral cavity and begin to multiply instantly. The result is plaque, caries, ulcers on the inside of the lip.

Self-treatment

It is imperative to get rid of bad habits. This develops willpower.

Learn to control your actions. Pay attention to what you do in moments of stress and anxiety. Motivate yourself. If the process could not be stopped in time, you can come up with a light punishment.

Ways to get rid of the habit of biting your cheek and lips:

  1. Pamper yourself after every small victory. If you manage to spend the planned time without biting the skin on your lips, give yourself a little encouragement. This could be a sweet, half an hour of rest, a walk. Relaxing treatments like going to a spa or massages are excellent motivation.
  2. Taking vitamins. Deficiency of essential vitamins and minerals negatively affects the skin. It is important to start taking the appropriate medications to get your lips and mouth in order. You need to drink the whole complex. For a list of medications, you should consult a dermatologist or cosmetologist.
  3. Sedatives. If cheek biting is caused by nervous breakdowns or mental disorders, calming pills will help. They improve the condition of the nervous system, making it easier for a person to find harmony with himself. Be sure to contact a neurologist for an appointment.
  4. Proper care. This is especially true for girls. It is necessary to use special creams and ointments. Before going to bed and going outside, thoroughly lubricate your lips with a moisturizing balm or hygienic lipstick.

If your lips are bitten or have cracks, applying lipstick to them is prohibited. This may make the situation worse. Yes, and it doesn't look nice. Only special care products are allowed. This will help make your skin well-groomed, soft and beautiful.

Relatives can help you cope with the problem. Ask them to remind them not to pick the skin every time it happens. The patient will feel ashamed and want to get rid of the habit as soon as possible.

Working with a psychologist

In psychology, the habit of cheek biting is called a mental pathology. To treat it, a technique such as psychoanalysis is used. It is necessary to determine the reasons why the habit of peeling lips or cheeks was formed. To do this, the patient is asked to consider the following:

  • why do I bite the skin on my lips;
  • what happens if you replace this habit with another action;
  • how I feel when I bite my cheek;
  • Does it make me feel better after this?

This allows you to understand whether the disease is related to mental disorders or whether it is a need to remove rough skin. If a person has a second cause, self-treatment should be tried. If the problem arises at a psychological level, you need to seek help from a specialist.

The psychologist asks you to imagine a situation that causes stress and makes you nervous. The doctor’s task is to monitor the patient’s behavior and actions. Usually, habitual actions are performed automatically, on a subconscious level. And if the client begins to bite his cheek, then additional sessions are scheduled. If not, he is asked to start caring for the epidermis.

The client is given homework. These may include finding a favorite activity or hobby. This includes physical activity, travel, new hobbies, and visits to cultural institutions. The main thing is for the patient to relax and forget about his problems. Every competent psychologist says that this technique is effective. And in addition to treatment, it helps you develop yourself and become better.

The psychologist asks the patient to use affirmations. These are positive statements whose purpose is to motivate a person. They work through self-hypnosis.

Effective affirmations:

  • I will succeed;
  • I will definitely stop biting my cheek;
  • I have enormous willpower;
  • I can deal with my problem very quickly;
  • I will stop biting my lips and they will look attractive, etc.

Such phrases help a person to believe in himself. It is important that close people repeat them to the person. This will be double motivation.

The average number of sessions in the course is 5. Depends on the mental state of the patient and his desire to cope with the problem.

Conclusion

The habit of biting the cheek or lips is a problem for many adults. This indicates their lack of self-confidence, worries, fears and other problems on a psychological level. The result is ugly, bitten lips.

Self-medication will help you cope with the problem. The main thing is to have desire and willpower. Initially, you need to start taking care of your skin, which will help with moisturizing lipsticks and balms. If this is not enough, you can contact a psychologist. He will conduct psychoanalysis and help the patient get rid of the bad habit forever.

Many women and men do not notice their bad habits, especially when they are nervous. The habit of biting lips entails not only consequences for aesthetics, but also harm to health, since the bitten skin can be chewed to the point of bleeding, an inflammatory process begins, painful wounds and cracks appear on the lip, which are not easy to eliminate, especially if the biting continues. Therefore, it is important to know why people bite their lips and how to stop biting their lips.

The majority of the time the facial muscles are in motion, as a person talks, smiles, frowns, purses his lips, and laughs. Thanks to facial gestures, you can find out a person’s mood, his emotions and feelings. But if a smile indicates positive emotions, then lip biting is a facial gesture, which in most cases signals that a person is uncomfortable, unsure, afraid of something, experiencing confusion or other negative emotions.

Psychology and psychosomatics say that the habit of biting lips is formed in people in early childhood; the reason for its appearance, according to psychologists, is the unfavorable climate in the parental family, the lack of necessary attention and love from the child’s parents. For example, if adults often focus negative attention on a child’s tears, punish him for showing emotions (crying, tantrums, bickering), the child bites his lips and cheeks. The habit of biting his lips helps him hold back his tears, grievances and worries. After a certain period of time, the conscious action becomes a habit; a person begins to bite his lips or cheeks from the inside every time he needs to restrain negative emotions.

The reasons that a guy or girl bites the skin on their lips as an adult vary. This helps to overcome negative emotions, a kind of way to calm down. Since a person tends to throw out negativity through indignation, tears, screaming or hysterics, such people replace manifestations of dissatisfaction with biting the delicate skin on their lips. And after biting, such people feel internal relief, they calm down. More often, the habit of biting the skin of the upper or lower lip is characteristic of a man, since it is more difficult for him to express his own emotional experiences.

Another reason for biting lies in the desire to get rid of a stressful situation or emotional overstrain in this way. A person who bites the skin, at a moment of intense mental stress, tries to cause himself physical pain, thereby, as it were, “sobering up” himself, trying to cope with emotions. These are psychosomatic reasons for a person biting his cheek or lips in the same place. Guys are more prone to this condition. The male sex is accustomed to hiding their emotions in any convenient way, therefore, according to psychosomatics and psychology, a person begins to gnaw the skin on his lips, and in the same place constantly.

The habit of biting lips and cheeks can also mean purely physiological conditions. For example, a person tries to remove rough or chapped skin in this way. But if you constantly bite the skin, this will not solve the problem. If you habitually bite a tender area, you risk getting an infection. Besides, walking around with bitten lips is unsightly. How to get rid of it? If the skin is chapped, it is recommended to use chapstick or balm to moisturize it.

Consequences of habit

Biting negatively affects the epidermis around the mouth. What happens if you bite your lips? Constant biting negatively affects the condition of delicate skin. Bitten lips look very unsightly. But this is not the only disadvantage of a negative habit. Since the skin is most sensitive in this area, constant biting in the same place can lead to microcracks and wounds appearing on the mucous membrane outside and inside, which can become a gateway for pathogens. By the way, a guy’s lower lip suffers more often than his upper lip.

If you constantly bite your lip in the same area, microbes and viruses will penetrate through the wounds into the deeper layers of the skin. The inflammatory process will begin. Another disadvantage of biting for women is the problem with applying hygiene or decorative cosmetics. Bitten lips cannot be hidden under a layer of lipstick. Therefore, it is important to know how to stop biting your lips. If you stop getting rid of negative emotions in this way and eradicate a bad habit, it will immediately become noticeable outwardly.

What to do

To get rid of the habit of biting, you first need to analyze the reasons for this condition. Knowing what this means can help you deal with the problem. But you need to remember that if a man or woman bites the skin, getting rid of such psychological dependencies is not easy and you will have to work on yourself for several weeks, or even months. But with psychology, such habits can be resisted.

First you need to realize that you are biting or biting your skin. In order for a person to wean himself from such a state, it is necessary to control his own emotions. It is important to understand what this means, it will help you unlearn it. Such people need to constantly remind themselves that at any moment they are gnawing on the lower or upper skin around the mouth. Therefore, during periods of stress, worry or irritation, it is important to constantly tell yourself that it is ugly, the bitten areas look unaesthetic.

In order for a woman to wean herself from a bad habit and not bite or gnaw on chapped skin, she should remember to care for this area. Apply hygienic lipstick, gel or balm to normalize the condition of the epidermis. Thus, the desire to bite will disappear.

If you bite the lower or upper area around the mouth due to stress or anxiety, in order to gain peace of mind, it is recommended to visit a psychologist or psychotherapist. He will help determine the reasons for this condition and find out the meaning of negative actions in a particular case. In order for a woman to stop performing her usual ritual, it is recommended to introduce new hobbies into her life and diversify her leisure time. Close people can help you cope with skin-gnawing habits. I bit him to remind him that he shouldn’t.

Sometimes natural-based sedatives or sedatives can help. Only a doctor can prescribe them. Negative rituals can also mean the development of certain pathologies in the psyche or nervous system, so it would be useful to visit a qualified neurologist who will help cope with the problem.

There are many ways to get rid of this bad habit from childhood. It is important to find your own method and set yourself up for success.


It is unlikely that anyone needs to prove that bite your lips harmful and ugly. Moreover, this is harmful not only for the lips, but also for the person who suffers from it, since an ugly habit can significantly reduce his chances of success, both with the opposite sex and in career matters.

It is imperative to get rid of this activity, and for everything to work out, you need to take the issue seriously and be determined to defeat yourself. Psychologists say that the roots of this problem lie on the psychological plane, which means that by eradicating the bad habit of biting your lips, a person will most likely solve, in parallel, the more serious problems that formed it.

Analyze the situation

When exactly do you bite your lips? When you are nervous, pondering a question, or watching a movie with enthusiasm? Watch yourself and strive to take control of the situation. Tune in to the fact that in this confrontation “bad habit - you”, you are the main one. You must REALLY want to win this war, and faith, as you know, can move mountains. With this mindset, take the next step - try one or more methods that will become your allies and be motivated by the fact that they help many. This means they will definitely help you too.

Lubricate your lips

Try to avoid leaving your lips dry and unprotected. The most gentle option, decorative lipstick, is not suitable for everyone. Firstly, this option is not acceptable for children and men, and secondly, this cosmetic product may taste and smell pleasant, and therefore may not cause disgust in a person when eaten. An option for everyone is bitter balm or hygienic lipstick: eat this nasty thing a couple of times and you won’t want it again.

By the way, this remedy is an excellent alternative to mustard, which our grandmothers used to treat their bad habit. But mustard has a serious drawback - it stings blood-bitten lips, so it is better to turn to modern pharmaceutical achievements. The modern analogue is a bitter chapstick that moisturizes your lips without stinging, but tastes worse than mustard.

Learn to calm down

Many people bite their lips stressful situation, it is advisable for such people to learn to pull themselves together in time and not allow emotions and feelings to take precedence over reason. It is clear that it will not always work out, but you need to strive for this. Do you feel like you're about to break down? Take a deep breath, hold your breath for 5 seconds, exhale slowly. Do this simple and useful breathing exercise several times.

While you are doing it, try to tune in to a positive wave, remember a situation in life when you felt “on top of your game.” Memories of such episodes (and everyone has them) will give self-confidence and philosophical calm. Anger, fear, despair are not our best helpers, right? If you learn this, you will not only get rid of a bad habit, but you will also be able to better control your life, thereby improving its quality.

Look for an alternative

Sweets, chewing gum, and seeds are becoming an alternative for many. But do not overdo it, so that a situation of complete substitution does not occur and you do not become dependent on seeds or caramels. This remedy works well at first. When you notice that you have gotten rid of the habit of biting your lips, try to gradually get rid of the alternative.

Speak

If you notice that you want to bite your lips, start talking. Your lips should move, and you yourself should be distracted by the topic of conversation. If you are alone with yourself, you can recite a poem or sing a song. This method is especially suitable for those who begin to bite their lips in moments of deep thought - think out loud: your thoughts will be more harmonious, and you will stop biting your lips.

Psychological therapy

It would seem that all means have been tried, but nothing helps? Perhaps the problem is deeper and more serious, and this bad habit is just the tip of the iceberg? Very often, this kind of bad habits hides a serious neurosis, in which case you will need the help of a specialist. But you are serious and want to get rid of the problem? If you can’t cope on your own, don’t hesitate to contact a psychologist or neurologist.

A specialist may recommend homeopathic medicines for your calming the nervous system. But be careful when taking sedatives - they need to be taken strictly in doses, as they can cause serious addiction. In addition, do not hope that medications will permanently rid you of addiction - they should be taken in combination with other methods, which you will discuss with a specialist.

Also, one of the means of getting rid of bad habits is the practice of suggestion or hypnosis. But in this case, be sure to find out the specialist’s competencies - charlatans are no help in this matter.

You are an individual!

This means that the path to success for everyone is purely individual, what helps one, is categorically unacceptable for another. Look for your own recipe for getting rid of a bad habit, approach the issue creatively, be persistent and never despair!

Many people have bad habits. The habit of biting lips and nails is a sign that a person is experiencing anxiety. This is extremely common, appearing not only with anxiety disorders, but also with nervous flirting, nervous tension, and sometimes just a feeling that something is wrong.

This is common behavior, many people do not even realize what they are doing and do not control the process. Often, adults can also be surprised - especially when a person does not notice that he is doing it himself.

He suddenly discovers that his lips are bleeding because he bit them too hard or too often. What causes this kind of nervous tic, how to stop biting your lips?

Is nail biting anxiety?

Sometimes other people will tell you that you bite your lip or bite your nails when you're impatient. You may pick at the dry skin on your chapped lips, you may even.

Learn to control your anxiety to reduce symptoms of anxiety.


Why do people bite their lips?

The habit of biting your lips or nails can be a sign of anxiety and always occurs in conjunction with other symptoms. Millions of people have this habit, and it is an extremely common symptom of anxiety. But, unfortunately, no one knows exactly what causes it. At the root of the problem is a nervous disorder - the behavior of the body when you feel anxious.

No one knows why people have these types of motor tics or what they have to do with anxiety. But they can often turn into bad habits.

Once it has become a habit, a problem arises - to overcome it.

Most likely, these behavioral responses provide the body with some type of strategy for coping with problems.

Something inside the brain wants to perform this behavior, which is an unconscious method of dealing with anxiety.

Any bad behavioral habit should be stopped if possible. If you don't fight them, they can be difficult to break, resulting in problems and possibly pain.


Examples of strategy

Diaphragmatic breathing

Known as “deep breathing”, it is a relaxation strategy that people use to control their breathing. Psychologists recommend using this strategy during times of stress. The method involves slow, controlled breathing with a straight back, breathing through the stomach and not through the chest.

Watch a video about the benefits of diaphragmatic breathing

Progressive muscle relaxation

Psychologists and doctors recommend combining deep breathing with progressive muscle relaxation. This tactic involves tensing each muscle one at a time and releasing muscle energy, so that the symptoms of anxiety are relieved, allowing you to feel more calm.

Competing answer

In their study, psychologists proved that patients were able to completely stop this reflex. This method dramatically reduces the child’s bad habit, and, of course, can be used for adults.

Mindfulness

You can also practice a technique called “mindfulness.”

Mindfulness is an attempt to be more aware of your own anxiety symptoms. In a sense, the competing reflex does this - makes you think that it is not a habit, but a choice, then prevents you from doing it.

Mindfulness practice allows you to do something very similar. The more you pay attention to your habits and stop yourself from performing obsessive actions, the sooner you will get rid of this problem.

Of course, you need to take steps to treat anxiety because it is the key to making your lip-biting habit completely unnecessary. Cure your anxiety, then many obsessive, unconscious actions will disappear.