severe lip picking

P.S. many of these comments ring true for me, except I don't think I have any other addictions. Yes, I could stand to lose 25 lbs, but I don't binge eat or drink. I tried smoking in college but that didn't last. I found this site through researching Tourette's syndrome that my son has. He has tics that he can't control, and Wikipedia says it can be partly genetic. I thought, 'well, nobody in the family has that.' Then I clicked on a link for "Habit Reversal Therapy" and saw "skin picking" listed among nail-biting, tics and thumb-sucking. I thought, "Oh no, he's gotten it from me, since I pick my lips!" I hope we can improve ourselves.

This is the first time I have ever googled this problem; I'm 28 and have picked my lips since I was about 13/14...I have done it pretty much every day since. Until now, yesterday I decided enough was enough and that I've got a few days off and that I'm going to try and not pick them at all. SO I've used carmex constantly and the skin is really gross underneath HOWEVER, they are healing themselves and I am DETERMINED to not pick them...hopefully by tomorrow they will be healed completely...or even Saturday. However, even though it's not a problem that has really got to me, I realised I can't do it forever and my mum has always told me off for doing it! Even now at 28!! So...it's like smoking, the temptation is ridiculous; it's like a drug when you do it...HOWEVER the only way to stop is literally staying strong and being fully conscious of NOT doing it too...they will be horrible for a couple of days YES, but then after, you will become more aware of you doing it. Putting on carmex constantly is definitely helping the healing process and makes them look better. Anyway, a couple of days being strong & aware is all it takes really, (I notice I do it when I'm anxious) maybe try other ways to relieve your anxiety instead...(I know it's not as satisfying coming from a lip-picker I KNOW!) but...in the end you will be proud of yourself & your lips will look normal! yay :)

I am nearly 40 years old. I have been picking my upper lip, right in the center, since I was about 4. I can remember sucking my thumb and picking that spot with my index finger. Sometimes I would just rub my fingernail or thumbnail over the spot just to feel the vibration it would cause. At some point, I changed from sucking my thumb to sucking the index finger on my right hand. I can remember my mom trying to make me stop my smacking my hand away from my mouth, putting the bitter stuff on my fingers, hot sauce, etc.. I can even remember being woken up in the middle of the night as my mom came in and yelled at me. When I was about 14 I simply stopped doing it. I don't know why or how. During this time, I could not suck my finger and pick my lip concurrently, but I alternated. I also bite or tear my fingernails and tear my toenails. I have twice stopped biting my nails for a long period of time. The first time for about a year. During this time, I stopped tearing my toenails too. I am currently in a more or less controlled stage in that endeavour. I try to remember to keep my nails trimmed and free of jagged edges. I don't live day to day with a sore lip. I don't always pick until I'm bleeding. I have many many times told myself how ridiculous all of this is. Like some of the other posts here, I've told myself I am going to stop, only to find myself doing it unconsciously a few hours or even minutes later. I don't know how many times I've woken up, felt how smoothe and almost normal my lip felt, and thought I was well on my way to healing once and for all, only to realize a mile down the road that I'm at it again. By the time I get to work, it's as though I've never stopped. One of the many things that set me off, and this goes for biting my nails too, is the feeling of a cool air across my lip and bitten fingers. It's soothing. When the skin on my lip is healing or when the my nails are too long, I can't feel that air flow and it in itself starts to make me anxious. Of course stress and concentration contribute to this as well. I wish I could just get to that same point I did when I stopped sucking my finger. The longer nails doesn't bother me as much anymore either so I feel I've almost got this resolved. Other than hypnosis I can't imagine what to do.

My name is Eden and I'm 14 years old. I have been picking my lips since I can remember and my mom would duck tape my hands together so I would stop. Nobody understands the problem unless they have it. They think you can just stop but they have no idea. My advice to someone that is forcing you to stop or yelling at you is to leave unless your problem is very serious.

I am 13 years old and I have been picking my lips since I was 8 years old. My mom yells at me for doing it, but it makes me do it even more. I need advice on how to stop my self. If any of you guys have any info PLEASE tell me A.S.A.P!

Hi All - I am 45 and have compulsively and comprehensively picked my lips pretty much every day from as early as I can remember. A few days ago I had a look on this site because I really wanted to kick the habit once and for all. Like many others, I've also become a master at covering up my habit with make-up and lip ointments - and annoyed the hell out of partners and family with my picking over the years. This site and others seemed to recommend hynotherapy as the only option for us dedicated pickers, so I checked it out and booked myself in, not knowing what to expect, but inspired to do something by knowing this was a recognised condition. I thought it would be some kind of hypnosis thing and take weeks of sessions because of how long I've been picking. But, it wasn't like that - for the first time, rather than hiding or ignoring it, I spent time talking about my problem, why I wanted to change it and focusing on understanding why I did it and the therapist explained that it wasn't as difficult as people think for your brain to learn new things - it can be pretty quick. Naturally, I was completely sceptical - even 3 days without picking felt like an impossible dream, let alone my brain stopping me doing it completely! So, one 2 hour session of therapy later, here I am now on day 4 of leading a non-picking life! Could be shortlived, but this is the most days non-picking I can remember, so I am going to try to keep going on my journey to lovely permanently soft healed lips - wish me luck!

You are NOT alone! I am just gonna lay it all out... I have dermatellomania (spelling ?) that involves skin AND lip picking. I don't purposely create wounds to pick, what happens is when I'm deep in worry I get under a good light and scrutinize my arms, chest, legs, and less often... my face... for ANYTHING that looks like is in my pores or bumps that need to be squeezed or ingrown hairs. People tell me I'm imagining things b/c they can't see any blemishes but I swear I do see stuff! I'm lucky to have gotten no serious infections or anything, but on my arms I have scars. I also love to peel skin... especially sun burns! But I have for the most part stopped the picking, everywhere but my lips. And I can't lie... I LOVE it! I will spend hours doing it and have not done things I needed to do or been late to appointments b/c I couldn't bear to pull myself away from it. After picking/peeling sessions my lips burn and sting and have raw spots and as they heal they get hardened skin that makes me wanna peel more! I hate it when I peel the skin that's still attached enough to my lips to hurt and/or bleed... but not enough to stop chancing it. What I'm addicted to is seeing how big a piece I can pull off at once with no pain. I feel around my bottom lip with my fingernails until I catch it on a little piece of hardened skin that is starting to peel and I work at it to try to pick it off in as long a piece as possible. I usually have several places I'm "harvesting" in one session. Sadly I get soooo excited when I can get some good ones! As long as there's no pain or blood... just a good clean peel... it feels so good it's ALMOST like an orgasm. The ultimate is when I feel a good potential piece and I pick it to get it lifted enough to grip it between my thumbnail and fingernail and pull and I feel it pulling just enough to get that satisfying sesation w/o pain or blood, and it comes off in a long piece (my best was a piece going across my entire bottom lip that was almost the full width of my lip also!). And as gross as I know it sounds... I eat it. It's almost always my bottom lip I mess with, but every now and then I'll get a little from the top lip too. Usually though any peeling parts of the top one I bite off with my teeth. And like you, people smack my hand away or tell me to quit picking at them. It is really bad sometimes when I'm wearing lipstick b/c I chew it off and the spots that I pick stand out even more. I try to never wear light-colored lipstick b/c the raw spots show thru... so I wear dark shades of like burgundy, etc.

I, like the rest of you all, thought I was the only one with this problem! It's so relieving to know that many people struggle with this issue. I'm 19 years old and I have been picking my lips since as long as I can remember. I don't even really remember when or know why I actually started. But I do know that it is so addicting and probably one of the worst habits I've ever encountered. I pick every single day either when I'm bored or anxious and I only do it when I'm alone. From what I've read it seems like most people pick on the outside of their lips but I only pick on the inside so it's definitely easier to cover up. I really hate the fact that I absolutely love doing it and just wish I could stop! I'll pick until it bleeds and hurts or until I just get that one piece of skin that I've been picking and peeling at for minutes/hours. And when I'm not picking, I'll try to chew away the skin. I'll stop when my lips are just so raw and then I wait overnight to start up again the next day. It definitely hurts the worst when I have to brush my teeth and the toothpaste stings the wounds on my lips. But it's so weird to think that I love the satisfaction I get out of it! I've tried to stop several times where I'd try my absolute hardest to use my will power and tell myself to not pick, but then after a couple of days, I'd start up again without even noticing. Since I only pick while I'm alone and not in front of others, I don't really think anyone knows that I do it. I've been caught by my parents, some friends, and even my boyfriend of 2 years a couple of times but they just don't say anything about it. I'm even sometimes scared to kiss my boyfriend cause I'm afraid he'll notice my picked at lips. I'm too self-conscious to actually speak up about it to someone and I'm afraid that I'll never be able to stop. Before I found this page, I felt like I wasn't normal and a freak but knowing that this is pretty common makes me feel a little better. I would give anything to stop picking and to have normal, pretty lips. Hopefully we can all find a way to stop this horrible urge once and for all!

I'm sitting here reading all of these posts, almost in tears - thankful that I am not the ONLY one who has this issue!! So here's my story; I'm now 37 and have been picking the skin from my bottom lip for as long as I can remember. As a child, I remember my parents slapping my hands away from my mouth after they'd start bleeding, and my mom would always tell me that "one day your lip is just going to fall off of your face if you don't stop picking"....now obviously that hasn't happened, but sometimes I pick them so bad that they sting and burn and even hurt to talk because they're so raw...maybe falling off would be better! LOL (not really). I find that whether I'm anxious or bored or scared or even busy with work, my hands always seem to find their way to my lip. I have spent many nights laying awake even though I was tired, because I wasn't "finished" yet....I can't just pick some spots and leave it alone, I have to make sure that I've gotten every possible piece that I can before putting on balm and doing something else. This is not normal!! I waste so much time out of my life because I'm stuck on pause while I pick. I've been at work for 2.5 hours so far, and I've literally gotten NOTHING done...because I've been busy picking. I know people look at my lips all the time and notice how bad they are, but so far only family members have ever commented on it. I rarely ever wear lipstick because that seems to make them peel worse, and I am having a hard time finding a lip balm that helps and not hurts. For a while I thought that the Vanilla Carmex was the answer, but I've found that the stuff is like crack! Miss one day, and your lips are worse than they started off as! So for now, I am trying out a few formulas and making my own lip balm. It's not as hard as it might sound, but that way I know exactly what's in the stuff, and I don't have to worry about all of the harsh chemicals that can potentially make the broken skin on my lips sting. My current formula includes Cocoa Butter, shea butter, honey, and Vitamin E. I'll keep you posted with the progress!! Thanks to everyone who has opened up and shared your stories...I truly feel like I'm among friends right now, and I appreciate the support! xoxo

Hey all, I really have to say that it somewhat puts me at ease to know that there are others out there with this same habit. My name is Carlos, I'm 28 and from Toledo, OH. I've been picking my lips my entire life. For as long as I can remember anyway. I pick the outside of my bottom lip and chew on the inside of it. I will pick and chew at it until it bleeds every time. I just Googled this because I was sitting here picking my lip until blood was pouring out of it, as usual. I once chewed a hole on the inside of my bottom lip so badly that it felt like I came close to clewing completely threw my lip. Like hardly more than skin was left. I pick at my bottom lip constantly. I managed to quit once for a long time when I started dating the love of my life. For years I was pick free! We had our Daughter, Sophia, and I remember from the time she got pregnant that I have been worried that my Daughter would develop the habit. Anyhow, I was doing great until she informed me she wanted a divorce. It wasn't long after that I noticed I had begun to pick again. Biting, peeling, and picking until my fingers are covered in blood and it's even running down my chin sometimes.. Ugh.. it's so horrible. It's some weird, sick, satisfaction of getting a bunch of super dark red blood flowing and then licking it off my fingers. Or getting a piece of tissue and picking at it with the tissue until it's covered in blood.. And I smoke cigarettes, and have for a long time.. I fear it's only a matter of time before I get mouth cancer.. My teeth are already completely destroyed and even though I'm a decently handsome guy. I can't smile at all without feeling like I'm being stared at our judged because of my teeth. I can't even laugh or be happy without worrying about what people think about my mouth.. It hurts that so many Women have been attracted to me, or shown interest.. until they've gotten a good look at my teeth.. and then it stops completely... How many jobs I've lost because of it in the interview.. I've strongly considered committing suicide many times, and honestly.. I mentioned it because the though crossed my mind just now.. I'll never be happy in life.. because whenever i'm happy.. I become self conscious about my teeth and mouth. I wish you all the best of luck in quitting one day.. Man..I just depressed the hell out of myself.

Like everyone else in this forum, I also had no clue there were other "lip pickers" or that this was an actual disorder! I have been picking my lips since I can remember, and my friends and family as well as my boyfriend are always telling me to 'stop picking your lips!" but like everyone else knows that doesn't help and it's near freaking impossible. Yesterday I decided to stop, I've managed to stop for about a month before - the reason being I was literally getting white blisters on my lips from the deep gashes I was causing by picking my lips. I felt so embarrassed being in public and especially in front of my boyfriend. I'm 24 years old now, and I'm officially fed up, I don't want to be 50 and still have this ridiculous problem! Its got to be a mind-over-matter situation. My plan of action is to not let my fingers come close to my lip - as soon as I start rubbing my bottom lip I know I'm in trouble, because the moment I feel a flaky piece of skin on an uneven surface I will pick my lips raw until everything feels perfectly smooth and raw when I run my index finger over my bottom lip - and that stinging sensation is the best! So i figure if i keep my fingers away from my lip it will at least minimise the urge to pick. I'm also using lip balm regualrly (like all of us are...) which at least helps to mask that flaky scabby feeling. I use DCT (daily conditioning treatment by Blistex) and it works brilliantly! It also helps heal the sores and softens the scabs and it doesn't leave your lips feeling very dry and flaky if you dont use it - like chapstix does. Anyway i dont know if this mind-over matter thing is going to work, but i am suuuuper determined to make it happen! I dont want to have to resort to therapy! So we'll see what happens and I'll keep you guys posted...so far I'm one day pick free. We can stop!!!!!! I KNOW IT.

Hello, Im only 16 and i am despreate to stop. I dont relise im doing it till im finished and i look into my lap and see the skin ( discusting i know), I managed to stop for prom but now even as im writing this im picking, i cannot stop! my mum shouts at me every time i do it and when i pick she sometimes takes my phone away but it doesnt help, i didnt know it was an accuall disorder i thought it was just a habbit, i have been doing it since primary school. I need to stop as my lips look great after picking but then in about 20 mins i see my lips trying to heel with puffy dead skin covering the areas and it makes it look alot worse. Im sick of it, my lips often bleed and it hurts but once if i have done it i swear i will stop but never do. i joined a site called 43 things where i told people i would stop but i did it again. IM ONLY 16 AND DONT WANT TO DAMAGE MY LIPS, when you pull my lips like hook into them to see my teeth for example the skin opens like the dry skin gets pulled to one side and it looks discusting. i would pay money to stop this. ! Shall we all stop ?? COMMENT ASAP PLEASE NEED SOMONE TO HELP ME GET THROUGH THIS!!!

CindyR Hi - Here's some hope - I was a severe lip picker since childhood and now I am 56 and I have stopped doing it - altogether. It is a relief even when I get a cold sore and it gets dry and crunchy I don't pick at it anymore. I do keep my lips moist with chap - stick but I just don't do it anymore and I am not sure why. However, I have not stopped picking other areas and tomorrow I am on the way to the dermatogist to talk about doing something about the scar I have now on my forehead and cheek. I have also some new-ish scars on my legs but they are healed and they don't upset me I live in the north and it is the winter so they will be covered up and will fade by spring. Your BF should not yell at you are slap you. It does make it worse. You become embarassed and who wouldn't. Nagging never helps. You have to try hard to have a serious talk with him about this - he is not all helping you- he is making it harder for you. Show him this site - show him these posts. I only allow 2 people to tell me to stop my husband and my daughter becuase they are very gentle about it and it is like a reminder and I don't feel embarassed. Everybody else just shut the hell up - you are not helping. I don't know the this dermatologist I am seeing tomorrow - I picked him out of the phone book I hope he understands this.

I can't believe there are so many people like me. Who understand the urge and need to pick at that annoyingly rough chapped skin on my lips. I've tried applying lip balms and drinking water constantly, but at some point I forget to do it and there comes that feeling again. That need to remove my skin. My husband hates that I pick my lips so much and he too often yelled at me and nagged me to stop. But it would just want me to do it even more. Then he tried a new approach. Every time he saw me picking he would say "I love you jenn" and that was all. I would say "I love you too" and try my hardest not to pick because I knew it hurt him to see me do it. It's not a perfect system, often I find myself trying to pick when he isn't watching. But I always feel guilty doing it and it doesn't feel as good (unless I'm really really anxious about something else, then hell with it). But it is the best thing that has worked for me so far and helps me to keep my picking to a minimum when I do pick. I thought I should share that with all of you to see if it might work for you too.

It's really helpful to read all the comments here. It's nice to know that others feel some of the same things I feel (but feel weird about feeling). Like the satisfaction I get from peeling a long piece of skin off my lips, using tweezers to pick skin off my lips, using up hours of the day to pick. Sometimes I go to the bathroom with the excuse of "needing to go", but I've really just gone to pick without anyone knowing. I can't stop until I feel "done". And yes, by the time I'm done my lips are usually raw, red, and bleeding. It sucks when I've been unable to resist in those moments when I then have to go talk to someone. Especially if the lips haven't stopped bleeding. I have to keep wiping away the blood with my hands, or cleaning it off with my tongue. I know people notice, but are just too nice to say anything. I've done this since I was a child and remember my mother chastising me for it. I've also had friends see me doing it and telling me to stop. I will for a moment, just until they stop looking, but then I'll do again until I'm done (or I'll go to the bathroom to finish it off). I can't stop mid-pick! That's madness! Unfortunately I've done this so much and for so long that I've actually damaged tendons in my left thumb. Apparently it's a repetitive motion/strain injury. I had to have steroid injections and then, later, surgury on the tendons in my thumb. Now, I can't quite grip heavy objects with that hand because my thumb isn't strong enough to hold them, and there's almost constant dull pain (which physical therapy exercises do help a bit) in my thumb. Despite this, and that fact that picking makes it hurt sooo much worse (and I know is doing more damage to an already damaged thumb), I continue to do it. I decided last night that I really want to stop. I'm sick of hurting my hands, I'm sick of being embarrassed and having red, raw lips, I'm sick of feeling unattractive being I know what my lips look like, and I'm sick of wasting time picking. So I'm going to try wearing gloves so I don't unconsciously pick (when I've tried to stop being, the unconscious picking undid all the good work I'd done up to that point). I hate acrylic nails, but after reading about all the good they've done others, I might try this too. Vaseline seems to help my lips heal quite a bit, but I also might try the coconut oil, that seems to help others. We'll see. I'd love to be able to stop. Thanks all for sharing your experiences and the things that have helped you. Those that have been through it always seem to be able to help the most. If I find something that works, I'll be back to share. For those that have been able to stop, does the tight feeling ever go away? One thing I've noticed is that when my lips start to heal (I've been able to stop for a few days in the past), they feel really tight and I can't stand it. If I left my lips alone long enough, if they were able to heal fully, would this tightness feeling ever get better? Or does it just start to bother you less?