“This has got to be irritating to watch.”
I caught myself doing it again — this time in a meeting with my boss and her assistant. As soon as the meeting was adjourned I raced back to my computer and sent out an email confession to Ari.
To: Goes Down, Ari
From: Fish, This
Subject: Annoying Habit
I just caught myself peeling at my bottom lip again. People must be horrified by this. Do you see me do it and think, “Eeeew! Why am I friends with this lip peeler?”
To: Fish, This
From: Goes Down, Ari
Subject: Re: Annoying Habit
I am a HUGE lip biter/peeler/fucker with. If it’s gross, it’s a gross habit we share. You don’t have any annoying habits that I have noticed. I mean, getting up early isn’t an annoying habit per se…
Hmmm. Yes, getting up at an ungodly hour while you’re someone’s houseguest might be a little annoying. I’m an early riser, what can I say? I also insist on buying really expensive paper towels and using them for every little thing. Being environmentally unfriendly/hostile? Also annoying.
But Ari’s probably right about the lip thing. On the Things That Are Gross scale, gnawing at my chapped lips isn’t too high up there. Not like the time I watched a friend of mine – a grown woman – pick at an insect bite and then… stop reading now if you’re easily grossed out… lick the blood from her finger.
I kid you not. I think my face nearly melted off like those guys who saw the Arc of the Covenant in Indiana Jones. Can’t. Survive. The grosssssness!
Of my annoying habits, though, lip chewing seems to be the most compulsive. I don’t bite my nails, I don’t pick my nose, but I sure as hell come out of a good fog to realize that I’m peeling my lips off and that yeah, this is why I’m not allowed to spend good money on things like Chanel lipstick when god knows I can’t even leave ChapStick on long enough to be worth the $1.29 I paid for it. Sigh. I’m a flawed woman.
A flawed woman with very fine paper products and disgustingly productive Saturday mornings.
remind me to keep my zit a skincare secret
I love the post!! But all that peeling reminds me, one payday very soon you and I are due pedicures. Like… bad!
I’m with you on the paper towels. But I’d use the lip chewing as an excuse to buy the Chanel lipstick. I’d justify it as an excuse to TRY to stop lip peeling/chewing.
Long time reader, first time commenter. I just couldn’t pass this one up. Yes, I too am a lip peeler/chewer. I’m addicted to the blistex complete moisture chap stick, yet my lips aways get chapped from time to time. Sometimes I get a little to into it, then I am suddenly reminded that I am doing it when a piece that I am peeling/chewing is trying to take the good part with it. Ouch! Yet I am right back at it again without even thinking about it. I tried going to lip peeler/chewers annonymous, but I couldn’t even make through the first meeting. They said I was not strong enough to resist the urges and that there was no hope for me.
Oh my God!!! I’ve picked at the chapped spot on my upper lip for my whole life, but I’ve never known anyone else who does. YAY!!!
I was picking at my lips as I started reading this, I kid you not. I’m always mortified when I catch myself doing this, partly becasue I can hear my mom’s voice hissing quietly, “Don’t pick your lips!” Good to know we’re not alone!
Count me as a member of the Lip Biter’s Not-So-Anonymous too. Together we stand, divided we fall.
problem is, TigerLady, that Blistex stuff tastes so good I just eat it right off. My lips are officially addicted to chap. I have them everywhere.
I do the lip chewing thing too, but I never thought of it as something that someone would consider disgusting.
By “productive Saturday mornings” you mean “comprehensively watching all music videos on free to air channels while rarely moving from the couch”, don’t you. Because I can totally relate to that.
I totally pick/peel/fidget with my bottom lip when stressed. I too fear the grossness factor!
EVERYone picks their nose. If they do not, then they have ucky boogers stuck up there and cannot breathe properly. I just happen to ensure privacy, the use of a kleenex, and sanitizer for afterwards.
As for lip chewing/picking. There are worse things.
I’m a big fan of Blistex Silk and Shine – it’s a bigger tube, so more like lipstick, plus it’s a little shiny so I feel less like I’m medicating and more like prettifying.
I always have a ton of chapstick with me. In my desk. In my pocket. In my purse. It’s a compulsion. But even still. I chew on my lip. You aren’t alone.
OMG – I was just peeling my bottom lip and I clicked on your blog… it was slightly paranoia inducing.
Oh girl, if you think you’ve got flaws, a day inside my chapped skin would put your mind at ease.
Fish and everyone else too:
you gals should try CO Bigelow Mentha Lip Tint. I got mine at Bath and Bodyworks but I live in Indiana so I am sure you can get it elsewhere in NYC (since that is where it is made). It tastes like Doublemint gum and has 3 (maybe more) colors to tint, hydrate, and it claims to freshen breath! I don’t know if that part is true but I think it is a lovely addition to any hot chick’s handbag
hey fish,
at the risk of sounding like a total kill-joy – environmentally unfriendly/hostile – is more than just an annoying habit. I’m not meaning to bag you, and am only saying this cos it’s something that I really care about – but maybe you wanna consider breaking that “annoying habit”??
I read your post all the time and know you’ve got a good heart, so I’m appealing to your sense of what’s right – and we all know that polluting this beautiful earth is not right.
So maybe you could think about using a rinsable kitchen cloth for wiping stuff up? It’s not too much to ask is it?
Sorry, don’t mean to get all heavy on you – this is meant in the nicest possible way – lecture over.
As for the lips – I buff mine with some blistex and a baby toothbrush, and then cover with Perscriptives Lip Specialist – exfoliates them like a charm.
Yeah, I’m guilty too. To fight this I try to have lip balm wherever I go. And having multiples so I can leave one in my desk, in my purse, by my bed.
Maybe you could indulge in getting all kinds of pretty, tasty, sweet-smelling lip balms to have handy – you know, as preparation for the Chanel.
Dedicated lip-peeler since early childhood. I highly recommend Burt’s Bees beeswax lip balm.
hi my name is sarai, and i’m a lip biter.
at first i thought it was just the winter. then i quickly realized that-no in fact, I gnaw them to a frazzled mess.
cracking pain why am i not stopping this?
glad to know others suffer from the same affliction.
the ick factor is kissing. would i want to kiss a guy with my lips?
still-even that hasn’t persuaded me to stop.
i’m addicted.
I not only pick my lips, I peel my cuticles and am unable to resist the urge to pick at anything resembling a scab.
I also peel labels off bottles when I’m at a bar.
It ain’t pretty, but it’s all I got.
I was a lip peeler until a few years ago when I read an article about lip balms. Did you know that if the balm contains beeswax, it will truly moisturize your lips when applied? If it does not have beeswax, it contains a drying agent. The beeswax-free products feel good temporarily when you put them on, but they actually dry your lips out in the long-term. Thus, you need to use more product. And sales go up. Aha!
So keep on the lookout for products with beeswax in the list of ingredients and your lips will thank you. (The good ones aren’t necessarily the expensive ones, either. Check out Bonnie Bell.)
I’m with you on the paper towels tip. I see someone recommendeds a rinseable towel, but I feel that those just push dirt around. Same with sponges. Ick. Germ collectors.
I don’t really get the lip thing, but I own more gloss than anyone on the planet.
You know, if you’d stop biting/peeling your lips, they probably wouldn’t be chapped anymore.
I’m just sayin’.
I do the lip thing, too!
And when I’m being extra-compulsive, I also chew on the insides of my lips and even the insides of my cheeks.
I’m sure it looks totally weird, but I can’t stop!!
Lip Peeling…..a Haiku
Chewing on my lips
Peeling off layers of skin
Where’s that damn lip balm
I thank you.
I’ve been a lip-picker all my life. When my mom would yell at me, I’d say “I’m just fixing it”, meaning the one flaky spot that would come off if I exfoliated with a toothbrush. And then before I know, I’ve ripped a bloody whole in my lip. So then I think, I better stop or else my lips won’t look kissable by this bar-hopping weekend. But I can’t. My ex used to call me lipachew. Palmers Cocoa Butter Stick, I swear by it. But have a gagillion other brands in my car, purse, desk, by my bed, in my coffee table…
I’ve got to concentrate on not biting down on my lips. One thing I noticed was that I was causing myself harm whenever I sat at the computer. Now I have a yellow sticky that says “stop biting!”….oh darn, now I’m biting!
As I was clicking on your link, I found myself biting/peeling my lips even though they had recently been exfoliated. I chew on mine all the time and all the rosebud salve in the world couldn’t stop me.
So, the most disgusting habit I ever saw was when I was at a bachelorette party in Vegas. We were at this swanky super chic steakhouse where they offer a party package for bachelorette parties. When you get there they seat you at a table that is on risers.
There was another b-party there seated on risers. Towards the end of the meal, I looked over and saw one of the bachelorettes PICKING her teeth with A STEAK KNIFE IN FRONT OF ALL OF SWANKY VEGAS. That definately crosses the line.
I’ve been picking my lips since I was quite little. My mom had this activity where if I didn’t pick my lips each day for a week she’d give me money or a present. I stopped, but I got back into the habit even though I don’t even have chapped lips…it’s just something that I do.
I peel my lips as well…but the grossest most annoying habit I have EVER encountered had to be the guy that I was on a date with who picked and ate his eye boogie. I am assuming this was a habit b/c he didn’t even seem to realise he did it, or register that I was silently gagging across the table from him, but I did not stick around to find out if it was a regular thing for him.
A warm washcloth gently rubbed over lips will get rid of the icky flakes. Follow up with Burt’s Bees (tube or pot, whichever you prefer) and you’re good to smooch.
You got 32 comments on picking your lip!! It never fails to amuse and amaze me!
33. I’m resisting the impulse to run off and buff my lips right now.
Aversion-therapy is what you girls need. Rub a little sardine oil on those smackers, and you’ll stop nibbling at them PRONTO, *and* they’ll have a lovely all-day sheen!
*wink*
Just had to say that I love your Journal, it’s so funny and so easy to read. Stories are great, writing is fabulous, and I’ll be back.
Tata
Jolene
Fish? Would you delve further into this “productive Saturday morning” phenomena? I forget what those are…I might have had one a long time ago. And please, spend some serious time defining “productive”….and well hell, “morning” while you’re at it
For all of you concerned about peeling lips, let me give you the TRUTH ABOUT CHAPSTICK! Chapstick actually has an ingredient that causes your lips to dry out so that you keep using it. Damn corporate suits gave us one more addiction. If you want something that exfoliates the dead skin cells off your lips and then actually MOISTURIZES them, try the Satin Lips set from Mary Kay. You can get it at my website: http://www.marykay.com/mrakowski.
Saturdays have mornings? When did this start?
If the definition of “bad habit” is doing something gross in public then no, I too do not pick my nose as a habit. But I definitely pick my nose!
What’s gross about peeling your lips though? I do it too! I think it’s less gross than leaving a chapped piece of lip sitting there!!!!
And as much of a goddess as you are Fish, I’m sure you pick your nose in the privacy of your home.
Anyone who insists they don’t pick their nose is in denial
heh.
Gotta tell ya fish, that exfoliating your lips is the way to go. Then you have nothing to pick at. Any kind of gritty mask stuff will work, but the Mary Kay Satin Lips kit is pretty good. Then you’re ready for making out whenever that opportunity arises!
Monica is absolutely right. Even though it sounds like a conspiracy theory, Chapstick really does dry your lips out.
At least people can tell what you’re doing when you bite your lips. I knaw at the inside of my jaw and bottom lip. I frequently get curious stares and cries of “Oh my God! What ARE you DOING?! Stop THAT!!” This is mostly from my mom of course, which makes it all the more irritating.
My lips are back to normal after they were bitten by my vampiristic lover..
Haha, I’m constantly picking, chewing, and peeling my lips. In fact, I’m doing that now! Must…stop….peeling
Honey is supposed to be a good lip-softener, too…. Makes those “kisses sweeter than honey” lyrics sound more normal now, doesn’t it!!
someone might have already told you this trick but if you use some chapstick or vaseline with a soft (unused for teeth) toothbrush in the AM and PM, it will really help with any chapping or peeling.
I believe the habit of lip-picking indicates a sign of intelligence – as if you are deep in thought. At least that’s what I tell myself!
I only started lip peeling/biting when that fad for super shiny lip gloss came out – my lips have never been the same
But like most all the other commenters here, I do it all the time too.
I tried the Mary Kay Satin lips stuff and honestly I’ve not been so impressed. The beeswax seems believable so I’ll look for it right after I finish my apparently addictive tube of chapstick.
Ooh, Abbey, I love Amos Lee. I’m so glad I clicked on your link!
Great stuff. We just love the blog. Sat here in the office with the door closed just laughing and laughing. Everyone else thinks we’re just insane.
i only bite/peel my lips so that i can keep spending my hard earned money on lip products. i figure, if i haven’t applied some lip gunk at least 53 times in a day, i haven’t truly lived.
try it. you’ll like it. and damn it, some of that vanilla tasting stuff is friggin worth it.
Fish,
Apparently I was so Amos Lee crazy last night I inserted his link instead of mine. Ha, see what happens when you’ve got a new man on your mind?
Still lip peeling and was this close to picking up the menthol lip stuff from Bath and Body Works today. Must.finish.chapstick.first.
No! You’re wonderful, even if you are a lip peeler, we all love you!
A window licker however . . . now that would be a problem!
I am horrified and utterly repulsed. You are desperately in need of a twelve step program, and a support group. Unless, of course, you’re secretly chewing on your lips to give them that Botox look. That would be a different story. Because big lips are so hot!
somebody’s not around a lot…
somebody’s got a boytoy…
Fish~ We are working on a 4th day without a post! Come on fill us in!
I know! I’ve been so frantically busy the last couple of days. And no, I don’t have a boytoy (sadly), I have a lot of work and a couple of projects. Stories forthcoming! Promise!
This blog is so boring. I think I will stop reading it. But I say this more with the hope that you can somehow try to make it better, rather than to be a nasty bitch. Boring. Boring. Dull. Where is the good stuff?
This Fish doesn’t love me anymore.
Dang! Me neither… I’s just hopin’.
I confess, i pick my bottom lip too. My mom used to tell me that no girl would ever kiss me, so, i stopped (for about a day). Now my girlfriend calls me on it, but she realizes it’s who i am.
DAMMIT, I’M A LIP PICKER AND I’M PROUD!!
Fish,
Perhaps your chapped lips are your “symbolic” or “proverbial” scales. Just an idea. I know that I come up with my best ideas while twirling several strands of my hair…a habit that has driven many crazy. I could see them being upset if I twirled their hair.
Ciao, Teri
I didn’t think lip biting, etc. was a bad habit. I’ll think twice next time..
Licking blood? That’s DISGUSTING! I should have heeded your warning.
well funney enough as i was reading this, i too realised, ive been biting my lip too! is it a bad habit, well, amongst my other badd-er ones, i would let this one just slip underneat the mattress till resolving some other worse habits. so basically i dont have an opinion on it being gross/disgusting but, maybe one day it may completly ruin our lips!? ah-ha thats something to possibly consider. oh ya and i completely agree with this being a very strong reason for splurging on lipstick!
i seriously thought i was the only sicko that did this. my mom even once took me to a doctor when i was younger, and told him to tell me that i could get a disease from doing this. i’m sure it’s no good- to rip your skin off so to speak- but once new lip skin comes in, it needs to be ripped off and sometimes placed on random places like my steering wheel.
i am silently wondering what the hell is wrong with you,people?Are there no good topics left except for discussing what it feels like to be a lip-peeler as if lt is as awful as,excuse me for a rude remark,farting in front of your friends or collegues!?small or huge we all’ve got our flaws,but lip-peeling is hardly as serious as the earth-shattering or a second coming,don’t you think?
i thought you were silently wondering? could you go even more silent maybe? great. thanks. we appreciate it.
What do you thank me for?i don’t remember promising anything……it is either ,oh to hell with it!there is no alternative:it is you liking talking to yourself cause,in case you don’t know,and most obviously you don’t,normally people having asked for something wait for a response.But how would you know,answering for others!And who are these “we”,i hope it is NOT a Napoleon complex of yours!(talk about an irritating habit).IF so ,you should bring up the issue of your problem,at least that would be a little less boring.
hm deff with you there… I chew on my lips mostly, and on the inside of my mouth… and it has always grossed my sister out completely! I do it subconsciously though. GAH! good luck fellow lip attackers.
Yo I like smackers too.
I love them there soooo good
ok i used to pick my lips when i was little, and like many of you my mom would tell me to stop all the time but i couldnt until i got my shot at every edge of skin i could slip my nail under, now im 20 and i have scars from it on my otherwise very cute and sexy lips, i want something that will lighten, erase, or hide the scars once and for all, im sure some of you must have the same problem from the picking, peeling, and bitting, i dont worry so much about being gross than looking gross, i hate the countless numbers of loud mouths who ask me if i am a smoker because of the coloration, and close friends who finally muster up enough courage to ask me “what is that on your lips?” MAN i almost feel like i have forgotten about it until someone brings it up….!!! ADVICE PLEASE
I pick and then I eat the skin…I know way gross but I just started eating it one day.. weird
Talk about needing chapstick! Yikes.
Check out Chaptastic- the best blog about chapstick ever.
Yeah, pick and eat that skin. Gross! I am doing my best to break the habit so I’ll have pretty lips.
I have been a lip biter for 20 yrs. and now Iam suffering with terrible jaw pain for 14mo. now – please stop bitting your lips so you also don’t have to suffer.
my boyfriend complains of peeling and burning lips a day after we kiss which lasts for about 1 week. what do u think might be going on? open to any suggestions or anyone who has ever had the same experience. thanks!
omg I absolutely love to peel my lips and I find it totally disgusting yet pleasurable at the same time. Told myself it’s time to stop this nonsense and try to look for some help online via Google and you came up second.
Now I know I am not alone!