Hang in there, and don't be hard on yourself. You would have always wondered (like we all do) "Maybe I caused this and should leave it alone." You tried it and now you know. I did leave alone for a few weeks. Back in 2013. It hurt and looked awful so I stopped. It did make the EC spread all the way to the mouth corners which receded eventually back to the middle of lower lip with moisture and time. So it got better.