Cause of extremely dry lips: 7 dermatologists’ tips for healing dry, chapped lips

25.08.202306.07.2023 by alexxlab

7 dermatologists’ tips for healing dry, chapped lips

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Symptoms, Causes, and Risk Factors

Chapped Lips: Symptoms, Causes, and Risk Factors

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Medically reviewed by Christine Frank, DDS — By Kristeen Moore — Updated on April 25, 2023

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Cheilitis

If the severe dryness and cracking doesn’t improve with self-care, you should see a dermatologist. Cheilitis is often to blame for severely chapped lips. This is a condition marked by cracked skin at the mouth corners and several cracks on your lips.

If you have this condition, your lips may:

be dark pink or red in color
have a lumpy texture
develop ulcers
have white plaques on the surface

Cheilitis is often attributed to infections and inflammatory diseases, such as Crohn’s disease. Dental trauma and excessive saliva production may also turn a regular case of chapped lips into cheilitis. Bacteria can enter through the cracks and cause infection. Adults and children who have orthodontic braces, wear dentures, or use pacifiers are all susceptible to developing cheilitis.

A dermatologist can determine whether your dry lips are simply chapped or if you have cheilitis.

Dehydration and malnutrition

Dry lips can also be caused by dehydration or malnutrition. Dehydration causes symptoms including:

lightheadedness
constipation
decreased urine production
dry mouth
headache

In severe cases, a person suffering from dehydration may experience low blood pressure, fever, rapid breathing, or a rapid heartbeat.

Malnutrition is characterized by many of the same symptoms as dehydration. Additional symptoms can include:

muscle weakness
decaying teeth
bloated stomach
bone fragility

Malnutrition can be caused by vitamin deficiencies, so those on limited diets (for example, vegetarians) need to make sure that they are getting enough of the vitamins they need.

People with alcohol addiction are also more susceptible to malnutrition due to vitamin deficiencies because excessive alcohol use can interfere with the body’s vitamin absorption. Older adults are also at higher risk for malnutrition because decreased appetite is common.

If you suspect you are dehydrated or malnourished, see your doctor right away.

Chapped lips can usually be treated at home. The first step is to make sure that your lips have enough moisture. This can be accomplished by:

applying lip balm throughout the day
drinking more water
using a humidifier at home
avoiding cold weather conditions or wrapping your mouth with a scarf

Sun exposure can also cause chapped lips, especially as you age. Apply a lip balm that contains a minimum SPF 15 before heading outdoors. The balm helps to moisturize the lips and the sunscreen minimizes further drying effects.

Last medically reviewed on December 11, 2017

How we reviewed this article:

Healthline has strict sourcing guidelines and relies on peer-reviewed studies, academic research institutions, and medical associations. We avoid using tertiary references. You can learn more about how we ensure our content is accurate and current by reading our editorial policy.

Mayo Clinic Staff. (2017). Dehydration: Definition.
mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/dehydration/basics/definition/con-20030056
Devani A. (2007, June). Answer: Can you identify this condition?
ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1949217/
Gibson LE. (2016). Chapped lips: What’s the best remedy?
mayoclinic.com/health/chapped-lips/AN01440

Our experts continually monitor the health and wellness space, and we update our articles when new information becomes available.

Current Version

Apr 25, 2023

Written By

Kristeen Moore

Edited By

Heather Hobbs

Dec 11, 2017

Medically Reviewed By

Christine Frank, DDS

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Medically reviewed by Christine Frank, DDS — By Kristeen Moore — Updated on April 25, 2023

8 causes and what to do about dryness

Contents

Causes of dry lips
Lip care features
Precautions
Vitamins for dry lips
Lip care product overview

Causes of dry lips

Lips are a zone of increased vulnerability. Thin skin is devoid of fatty tissue, prone to premature aging and quickly responds to changes in the state of the body and external conditions.

“There are many reasons for dry lips, but the main one is weather conditions. For example, cold wind or sudden changes in temperature.

Dry lips can be caused by many factors.

Sunburn. In the summer, we don’t even notice that the skin of our lips receives hefty doses of ultraviolet radiation.
Great thirst. You can check for yourself: coffee drinkers who drink little water and a lot of cappuccino have chapped lips.
Increased body temperature during illness. It is no coincidence that the most famous recommendation of doctors is to drink as much water as possible when you feel unwell.
Intoxication of the body. During poisoning, the body experiences an acute shortage of moisture, which cannot but affect the condition of the skin of the lips.
Strong stress and habit of licking lips. Without noticing it, we provoke dryness by licking or biting our lips.
Allergy to cosmetics. The reaction to the lipstick that is not suitable for you will not be slow to manifest itself in the form of peeling of the skin of the lips.
Lack of vitamins. Rigid diets, vegetarianism and other reasons for the rejection of animal products rich in fat-soluble vitamins do not affect the condition of the skin of the lips in the best way.
Bad habits. Constant contact with an absorbent cigarette filter deprives lip tissue of already deficient lipids.

“Dry lips can be a symptom of a serious condition. For example, the only sign of early stage diabetes or kidney disease. If neither lip balm nor taking vitamin E helps, immediately see a doctor,” warns Ekaterina Turubara, Vichy medical expert .

Signs of dry lips:

1
feeling of tightness and sensation of heat;
2
peeling;
3
discomfort;
4
cracks on the lips and “zaed” in the corners of the lips.

Take our test to see if your skin is getting enough moisture.

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Lip care tips

To keep your lips soft, smooth and well hydrated, you need to take care of them.

Regular exfoliation

Now there are special scrubs for lips. But even if such a remedy is not at hand, honey or a damp thick towel will do.

To avoid injury to the delicate skin of the lips, do not apply too much pressure when applying the product.

Moisturizing and nourishing

In the composition of balms, hygienic lipsticks and creams for very dry lips, look not for Vaseline (it is appropriate only in a protective product), but for waxes. The best of them are vegetable: unlike bee, they rarely cause allergic reactions. Also useful are natural oils and vitamins, especially fat-soluble ones (E, F, provitamin A). In summer, the SPF factor becomes an essential component.

Lip balm should always be at hand: in your purse, desk drawer, in the bathroom.

Decorative lipsticks, even with precious exotic plant extracts, are not lip care products. Before lipstick, you need to apply a nourishing balm, especially if the lipstick has a matte finish.

Balanced drinking regimen and proper nutrition

Drink plenty of clean water and add foods rich in omega-3 fatty acids (fatty fish, nuts, vegetable oils) to your diet.

Back to the Table of Contents

Precautions

Some preventive measures will help you avoid dry lips. All recommendations start with NOT. What can’t be done?

Remove make-up from lips with soap or a tissue. To do this, use special products labeled “for removing makeup from the eyes and lips.”
Use long-lasting lipstick in severe frost. This is a direct road to dryness and flaking.
Smoking. Cigarette smoke dries out the thin skin of the lips, and the mimicry of the lip area when smoking provokes the appearance of purse-string wrinkles around the mouth.
Going outside in cold weather without protective balm.
Ignore lip cosmetics with SPF in summer (especially during beach holidays).

Back to the top

Vitamins against dry lips

Speaking of dry lips, it would be wrong to say that the cause of this condition lies in the inevitable seasonal lack of vitamins. Shops and farmers’ markets sell foods rich in vitamins and minerals throughout the year.

Nevertheless, beriberi is a phenomenon familiar to many. Usually encountered:

vegans and vegetarians;
90,002 people on strict weight loss diets;
people with diseases of the digestive system.

“Integumentary tissues, including those of the lips, are nourished according to the residual principle, because the body first distributes nutrients between the internal organs,” explains Ekaterina Turubara. “So the skin and hair are the first to suffer from beriberi.”

In the same way, the intake of dietary supplements will first fill the needs of the internal organs, and only after a few months the nutrients will reach the epidermis.”

Manufacturers of vitamins understand this and honestly warn that it is necessary to wait for the result after a few months of taking it, and not after the first capsule. If the skin has become dry and grayish, first pay attention to pharmaceutical preparations containing vitamins A, E, D and F.

L’Oréal Paris

Enriched with hyaluronic acid extract, antioxidants and vitamin E, this formula moisturizes and protects lips from chapping.

Lip Gloss Paradise, L’Oréal Paris

Intensely moisturizes throughout the day, stimulates collagen synthesis, increases lip volume.

Moisturizing and nourishing balms

Cicaplast Lip Balm, La Roche-Posay

Heals chapped lips and relieves irritation in the mouth area thanks to panthenol MP-lipids. Suitable for both adults and children.

Nutritic Levres Nourishing Lip Balm, La Roche-Posay

Stick balm with lipids and ceramides fights against the signs of aging, reducing wrinkles, softening and moisturizing the skin of the lips.

Back to index

Why do lips dry?

Dryness and flaking of the lips is an embarrassing and unpleasant defect that causes constant discomfort. It is difficult to enjoy communication when it hurts to laugh and talk.

Moreover, discomfort can be exacerbated at the most inopportune moment: during walks, while eating. Of course, you can moisturize your lips with cosmetics around the clock to relieve soreness, but this is only a temporary solution that does not eliminate the problem itself.

We advise you to understand the reasons that cause dry lips in you and to address them. And in order for the skin of the lips to recover sooner, you can use the recommendations and help of our cosmetologists.

Causes of dry lips

First of all pay attention to your diet . Lack of healthy fats, deficiency of vitamins and microelements in the diet can cause cracks in the corners of the lips, cause dry skin. Add nuts, avocados, red fish and butter to your diet – these foods are rich in healthy fats. To compensate for the deficiency of vitamins and trace elements, drink a course of multivitamins.

Not only nutritional deficiencies cause dry lips. The correct drinking regime is also important , as well as what kind of water you drink. Peeling of the delicate skin of the lips can occur if you abuse soft drinks or drink little water. In this case, just drink enough and preferably warm water. A glass of warm water with honey and lemon is a great start to the day. Start with this ritual every morning and you will quickly notice an improvement.

If food and drinking regimen is in order, analyze the microclimate in rooms where you spend the most time (at work and at home, for example). The air in the rooms should not be too dry. If the humidity is low, use humidifiers to bring it back to normal. Sufficiently humidified air not only favorably affects the condition of the skin, but also protects the mucous membranes from viruses.

Finally, dryness of the lips can cause a tendency to constantly lick the lips. This habit interferes especially strongly in cold weather in autumn and winter. Because of it, peeling first occurs, and then dry crusts may appear, which in no case need to be torn off or touched by hands.

Hydrafacial and gentle exfoliation with UltraCeuticals

To cope with the peeling of sensitive lips, we recommend using professional medical cosmetics from the Australian brand UltraCeuticals.

All brand cosmetics are distinguished by a high concentration of nutrients and vitamins (A, B, C, etc.). In addition, the method of delivering these nutrients to the layers of the dermis is also unique. The UltraCeuticals line includes products for both gentle, painless exfoliation and deep nourishment for damaged skin.

Cause of extremely dry lips: 7 dermatologists’ tips for healing dry, chapped lips

7 dermatologists’ tips for healing dry, chapped lips

Diseases & conditions

Featured

Everyday care

Featured

Darker Skin Tones

Featured

Cosmetic treatments

Featured

Public health programs

Featured

Find a dermatologist

Featured

Symptoms, Causes, and Risk Factors

Cheilitis

Dehydration and malnutrition

How we reviewed this article:

Read this next

8 causes and what to do about dryness

Causes of dry lips

Lip care tips

Regular exfoliation

Moisturizing and nourishing

Balanced drinking regimen and proper nutrition

Precautions

Vitamins against dry lips

Moisturizing and nourishing balms

Why do lips dry?

Causes of dry lips

Hydrafacial and gentle exfoliation with UltraCeuticals

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