What causes persistently chapped lips. How can you effectively treat and prevent dry lips. Which ingredients should you look for in lip balms. What underlying health conditions might contribute to chronically chapped lips. How to care for children’s chapped lips.

Understanding the Causes of Chronically Chapped Lips

Chapped lips are a common and often frustrating problem that many people face. While occasional dryness is normal, persistently chapped lips can be both uncomfortable and concerning. To effectively address this issue, it’s crucial to understand the various factors that can contribute to chronically dry lips.

Environmental Factors

Environmental conditions play a significant role in lip health. Cold weather, low humidity, and exposure to harsh winds can all strip moisture from the delicate skin of the lips. Additionally, excessive sun exposure can damage lip tissue, leading to dryness and cracking.

Behavioral Habits

Certain habits can exacerbate lip dryness. Frequent licking of the lips may seem like a natural response to dryness, but it actually worsens the problem. The saliva evaporates quickly, leaving lips even drier than before. Breathing through the mouth, especially during sleep, can also contribute to lip dehydration.

Product Irritants

Surprisingly, some everyday products can be culprits in causing lip dryness. Toothpaste containing strong flavoring agents like cinnamon or mint can irritate the delicate lip skin. Similarly, certain lip care products with ingredients such as camphor, menthol, or salicylic acid may lead to further irritation and dryness.

Health Conditions Associated with Chapped Lips

While environmental and behavioral factors are common causes of chapped lips, persistent dryness may sometimes indicate an underlying health issue. Understanding these potential connections can help in addressing the root cause of chronically chapped lips.

Thyroid Dysfunction

Low thyroid function, or hypothyroidism, can cause dryness throughout the body, including the lips and mouth. If you’re experiencing persistent lip dryness along with other symptoms like fatigue, weight gain, or sensitivity to cold, it may be worth discussing thyroid function with your healthcare provider.

Nutritional Deficiencies

Certain vitamin and mineral deficiencies can manifest as chapped lips. B complex vitamins, zinc, and iron are particularly important for lip health. A balanced diet or appropriate supplementation under medical guidance can help address these deficiencies.

Inflammatory Bowel Disease

In rare cases, severe cracked lips that don’t heal, especially when accompanied by abdominal pain, could be a sign of inflammatory bowel diseases like Crohn’s disease. This condition can affect the entire gastrointestinal tract, including the lips.

Identifying and Treating Specific Lip Conditions

Some lip conditions require specific identification and treatment approaches. Two common conditions that can cause persistent lip issues are angular cheilitis and actinic cheilitis.

Angular Cheilitis

Angular cheilitis is characterized by inflammation in the corners of the mouth. It can be caused by various factors, including cold weather, yeast overgrowth, or irritation from saliva. Treatment typically involves anti-yeast medication, anti-inflammatories, or protective ointments applied overnight.

Actinic Cheilitis

Actinic cheilitis is a precancerous condition resulting from chronic sun damage. It primarily affects the lower lip and requires medical attention. If you have persistent chapped lips that don’t respond to standard treatments, especially if accompanied by changes in lip texture or color, consult a dermatologist.

Effective Treatments for Chapped Lips

While prevention is key, there are several effective treatments for chapped lips. The right approach can help restore moisture and protect the delicate lip skin from further damage.

Choosing the Right Lip Balm

Lip balms are the first line of defense against chapped lips. Look for products with a petroleum jelly or paraffin base, as these create a protective seal over the skin. Ingredients like shea butter, coconut oil, and vitamin E can also provide nourishment and hydration.

When selecting a lip balm, opt for formulas with built-in sunscreen (SPF) to protect against sun damage. Avoid products containing fragrance, camphor, menthol, or salicylic acid, as these can irritate sensitive lip skin.

Hydrocortisone for Persistent Cases

If lip balms aren’t providing relief after a few days, a 1% hydrocortisone cream can be effective. However, it’s best to consult with a dermatologist before using steroid treatments on the lips, as prolonged use can thin the skin.

Natural Remedies

For those preferring natural solutions, coconut oil can be an effective home remedy. It spreads easily without dripping and provides moisturizing benefits. Other natural options include honey, aloe vera, and cucumber slices, which can soothe and hydrate chapped lips.

Special Considerations for Children’s Chapped Lips

Children’s lips require special attention, as they are more susceptible to certain complications from chapped lips. Understanding these risks and taking appropriate measures can help protect children’s delicate lip skin.

Risk of Impetigo

Children with chapped lips are at risk of developing impetigo, a superficial skin infection that can easily spread to others. If a child’s chapped lips don’t improve within a day or two, it’s advisable to consult a pediatrician.

Kid-Friendly Lip Care

When treating children’s chapped lips, opt for gentle, fragrance-free lip balms specifically formulated for sensitive skin. Encourage children to apply lip balm regularly, especially before going outdoors in cold or windy weather.

Preventive Strategies for Maintaining Healthy Lips

Prevention is often the best cure when it comes to chapped lips. Implementing these simple strategies can help maintain smooth, hydrated lips and reduce the likelihood of developing painful cracks and dryness.

Avoid Lip Licking

While it may seem counterintuitive, licking your lips actually worsens dryness. The saliva evaporates quickly, leaving lips more dehydrated than before. If you catch yourself licking your lips, apply a lip balm instead.

Stay Hydrated

Proper hydration is crucial for overall skin health, including the lips. Aim to drink plenty of water throughout the day to keep your body and lips hydrated from the inside out.

Protect Lips from the Elements

Use a scarf or face mask to shield your lips from harsh winds and cold temperatures. When spending time outdoors, always apply a lip balm with SPF to protect against sun damage.

Humidify Your Environment

In dry climates or during winter months when indoor heating can dry out the air, use a humidifier to add moisture to your environment. This can help prevent your lips from becoming dehydrated.

When to Seek Professional Help for Chapped Lips

While most cases of chapped lips can be managed with over-the-counter treatments and home remedies, there are instances where professional medical advice is necessary. Understanding when to consult a dermatologist can help address more serious underlying issues and prevent complications.

Persistent Dryness

If your lips remain dry and chapped despite consistent use of lip balms and implementation of preventive measures for more than two weeks, it’s time to consult a dermatologist. Persistent dryness could indicate an underlying condition or allergic reaction that requires professional diagnosis and treatment.

Changes in Lip Appearance

Any noticeable changes in the color, texture, or shape of your lips, especially if accompanied by persistent dryness, warrant a visit to the dermatologist. These changes could be signs of more serious conditions, including precancerous lesions like actinic cheilitis.

Pain or Bleeding

If your chapped lips are causing significant pain, bleeding, or interfering with daily activities like eating or speaking, seek medical attention. These symptoms could indicate a more severe condition or infection that requires prompt treatment.

Suspected Allergic Reactions

If you suspect that your chapped lips are the result of an allergic reaction to a new product or food, consult with an allergist or dermatologist. They can help identify the allergen and provide appropriate treatment to prevent future reactions.

By understanding the various causes of chapped lips, implementing effective treatments, and knowing when to seek professional help, you can maintain healthy, comfortable lips year-round. Remember that lip care is an essential part of your overall skincare routine, and with the right approach, you can say goodbye to persistently dry, chapped lips.

Chapped Lips: Causes, Treatments, and Prevention

Health Conditions That Can Cause Chapped Lips

Chapped lips can also be associated with a variety of underlying medical conditions, including thyroid disease, vitamin deficiencies, and inflammatory bowel disease, says Zeichner. Low thyroid function may cause dryness of the mouth and lips, and B complex vitamin deficiencies or low zinc or iron levels have been reported to cause chapped lips, he adds. Crohn’s disease can affect the entire gastrointestinal tract from the lips down to the anus, and if you have severe cracked lips that are not healing as well as belly pain, this may be a rare cause.

Angular cheilitis, or inflammation in the corners of the mouth, is another common condition that can cause dry or chapped lips. It’s typically caused by cold weather, yeast overgrowth, and/or irritation from saliva, and it’s usually treated with anti-yeast medication, anti-inflammatories, or skin protectants overnight, says Rebecca Baxt, MD, a dermatologist in Paramus, New Jersey.

Actinic cheilitis is the term given to chronic chapped lips that develop as a result of sun damage, explains Zeichner. This is a precancerous condition that typically affects the lower lip (which faces upward toward the sun, so is at risk for sudden damage). If you have chapped lips that aren’t getting better and you’re concerned, see a dermatologist.

How to Treat Chapped Lips: Start With Lip Balm

Chapped lips can sometimes heal on their own, but if that isn’t happening after a day or two, try using a lip balm, suggests Zeichner. Lip balms contain a combination of waxes and oils that form a protective seal over the skin, he explains. Your best choice is a basic lip balm with either a petroleum jelly or paraffin base that can keep moisture in your lips, protect them from the elements, and give them time to heal. Zeichner recommends Neutrogena Revitalizing Lip Balm with SPF 20 ($8.99). Vaseline is another dermatologist favorite. Dr. Cockerell advises choosing a formula with built-in sunscreen (look for an SPF number in the product name) and applying it frequently throughout the day.

Stay away from products that contain fragrance, camphor, menthol, and salicylic acid, because these ingredients can cause irritation of the skin, leading to disruption of the skin barrier and loss of hydration, which can make chapped lips worse, warns Zeichner. You also want to avoid exfoliating lips that are already dry and irritated because that can lead to more harm than good, he explains.

If lip balms are not helping, visit your dermatologist. You can also try 1 percent hydrocortisone to treat chapped lips if they are not improving on their own after a few days of using lip balm, says Zeichner.

If you’re looking for a natural home remedy for chapped lips, Zeichner suggests trying coconut oil because it spreads easily without dripping. “The same types of products you use for dry skin can often be used for the lips,” he explains.

What to Do When Your Child Has Chapped Lips

Kids are at risk for getting a superficial skin infection called impetigo, especially if they get open or cracked skin, and it can easily be spread to others, says Zeichner. He recommends touching base with your pediatrician if your child has chapped lips that don’t go away in a day or two.

How to Prevent Chapped Lips: 3 Simple Strategies

Here are three simple ways to prevent chapped lips and keep your lips smooth and hydrated, according to Zeichner:

• Avoid licking your lips. People sometimes lick their lips to reduce the feeling of dry lips, but saliva actually worsens the situation.
• Pay attention to your lips. If they start to feel dry or itchy, apply a lip balm early.
• Skip spicy foods. If you have sensitive skin, try to avoid spicy foods, which can irritate the lips.

Additional reporting by Jennifer D’Angelo Friedman.

Why Are My Lips So Dry? The #1 Unsuspecting Cause of Dry Lips

Does this scenario sound familiar? You reach into your purse (or pocket) and realize you forgot the very product you never leave home without: your lip balm! How will you survive the day — or even the hour — without it?! 

For those of us with dry lips, we’d love to not need our lip balm. But without it, we’re dealing with a case of cracked, dry, itching lips. Is there any solution?

Yes! There are easy solutions to dry lips — but they rely on figuring out the cause.

Two factors affect our lips — things outside our bodies and things inside our bodies. Here’s how our lips get so dry (and what we can do to fix it).

The External Causes of Dry Lips

Things that come from the outside affect our lips more than we realize. Cinnamon is one of the main culprits. A strong cinnamon gum can make a big difference in the dryness of your lips.

However, one of the most unsuspecting causes of dry lips is our toothpaste. Many options have a combination of really strong flavors, teeth whiteners, and fresh breath ingredients. Have you ever tried one and thought, “Wow! This is strong. My mouth feels like it’s on fire!”

That’s not a good thing for your lips. See, when we brush our teeth or chew gum, the residue from the cinnamon, mint, or spices spreads to our lips — which are more sensitive than the lining of our mouths.

Even using the same brand of toothpaste consistently isn’t a safe bet. Sometimes a company will change their ingredients slightly, and you’ll end up with a tube that’s a little stronger than what you’re used to.

My recommendation is to use a bland toothpaste. Go for the bottom-shelf, cheap stuff. I like plain Crest. Even the toothpaste for sensitive teeth can have strong flavors. The best way to avoid the drying effect of toothpaste is to stay with the basic kind. It’s not the most exciting option, but it works great and won’t dry out your lips.

Is Toothpaste Really Causing Your Dry Lips?

So, how do you know if your toothpaste is causing the problem? Your lips might feel chapped, irritated, cracked, or especially sticky after you brush your teeth. Sometimes your lips are just uncomfortable after your daily brushings.

Some patients, particularly African-Americans, experience hyper-pigmentation when their lips turn lighter or darker in reaction to the product. These pigmentary changes come from sensitivity to the product.

Toothpaste isn’t always the culprit, but it’s the product we use multiple times a day that often makes the biggest impact.

However, if you notice these changes after chewing gum or using lozenges, that’s another potential source of the problem. For people who regularly chew gums, use lozenges, or eat hot peppers, pay attention to your lips afterward. That’s a likely reason for your dry lips.

You may also feel a change in your lips when you take certain medications. Oral antibiotics like Isotretinoin will quickly zap your lips of any moisture.

And as the weather changes to a cold and drier season, expect to see a change in your skin moisture levels too. Once the temperature drops, you’ll need to up your moisturizers.

Internal Causes of Dry Lips

Dry lips causes aren’t limited to the external factors. One of our instinctual habits can make it significantly worse — lip licking. Some people (particularly kids) lick their lips and don’t even realize they’re doing it. It doesn’t seem like a big deal until it causes skin irritation.

Why? The enzymes in our mouths help us digest food and break down proteins — but they’ll do the same to our skin. The more we lick those enzymes onto our lips, the more the skin on our lips breaks down.

Do You Have Chronic Dry Lips?

If you’ve been dealing with dry lips for a long time, that doesn’t mean you have a more serious problem. It just means you haven’t found what’s causing it yet. There is a cure for your dry lips.

Dry lips won’t cause any serious damage, but they will be uncomfortable. Lips can crack, bleed, or peel, which feels awful and looks terrible.

How to Get Rid of Dry Lips

If you’re wondering how to fix your dry lips, take a look at the causes. Ask yourself these questions to see if you can figure out the source of the problem:

• What kind of toothpaste do I use?
• Do I regularly chew gum?
• Do I use lozenges?
• Am I on a medication with a dry-skin side effect?
• Am I licking my lips without realizing it?
• Did the weather just change?

Then make some changes. If you’re not sure where to start, switch your toothpaste. It’s the #1 cause of lip dryness — and we don’t even think about it.

Is Lip Balm Bad for My Lips?

Finally, dry lips or not, some of us can’t live without our lip balm. Lip balm isn’t bad, but do you feel addicted? You shouldn’t.

If you’re a lip balm lover, take a look at your habits. Your lips are likely irritated from something like brushing your teeth. Now you feel like you can’t leave home without your lip stuff.

For severe cases, the best lip balm for dry lips is Dr. Dan’s Cortibalm. It’s a great over-the-counter option with hydrocortisone to quickly heal your lips.

Dry lips aren’t a condition you have to live with. There are solutions. If you’ve tried to find the cause and make some changes, but your condition doesn’t seem to improve, your dermatologist can help. They’ll be able to help you find the reason for your dryness and the solution that will get your lips back to new, healthy, and normal.

Dr. R. Todd Plott is a board-certified dermatologist in Coppell, Keller, and Saginaw, TX. His specialization and professional interests include treating patients suffering with acne, identifying and solving complex skin conditions such as psoriasis, rosacea, atopic dermatitis, and identifying and treating all types of skin cancers. In his spare time, Dr. Plott enjoys cycling, traveling with his wife, and spending time with his children and new grandson.

Learn more about Dr. Plott.

Book an appointment with a provider nearby.

Why My Lips Are Dry All The Time

Temperatures seem to be plummeting by the minute this January and simultaneously, our lips seem to get drier by the second. Yep, winter can mean chapped lips for so many of us. But why is this happening? Well, some potential reasons might just surprise you. Here, we look at the reasons your lips are always so dry and share some top tips for sloughing away the dead skin to reveal baby-soft smackers.

1. Too much sun in the summer

If you soaked up too much UV rays over the summer then you could be paying the price now with your pout. Too much sun exposure can set your lips up for a chapped winter. So be mindful in the summer and make sure you slap on the SPF protection. Basically, year round protection is key, people.

2. Vitamin deficiency

Vitamin B2 is essential for cell function and in turn, healthy lips. Eat plenty of vitamin B2 rich foods like eggs and lean meat to keep yours in check all year round. Zinc and iron deficiency have also been linked to dry lips so load up on your greens to keep your mineral levels balanced.

Getty Images

3. Licking your lips

It’s counter-intuitive but licking your lips will actually make things a whole lot worse. Repeated saliva on the lips will end up washing the natural grease from the lips which can lead to dryness. Keep things kissable by avoiding unnecessary lip smacking.

4. Fragranced lip balm

If you are applying lip balm and still finding yourself with dry lips then check the ingredients of you chosen balm. Some contain fragrances that some lips are sensitive to and can cause them to dry out. You could have an allergy to the lip products you’re using, like shea butter, beeswax or castor oil. Take careful note of the products you are using and adjust accordingly.

Lip balms are key to pillowy soft lips, but not all lip balms are made the same. Here’s our editor’s line-up of the

very best

5. Dehydration

If you aren’t putting enough hydration, your body can let you know via your lips. A dry pucker can indicate that you need to up you h30 intake stat. The reason that dehydration can show on our skin and lips is due to the havoc it causes to mineral levels. So drink up! It’s recommended to drink between eight and twelve glasses a day.

6. A yeast infection

Dry lips, particularly around the corners of the mouth can be an indicator that your body is producing too much yeast and that you have an infection. If you have been suffering a while then you might need to visit your GP in case you need a course of antibiotics to clear things up.

Scroll down for the best lip balms to protect your pout…

Why Are My Lips Always Dry? (& 5 At-Home Remedies to Soothe Chapped Lips)

There are two types of people in this world: Those who know where their nearest lip balm is stashed at all times (and, in fact, have lip balm stashes — plural), and those who only have to hunt lip balm down a few times a year, usually when it’s cold and windy out.

Regardless, we can all agree that, with symptoms ranging from dry and irritated lips to ones that are flaky, cracked and even bloody, chapped lips are annoying.

Whether you get them frequently or just on occasion, here’s everything you need to know about what causes chapped lips, how to avoid dry lips and how to treat them once they’re chapped — as well as what to do when chapped lips just won’t heal.

What do chapped lips mean?

Our lips are one of the thinnest layers of skin on our bodies, making them fairly prone to drying out. They’re also packed with nerve endings that help us sense the outside world, including temperature, taste and more.

Basically, they’re pretty sensitive.

When your lips are chapped, it means they’ve become too dry or irritated for one reason or another.

The most common reason for chapped lips is exposure to dry, chilly air. But this isn’t the only reason your lips might be chapped.

Why do some people get chapped lips in the summer?

It’s one thing to have a short-lived bout of chapped lips in the winter. But what about those who get chapped lips year-round, including when it’s humid and hot out?

Other common chapped lip causes include:

• Licking your lips too frequently
• Spicy food
• Sun exposure
• Certain medications and supplements
• Infection
• Allergic reaction to a product
• Certain underlying health conditions

Saliva, spicy food, the sun and certain products can be irritating to your lips, while some medications and health conditions can cause your lips to be drier than usual. For instance, medications that cause dry mouth can also lead to drier lips. And dry lips can also be a complication of Crohn’s disease, certain vitamin deficiencies and other underlying health conditions.

If you’re getting chapped lips frequently, talk to your doctor. He or she can help you identify the cause of your chapped lips and the best way to treat them, which might be as simple as following a more purposeful lip care routine like the one below.

Are there any at-home chapped lip remedies?

Whether your chapped lips are a one-time thing or a frequent nuisance, here are five ways to avoid or treat chapped lips:

1. Choose a moisturizing lip balm. To prevent chapped lips, regularly apply a lip balm that actively works to lock in moisture, such as one with a petroleum jelly or parafin base. You may need to apply it more frequently in cold, dry weather or if your lips are already chapped.
2. Avoid irritating lip products. Not all lip balms are created equal. And you may be surprised to find that some of the more popular lip balm brands contain ingredients that may actually be irritating your lips, including peppermint flavoring, menthol, camphor and salicylic acid. Don’t confuse the burning, stinging or tingling these ingredients cause for actual chapped lip relief.
3. Add some SPF to your lips if you’re going outdoors. Use a lip balm with an SPF of at least 30 when out in the sun. Protecting your lips helps prevent them from drying out. If your lips are already cracked, know that they can burn even easier. A lip balm with SPF can also help prevent your lip situation from getting even worse.
4. Avoid licking your lips. Whether it’s a subconscious habit or you’re doing it because your lips feel dry, just know that, as saliva evaporates, it can dry out (or further dry out) your lips.
5. Hydrate! Since chapped lips are caused by dryness, be sure you’re drinking plenty of water every day.

How long does it take chapped lips to heal?

Chapped lips can take anywhere from days to weeks to heal, with the exact timeline depending on the severity of your symptoms and whether the dryness or irritant has been successfully treated or removed, respectively.

Lightly dried out lips can improve in just a few days with the right at-home treatments, while more severe chapped lips —ones that are cracked and bleeding — will take longer to heal.

When chapped lips aren’t healing or are chronic, be sure to speak to your doctor. As mentioned, chapped lips can be a secondary result of taking some medications and, while rare, certain underlying health conditions. Your doctor can rule out whether this is the case, as well as determine a treatment plan that works to heal your lips.

Why Are My Lips Always Chapped: Even in the Summer?

Chapped lips can be uncomfortable. They can lead to symptoms such as dryness, flaking, sores, swelling, cracks, and even bleeding. If you have chapped lips often, even in the summer, you may be wondering why. After all, chapped lips are often associated with winter weather when the air is dry.

While colder seasons and chapped lips do go hand in hand, dry lips are also common in the summer. Here’s why: In the summer months, our lips can become dry due to excessive sun exposure. Just like the rest of our body, they can burn and blister and require protection from the harmful UV rays.

There are other reasons you may experience chapped lips in the summer. You may be dehydrated and cause your body to pull water from other parts to hydrate the cells. This may result in dryness to the skin and lips. Excessive saliva can also lead to dry lips in the summer. If you have stomach issues and low acid levels, you may wake up in the mornings with dry, cracked lips.

Ways to Prevent Chapped Lips in the Summer

Fortunately, there are a variety of ways you can be proactive and prevent chapped lips in the summer. First and foremost, keep a water bottle by your side and hydrate as much as possible. If you don’t like the taste of plain water, spruce it up with your favorite fruits and veggies.

Also, do your best to limit your time in the sun. If you do have to be outside for extended periods of time, stay in the shade. You should also wear a hat and apply plenty of sunscreen to your lips. If you have excessive saliva, consult your doctor to determine the root cause.

How to Treat Chapped Lips in the Summer

Invest in a hydrating lip balm and apply it on a regular basis. If you notice a product is burning or stinging your lips, use another one because it’s probably irritating your lips. Try to look for a balm that’s made of gentle yet effective ingredients like castor seed oil, petrolatum, shea butter, mineral oil, and white petroleum jelly.

Also, if your balm does not have an SPF of at least 30, apply sunscreen to your lips before you go outside, even if it seems cloudy. In addition, don’t lick, bite, or pick at your lips. While this may be tough to resist, doing so can worsen the issue and cause your lips to become drier. North Raleigh Dentist Dr. Brett Wells knows the pain of dry lips and encourages patients to always use lip balm with sunblock when going outside for activities.

In addition, you may want to buy a humidifier. If you breathe through your mouth at night, it’s a good idea to keep it in your bedroom. Visit your doctor if your dry lips don’t heal within two to three weeks as they may be a sign of an underlying issue.

Contact River Run Dental Spa

If you have any questions about chapped lips in the summer or would like to schedule an appointment to meet with one of our experienced dentists, we encourage you to contact us today at (804) 419-4211 We look forward to hearing from you! Our new Midlothian, VA dentist’s office is open for your convenience.

7 Ways Chapped Lips Could Be A Sign of Something Else

Whether it’s due to winter wind or summer sun, parched lips can be a constant struggle. And while you may chalk up your dry, cracked pout to the weather or forgetting to use your lip balm on the reg, there are other causes of chapped lips that could be a sign of something more serious than dehydrated skin.

The typical culprit of chapped lips is licking your lips too often, but that’s not always the reason for your rough skin. Your peeling and cracked dry pout could be a symptom of other health conditions, from dehydration to a vitamin deficiency. But how can you tell the difference between typical chapped lips and something more serious? If it seems like they’re impossible to hydrate, cause you pain, or don’t heal despite regular care, then you might have a bigger problem on your hands, says dermatological nurse and celebrity aesthetician Natalie Aguilar.

Luckily, the experts are here to help. If you find yourself wondering, “why are my lips so chapped?” on the regular and suspect it’s something more serious, read on to explore nine common but more alarming causes of chapped lips.

1. A Yeast Infection

Though you may think of yeast infections as a gynecological problem, you can get this unpleasant fungal overgrowth in your mouth, too — and cracked lips may be a symptom. This is especially true if you have cracks around the corner of your mouth or notice other symptoms like white patches in your mouth, a cotton-like feeling in your mouth, or pain while swallowing, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

“When you lick your lips excessively, the warm, moist saliva encourages yeast to grow, especially when the saliva builds up in the corners of the mouth,” says Dr. Michele Green, MD, a New York-based dermatologist. She says the best remedy is to hydrate — drink lots of water and avoid licking your lips. It can also help to use a moisturizing barrier like beeswax balm or Vaseline to stop the buildup of saliva, according to Green.

2. An Allergic Reaction

If your lips look like you just came back from a filler appointment, this may be an allergic reaction to food, says Dr. Debra Jaliman, MD, a New York-based dermatologist. It could also be a reaction to common ingredients in lip-plumping products like cinnamon and chili powder, she adds.

If you’re regularly dealing with puffy, sore lips, Jaliman recommends taking note of what foods you’re eating and which products you’re using to help zero in on what’s triggering your reaction. And if you notice more severe allergic symptoms like wheezing or a skin rash, work with your doctor to get treatment and determine the source of the problem.

3. Salty Or Spicy Foods

Allergic reactions aren’t the only food-related cause of chapped lips. Too much salt or spice can irritate your skin, leading to red or dry lips, says Aguilar. This is especially true when there’s high contact, like if you’re sipping a margarita with salt on the rim, she adds. If you notice your lips get inflamed when they’re exposed to salt or spice, try to consume that food or drink with as little contact with your mouth as possible.

4. Dehydration

Ever find yourself wondering, “why are my lips so dry?” more often than usual? Dehydrated skin may be to blame, which can cause dry lips, eyes, and mouth. The obvious solution is to stay well-hydrated, says Jaliman. While the old “eight cups a day” rule might not be the best amount of water for everyone, a general rule of thumb is to drink enough water that you never feel thirsty. She also suggests battling a dry pout with lip balms rich in hydrating ingredients like jojoba oil or shea butter.

5. Sun Damage

Sunburn can make your skin dry and damaged, and the same is true for your lips, according to Green. “Long-term sun exposure can cause the lips to become dry and stiff, resulting in cracking or splitting,” she tells Bustle. And not only that — the sun’s UV rays can also lead to inflammation, she adds. The solution? Make sure to use a lip balm with SPF in it, even on the coldest winter days.

6. A Vitamin Deficiency

Vitamin B is essential to keep your body functioning its best, Green tells Bustle. It gives you energy, helps your immune system fight off disease, and contributes to healthy skin. That’s why a lack of vitamin B can lead to skin issues like dry lips, she adds. To avoid a deficiency, eat plenty of vitamin B-rich foods like eggs and lean meat.

7. Too Much Vitamin A

On the flip side, dry lips could mean you’re getting too much vitamin A. This can happen if you’re taking a supplement on top of consuming the nutrient naturally through your foods, says Green. “The excess amount of vitamin A is stored in the liver, and it accumulates over time, causing a variety of symptoms such as excessive cracking on the corners of the mouth, dryness, and peeling of the skin,” she tells Bustle.

To get rid of vitamin A-induced lip chap, Green recommends relying on your diet to get your daily dose through foods like carrots and spinach.

8. Medication

Dry, cracked lips are also a side effect of certain medications, including high blood pressure meds and antidepressants, says Jaliman. These drugs can decrease the amount of saliva you produce, which can dry out your lips and mouth. Consult your doctor if you think a medication is the reason behind your dry lips to find a solution that works best for you and your health considerations.

9. Bad Lip Balm

If you’re applying tons of balm to no avail, then the product itself may be to blame, Aguilar tells Bustle. Lots of balms are made of fragrances, menthol, or alcohol, all of which can irritate your pucker. She recommends opting for products without those ingredients to keep your pout happy and healthy.

Studies referenced:

(2020). Vitamin A. LiverTox: Clinical and Research Information on Drug-Induced Liver Injury, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK548165/

Lopes, D. (2016). Ultraviolet Radiation on the Skin: A Painful Experience? CNS Neuroscience & Therapeutics, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4833175/

Pankhurst, C. (2013). Candidiasis (oropharyngeal). BMJ Clinical Evidence, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3821534/

Pflipsen, M. (2017). Nutrition for oral health and oral manifestations of poor nutrition and unhealthy habits. General Dentistry, https://www.agd.org/docs/default-source/self-instruction-(gendent)/gendent_nd17_aafp_pflipsen.pdf

Sheetal, A. (2013). Malnutrition and Its Oral Outcome – A Review. Journal Of Clinical And Diagnostic Research, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3576783/

Experts:

Natalie Aguilar, RN, dermatological nurse and celebrity aesthetician

Michele Green, MD, New York-based dermatologist

Debra Jaliman, MD, New York-based dermatologist

Additional reporting by Eden Lichterman and Kathleen Ferraro.

This article was originally published on Jan. 6, 2016

Lips Constantly Chapped? Here’s How to Help!

Chapped lips are a common winter annoyance. Exposure to cold temperature and intense winds is a recipe for your skin drying out, especially your most sensitive areas like your lips. Dry lips can be irritating and even painful. Avail Dermatology’s experts explain our top tips for dealing with constantly chapped lips.

Use The Right Lip Balm

While this tip may seem like a no-brainer, there’s a certain way to use lip balm that is more helpful than just reaching for it when you need it the most. Plan to apply it right when you wake up, apply every two hours throughout the day, and finally right before you go to bed.

Also, make sure the lip balm you use is actually helpful. Avoid lip products containing the following ingredients: camphor, menthol, eucalyptus, fragrance, and flavoring. These can burn, sting, and further irritate the lips.

Look for ingredients such as petrolatum, petroleum jelly, shea butter, mineral oil, hemp seed oil, ceramides, and dimethicone. Ensure it also has SPF 30, especially if you go outside, to protect your lips from the sun.

Avoid Excessive Picking, Licking, and Touching Your Lips

If your lips are dry already, picking at the dead skin and irritating them further can worsen your condition. Try your best to avoid touching and picking at your lips. Also, do not lick your lips. While you may think you’re adding extra moisture, saliva exaporates quickly and can leave your lips even more starved for moisture.

Drink Water

When your body is dehydrated, your lips are more prone to dryness so be sure to drink plenty of water.

Improve Your Home Environment

If you spend most of your time indoors, it’s a good idea to work on the air quality in your house. Use a humidifier to add extra moisture to your environment.

When To See Your Dermatology Provider

If your dry lips do not improve with these helpful tips, it may be time to see a professional.  Chapped, dry lips that do not heal can be a sign of a skin infection, an allergic reaction, or even a precancerous condition.

Would you like to speak to one of our professionals about how to help with your chapped lips? Call 770-251-5111, email [email protected], or click here to schedule an appointment!

90,000 What diseases can dry lips signal

Lips may dry out due to frost or wind, or due to dehydration or diabetes mellitus.

Lips often dry and chapped in autumn and winter, when it is cold and frosty outside. But sometimes this problem appears not because of bad weather, but because of health problems. For example, they talk about a serious systemic disease or vitamin deficiency.

In the cold season, many people experience discomfort due to severely dry lips.They flake, crack and hurt. Open wounds make the lips vulnerable to various bacteria, viruses and fungi. They can settle in the affected skin and lead to various infections.

Why do lips dry?

The skin of the lips is very sensitive, it cannot resist the environment and cope with the aggressive effects of wind and cold. There are almost no sebaceous glands on the lips, and the skin here is three to four times thinner than on the rest of the face.

Sunlight. There is no melanin in the lips, which is responsible for the color of the skin and its tan. Due to the lack of pigment, the vessels are translucent. On the one hand, they give the lips a beautiful pink color, and on the other hand, they increase the sensitivity of the lips and make them vulnerable to harmful UV radiation.

External influence. Lips are most often dry and chapped due to external influences such as ultraviolet rays, frost, moisture or friction. A person who too often licks or bites them can also harm the lips.In addition, saliva contains enzymes that additionally dry the skin and make it dry and brittle. Therefore, painful cracks and wounds can appear even with simple movements of the mouth, for example, while chewing food or laughing.

Lack of fluid. Dry lips and headache are the most prominent symptoms of dehydration. Lip sensitivity and discomfort can signal a serious lack of fluid. This is especially true for those people who do a lot of sports or spend a long time in a room with heating and dry air.

Each person has their own fluid rate. The fact that the body has enough water is indicated by the absence of thirst and colorless or pale yellow urine.

Internal diseases. Sometimes dry lips are a symptom of serious systemic diseases of the body or vitamin deficiency. Most often, in such cases, scaly wounds with blood appear on the lips, and cracks form in the corners.

Constant cracks and peeling on the lips with regular moisturizing and care can indicate metabolic disorders.This happens, for example, with diabetes mellitus. Cracks in the corners of the lips most often appear with a deficiency of vitamin B12 or iron.

A person who does not have blisters, scales and other discomfort for several weeks of lip care should go to a dermatologist and get tested.

How to help dry lips?

Dry lips need regular care and hydration. First of all, it is necessary to observe the drinking regime and drink a sufficient amount of fluids throughout the day.

You can use moisturizing lip balms indoors. Can be applied to damaged skin with scarlet, petroleum jelly or honey.

But on the street these funds should be abandoned. Including petroleum jelly, which protects only from the wind, but freezes in the cold and dries the skin. In winter, dermatologists advise using lip balms containing wax and vitamin E.

When cracks appear, dexpanthenol or metryluraciol ointment will help, which contribute to rapid healing and elimination of dryness.

The child’s lips are dry. What to do?

© Collage of Christina Saveleva

Many adults suffer from dry, chapped and irritated lips. But children also face this problem.

And if the dryness of the lips in winter is usually not paid attention to (everyone is used to the fact that at this time the skin dries out due to frost, dry air and wind), then in spring and summer it worries parents more.Understanding what else causes dry lips and how to deal with it.

Dryness is not always a problem. Cracks may also appear on the lips, through which blood seeps. The child may complain of pain in the lips, and you will notice that they are constantly reddening. Not only lips can dry out, but also the skin around the mouth. Another symptom is skin darkening.

Dry lips are not just unpleasant in their sensations – it affects the feeding and sleep of the baby. In addition, an infection can become trapped in the cracked lips, which will require additional treatment.

The most obvious reason is the weather. Lips dry out in winter, windy weather and very hot days. Heat can cause dehydration, which in turn can cause dry lips.

Look closely for other, more serious symptoms. If a child has a dry tongue, no tears when he cries, dry skin, cold hands and feet, rapid heart rate, he is probably suffering from severe dehydration, and the situation requires immediate attention. Give your child water to drink, move him to a cool place, and seek medical attention.

Dry lips can also indicate an allergy. For example, skin lotion, bedding material or lipstick used by the baby’s mother.

Dry lips are often associated with the child’s habits. If he likes to bite and lick his lips, saliva accumulates on them, which gradually evaporates, leaving the lips dry.

Another bad habit is to breathe more often through the mouth, not through the nose. The air on the lips also dries them out. If the child breathes through the mouth due to the fact that breathing through his nose is difficult, see an otolaryngologist who can help identify the problem and get rid of it.The baby will begin to breathe through the nose and his lips will dry out less.

For babies, after breastfeeding, you can put some breast milk on the lips, but do not rub it in. It contains lauric acid, which helps to heal cracks and moisturizes the skin. It is also found in coconut oil. Pediatricians advise to apply a cream with lanolin to the skin, but before that it is better to consult a doctor, because lanolin can cause allergies.

Older children can use lip balm, but this should be done with caution, because they add flavorings.Because of the smell, the child will want to taste the balm and will begin to lick his lips more often, which will only increase the dryness. Choose a balm with no additives and sun protection. The SPF should be at least 15.

Make sure your child drinks enough water and other drinks. Children between the ages of one and three years are advised to drink about five and a half glasses of liquid a day. But remember that about 30 percent of your baby’s fluids come from food.

You certainly won’t be able to influence the weather, but you need to take care of the air in the house.If it’s too dry, put a humidifier in your baby’s room. But don’t put it close to your baby’s bed and clean it regularly.

When walking in windy or sunny weather, cover your baby’s face with a light breathable cloth or scarf.

If dry lips persist within a few weeks, it may be just a symptom of another problem. In this case, it is best to see a doctor.

Sometimes the lips dry out due to a lack of vitamins. Or, conversely, from too many of them.For example, dry lips cause excess vitamin A.

Chapped lips are a symptom of Kawasaki syndrome. This is a rare disease and is more common in boys under five years of age. It may also be indicated by a high fever that lasts for several days, a rash, red spots on the tongue, redness of the palms, and swollen lymph nodes in the neck.

Read more on the topic

Why lips dry: causes and methods of treatment

Main reasons

Several factors, both external and internal, affect the development of dryness.As a result, cracks, dried crusts, pain when the lips move. To get your skin back to normal and relieve discomfort, you need to address the underlying cause.

The condition of the lips is largely influenced by weather conditions:

• due to frost and wind, moisture evaporates faster from the skin surface,

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• ultraviolet light has a negative effect on tissues, which causes dryness,

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• due to dry and hot air, the epidermis loses moisture faster,

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• Extreme temperature changes also have a negative effect on the skin.This is especially noticeable in autumn and winter, when the warm air in the apartment is replaced by the cold outside. The same goes for eating food that is too hot or too cold.

Also influenced by the appearance of dryness:

• bad habits: alcohol, smoking,

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• mechanical action: biting, licking, pinching (such a problem is observed in musicians who play wind instruments),

• insufficient fluid intake,

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• deficiency of vitamins, most often A and E: due to this, the regeneration of the epidermis is impaired,

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• pregnancy, when dryness appears due to toxicosis.

This is why lips dry! However, the problem is not always related to external influences. This can sometimes be a symptom of a serious medical condition.

If dryness does not go away even with prolonged moisture, it is most likely a matter of internal factors. In this case, it is better to consult a doctor and identify the cause.

Why do women’s lips dry

Why do women’s lips dry more often? The problem with the choice of cosmetics: the wrong choice of care products can cause irritation.Therefore, it is better to choose hypoallergenic products approved by dermatologists.

The condition of the lips is also affected by decorative cosmetics, in particular, matte lipstick: it lasts a long time, does not leave marks, but dries the skin a lot. Therefore, it is worth using a moisturizing balm before applying it. Ideally, switch to using only balm or moisturizing lipstick.

Why lips dry in men and children

Why do the lips of men and children dry? The main problem is that they use skin care products much less often, including protective moisturizing balms.Therefore, the lips are constantly dry and chapped.

In children, dryness is often associated with dehydration and vitamin deficiency: children do not always monitor the amount of water and healthy foods. Lips dry out with overuse of chocolate and citrus dishes.

Temperature changes also affect dryness: children can spend a lot of time outside, not noticing the heat or cold. Lips often dry out due to bacterial and viral infections.

What to do if lips dry

First you need to find out why your lips dry.If this is associated with a disease, a doctor prescribes treatment. The use of care products is a supportive therapy, not a primary therapy.

If it seems to you that the problem is caused by an allergy to cosmetics, try to phase out them and see how the body reacts. Also try to diversify your diet: eat more vegetables and fruits, foods with fatty acids, drink water more often. Avoid foods that can cause irritation: citrus fruits, spicy foods, strawberries, alcohol.

If your lips are constantly dry, you need to moisturize them regularly. Often the lips begin to dry out from external factors. Use moisturizing balms before going out and right after meals.

Look for care products with moisturizing ingredients (ceramides, glycerin) and vitamins that promote skin regeneration. It is also very important that the remedy is safe, gentle, yet effective.

Ceramed Lip Balm is suitable for sensitive, very dry and prone to irritation skin.It is dermatologically approved and hypoallergenic, and has been clinically tested. The effectiveness of the product is confirmed by clinical studies on the basis of the Medical Scientific and Practical Center for Expert Evaluation and Nutrition and Cosmetics “CosmoProdTest”.

A complex of ceramides – natural lipids that support the protective function of the epidermis – will help retain moisture on the skin surface and moisturize dry lips. Vitamin E will start the regeneration process and prevent cracking.

Ceramed Lip Balm restores the barrier function of the skin, protects it from wind, cold, sun, relieves dryness and discomfort.It is also ideal as a base for lip makeup, so it can be used at any time of the day. Importantly, Ceramed balm does not contain fragrances, which means it is guaranteed not to cause allergies or irritation.

Dry Chapped Lips – How To Quickly Tidy Up

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Lip skin, like any other area of ​​the face or body, needs care all year round. This need is especially exacerbated in the autumn-winter period, when the skin is extremely vulnerable, is often in frost, strong winds, and also suffers from temperature extremes, lack of moisture and dry room air.We figure out how to eliminate dryness and cracks on the lips, what remedies will help with this, and how to care for lips in winter.

How to deal with dry and chapped lips

The skin of the lips suffers especially in winter, because there are practically no sebaceous glands, that is, a natural lipid barrier, and the epidermis is very thin. That is why lips dry very quickly and do not retain moisture. The location of capillaries, nerve endings as close to the surface as possible is the reason for the sensitivity and vulnerability of the lips, therefore, even with minor damage, they bleed.Also, the skin on the lips does not contain melanin, and therefore becomes an object for the negative effects of UV rays and, therefore, is susceptible to photoaging.

So, it is always necessary to take care of the skin of the lips, because attacks from the outside are unfavorable for it every minute: while eating, walking, being in the wind, and so on. The winter care algorithm can be, for example, as follows.

Correct make-up remover. In winter, it is recommended to forget about gels and mousses, and remove makeup residues from the lips (as well as from the entire face) with micellar water, lotions or milk.For lip make-up removal, you can use a Konnyaku sponge to make this process as gentle and gentle as possible.

Exfoliation. The procedure stimulates the process of tissue renewal. Peels are recommended once a week. For them, special cosmetic scrubs are used, which contain soft abrasives, for example, synthetic spheres or sugar grains. It is important that the exfoliating ingredients are not coarse or coarse. Remember to apply a moisturizer / balm after exfoliation.

Lip masks. If you don’t have a specialized product on hand, take a nourishing or moisturizer for dry skin and apply a thick layer to your lips. After 10-15 minutes, remove excess mask from the skin.

Gymnastics for the lips. Fitness is good not only for the body and face, but also for the lips. Simple exercises will increase blood flow and tone your skin. So, from the simplest exercises, active articulation (pronunciation “a-o-oo-i-s”), alternate movement of lips pulled forward (left / right), closing and opening of extended tense lips (done with an open mouth) are suitable.

Drinking balance, nutrition. If the body is dehydrated, it will affect the condition of the skin of the lips as well. Remember to include foods with omega fatty acids in your diet in winter.

Maximum nutrition and hydration. After cleansing and renewal, the skin needs to be saturated with moisture and nourishment. In this case, formulations with aloe juice, avocado oil will come to the rescue.

Finally, one of the basic rules for lip skin care in winter is protection from frost and the use of care, nourishing, moisturizing lip cosmetics.

Choosing cosmetics for lip care in winter

In general, various oils, petroleum jelly, balms, lipsticks can be used to care for the skin of the lips. Sometimes the choice of the right cosmetics and its ingredients depends on the desired effect.

• For chapped and flaky lips, balms and creams that contain jojoba, shea, coconut, olive or almond oil are suitable. Their presence in the formula of the products accelerates the healing process of wounds, makes the lips soft, and helps to build up a protective hydrolipid mantle.
• Lip products with aloe and chamomile juice are responsible for nourishing and moisturizing. Panthenol is responsible for regeneration.
• To protect the skin of the lips from UV rays, it is recommended to use products with SPF filters, as well as antioxidants such as coenzyme, vitamins K, B, E. Such components, among other things, prevent premature skin aging.
• By the way, special regenerating creams also allow minimizing the rapid aging of the skin of the lips. They are even applied to the area of ​​the nasolabial triangle.

Makeup should be applied 15 minutes before going outside and / or before applying lipstick.

Top lip products from the experts ParadPomad.ru

When choosing cosmetics for lips, we recommend starting from the composition of products in which the presence of natural ingredients is important and the absence of fragrances, dyes, fragrances, synthetic preservatives. It is also preferable if the formula of balms, lipsticks, creams will contain directly cold-pressed oils.The composition of the funds can contain nutritional extracts, vitamins, essential oils, wax, juices and herbal teas, beeswax, vitamins A, E, C and F (act as antioxidants).

1. LUMENE NUTRI CARE LIP BALM. The creamy balm stick contains hyaluronic acid, northern algae, blueberry seed oil, which is responsible for moisturizing the lips, giving them elasticity and softness. After application, a transparent finish and a light, unobtrusive scent remain on the lips.You can use it at any time of the day as needed.
2. LUMENE MOISTURE PLUMP LIP BALM. The formula contains birch sap, hyaluronic acid, northern algae. This composition not only moisturizes and smoothes the lips, but also gives them visible volume with a semi-matte transparent finish. Suitable for all skin types.
3. LUMENE ROSY REVIVER LIP BALM – an excellent protection against external adverse influences.Northern heather, organic birch sap, hyaluronic acid in the composition contribute to intensive hydration and restoration of the skin of the lips, increasing the smoothness.

Taking care of your lips in winter: what not to do

A few recommendations so as not to overdo it with the intensity of care.

• We do not recommend washing with water, the temperature of which is higher than 36 degrees – this way the skin will be protected from the negative effects of sudden changes in temperature.
• It is not recommended to go out into frosty weather without covering your lips with balm.
• It is also contraindicated to eat in the cold, bite and lick lips – because of this, the delicate skin of the lips instantly dries up, and this will only increase the risk of chapping.

The cosmetics industry is growing faster than we might think. Therefore, the possibilities of caring for the skin of the lips, face and body are the same for everyone – it is only important to approach it competently and systematically in order to look and feel equally good.

rules of survival – 4fresh blog

Avitaminosis

Very often, the reason for peeling lips lies not only in weather disasters, but also in a lack of vitamins.If we are talking specifically about the condition of the skin of the lips, then this is primarily vitamin E, A and C.

• Vitamin E is a real skin saver thanks to its antioxidant properties. Moisturizing, strengthening the skin, giving elasticity – for this we all have to thank vitamin E. 90 100
• Vitamin A, namely retinol as its component, is responsible for the regeneration of the skin, the formation of healthy epithelium and the normal functioning of any tissue.
• Vitamin C, in addition to relieving you of colds, will help to heal existing wounds more quickly and increase the elasticity of the skin, as it participates in the production of collagen.

In winter, it will not be superfluous to drink a course of these vitamins, although it is better to refuse taking vitamins on an ongoing basis: it is much more beneficial for the whole body to eat right than to take synthetic vitamins, which, moreover, in their pure form are also absorbed worse than those obtained from natural products.

The most famous source of vitamin A is carrots, but it is also found in other yellow-orange vegetables, fruits and berries: yellow, orange and red bell peppers, tomatoes, pumpkin, apricots, sea buckthorn, and also not at all in yellow spinach, parsley and celery.

Animal products containing retinol include liver, cottage cheese, cheese, and egg yolk. But we must remember that this is a fat-soluble vitamin, therefore, for its better assimilation, it is necessary to add a little oil to the listed products.

Products such as peas, soybeans, eggs, almonds, spinach, broccoli, hazelnuts will help to fill the lack of vitamin E in the body.

Well, most fruits, berries and vegetables can provide the body with vitamin C: citrus fruits, strawberries, sea buckthorn, cranberries, rose hips, broccoli, bell peppers, tomatoes, lettuce and many others.Also, this vitamin is found in almonds.

This point should be especially paid attention to those who suffer from cracks in the corners of the lips: this is how vitamin deficiency most often manifests itself.

90,000 who is to blame and what to do? – PORUSSKI.me

Dry lips are a common problem, and with the onset of cold weather, lips dry up in every second person. The team of Osoka Vysokaya, an online store of natural cosmetics / all sorts of things for personal and home care, figured out the reasons and prepared a selection of lip care products made with love by cute domestic manufacturers.

Why do lips dry?

The main reason why the skin of the lips dries up is that on the lips, unlike other parts of the face, and the whole body, there is no subcutaneous fatty tissue and sebaceous glands . That is, the lips themselves are defenseless, and the only thing they can rely on is saliva, but it turned out not for this either. By the way, let us warn those who like to lick their lips: saliva is a so-so moisturizer. It consists of 98% water, and the remaining 2% are hygroscopic substances, that is, moisture absorbers.Almost immediately after licking the lips, the water evaporates under the influence of external factors, and only a layer of the same 2% moisture-absorbing substances remains. Therefore, in frost or windy weather, licked lips will only become drier .

What else can cause dryness?

For example, a lack of vitamins A, E or D in the body – all together or separately. And also a lack of moisture in the body due to improper drinking regime or, even easier, due to the fact that we drink little water at all.

We often use the wrong cosmetics. Many lipsticks and lip products contain high amounts of petroleum jelly, dyes, or silicone, which can lead to dryness, so they are best avoided (just to be sure).

Wax of natural origin – beeswax or palm wax – will create on the lips a completely friendly protective film with an antibacterial effect, and due to the high concentration of vitamin A, it will accelerate the healing of cracks. It would be nice if the lip products contain natural cosmetic oils, for example, olive oil – it moisturizes and protects against cracks and wounds; coconut – nourishes and moisturizes; avocado oil – provides maximum protection and eliminates flaking; rose oil and shea butter softens and repairs dry lips.

Of course, bad habits will not do good to the lips either (that’s why they are bad). Lip biting and smoking can cause persistent dryness. As well as health problems like diabetes, stomach and pancreas problems will require extra attention from you to your skin.

With dry lips, complaining about bad weather conditions (frost, wind, dry air, etc.) will also be normal. Especially if it is 😉

How to save lips from dryness using non-cosmetic methods?

If your lips dry, do not rush to buy creams, oils and lipsticks.Try this first:

Set drinking regime . Drink plenty of water (tea, coffee, juices don’t count). On the Internet, you will find many recommendations on the amount of water consumption – choose your own. And in order to learn how to drink water regularly, you can put a reminder on your phone for the first time and listen to it.

Watch the power supply. Make sure to include foods high in vitamins A, E and D in your diet – fish, nuts, green vegetables and vegetable oil.

Get rid of bad habits. Smoking, biting and licking lips has not been good for anyone yet.

Take a closer look at the makeup of the decorative cosmetics. It is possible that dry lips will go away if you replace some cosmetics with more natural ones.

And do not forget that lips as well as face, arms, legs and body, need special care , and not just jewelry.

Scrub. Coconut Lip Scrub gently cleanses the skin of the lips, allowing new cells to work more actively. Avocado oil will help with flaking and help repair if your lips are chapped or dry. The goat milk included in the scrub will soften, moisturize and tone your lips.

Lip oil. Rose Lip Oil perfectly moisturizes. A softening formula based on shea butter with the addition of rose and calendula extracts provides gentle care and nutrition, protects against chapping, leaving a delicate scent of rose petals on the lips.

Lip balm with Crimean herbs . Let this natural balm always be in your purse, it will become especially relevant with the onset of cold weather: it contains only natural oils and beeswax.

Men should also not neglect lip care cosmetics, especially since now many cosmetic companies have special series for men. For example, balms from the Old Boys collection from Krasnaya Polyana: Mountain lip balm with natural oils to protect and restore, or balm with carotene-chlorophyll paste, a natural ingredient that relieves inflammation.

Photo: Alexandra

90,000 Possible Causes and Treatment Methods

The problem of dry and chapped lips is familiar to many firsthand. Especially often they encounter it in winter, when cold winds blow outside and it is frosty. How do you care for your lips to keep them soft and attractive? What to do if your lips are chapped?

Why lips crack

The skin on the lips is thin, soft and sensitive. She cannot independently withstand external influences.The lips suffer from frost, heat, wind, and dry air. Chapped skin turns red, begins to peel and crack, and wounds appear on it, which can bleed during a conversation or trying to smile. All this is not very beautiful, and besides, it also hurts. But the reasons for cracking the skin on the lips lie not only in external factors. Often a person is to blame for what happens to his lips. Trouble can begin for the following reasons:

1. The habit of licking your lips.A person may not even notice this bad habit behind him. He just constantly moistens his lips with saliva at home or on the street. Oddly enough, but after that the lips dry even more and, as a result, crack.
2. The habit of biting the lip. This problem occurs in both children and adults and is detrimental to the condition of the skin.
3. Disregard for protective, nourishing and moisturizing lip balms. It is necessary to apply such funds not just before the exit, but a little in advance. In frosty weather, special protective cosmetics (balms) should be used.All lip products must contain UV filters.
4. Due to the frequent use of waterproof cosmetics or lipsticks that dry out the skin.
5. Runny nose. If the nose is stuffed up for a long time, then, due to breathing through the mouth, the lips become wet, moisture evaporates from their surface faster, and they crack.
6. Inappropriate nutrition also affects the condition of the skin. If a person has chapped lips, then they are most likely lacking vitamins.
7. The habit of tearing off dried skin on wounds.Cracks from this habit take longer to heal. In addition, an infection can get into the wound.

Are you sick?

Cracked lips may not be so safe. They are a symptom of certain diseases or an independent disease. Dry chapped lips are a common symptom of gastrointestinal problems and anemia. And if cracks appear in the corners, then this is most likely angular stomatitis. The people call this disease “bite”.There are several medical names for this disease, in addition to the above: angulitis, cheilitis and others.

If the corners of the lips are chapped, how to treat the pathology? This should be determined by the doctor. The fact is that seizure can be of two types: streptococcal and candidal. Their treatment varies.

Problems of young children

Chapped lips are a common problem in children. An adult can overcome bad habits, but it is difficult for babies to explain what they are doing wrong.If you are sure that your baby is healthy, does not have anemia, and does not lack vitamins, then give him more water. But it is advisable that the baby does not drink or eat on the street, this worsens the condition of the skin of the lips. And also, if a child’s lips are chapped, lubricate them with baby balm, Bepanten cream, and sea buckthorn oil. In case of severe damage to the skin, consult a doctor – he can prescribe medications, for example, “Solcoseryl”.

How to restore beauty to your lips: peeling

Pieces of flaky skin appear on coarse chapped lips.They get in the way and often make you want to rip off the skin. This cannot be done. It is better to peel at home to remove the damaged layer. There are a lot of recipes for this procedure, here are some of them:

• Honey and sugar. In a teaspoon, mix some honey and sugar, then apply the mixture to your lips. Massage with light movements for about two minutes, then rinse off with cool water. After the lips are dry, apply a nourishing balm.
• If your lips are chapped, you can use a mixture of Vaseline with ground coffee or sugar.This mixture is also rubbed in with massage movements for 2 minutes, and then washed off.

You can exfoliate dry skin particles from your lips not only with a scrub, but also with a soft washcloth. It must be kept moist and clean to avoid infection. Lips should also be moist, this is important! It is not necessary to rub the skin strongly, all movements should be neat and soft. After the procedure, be sure to use a nourishing lip balm.

Moisturizing masks

The problem can be eliminated with moisturizing masks.Everything that may be needed for treatment is on the shelves of the refrigerator or in kitchen cabinets:

• For the mask, you will need fatty cottage cheese and cream. You need to mix very little, for the next procedure it is better to prepare a new portion. The mask is applied for 10 minutes and washed off with warm water.
• Olive oil perfectly nourishes and moisturizes the skin. You just need to apply it on your lips and hold it for a while. The oil will restore elasticity to the skin.
• Cucumber mask. For this recipe, you will need a fine grater to grate the cucumber.It is better to apply the gruel while lying down. It should stay on the lips for about 15 minutes.
• Honey and sour cream. The two do not need to be mixed. First, sour cream is applied, and after 15 minutes – honey. This recipe helps a lot if you apply sour cream in the morning and honey before bed.