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Why does your lips get chapped: Symptoms, Causes, and Risk Factors

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

We include products we think are useful for our readers. If you buy through links on this page, we may earn a small commission Here’s our process.

Healthline only shows you brands and products that we stand behind.

Our team thoroughly researches and evaluates the recommendations we make on our site. To establish that the product manufacturers addressed safety and efficacy standards, we:

  • Evaluate ingredients and composition: Do they have the potential to cause harm?
  • Fact-check all health claims: Do they align with the current body of scientific evidence?
  • Assess the brand: Does it operate with integrity and adhere to industry best practices?

We do the research so you can find trusted products for your health and wellness.

Read more about our vetting process.

Was this helpful?

Cracked lips can occur more often when the weather is dry. Hydrating and using a humidifier may help. You can also get chapped lips due to other causes, such as dehydration and vitamin deficiencies.

Chapped, or cracked, lips is the term commonly used to describe dry lips. Chapped lips can be caused by several factors, that include:

  • weather
  • excessive licking of the lips
  • certain medications

Chapped lips are a common condition that only occurs for most people. But some people may develop a more severe form of chapped lips called cheilitis. Cheilitis can be caused by an infection, characterized by cracked skin at the corners of the lips.

You can usually treat dry lips with simple treatment and preventive measures. If your lips continue to be severely dry and cracked, you should consider make an appointment with a dermatologist.

You may experience any of the following symptoms on or around your lips:

  • dryness
  • flaking
  • scales
  • sores
  • swelling
  • cracks
  • bleeding

Lips don’t contain oil glands like other parts of the skin. This means lips are more susceptible to drying out and becoming chapped (cracked). Lack of moisture can make the problem worse, whether it’s weather-induced or related to a lack of self-care.

Little humidity in the air during the winter months is known to cause chapped lips. Frequent sun exposure in the summer can also worsen your condition.

Another common cause of chapped lips is habitual licking. Saliva from the tongue can further strip the lips of moisture, causing more dryness.

Everyone can get chapped lips, particularly if they have dry skin.

Taking certain medications can also increase your risk of developing chapped lips. Medications and supplements that can cause chapped lips include:

  • vitamin A
  • retinoids (Retin-A, Differin)
  • lithium (commonly used to treat bipolar disorder)
  • chemotherapy drugs

People who are dehydrated or malnourished are also more likely to have chapped lips than other people. Call your doctor if either of these are associated with your chapped lips—dehydration and malnutrition are both serious conditions that require immediate medical attention.

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

Share this article

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

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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

We include products we think are useful for our readers. If you buy through links on this page, we may earn a small commission Here’s our process.

Healthline only shows you brands and products that we stand behind.

Our team thoroughly researches and evaluates the recommendations we make on our site. To establish that the product manufacturers addressed safety and efficacy standards, we:

  • Evaluate ingredients and composition: Do they have the potential to cause harm?
  • Fact-check all health claims: Do they align with the current body of scientific evidence?
  • Assess the brand: Does it operate with integrity and adhere to industry best practices?

We do the research so you can find trusted products for your health and wellness.

Read more about our vetting process.

Was this helpful?

Cracked lips can occur more often when the weather is dry. Hydrating and using a humidifier may help. You can also get chapped lips due to other causes, such as dehydration and vitamin deficiencies.

Chapped, or cracked, lips is the term commonly used to describe dry lips. Chapped lips can be caused by several factors, that include:

  • weather
  • excessive licking of the lips
  • certain medications

Chapped lips are a common condition that only occurs for most people. But some people may develop a more severe form of chapped lips called cheilitis. Cheilitis can be caused by an infection, characterized by cracked skin at the corners of the lips.

You can usually treat dry lips with simple treatment and preventive measures. If your lips continue to be severely dry and cracked, you should consider make an appointment with a dermatologist.

You may experience any of the following symptoms on or around your lips:

  • dryness
  • flaking
  • scales
  • sores
  • swelling
  • cracks
  • bleeding

Lips don’t contain oil glands like other parts of the skin. This means lips are more susceptible to drying out and becoming chapped (cracked). Lack of moisture can make the problem worse, whether it’s weather-induced or related to a lack of self-care.

Little humidity in the air during the winter months is known to cause chapped lips. Frequent sun exposure in the summer can also worsen your condition.

Another common cause of chapped lips is habitual licking. Saliva from the tongue can further strip the lips of moisture, causing more dryness.

Everyone can get chapped lips, particularly if they have dry skin.

Taking certain medications can also increase your risk of developing chapped lips. Medications and supplements that can cause chapped lips include:

  • vitamin A
  • retinoids (Retin-A, Differin)
  • lithium (commonly used to treat bipolar disorder)
  • chemotherapy drugs

People who are dehydrated or malnourished are also more likely to have chapped lips than other people. Call your doctor if either of these are associated with your chapped lips—dehydration and malnutrition are both serious conditions that require immediate medical attention.

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

Share this article

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

Read this next

  • How to Get Rid of Chapped Lips

    Medically reviewed by Cynthia Cobb, DNP, APRN, WHNP-BC, FAANP

    Because your lips don’t contain oil glands, like the rest of your skin, they’re prone to drying out. So how can you prevent dryness in the first place?

    READ MORE

  • The Only Soft Lip Hack Anyone Ever Needs for Life

    There’s one foolproof way to get softer lips and it’s ridiculously cheap. We show you how to get glossy, magazine-cover-worthy lips in 30 seconds and…

    READ MORE

  • How to Use Coconut Oil for Chapped, Dry Lips

    Medically reviewed by Karen Cross, FNP, MSN

    Using coconut oil on lips can be an excellent way to provide extra moisture and shine. You can also create a mask to use overnight to bring further…

    READ MORE

  • 11 Ways to Plump, Smooth, and Gloss Your Lips

    Medically reviewed by Carissa Stephens, R.N., CCRN, CPN

    The desire for plump lips isn’t just about thickness, it’s about hydration, health, and smoothness. Whether you’re looking for a quick fix before the…

    READ MORE

  • 14 Ways to Get Healthy-Looking Lips

    Medically reviewed by Cynthia Cobb, DNP, APRN

    Taking care of your lips will help them become hydrated and healthy. For some people, that will mean a pink color, but others may have a darker tone…

    READ MORE

  • Roseola (Sixth Disease): Symptoms, Treatment, and More

    Medically reviewed by Mia Armstrong, MD

    Roseola is viral infection commonly seen in children. It manifests as a high fever and skin rash. Find out how to identify and treat this condition.

    READ MORE

  • Road Rash Treatment

    Medically reviewed by Elaine K. Luo, M.D.

    Learn about treating road rash. If you have road rash abrasions, you must treat the injury correctly to protect against infection. This article offers…

    READ MORE

  • Port-Wine Stains

    Medically reviewed by Elaine K. Luo, M.D.

    Port-wine stains are pink or purple birthmarks. They’re usually harmless, but some people prefer to remove them. We’ll go over what causes port-wine…

    READ MORE

  • Pilomatricoma

    Medically reviewed by Cynthia Cobb, DNP, APRN, WHNP-BC, FAANP

    A pilomatricoma is a rare type of noncancerous skin tumor. Learn more about what it looks like and whether it can be removed.

    READ MORE

  • Paronychia

    Medically reviewed by Judith Marcin, M.D.

    Paronychia is an infection of the skin around your fingernails and toenails. The infection can be caused by bacteria or a type of yeast called Candida.

    READ MORE

Why lips crack: 10 non-obvious reasons

Dermatologist and cosmetologist Victoria Britko told BeautyHack how chapped lips are connected with the digestive tract, why you need to drink vitamins during the cold season and pay special attention to nutrition.

Victoria Britko

Dermatocosmetologist. Specialist at MedAvenue Center

Cause #1: Sudden temperature changes

When you enter a warm room from a frosty street and do it often enough, the process of cell renewal is disrupted. The skin becomes more vulnerable and cannot 100% withstand aggressive environmental factors. This is a common cause of microcracks on the lips and their weathering. Perhaps you have a deficiency of vitamins A and E. If you notice excessive dryness and peeling in the corners, drink the Aevita course for one month. This is what I recommend to my patients.

Reason #2: Wrong diet

Cracked lips can appear due to an unbalanced diet, lack of micro and macro elements. A good prevention of this unpleasant, and sometimes quite painful phenomenon is Omega-3 fatty acids. Include salmon, trout, avocados, unrefined vegetable oils, nuts in the menu. Eat more greens, carrots, citrus fruits and seafood.

Reason #3: heating

Hot batteries and dry, frosty air are the “enemies” of our skin. Because of these “saboteurs” it quickly loses moisture and becomes dry. One of the options for preventing peeling is a humidifier. Monitor the temperature in the room. It should be 22-23 degrees.

Reason #4: matte lipsticks

Cosmetics manufacturers have a lot of decent, matte textures with good care ingredients. You need to be able to find them. Look for vitamins E and A, hyaluronic acid, natural oils among the ingredients. But even in this case, do not abuse matte textures – they still contain components that will dry out with daily use. Replace them with balms that give a light shade – almost every brand now has these. Lip gloss is also taboo. They are gel-based. Under the influence of low temperatures, the gel becomes more dense, tightening and provoking cracks.

Reason #5: Insufficient protection

In winter, lips need to be protected from aggressive environmental influences. Snow, frost and strong winds are a common cause of microcracks (the “gateway” for infection). Be sure to use balms! Choose products with shea, jojoba, coconut or almond oils in the composition. They soften, preventing cracks. Also, the composition should contain regenerating components – for example, panthenol. Wax is also a good ingredient to protect against the cold.

Reason #6: Gastrointestinal problems

If cracks in the corners of the lips are your constant companions, it’s time to turn to a gastroenterologist. Perhaps you have problems with the gastrointestinal tract. Cracks may indicate increased acidity or, for example, dysbacteriosis.

Reason #7: iron deficiency

Chapped lips is one of the possible symptoms of iron deficiency in the body, which is necessary to deliver oxygen to organs and tissues. Iron is part of hemoglobin, the protein from which erythrocytes are formed – red blood cells. With a lack of this element, the body “suffocates” – metabolic processes are disturbed, which causes the skin to dry out.

Reason #8: Allergies

If you are prone to allergies, read the ingredients of all products you use. Cracks can appear due to SLS in toothpaste, for example. Propyl gallate (a food antioxidant), which is found in every third lip balm, can also lead to dry lips.

Reason No. 9: non-compliance with the drinking regimen

The skin of the lips is devoid of sebaceous glands. Due to lack of moisture, it suffers in the first place. Observe the drinking regime! The skin needs hydration not only from the outside, but also from the inside.

Reason #10: Ignoring SPF protection

In winter, there is no such active sun as in spring and summer. But this does not mean that the skin does not need to be protected from the effects of UV radiation. Even under cloudy conditions, about 40% of the radiation reaches the earth. Look for the SPF factor among the ingredients. Vitamins E, K, B will also be useful.

Why lips crack and what to do about it

0003

There are many blood vessels and nerve endings in the lips, and the skin there is thin, it does not have sebaceous glands and fatty lining. That is why lips are so sensitive. For some purposes, this is very good, but only until the delicate skin cracks and the lips turn into a desert landscape.

Let’s figure out why this happens.

Why lips crack

Cold

When it is very cold outside, unprotected lips immediately feel it. The vessels in the lips shrink and stop nourishing the surface of the lips. And if you do not defend yourself with anything (do not close your mouth and do not use special cosmetics), then the frost also affects the moisture in the upper layers of the skin of the lips. Thin skin, having lost fluid, becomes dry and fragile.

Heat

The heat, although it does not constrict blood vessels (quite the contrary), but contributes to the general dehydration of the body. A feeling of dryness appears on the tongue, in the throat and, of course, on the lips. Lack of moisture increases the fragility of delicate skin, hence the cracks.

The habit of licking lips

When saliva dries out, lips lose moisture and natural lubrication, so they crack more. If you have a habit of licking or biting your lips, watch out for when it occurs the most. As a rule, banal stress is to blame for this.

Allergy

Have you noticed that sometimes you eat a certain product, and everything in your mouth burns from it? Perhaps this is how oral allergy syndrome manifests itself, from which lips can also deteriorate.

Dangerous food

Some food does not cause allergies, but even without it spoils the view. For example, foods with a lot of vinegar (salads or canned food), some fruits with a high content of acids (citrus fruits, kiwi), hot spices, salty snacks irritate and dry the skin, which immediately becomes covered with a network of cracks.

Bad cosmetics

Expired or simply low-quality cosmetics, of course, have not made anyone better yet.

But sometimes even the means of proven brands lead to the fact that the lips crack. Moreover, dryness appears, even if you take a hygienic lipstick, specially made so that there are no such problems. So this lipstick just doesn’t suit you.

Take a closer look at how the lips feel after lipstick. Do you need to apply the product three times a day, otherwise the skin is pulled together from dryness? Buy another lipstick that will help you. It may take a long time to find.

Aggressive Peeling

If you constantly use hard scrubs or even lip brushes while washing, you can damage thin skin and earn ugly cracks. So be careful with smoothness.

Infections

The most common infection that affects the lips is the herpes simplex virus, the so-called cold sore. Exacerbations pass without problems, unless a bacterial infection joins.

In some cases, lips crack, especially at the corners, due to a fungal infection called candidiasis. This is a common thrush that has developed in the oral cavity. This often happens in children.

It is necessary to go to the doctor if the inflammation is pronounced, the lips are red and sore, the dryness of the lips does not go away by itself, or if there is a white coating around the cracks.

As soon as you cure the infection, the cracks will also disappear. How and what exactly to treat in such cases, the dermatologist will tell, because the treatment depends on what kind of infection you have.

Where do the bites in the corners of the mouth come from

Cracks in the corners of the lips, the so-called seizures, are the most vile, because they hurt a lot, do not allow you to open your mouth, and do not go away for a long time.

The main reasons for their appearance are the same as with ordinary dry lips, but there are additional factors.

  1. Chronic diseases. For example, diabetes or any skin disease.
  2. Vitamin A or B2 deficiency, possibly iron deficiency. But this is a condition that occurs only with an unbalanced diet. Therefore, switch to healthy food and a complete diet so as not to suffer from skin problems. To find out if you have enough iron, take a routine blood test.
  3. Humidity. If the corners of the lips are constantly wet with saliva, an overbite may be to blame. Consult your dentist. It might be possible to fix this.


How to cure chapped lips at home

When the lips are already weathered and rough, you need to make a little effort so that the unpleasant symptoms go away.

Firstly, you can not bite your lips or tear off hard skin flakes, even if you really want to. So we only injure the skin more and prolong the peeling.

Secondly, moisturize your lips with special balms or lipsticks. It is better not to buy funds in jars so as not to touch them with your fingers and not to apply a pack of germs to your lips along with the balm.

Do not buy products in jars so that germs do not get into jams

Thirdly, try natural and simple products based on wax and vaseline. The more impurities in the composition, the higher the likelihood that this particular balm will not suit you.


What else to put on chapped lips

If you are desperate to find the same lip balm in stores that will help, use simple means.

Ordinary natural honey is a good moisturizer. It is better to apply it before going to bed, so as not to succumb to temptation and not lick your sweet lips.

If you are allergic to honey, try cocoa, coconut, almond, sea buckthorn, rosehip, calendula oils. They retain moisture, soften the skin and help cracks heal faster.