When your lips are dehydrated, it can be tempting to lick and moisten them. The effect is temporary and might make things worse. Licking your lips coats them in a layer of your saliva, which contains enzymes and chemicals used to digest food in your mouth. These enzymes can lead to additional dryness.
As the saliva quickly evaporates, lips will likely end up drier than before. Occasionally licking the lips may not cause any problems. However, persistent licking throughout the day could dry out the lips and lead to chapping, splitting, flaking, or peeling.
When you lick your lips, you're coating them in saliva. Not only does it evaporate very quickly to leave lips drier than before, your saliva is also full of enzymes that are too harsh for the delicate lip skin. These enzymes can remain on the lips and cause them to feel dry and uncomfortable.
Apply a non-irritating lip balm (or lip moisturizer) several times a day and before bed. If your lips are very dry and cracked, try a thick ointment, such as white petroleum jelly. Ointment seals in water longer than waxes or oils. Slather on a non-irritating lip balm with SPF 30 or higher before going outdoors.
Stop licking your lips: Many people suffer from a repetitive habit of licking their lips. This repetitive friction and irritation causes a darkening of the lips and even the surrounding skin.
Does licking my lips often make it pink? No. Saliva contains many enzymes. Licking your lips more often would make your lips dry, so try not to lick your lips and apply a good moisturizer instead.
Chapped lips are the result of dry, cracked skin on your lips due to cold or dry weather, sun exposure, frequently licking your lips or dehydration. You can treat chapped lips at home with the use of lip balm or ointment to ease any discomfort.
Gently brushing your lips with a toothbrush may help you get rid of dry skin and give your lips a smoother appearance. However, over-exfoliating can irritate the delicate skin over your lip. It's a good idea to brush your lips no more than once a week to avoid irritation.
Vaseline is an affordable, easy-to-find option in most grocery stores and pharmacies, and it's said to relieve dry skin, help heal wounds , and even help moisturize chapped lips.
Chronic lip biting can cause swelling, rawness and sores. Repeatedly biting the same area can even cause fibromas to develop.
It is essential to brush your tongue for the following reasons: Prevents tooth decay and periodontal disease: No matter how well you brush your teeth, bacteria or small food particles that build up on your tongue may reach your teeth and gums.
You can make an exfoliant naturally at home using baking soda, ground coffee and even toothpaste. Remember, however, to not overdo it; limit lip brushing to once a week. It is largely believed that using toothpaste instead of other exfoliants may benefit your lips, since it is gentler.
Lip dermatitis, or eczematous cheilitis, is a type of eczema, a skin condition that can cause severe flare-ups on your skin. The cause of eczema is often unknown, but it may be linked to an allergy or an irritant, like frequently licking your lips. Genetics may also play a role in developing lip dermatitis.
Excoriation disorder (also referred to as chronic skin-picking or dermatillomania) is a mental illness related to obsessive-compulsive disorder. It is characterized by repeated picking at one's own skin which results in skin lesions and causes significant disruption in one's life.
Tanned Lips
You apply a sunscreen on your face before stepping out in the sun, but your lips too bear the brunt of the scorching heat and often get tanned. The skin on the lips is very delicate and often needs most care and hence your job just doesn't end at applying some lip balm.
Lip hyperpigmentation is usually caused by sun exposure. Not only can it damage facial skin, sun exposure can also be one of the most common causes of dark lips. Skin, including lips that are exposed to sunlight can trigger the body to produce more melanin. As a result, the skin and lips can turn darker.
Apply a layer of petroleum Jelly to your lips before going to sleep every day. The jelly will dissolve any un-welcome pigmentation and over a few weeks' time you will notice soft, smooth and naturally pink lips. Wipe off jelly in the morning and go about your day.
Lips allow us to chew and swallow with our mouth closed; to hold onto things like nails and clothes pegs, and to suckle at the breast. But even more importantly, our lips are used in communication. They allow us to smile, to bare our teeth and to kiss.
Apply a hyaluronic acid serum.
Speaking of hyaluronic acid, filling out your pout naturally can be done with a topical serum. Like water to dry soil, your parched lips will suck it up and soon become plump with moisture. This is because HA is an ingredient that can pull in up to 1,000 times its weight in water.
But the bacteria that live on your tongue and on your gums also must be cleaned away, in order to safeguard your oral health. Brushing and cleaning your tongue and gums properly is absolutely essential, because brushing alone simply is not enough to prevent cavities and gum disease.