Both Dr. Brown and Dr. Gohara agree that treating chapped lips can take up to two to three weeks.
Applying lip balm regularly should ease discomfort until your lips have time to heal. Severely chapped lips may take longer to heal, but the average time is two to three weeks to recover completely.
Use a moisturizer to keep your lips from drying out further. Products containing beeswax or petroleum work to hold moisture in. Slather on more at night before you go to sleep. Ointments like coconut oil, cocoa butter, petroleum jelly, and even thick body lotions are good options.
See a dermatologist if your problem persists. Chapping that doesn't heal, despite regular use of lip balm, can be a sign of infection or a more serious problem, like cancer or a precancerous condition called actinic cheilitis.
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.
Chronic chapped lips that won't heal could be a sign of serious medical conditions or infections, which include actinic cheilitis, an early form of skin cancer that requires immediate treatment.
Causes and Risk Factors of Chapped Lips
The skin on your lips is thinner than on the rest of your body, so it's more susceptible to dryness and chapping. Generally speaking, common causes of chapped lips include dry or cold weather, overexposure to the sun, and licking your lips too frequently.
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.
Thankfully, both experts say a resounding yes, as long as the issue is not an internal one. Dr. Browne says keeping lips hydrated comes first and foremost when preventing chapped and dry lips. “Keep your lips moisturized with fragrance-free, hypoallergenic emollients,” she says.
“They initially feel great on dry lips, but overuse can make them even drier,” says Talakoub. She recommends using Vaseline, $6, Aquaphor, $5, or Avene's Cold Cream Lip Butter, $16, instead.
Drinking plenty of water can help keep your skin and lips hydrated. While dehydration isn't the only cause of dry lips, it can be a factor. Keep a water bottle with you throughout the day to remember to hydrate.
Avoid scented and flavored lip products, as these ingredients can also dry out the lips. Look instead for lip balms that contain soothing and moisturizing ingredients, such as: Petroleum. These are available to buy in pharmacies, health stores, or online.
Aquaphor Lip Repair immediately relieves dryness and soothes very chapped, cracked lips. Specifically formulated for sensitive lips and very dry chapped lips, this moisturizing lip balm seals in moisture and provides effective, long-lasting relief, so lips look and feel healthier.
What does it look like? Solar cheilitis predominantly affects the lower lip because it tends to be more prominent. The homogenous pink color of the healthy lip (Figure A) is replaced with non-homogenous white/gray, pink, red, or brown areas and the normally sharp vermillion/skin border becomes less distinct (Figure B).
Lip cancer often looks like a mouth sore that won't heal. In people with light skin, this sore may appear reddish. In people with darker skin, it may appear dark brown or gray. Lip cancer can look different for everyone, so if you notice something strange, you should call your healthcare provider for an appointment.
Aquaphor can restore moisture to lips that are already dry. Vaseline is best used to prevent dry or chapped lips.
Eucerin Aquaphor SOS Lip Repair is a balm that has been specially formulated for dry, cracked lips and offers relief within 60 seconds. Eucerin Lip Active is a moisturizing stick intended for the daily care of sensitive lips.
After 3 hours wipe your lips every 2 hours until bedtime and apply the ointment given or aquaphor. Wipe your lips 4-6 times per day and keep them moist with given ointment or aquaphor.
Vitamin B-3 Without enough vitamin B-3 or niacin, a person may experience dry, cracked lips or tongue and a red, swollen mouth. A deficiency of this vitamin can also lead to dermatitis. People can get niacin in their diet by eating beef, pork, halibut, tuna, poultry, whole grains, dairy, and green leafy vegetables.
Dry/chapped lips: Dryness in the body due to climate, dehydration, tension, anxiety, fear. Cracked or peeling lips: Heartache, worry, dryness in the body, feeling cold. Discoloration or faded colour in the lips: Lack of proper circulation throughout the body.
Being under stress for a long period of time, with accompanying symptoms such as low mood and tiredness, can result in cracked lips. As well as this, a poor diet which is low in iron and B vitamins may lead to lips becoming dry and sore.
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.
The secret to dealing with dry, sore, chapped lips is to find a way to lock in moisture and protect the lips from the cold, dry air. Vaseline® Healing Jelly is an excellent choice as it forms a protective layer on the lips and penetrates deep down to rehydrate the skin and speed up the its natural renewal process.
When you apply Vaseline to your lips, the petroleum jelly acts as a protective barrier and prevents moisture from escaping. It's not going to add moisture. If you lick your lips before applying Vaseline and nothing else, you might make chapped lips worse because lips don't retain water very well.