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.
You can learn how to get rid of chapped lips in 5 minutes by exfoliating your lips and adding a moisturizer. Use a toothbrush to remove dead skin off your lips. Brush gently to give your lips a smoother texture.
Dry flaky lips are no fun but luckily they're easy to fix with products that you already own. Most lip scrubs simply contain a mixture of sugar and oil that you can buff gently over your lips to remove skin flakes, preventing further cracking and giving you a smooth canvas for lipstick or gloss.
“If chapped lips continue for two to three weeks even after you've started moisturizing regularly, are staying hydrated, and avoiding licking, you should see a board-certified dermatologist,” Dr. Browne suggests.
Licking your lips when they're chapped will not make them better. In fact, according to the Dermatology Clinic at UAMS, licking your lips can actually make things worse. Chapped lips are caused by a number of factors. For most people, the weather is the main cause of chapped lips.
Staying hydrated and drinking enough water throughout the day will help prevent your lips from drying out. You can even drink coconut water as it gives the body the minerals it needs to stay hydrated.
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 are typically caused by environmental exposures that lead to irritation, including saliva and licking your lips, spicy foods, and cold, dry weather, says Dr. Zeichner. The common cold and sun damage can also cause chapped lips, he adds, as well as medication like cholesterol-lowering agents.
And the NHS warns that chelitis, the medical term for chapped lips, is triggered when your lips lose moisture, but certain products like toothpaste, sun creams and mouthwashes can trigger soreness and irritation.
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.
Milk's moisturising properties help make your lips soft. Apply milk and turmeric as a paste on the lips and leave it for about five minutes before washing it off with water. Honey has antiseptic and antibacterial properties that hydrate damaged cells. Use honey and sugar scrub to soothe chapped lips.
What happens when we lick our lips. Saliva contains digestive enzymes, like amylase and maltase, which wear down the skin on the lips. Over time, this will leave the lips more vulnerable to dry air. The skin can even break open and bleed.
May 28, · When the saliva left over from a lot of kissing evaporates from your lips it takes with it the natural moisture and oils that help protect the delicate skin there. This can lead to dry, cracked, and chapped lips (via Consumer Health Digest).
Lip biting can not only cause pain, but it can also bring along other issues for your oral and overall health. Repetitive lip biting can cause sores, swelling, and tenderness. Chronically biting a particular area can even result in oral fibroma. Moreover, you may experience headaches and jaw pain.
Cold and Flu Symptoms: Cold Sores and Chapped Lips
One of the most frustrating side effects of colds and flu is dry, cracked, irritated lips -- not to mention cold sores. All can occur if you've got even a low-grade fever, or in the case of chapped, cracked lips, from mouth breathing when you have a stuffy nose.
Yes, honey is good for chapped lips and dry lips, too! It has antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, and wound healing properties. You can apply honey to your lips throughout the day to protect chapped lips from cracking or infection, promote healing and add moisture.
Lemon juice has proven to be effective in treating both dry and dark lips. Apart from exfoliating the skin and removing the dead skin cells, it also acts as a natural bleach to give you those rosy pink lips. You can mix it with honey and castor oil and apply it all over the lips.
Anxiety may be a psychological problem, but it can also affect your physical health. Dry mouth is one way. Like depression and stress, anxiety can cause noticeable dryness of the lips and the mucus membrane that lines the inside of the mouth. Dry mouth can also occur when you're taking certain anti-anxiety drugs.
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.
The leading cause of dead skin cells on the lips is a lack of moisture, either internally when you're dehydrated or externally when the skin dries out. When the skin dries out it becomes chapped and starts to peel, leading to the flakey, dead skin we see on the surface of the lips.