How to get rid of Chapped lips?

Most people experience dryness and chapping (cracking) of lips from time to time. Special care and simple precautions can help to protect and treat your chapped lips. In this post, we would discuss causes and simple measures to prevent or treat chapped lips.

What causes chapped lips?

Lips have a ultra-thin, transparent layer of skin overlying vulnerable mucous membrane and blood vessels. Because of the thin skin, there is 3 times more water loss from lips than other parts of skin. Lips have minimal to no sebaceous glands to keep them hydrated. Moreover, these are exposed to various eatables that can be irritant. Vitamin B deficiency can also cause chipping of lips and cracks at corner of mouth. All these factors combined with environmental damage (sun damage, winter damage, living in arid climate) contribute to persistent dry chapped lips.

Do’s to prevent chapped lips

• Do use a lip balm to hydrate and lubricate your lips. Choose one with high content of emollient as Vaseline or even ghee is good enough to keep lips hydrated and lubricated. For additional protection, you can use a lip balm with sunscreens of 15SPF.
• Do apply your lip balm frequently (about 6-8 coats) during day and at bedtime. You should apply a coat of lip balm before you apply lipstick or lipgloss on your lips.
• Do cover your lips using scarf while going outdoors
• Drink plenty of water. Try to drink as much as 2 litre of water daily. This would not only hydrate your lips but also help you getting a healthier skin and good digestion.
• Eat balanced nutritious diet rich in fruits and vegetables that would replenish micronutrients and vitamins.
• Some medicines cause dryness of lips as their side effect are isotretinoin(drug to treat acne), large doses of vitamin A, lithium (drug to treat mania), isoniazid (anti-tuberculosis) and anti-cancer drugs. Do consult your doctor before discontinuing these medicines and ask for alternatives.

We treat chapped lips

Chapped lips require treatment by a dermatologist i f there is no relief even after following above measures for 2-3 weeks, or there is severe chapping of lips, cracking of corners of mouth and soreness or burning on tongue or mucosal lining of cheeks, or there is formation of a raw area, oozing, pus discharge, bleeding, or a growth on lips.

Don’ts to prevent chapped lips

• Don’t lick your lips. Most people lick their lips to moisten them. Though it causes temporary relief, but it worsens the situation. Saliva from your mouth irritates the dry lips, destroys the thin layer covering the lips and it evaporates quickly leaving your lips much drier or chapped than before.
• Don’t pick or exfoliate or remove the flakes that peel off from your dry lips because they protect the immature new skin. These would naturally fall off when underlying new skin would be ready to take over.
• Don’t use lips irritants. Some over-the-counter lip balms have preservatives, flavours, fragrances, urea, fruit extracts, menthol, camphor etc. These may irritate lips and should be avoided.
• Don’t breathe from mouth.

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