Avoid Dry, Chapped Lips With These 4 Tips
Causes of Chapped Lips
One of the most common causes of chapped lips is the environment you are in. In the summer, the dry heat that beats down on our face can cause the lips to become swollen, dry, and chapped. In the winter, the cold dry air causes lips to become severely dried out and chapped. Add in a windy day to a cold day and your lips can especially become at risk for ending up chapped. Lifestyle choices can cause chapped lips, too. Spicy foods and licking your lips can also cause chapped lips because both of these actions remove the lips’ natural moisture.
While the environment and lifestyle choices are a significant cause of chapped lips, certain health conditions can cause them as well. Thyroid disease is often a cause because it can cause a dry mouth, resulting in you licking your lips more than usual. Vitamin deficiencies or Crohn’s Disease can also have chapped lips as a side effect.
As winter approaches, chapped lips can become even worse. Knowing how to treat chapped lips can save you from an uncomfortable winter. Use these four tips from the dermatologists at Dermatology & Mohs Surgery Institute to avoid dry, chapped lips this winter
4 Tips to Avoid Dry, Chapped Lips
Use Lip Balm
Using lip balm daily can help you avoid chapped lips. The waxes and oils in lip balm form a protective seal over the lips to protect them from becoming chapped or help heal them when they do become chapped. While it is fun to pick out a delicious flavored lip balm, stick to ones that have healing ingredients. Look for petroleum jelly or paraffin-based balms. These ingredients will add moisture and protection.
Do Not Lick Your Lips
Avoid dry, chapped lips by not licking them. Whether your lips are chapped or not, avoid licking them. While it may feel like you are adding moisture to your lips, saliva is not the kind of moisture they need added. Saliva can worsen already-chapped lips.
Skip Spicy Foods
Spicy foods are not good for pre- or post-chapped lips. Spicy foods compromise the skin barrier and can result in chapped lips or make currently chapped lips worse. Since spicy foods often have a burning sensation, it can cause severe pain to already chapped lips.
Avoid the Heat
It is only natural to want to blast the heat on a cold, winter day. While it may warm you up, it is going to dry your lips out. The cold air outside combined with the heat inside can result in chapped lips. If you have a heater on, it is best to also have a humidifier on to add moisture to the air. This will help keep your lips intact as well as not dry out the rest of your skin.
Don’t let dry, chapped lips win. The dermatologists at Dermatology & Mohs Surgery Institute are here to help you combat chapped lips. If you are in Bloomington, Illinois or the surrounding areas, complete this form to get in touch with us.