Chapped Lips

What are Chapped Lips?

Chapped lips is a skin condition which is triggered by the reduced moistness in the skin on and around the lips. In the majority of individuals, lips that are chapped are due to the elements or the environment. But other factors, for example, repeated licking of the lips or some hypersensitive reaction may also be the cause. This is a fairly common complaint and may be readily cured.

Chapped Lips Symptoms

The skin covering the lips is extremely thin as well as having no shielding hair or sweat glands. Because of this, the lips lose moistness more quickly than any other area or part of the body.

The symptoms of chapped lips consist of:

• Often look dry, red and feel painful
• Lips are tender
• Lips become reddish and rough
• Bleeding
• Loss of moisture from the lips
• Peeling and cracking
• Lips are sensitive

Chapped Lips Causes

Common causes of chapped lips include the following:

• Most cases because of the elements
• Dehydration
• Use of soaps and other chemicals frequently
• Sun exposure
• Medications for instance drugs to treat acne
• Contact dermatitis due to allergens or irritants in cosmetics or other products for skin-care
• Vitamin deficiency especially A,C, and B
• Smoking
• Riboflavin or vitamin B2 deficiencies
• Dentures that are ill-fitting

Chapped lips usually happen during the months of the winter when the temperature of the air is low as is the humidity. Moisture in the lips due to constant exposure to the elements dries up. They create fissures.

Chapped lips have numerous other causes and can happen in any season. It is a fairly common state and easily treated. These lips can become chapped by being overexposed to the sun, dry condition, or wind in any season but winter is normally the most troublesome. Very dry, chapped lips can be painful, and when severely chapped, cracks appear and look scaly. Chapped lips can often be an embarrassment.

Cracks at the very corner of the mouth can reflect a condition referred to as angular cheilitis, which is a fungal infection that is associated with having inadequate amounts of Vitamin B, zinc, iron or excessive Vitamin A.

But, in an older mouth with few teeth, cracks at the corner of mouth may occur due to overcompensation. Also, skin care products can irritate the area of the lips.

Chapped Lips Treatment

A list of methods for the treatment of chapped lips consists of:

• Use of sunscreen on the lips whenever outside in weather that is sunny
• Apply lip balm with sunscreen whenever outside
• Drink lots of water every day
• Avoid licking the lips as saliva evaporates quickly, leaving the lips drier than before you licked them
• Use of a humidifier to moisturize the home air can help to prevent dry lips as well as skin
• Use an oil-based lubricating cream – for instance, lip balm that contains beeswax or petrolatum
• Choose lip cream or ointment containing sunscreen.
• Wear jackets or scarves that block the wind to the lips
• Treat chapped lips with Vaseline

Regular and frequent application of any lip balm can relieve chapped lips without further incident. Since lips do not contain oil glands, so it becomes all the more necessary to keep them moist. Other methods to stop chapped lips include increased humidity in the home.

Cracked, dry or sore lips may restrict many daily activities such as kissing, eating, talking and smiling.

Chapped Lips Cure

Here is a way to cure those cracked and sore lips:

1. Take a small bowl and put warm water in it. Dip a clean washrag in the warm water and then hold that washrag to your lips. Keep the cloth there until the cloth cools. Then do it again, at least three times depending on how dry and rough the lips are.
2. When the skin on the lips becomes soft to the touch go to the next step. Dip the cloth in the warm water again but this time wring out any excess water. Rub this damp cloth across the lips in a back and forth motion. The goal is to rub all of the dead, dried skin off of the lips. Soon you will feel that smooth feeling of the lips again.
3. The next step apply a cold, wet cloth to the lip for a few seconds to make them soft and moist – then pat dry with fingertips.
4. Next, apply a very thin coat of Vaseline to the lips. Let this Vaseline soak in and lock in the moisture for about 20 minutes, then apply a thick layer of your favorite moisturizing lip balm.
5. Carry your lip balm with you so that it can be applied every time you get the urge to lick or bite the lips. They should be super soft after just one treatment.

Chapped Lips Home Remedies

Some home remedies for chapped lips consist of:

• Drink a lot of water habitually to keep the lips hydrated and moist
• Apply petroleum jelly or lip balm every night before going to bed to moist the lips and make it look smooth
• There are some lip balms with sunscreen, pain killing, moisturizing properties. Use to treat lip cracks.
• Apply a light coating of moisturizer based lipsticks, so your lips breathe
• Use Chap Stick to wet the lips and then avoid frequently licking with tongue
• Herbal lips guards heal the cracks
• Apply ghee or butter to rectify the cracks and dryness
• Remove dead skin by applying fresh milk cream every night
• Soak rose petals in raw fresh milk for several hours. Make into a paste and apply to your lips to heal cracks
• Cure dry lips by massaging slice of cucumber on the lips
• Apply neem juice from fresh neem leaves to treat chapped lips
• Aloe vera gel can heal dryness
• Increase consumption of vitamin A foods such as legumes, green leafy vegetables, tomatoes, carrots, nutritional yeast as well as whole grains.
• Add honey drops to a teaspoon of glycerine and apply the paste on the lip before going to bed. Leave on overnight.
• Apply castor oil to remove dryness
• Take one teaspoon of glycerine and crush some rose petals to retain moisture
• Avoid smoking to remove the dark color, cracks, and sores
• Put vitamin B supplements to cure the cracks
• Apply olive oil instead of Vaseline – good moisturizing agent
• Table salt can be applied to the lips to peel the dry outer skin. Then use some olive oil to moisten the lips
• Mix one teaspoon each of sugar, Vaseline, olive oil and butter and then apply to the lips.

Chapped Lips Pictures

Dry chapped lips