6 Helpful Tips to Prevent Dry and Chapped Lips
Chapped lips or a dry mouth is not only painful, but it’s also unattractive to look at. It is often associated with flaking, redness, or tenderness on the lips and the surrounding areas. This problem does not only happen during winter but also when you don’t properly moisturize your lips.
Most of the time, simple dry lips treatment can easily resolve the problem, but for some people, the problem can be severe. When the problem of chapped lips or mouth worsens, the condition is known as cheilitis.
What Causes the Drying of Lips and What are its Risk Factors?
Unlike the skin, the lips don’t have oil glands, and it is also thinner compared to the other parts of the body. This is why our lips are prone to drying. Below are dry lips causes which you must avoid as much as possible:
- Cold or dry weather
- Licking your lips frequently
- Too much sunlight exposure
Aside from the dry lips causes we mentioned, there are also risks factors which make a person prone to this kind of problem. For instance, individuals who have dry skin or those who are dehydrated are susceptible to having dry lips.
There are also medications that aggravate the dryness of lips. These medicines include:
- Retinoids
- Vitamin A
- Drugs for chemotherapy
- Lithium
Practical Methods in Treating Dry and Chapped Lips
You don’t have to go through great lengths or buy expensive products to cure your dry and chapped lips. Here are some ways to prevent and treat dry lips:
1. Stay Hydrated
Drink as much fluid as your body can tolerate, especially during summer and winter. This will ensure sufficient hydration, thus lessening or even preventing the occurrence of dry lips.
2. Protect Your Lips
You can protect your lips by using some lip balm that has sunscreen protection before going outdoors. Apply it regularly or whenever you feel like your lips are drying out.
3. Regularly Exfoliate Your Lips
Exfoliating your lips will remove dead skin. You can use a lip exfoliator, or you can make your own by mixing sugar with honey. Another way of removing the dead skin on your lips is by gently brushing the surface with your toothbrush.
4. Carefully Choose Lip Products
Lip products with fragrances may cause allergic reactions and can aggravate drying of your lips. Immediately stop using the product if you think that you are allergic to it.
5. Close Your Mouth
Breathing through your mouth intensifies the dryness of your lips. Thus, you have to make sure that you breathe through your nose.
6. Avoid Licking Your Lips
When your lips are dry, it is very tempting to lick your lips, but try to avoid doing this. The saliva evaporates quickly, thus making your lips more chapped.
There are also certain foods and supplements that can help increase your skin’s moisture level and elasticity. Food rich in protein like fish and chicken has a high vitamin B content which prevents various skin disorders.
Other dry lips treatment and prevention include the regular consumption of supplements like Organic & Kosher Freeze Dried PURE Acerola Cherry Capsules to ensure that you get all the vitamins and mineral you need.
These statements have not been evaluated by the FDA. These products are not intended to treat, diagnose, or cure any diseases.