Most of us experience dry chapped lips on occasion – especially if we live in a region with long cold winters. Sometimes, chapped lips develop into cracked or splitting lips that cause pain and may include bleeding.
Mine typically get bright red and looks like I have applied a hideous shade of lipstick – of course, some of that is my own fault because I have the tendency to lick my lips to soothe the irritation. This of course only serves to make matters worse. Without immediate attention, my lips soon begin to crack and split leaving them looking and feeling even worse than before.
Causes of Chapped Lips
Before we get into remedies, lets look at what typically causes chapped lips. Under normal circumstances, chapped lips occur with exposure to extreme cold – typically windy – weather. Sun and wind damage the protective layer of skin on our lips leaving them “chapped.” A few applications of lip balm generally treats mild to moderate chapped lips. But, if we don’t treat it there, we may be in for battle with cracked and splitting lips that simply don’t want to heal.
Several things contribute to the chapped lips and the rate at which they heal. Some are more obvious than others. Here’s a quick look at the most common causes.
Licking Your Lips: The most obvious, of course, is licking your lips to relieve the pain and irritation. Because saliva evaporates quickly, this actually works to dehydrate the lips. Without adequate moisture, the skin cannot repair itself.
Remedy: Apply lip balm
Dehydration: When your body is dehydrated, your lips are too – yet winter is the time when most of us tend to take in fewer fluids.
Remedy: To combat chapped lips due to dehydration, make an effort to drink eight glasses of water a day.
Mouth Breathing/Snoring: If you wake up in the morning with a parched mouth, you can be sure you are breathing through your mouth at night. The constant air blowing past your lips works to dehydrate the lips and may cause or worsen chapped lips. Try to determine why you breathe through your mouth at night and take steps to rectify it. Common reasons for mouth breathing at night include a stuffy nose, improper pillows and enlarged tonsils of adenoids.
Remedy: Correct the issues that cause you to snore or breathe through the mouth at night.
Dry arid air: Humidity levels inside the home tend to drop during the winter contributing to both dehydration and chapped lips.
Remedy: Use a humidifier or vaporizer in your home to raise he humidity level. A pan of water places on the heater works well, too.
Skin Care Products: Many skin care products, including lip-gloss and lipstick, can cause skin irritation. Because the skin on your lips is sensitive, you may notice the effects on your lips while your face is unaffected.
Remedy: Try changing your lipstick or lip gloss – or going without it for a few days – to see if your lips improve.
Allergies: Believe it or not, your chapped lips may be the result of allergies. This ranges from the ingredients in your toothpaste to foods you ingest.
Remedy: Try to identify allergies.
Tips:
Avoid flavored lip-gloss or lip balm as this encourages you to lick you lips.
Apply lip balm before going outside – and every hour or so while exposed to the weather.
Use lip balm with SPF of 15 or higher.
Protect your lips with a scarf under high winds or extreme cold.
Don’t put metal objects – like paperclips – in your mouth.
Treat chapped lips immediately with lip balm. Avoiding treatment only makes the matter worse. Don’t pick or peel dry skin from your lips. This may cause bleeding and worse the problem.
More work by this author:
Natural Remedies to Soothe Tired Puffy Eyes
Natural Remedies for Leg Cramps and Leg Pain During Pregnancy
10 Ways to Cure Stinky Rotten Smelly Feet
Sources:
Mayo Clinic: Dry Skin
Discovery Fit and Health: 6 Home Remedies for Chapped Lips