Dryness of the lips has a lot of reasons. Most often, the reason is simple – you often lick them and this leads to the fact that they become dry, crack and even bleed.
Too much refined flour products cause the lips to dry and crack.
Dr. Berg
Dry lips are a common condition that just occurs for most people. However some people may establish a more extreme type of dry chapped lips called cheilitis. Cheilitis can be brought on by an infection, defined by broken skin at the corners of the lips.
You can usually treat dry lips with easy treatment and preventive steps. If your lips continue to be seriously dry and crack, you must consider make a visit with a dermatologist.
Causes of Dry Lips
Dry lips are normally triggered by environmental direct exposures that cause irritation, consisting of saliva and licking your lips, spicy foods, and cold, dry weather, says Dr. Zeichner. The cold and sun damage can likewise cause dry and chapped lips, he adds, along with medication like cholesterol-lowering agents.
Allergic or irritant contact is another typical cause of dry lips, where exposure to an external item causes a true allergic reaction or a direct irritation to the skin, says Zeichner. But the majority of the time, chapped dry lips are triggered by dryness, and wind is a prime perpetrator.
Why is My Lips So Dry: Check Your Overall Health Condition
Chapped lips can likewise be associated with a variety of underlying medical conditions, consisting of thyroid disease, vitamin shortages, and inflammatory bowel disease. Low thyroid function might trigger dryness of the mouth and lips, and B complex vitamin shortages or low zinc or iron levels have actually been reported to trigger chapped lips, he includes. Crohn’s disease can affect the entire gastrointestinal tract from the lips down to the anus, and if you have actually serious broken lips that are not healing along with stomach pain, this might be an uncommon cause.
Angular cheilitis, or inflammation in the corners of the mouth, is another common condition that can cause dry or chapped lips. It’s typically triggered by winter, yeast overgrowth, and/or irritation from saliva, and it’s typically treated with anti-yeast medication, anti-inflammatories, or skin protectants overnight.
Actinic cheilitis is the term provided to chronic chapped lips that develop as an outcome of sun damage. This is a precancerous condition that generally impacts the lower lip (which faces upward toward the sun, so is at risk for unexpected damage). If you have actually chapped lips that aren’t getting better and you’re worried, see a dermatologist.
Risk Factors for Dry Lips
Individuals of any ages and gender can get so chapped dry lips, especially if they have dry skin.
Taking particular medications can also increase one’s threat of developing dry lips.
Medications and supplements for instance for vitamin, Lithium (commonly used to treat bipolar disorder) and chemotherapy drugs can lead to chapped lips.
Allergies to some medications like aspirin and penicillin could be exposed by dry and broken lips.
People who struggle with dehydration, poor nutrition, cigarette smokers and those who consume alcohol are likewise most likely to have dry lips, advising that once these are related to your chapped lips, one requires immediate medical attention.
How to Treat Dry Lips
- Use a good lip balm
Some lip balms are better than others, and popular brand names may contain components that dry the lips out.
For instance, many lip balms include menthol or another mint flavoring. This can offer a cooling experience, but mint is very drying and can leave the lips more chapped than before.
Common drying components in lip balms consist of menthol, camphor and phenol.
Prevent scented and flavored lip products, as these components can also dry the lips.
Look rather for lip balms that consist of relaxing and moisturizing active ingredients, such as:
- Petroleum. These are readily available to buy in pharmacies, health stores, or online.
- Lanolin. These are offered to purchase in pharmacies, health stores, or online.
- Beeswax. These are readily available to purchase in drug stores, health stores, or online.
- Ceramides. These are offered to buy in pharmacies, health shops, or online.
- Try natural lip remedies
There are numerous effective natural treatments for chapped lips. An individual may even have some in their kitchen.
To soothe and moisturize chapped lips, use the following straight to the lips:
- Aloe vera: This gel forms inside the leaves of aloe vera plants. It includes vitamins, minerals, anti-oxidants, and anti-inflammatories that relieve and rehydrate harmed skin.
- Coconut oil: Made from the flesh of coconuts, this oil fights inflammation and is an emollient, which means that it can soothe and soften the skin.
- Honey: It is highly moisturizing, which makes it a good treatment for dry lips Honey likewise includes anti-oxidants and anti-bacterial properties, which help prevent infections from establishing in extremely dry or split lips.
- Cucumber: It can carefully hydrate the lips and may consist of minerals and vitamins that might enhance the lips’ look.
- Green tea: Rich in anti-oxidants and minerals, green tea likewise includes polyphenols, which decrease inflammation. Soak a bag of green tea in warm water and carefully rub it over the lips to soften and remove excess dry skin. This technique is more gentle than standard exfoliation.
Aloe vera, coconut oil, and honey all have antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory properties, which can assist prevent infection while moisturizing and soothing the skin on the lips.
Most supermarkets stock these products, however individuals can search through a series of harder-to-find ingredients online, consisting of aloe vera gel and coconut oil.
- Drink water
Dehydration is a major perpetrator when it pertains to chapped lips.
People may not discover when they are a little dehydrated, so it is a good idea to make a habit of drinking water throughout the day.
Dehydration takes place when the body loses more fluid than it takes in. When the body is dehydrated, it pulls water from particular areas to make sure that the cells stay hydrated. This can trigger dryness in the skin, consisting of that of the lips.
Other symptoms of dehydration include:
- feeling thirsty
- dry mouth
- a headache
- lightheadedness
The advised day-to-day water consumption differs, depending on numerous aspects, consisting of a person’s age, sex, and level of exercise.
- Utilize a humidifier
Spending too much time in dry air can eliminate moisture from the skin. This is a particularly common issue in winter.
Drinking plenty of water is a good way to keep the body well-hydrated all year round. However, people might desire to think about utilizing a humidifier during the winter season to include some much-needed wetness back into the air.
- Avoid smoking cigarettes
Tobacco smoke can irritate the delicate skin around the lips, causing them to dry out and end up being more most likely to break.
Cigarette smoking can also trigger other problems in the mouth, such as mouth ulcers and gum pain.
Individuals may see that chapped lips clear up soon after they stop smoking cigarettes, as the skin starts to heal.
