What are chapped lips?
When your lips feel cracked and dry, you have chapped lips. Your lips may be chapped if they feel dry, sting or burn.
If you think about chapped lips, it is something that happens only in winter. If you don’t take extra care, your lips could become dry, sore and scaly at any time, even in the summer, when they are exposed to sunlight. It is particularly true if your habit is to lick or bite your lips, or if you use products that dry and irritate your lips.
Cheilitis
The medical term for chapped lips is cheilitis. This is an inflammation of the lips, which can last for a short or long time. The skin around your lips and in your mouth can be affected by cheilitis. This condition can be brought on by a number of factors, including contact with an allergen or something that irritates the skin.
Chapped lips symptoms
Lips that are chapped can be characterized by:
- Dryness
- Cracks, peeling or flaking
- Bleeding
- Redness
- Itching, burning, stinging or burning
- Swelling
- You may have sores or ulcers on your lips, inside your mouth, or even on your tongue.
- Scaly texture
- Numbness
Why are my lips so dry?
Many things can cause chapped lip or increase their likelihood. They include:
- Weather conditions that are dry or cold
- Dry air in the home
- Lips do not have oil glands
- Not moisturizing your lips
- Lipsticks and balms that irritate the lips or skin
- Products that are harsh or drying, such as menthol or camphor
- Too much sun
- Lip licking or excessive touching of the lips
- Lack of vitamins and minerals (like vitamin B or iron)
- Holding metal in your mouth
- Take certain medications, such as antibiotics, diuretics (such as digoxin), statins, retinoids and drugs used in chemotherapy, vitamin A or lithium.
- Alcoholism
- Certain medical conditions (such an autoimmune disorder, thyroid disorders or allergies)
- Infection caused by bacteria, a virus or a fungus
Treatment of Chapped Lips
If you have chapped lips, it is possible to treat them at home.
- Protect your lips with lip balm. Lip balm is a great way to protect the delicate skin on your lips. Select a balm that is high in emollients. Look for petrolatum (which locks in moisture) and dimethicone (which seals cracks and splits on lips that are drying). You don’t have to limit yourself only to lip balms. Lip ointments can be just as effective. Use one that has SPF protection when you are in the sun.
- Drinking enough water daily has many benefits to your body. You can use it to combat dehydration, which leads to chapped lip.
- You can use a humidifier to provide moisture for your lips and face. You can use one both at home and at work, especially during the winter. It’s great to use at night while you sleep.
- Do not lick your mouth. While it may seem like an excellent idea, rubbing your tongue on your lips can be harmful. Your skin loses more moisture as your saliva dries. Instead, use lip balm.
- Avoid metals and other non-foods near your lips. This includes pens, jewelry and even pens.
Best lip Balm for chapped Lips
It’s important to choose lip balms that contain high-quality ingredients. Lip balms should contain:
- Non-scented
- Protective against the sun (includes zinc oxide and Titanium Oxide)
- Use oils such as castor seed oil or mineral oil
- Hypoallergenic means that its ingredients are less likely than other ingredients to cause an allergic response
- These lubricants or ingredients, such as dimethicone and ceramide, provide long-lasting moisture
Avoid lip balms with:
- Wax base
- Some ingredients, such as menthol or Eucalyptus
- Addition of flavor or scents
Lip balms and ointments are best chosen based on the weather and your symptoms. Lip balm is best for short-term concerns and lighter coverage in the summer months. Ointment can be used for chapped lips that last longer.
How to prevent chapped lips
Lips don’t contain oil glands and are almost always exposed to environmental factors. If you don’t care for them, they’ll cost you. You can take many steps to protect them, including:
- Apply healing lip balm early and often. Do not apply lipstick or lip gloss after. Reapply often to keep your lips protected. Apply 6-8 coats throughout the day. You can do this by applying the product first thing in morning, the last thing at evening, and every two hours. Store a tube at your desk and one near your bed, as well as a second in your car.
- Cover your lips outside. You cover your hands and your feet when temperatures drop; do the exact same thing for your lips. When you’re out in the cold, wear a scarf that covers your lips or a ski-mask. Choose a lip balm that offers broad-spectrum UV protection all year round.
- Do not peel or bite flaky lips. The skin on your lip is thin and delicate. Picking it will cause it to bleed, hurt and slow down the healing process. It can also cause irritation.
- Do not exfoliate. This can further damage chapped lips. Apply plenty of balm, ointment or lotion and turn on your humidifier.
- Pay attention to your lips. Certain treatments can cause more harm than benefit. Some ingredients, such as menthol and camphor, can irritate or dry out your lips. Avoid them, particularly if you suffer from dry skin. If you are allergic to oils and moisturizers derived from plants, such as beeswax and shea butter or castor oil and soybean oil. Switch to petroleum jelly-based products.
Chapped lips that won’t heal
Lips are prone to cracking. If left untreated, chapped lips can bleed and cause pain or stinging. Your bleeding lips can be treated at home using an ointment that is designed specifically for lips. If your bleeding lips persist and home treatment doesn’t work, you should consult your doctor. They may prescribe a more advanced treatment or perform tests to determine if your chapped lip is a sign of a serious medical condition.
Call a doctor
If your problem persists, consult a dermatologist. Lips that don’t heal after using lip balm can be an indication of infection, or even a more serious condition, such as cancer.
Lips that are chapped for a longer period of time could be an indication:
- This is a form of cheilitis caused by an infection. Your doctor may suggest a sample or biopsy.
- Your doctor may order a blood test to check for angular cheilitis.
- A reaction to an allergen (allergy tests may help).
- Lack of nutrients. Your doctor can confirm this with a blood test.
Speak to your doctor if your chapped lips get worse after you’ve treated them or if they don’t improve in a few days.
Take-Aways
Chapped Lips are a temporary problem that can be treated at home. Preventing chapped lips can be done by using a lip balm, or ointment or protecting your lips in certain weather conditions. The condition should improve within a couple of weeks depending on the severity. If your chapped lips continue to persist after you have tried home remedies, speak with your doctor.
FAQs
How can you heal chapped lip?
By using a lip balm that contains moisturizing ingredients and getting enough water, nutrients and by not licking them too much. For more severe cases, a dermatologist may provide stronger treatment options.
What causes chapped lips most commonly?
Cold weather, alcohol consumption, certain medical conditions, medications or infections are all common causes.
Are chapped lips an infection?
They are quite common. Speak to your doctor if your symptoms persist for more than three weeks. The doctor may suggest a biopsy or sample to test for bacteria and fungi.