Overview
Skin on the lips is very thin and constantly exposed to the elements. Because your lips don’t contain oil glands, they can’t moisturize on their own, making them very vulnerable to drying. Exposure to the sun, wind, cold weather and dry air are aggravating factors.
Effects
When the skin peels and cracks, you lips become tender and sore, making eating and drinking uncomfortable. If they become badly enough inflamed, chapped lips can bleed, making them susceptible to infection and necessitating treatment with an antibiotic.
Treatment
The best treatment for severely chapped lips is moisturizing and gentle exfoliation. Never pick or bite at the skin on the lip; it can cause bleeding. The safest way to remove dead skin from the lips is to gently rub the lips with a soft washcloth or toothbrush. Frequent application of a lip balm or lip moisturizer containing either petrolatum or beeswax helps lips return to normal.
Things to Avoid
Having to breathe through the mouth, which sometimes happens when you’re congested from a cold, aggravates already dry lips. If mouth breathing can’t be avoided, moisturize your lips more frequently than normal. Licking the lips may seem to temporarily moisten the lips, but it only serves to dry them out even more, says the website Healthy-Skincare. Smoking, eating foods that irritate the lips and using too harsh of an exfoliant on the lips can worsen chapping and should be avoided. When you’re outdoors, protect your lips with a cream that contains sunscreen.
Rule Out Problems
Chronic chapped lips, or chelitis, can occur as a side effect of certain prescription medications such as the blood pressure medicine propranolol. Some common cosmetic or dental hygiene product ingredients, such as propyl gallate in lipstick or sodium lauryl sulfate in toothpaste, may cause a contact allergy or skin irritation that results in chapped lips. Chronic problems with chapped lips can indicate a more serious medical problem, such as hypothyroidism or skin cancer, according to the DermaDoctor website. If your chapped lips don’t heal even after treatment, consult a physician to rule out causes.
Stay Hydrated
Keeping your entire body hydrated by drinking plenty of water and other fluids has a big effect on the state of your lips. If you allow yourself to become dehydrated, particularly when you have a cold or fever, your lips quickly are depleted of moisture and become chapped. The Mayo Clinic recommends using a humidifier during the winter to counteract dry indoor air that can lead to skin dryness.
