Chronic Chapped Lips: Causes and Treatments
What are the causes of chronic chapped lips?
Several causes lead to chapped lips, which worsen if left untreated and become a chronic problem, including:
1. Cold weather
Humidity decreases as the temperature decreases, making the air drier and helping to absorb moisture from the skin, so people see more chapped lips in the winter.
2. Lip sucking
People usually suck on their lips to increase their moisture, but when saliva dries up, it draws moisture with it, which increases the dryness of the lips and thus cracks.
3. Use of lip cosmetics
Some lip products contain compounds that increase the dryness of the lips. Some of these compounds include:
- Glycerin
- Camphor.
- Menthol.
- Phenol.
Some cosmetics carry compounds that cause allergic reactions in some people, such as those perfumes or that carry dyes, so in the event of redness or stiffness of the lips, you should pay attention to the compounds of the product that was used.
4. Exposure to the sun
Prolonged exposure to the sun will cause it to crack. It may also lead to the formation of dry red lumps on the mouth, or what is known as an actinic keratosis, which must be removed immediately, otherwise, it may turn cancerous.
5. Take some medicine
Some medications cause side effects such as chronic chapped lips, including antihistamines, diuretics, or chemotherapy.
Also, some acne removal creams contain compounds such as salicylic acid, which may increase cracking if the cream comes into contact with the lips.
6. Pathological reasons
Some other causes of chronic chapped lips, such as:
- Vitamin C deficiency.
- Hypothyroidism.
- Deficiency in the proportion of some minerals, such as zinc and iron.
- Crohn's disease.
- Inflammatory bowel.
- Inflammation of the corner of the lips.
- fungi;
- Night protective creams.
What are the symptoms of chronic chapped lips?
There are several symptoms associated with chronic chapped lips, such as:
- Drought.
- fissuring.
- inflammation.
- bleeding;
How can chronic chapped lips be treated?
Several steps can be followed to treat chronic chapped lips, which include:
1. Choosing the right lip balm
A lip balm works to moisturize the lips, so it is best to use a lip balm that contains petrolatum, a substance that preserves moisture in the lips, and it should contain a high percentage of emollient compounds, such as dimethicone.
Knowing that there are lip balms that work the same as emollients and maybe even better, there is no need to limit the treatment to emollients.
2. Moisturizing the skin with natural ingredients
Several natural care products contribute to the treatment, such as:
- Aloe Vera Gel: Contains Aloe Vera Gel on several antioxidants and inflammation that helps in moisturizing the skin and treat cracks.
- Coconut oil: which contains anti-inflammatory and compounds that can moisturize the lips.
- Honey: which can moisturize the lips and carry anti-bacterial that may help in severe chapped cases.
- Cucumber: that moisturizes the lips.
- Green tea: It moisturizes the lips because it contains antioxidants and polyphenol compounds.
3. Peeling lips
The dry layer blocks the hydrating compounds in lip balms, so you can scrub off the layer first with sugar or baking soda for better results.
How can chronic chapped lips be prevented?
There are several ways to prevent chronic chapped lips, which include:
- Drink ample amounts of water to prevent dehydration.
- Avoid smoking.
- Stay away from aromatic lip balms.
- Use products that contain sunscreen.
- Exfoliate the lips regularly.