chapped، cracked or dry lips

WHAT CAUSES CHAPPED LIPS?

1. Weather

You probably notice that your lips become drier over winter. Cool weather, as well as the wind and cold air that comes with it, can inflict some fairly heavy damage to your lips. In summer, the sun’s UV rays can do the same thing. Applying a moisturising balm gives your lips a protective seal from the elements, while a balm with SPF offers an extra layer of defense when you’re out in the sun. That sounds pretty good to us!

2. Dehydration

Dry lips can be a tell-tale sign that your body isn’t getting enough water. Dehydration can wreak havoc on your skin, especially your delicate lips, as it upsets your body’s natural balance of minerals. Drinking eight or so glasses of water per day is one of the best ways of preventing dehydration, but eating water-rich fresh fruit and veggies like cucumbers, tomatoes, spinach, melons, berries and oranges can help too. Plus, these foods are rich in vitamins and minerals that nourish the skin – bonus!

3. Lip Licking

While licking your lips might seem like an easy quick fix, it can actually make your lips even drier over time. When you lick your lips, it coats them in a layer of saliva. This can damage your lips in a couple of ways. Firstly, the saliva evaporates, taking the natural moisture from your lips with it. Secondly, saliva is a natural enzyme that breaks down foods – so too much of it can cause the skin on your lips to weaken and crack. Ouch!

4. Infections

Licking your lips too much can also cause excess saliva to build up and gather in the corners of your mouth. This creates a nice, warm environment for fungal infections to grow, which only makes dry lips worse. The icky pain and cracking that can come about as a result of a fungal infection is known as cheilitis, but it can be prevented with a good moisture-rich lip balm (phew).

5. Allergies

Some ingredients in everyday items like toothpaste and lipstick can cause chapped lips, as can certain foods and ingredients, such as food colouring. If you suspect one of these might be the cause, try and eliminate it for a while to see if it makes a difference.

6. Vitamin Deficiency

Vitamins like B1 (thiamine), B2 (riboflavin) and B6 are some of the best things for keeping your lips soft and smooth. Dry lips can be due to a lack of these vitamins, so you could try squeezing more of them into your diet. Beef, milk, nuts and oats are good sources of B1, while green vegetables, meat, fish and dairy contain B2. You’ll find B6 in pork, chicken, fish and wholegrain cereals.Vitamin deficiencies can cause chapped lips—for example, deficiencies in B vitamins, iron, zinc, and vitamin C.

other causes of chapped lips?

Aside from nutritional deficiencies, other factors that can cause chapped lips may include:

• Cold weather
• Hot or dry weather
• Licking the lips too often
• Sunburn (actinic cheilitis)
• Dehydration
• Allergies (including contact dermatitis due to the use of harsh skin products)
• Thyroid disorders
• Fungal infections
• Bacterial infections
• Inflammatory bowel disease
• Autoimmune conditions, such as Behcet’s syndrome
• Certain medications, such as antihistamines, certain antibiotics, chemotherapy drugs, antidepressants, and some topical medications (such as retinol, benzoyl peroxide, camphor, and salicylic acid)

How to treat chapped lips

Treatment of chapped lips generally involves managing symptoms (such as dryness, pain, irritation, or bleeding) along with treating the underlying condition (such as mineral or vitamin deficiencies, allergies, and infections):

• Take vitamin or mineral supplements if you have underlying nutritional deficiencies
• Applying lip balms containing healing ingredients such as castor oil, shea butter, or petrolatum
• Protecting the lips from sun exposure (some lip balms contain titanium oxide or zinc oxide.)
• Drink plenty of water
• Avoid licking, picking, or biting your lips
• Avoid using harsh skin care products and contact with metallic objects (such as pins, paper clips, or jewelry)
• Take antibiotic or antifungal medications if prescribed to treat skin infections

Reference:

• nivea.com.au/advice/skin/cracked-and-dry-lips-causes
• medicinenet.com/can_vitamin_deficiencies_cause_chapped_lips/article.htm