Chapped, dry, or sore lips are a classic of cold climates. If the situation becomes chronic, it could be a wake-up call for more serious pathologies. They can usually be treated with natural and home remedies. Take a cue from the following article to make your lips soft and supple again.
Steps
Part 1 of 2: Home Remedies
Step 1. Drink plenty of fluids
The ideal would be to try to drink at least 8-10 glasses of water a day. When your body is dehydrated, chapped lips are often the first symptom. The more water you drink, the better!
Step 2. Don't lick or nibble your lips
When they are chapped resist the temptation to lick or nibble them constantly. These two common habits only make the situation worse. Licking them can relieve the discomfort temporarily, but the saliva evaporates leaving the lips drier than before. Biting the skin can cause infections, herpes or at best can lead to bleeding.
- If you feel the need to touch your lips, apply lip balm instead.
- Reapply after drinking or after rinsing your mouth.
Step 3. Exfoliate your lips
Before applying any type of ointment or ointment, remove dead skin using a method of exfoliation. This will help speed up the healing process of the lips and make it easier for the new layer of skin to form. Don't scrub too hard or you'll end up getting the opposite result. Instead, try to massage them gently, using the products you normally use to exfoliate other parts of the body. Try some of the following:
- Use salt or sugar packs. Take the compress and gently spread it on your chapped lips, massaging them in a circular motion, trying to remove the dead skin. Your lips will feel soft and revitalized.
- Use an exfoliating brush. While any type of small brush will work for you, the most readily available in this circumstance may be your toothbrush! Just make sure it's clean. Rub it into your lips in a circular motion to remove dead skin.
- Avoid using a soap-based exfoliant. Washing your face with these types of products will eventually dry them out more.
Step 4. Apply ointment
Be careful what type of ointment or lip balm you use to heal your chapped lips. Many of these products contain ingredients such as camphor or petroleum jelly that relieve discomfort temporarily, but actually make them even drier, consequently forcing you to reapply them over and over again.
- Look for lip balm that contains beeswax, shea butter, coconut butter, almond oil or other natural moisturizers and nothing else. Avoid those with an endless list of unpronounceable ingredients.
- Even ointments based on vitamin E or glycerin can have a beneficial effect thanks to the presence of additional natural ingredients in them.
- Avoid using lipstick to moisturize your lips. Lipsticks can cause dryness, you must first apply a layer of ointment that can protect them.
Step 5. Apply oils
For an ultra moisturizing treatment, rub a little oil on your lips. This action will have the effect of soothing and hydrating them, creating a protective shield against further damage. Here are the oils that might be right for you:
- Coconut oil.
- Almond oil.
- Jojoba oil.
- Olive oil.
- Cocoa butter.
- Rosehip oil.
Step 6. Relieve your lips if they hurt
If they are so chapped that they cause pain even while you smile, try using a home remedy to relieve it. Here are some tips:
- Rubbing a slice of cucumber on the lips for at least 10 minutes a day is known to be an effective remedy.
- Rubbing a little aloe vera on the lips can soothe the pain.
- Spraying some honey on your lips will make them hydrated and less sore.
Step 7. Avoid overuse of commercial chapped lip treatment products
These include cosmetics and fruit lip balms, as they could make the skin even drier.
Step 8. Try using a fluoride-free toothpaste
Some people are allergic to fluoride, which could affect lip health, as well as cause other types of oral irritation. Try changing the type of toothpaste to see if you notice any differences.
Step 9. Use a humidifier in your home or office
Indoor places create a lack of air during the winter, due to the heating. It will allow you to increase the humidity in the room air, and consequently will favor the hydration of the lips.
Part 2 of 2: Treating the Causes of Chapped Lips
Step 1. Check your power supply
Increase your skin's vitamin intake by eating better or taking vitamin capsule supplements.
Refrain from eating salty foods, they will only increase your need to lick your lips
Step 2. Try not to sleep or to breathe with your mouth open
If you get dry and chapped in the morning when you get up in the morning, chances are you've spent the night gaping. Try changing your sleeping position.
- Having a stuffy nose can also indirectly be the cause as it forces you to breathe through your mouth. Try to clear the nasal passages so that you can breathe through your nose.
- Wearing a cheek guard or other braces, which force you to sleep with your mouth open at night, could also be a problem.
- If you can't avoid sleeping with your mouth open, apply a good ointment before bed.
Step 3. Protect lips from weather conditions
Wind can be a cause. Even being in a very dry environment can damage your lips. If the cause is the environment in which you live, you should try to safeguard them by adopting extra protection and caution.
Step 4. Treat sun damage
Just like all other parts of the body exposed to the sun for a long time, the lips can also be affected by the damage caused by ultraviolet rays. That's right, it can happen to have sunburnt lips… and they hurt! Treat damage from these types of exposure by applying aloe vera to help your skin heal faster. Use cocoa butter with a sunscreen of at least 15.
Step 5. Find out if smoking and chewing are the problem
Anything that comes in regular contact with the lips has the power to damage them. The chemicals in cigarettes, chewing gum, and packaged snacks can make your lips dry and chapped.
Step 6. Check if a vitamin deficiency can play an important role
Some vitamins are vital for healthy skin and lips, such as vitamins A, B, C, B2 (riboflavin deficiency) and E. So make sure you always have a good supply.
Step 7. Find out if it is an allergic reaction
Many chapped and dry lips are caused by skin reactions to cosmetics and skin products. Excessive use of commercial products can aggravate the problem instead of solving it.
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Replace your toothpaste with one that does not contain sodium lauryl sulfate. It is an active substance present in many cleaning products (the one that causes foam); it can make the situation worse.
Get Rid of Painful Cracked Lips Step 16
Step 8. Determine if it may be the side effect of any medications you are using
Some medications can cause this problem. If the discomfort coincides with the start of a new treatment, contact your doctor to consider this possibility.
Step 9. Consider more serious medical conditions
If none of the causes listed above seem to be causing the problem, chapped lips could be a symptom of a more serious disease. Contact your doctor if you suspect that lip pain seems to come on suddenly from consuming a certain food. Among the possible diseases we find:
- Diabetes. If you have diabetes or some family members have it, it could be the cause of the pain.
- Kawasaki syndrome. This is a serious but rare blood disorder that can cause chronic dryness of the lips.
- Sjögren's syndrome. It is an autoimmune disease that damages the tear ducts and similar glands, causing severely chapped lips.
- Macrocytosis. A blood disorder that causes red blood cells to increase in size to dangerous levels.
- Sexually transmitted diseases. STIs, which include HIV among others, can be a cause of chronic chapped lips.
Advice
Neosporin on the lips helps relieve and heal wind irritations
Warnings
- Always consult a doctor, especially if the problem persists for a long time even after traditional treatments. As for the lips, the dermatologist is probably the most suitable specialist to make a diagnosis.
- Don't scrub your sore lips with a toothbrush, file, or anything else that may irritate them.
