CHAPPED LIPS

Chapped lips (Cheilitis) have dry, scaly, or cracked lips that happen for a number of reasons. It can be irritating and even painful.

The skin on your lips is thin that’s why it is susceptible to dryness and chapping.

Causes of Chapped Lips

Some common causes of chapped lips are:

  • Exposure to Dry or Cold Weather
  • Frequently Licking your Lips
  • Too Much Sun Exposure

Other causes of may include:

  • Sensitivity to Ingredients in Certain Foods such as Mangos, Citrus Fruits, and Cinnamon
  • Beauty Products such as Lipsticks and Lip Balms
  • Personal Care Product such as Toothpaste, Mouthwash, and Sunscreen
  • Certain Medications, such as Retinoids (A Form of Vitamin A)
  • Some Skin Conditions and Other Chronic Disorders such as:
    • Eczema
    • Lichen Planus
    • Lupus Erythematosus
    • Autoimmune Bullous Diseases
    • Crohn’s Disease
    • Sarcoidosis
    • Certain Nutritional Deficiencies

Treatment

Chapped lips typically heal on their own with at-home treatments. To prevent and treat chapped lips you must:

  • Do not lick your lips too much.
  • Protect your lips against the sun. You may use lip balms that has SPF sun protection. There are also lip-soothing product that contains beeswax or petrolatum (petroleum jelly, such as Vaseline)
  • Cover your face with a scarf on cold and windy days.
  • Drinking plenty of fluids. You can even use a humidifier especially in the colder, drier months of the year.
  • Avoid any products that causes you irritation (personal care products, fragrances, or foods)
  • Breathe through your nose not in your mouth.

If your chapped lips doesn’t heal or become worsen, like it become severely cracked or swollen, you must see your doctor. These may be signs of an underlying medical problem.

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