Health Life Media

A Healthier You For A Better Tomorrow

Medical Supplies

Why Do I Have Dry and Chapped Lips?

Many may think of chapped lips a condition at only happens in the winter. You can get dry, sore, cracked and scaly lips anytime during the year. We have highlighted a few things that can cause more damage to your lips, preventing you from having healthy lips.

Chapped lips also called cheilitis is primarily due to the loss of hydration from natural oils and lips, in the outermost skin layer of the lip. Without this moisture, the lips will begin to dry out and crack. Your lips are far more sensitive than then rest of the skin on the body. Also the fact that the lips go through high levels of wear and tear via drinking, breaking, talking, kissing and eating. It is normal for the lips to become chapped, but deep cracks and inflammations can lead to painful sores and infections.

Not having any lip protection
Your Lips don’t have oil glands, for the most part, they tend always to be exposed to the elements. If you don’t take care of them, you could in up with lips that are not in their best condition. There are few things you can do to keep them healthy.


Use lip balm. A good lip balm can buffer your delicate lip skin from the elements. Choose one high emollient. Check the ingredient listing for petrolatum, which locks in moisture, and dimethicone, which seals off cracks and splits in during lips, Don not limit you to products with the word balm in them either, Lip Ointments are just a good a choice.

Apply early and often, Whatever type of product your choose, You should use your protected lip balm before putting on your lipstick or lip gloss not after. To keep your lips protected, you may need to frequently apply lip balm. You may need up to six or eight coats throughout the day, so apply first thing in the morning, the last thing at night, and every couple of hours. To make this easier, have a few around, maybe tube in your purse, one in the car, third in your desk, another one near the bed.

You should be careful which lip balms you use, because there may be cases in which lip balm will dry your lips more and weaken your lips natural moisture levels.

Protect your lips when you are outside – You cover your hand and feet when you go outside, you should do the same when you with your lips. Wear a scarf or a ski makes that cover your mouth when you go out in the cold. And remember that you should also place lip balm on your lips for with sun protection year-round.

You do not Drink Enough Water
Circumstances inside and outside your body can dry out your lips.
Drink More Water. You already know drinking water has tons of advantages for your body. One of those is to fight the dehydration that leads to chapped lips.
Use a humidifier indoors. These machines provide the moisture your lips and skin crave. It is great to have one at work as well as at home, especially in the winter. Turn it on a night to replenish your skin while you sleep.

Don’t lick your lips. While it might seem like a good approach at the time, rolling your tongue over your lips can lead to additional damage. Since saliva will dry, it will take more moisture from your skin, Use your lip balm instead.
You may not have to leave your lips alone.
When you were growing your mother may have told you if you don’t stop picking at a sore, or scare, it will never get better. Those tips will still help to heal your lips. Forcibly removing the skin before it is ready to come off can cause small wounds, bleeding and swelling, making your lips very vulnerable to infection.

Do not peel or bite the flaky skin. The skin on your lips is thin and delicate. Picking your lips can cause it bleed and hurt, slow the healing process and create more irritation.

You should not exfoliate. It can cause further harm to chapped lips, instead, apply lots of balm or ointment and turn on the humidifier.

Evaluate how your lips respond to different treatment options.Some treatments can do more harm than good. Ingredients like eucalyptus, camphor, and menthol, can dry or irritate your lips. You should avoid putting these solutions on your lips especially if you tend to have persistent dry skin.

You should stay alway from lip products with flavors, even though they may smell great they can cause irritation for your chapped lips. If your lips have become so chapped that they have lost their protective barriers – your lips will develop sensitivities to sweet lip balm ingredients like cinnamon.
If you are allergic to plant-based oils and moisturizers like beeswax, shea butter, castor seed and soybean oil, switch to petroleum jelly based product.

Call the doctor – .See a dermatologist if your problem persists. If your lips do not heal, despite the use of lip balm, this could be a sign of infection or more serious problem. Like cancer or pre-cancer condition call actinic cheilitis