Skin covering your lips is quite thin. Moreover, it does not have sebaceous and sweat glands.
Thus, it is likely to become dry, cracked, and chapped as it loses moisture soon. Chapped lips become sensitive, rough, and reddish.
Plus, peeling and cracking of dry lips may cause pain and even bleeding. More often than not, the problem is caused by environmental factors, dehydration, overexposure to sun, repeated licking of lips, smoking, ill-fitting dentures, hypersensitive reaction to irritants or allergens, certain medications, and so on.
Besides, vitamin and nutritional deficiencies like that of vitamin A, vitamin B2, vitamin C, folic acid, etc. can also cause the same. Chapped lips are more common during the winter months due to temperature changes and dry air.
In addition, individuals suffering from conditions like Diabetes, Sjogren’s Syndrome, Down’s Syndrome, Kawasaki Disease, Thyroid Disorder, and other autoimmune diseases. may be prone to dry, cracked lips.
How to get rid of Chapped Lips
The best way to treat chapped lips is to frequently apply any lip balm. Most lip balms, however, can be addictive as they contain phenol, menthol, or camphor. These chemicals tend to dry out your lips. So, here are 9 more solutions to cure this problem.
- Hot Compress
- Coconut Oil
- Cucumber
- Aloe Vera Gel
- Rose Petals
- Lip Scrub
- Glycerin
- Lanolin Cream
- Hydrocortisone Ointment
Use a hot compress over your lips by soaking a clean piece of cloth in warm water and placing it on your lips for a few minutes. Follow this procedure about three times. Next, again dip the cloth in warm water. This time, wring out the excess water and then, gently rub it on your lips to remove dead skin. Finally, dip the cloth in cold water, wring it, place it on your lips for a few seconds, and apply a thin layer of Vaseline or some other emollient ointment.
Moisturize and treat dry, chapped lips by daily applying extra-virgin coconut oil on your lips. Besides, coconut oil also works as a natural sunscreen. In case you do not have coconut oil then use olive oil, castor oil, or flaxseed oil.
Simply rubbing a cucumber slice on your lips for about 10 minutes is highly beneficial in getting rid of chapped lips. You can follow this remedy several times in a day.
Coat your lips with pure aloe vera gel on a regular basis to heal the thin skin covering your lips and keep it moisturized. Plus, it relieves the pain and tenderness. Vitamin E ointments are also considered good for healing dry, chapped lips.
Soak a handful of rose petals in raw milk for a few hours. Finally, crush the rose petals in the solution to form a thick paste and smear it on your dry, chapped lips to facilitate healing and retain the natural color of your luscious lips. Application of fresh milk cream and clarified butter or ghee, too, are excellent for treating chapped lips.
At times, use a gentle lip scrub before moisturizing your lips to remove flakes and dead skin cells, thereby making your lips smooth. You can prepare a lip scrub easily by mixing a teaspoon of organic honey in two teaspoons of sugar.
Take teaspoon of glycerin and add a little honey in it. Apply this mixture regularly on your lips and leave overnight to get rid of chapped lips fast. Moreover, you may crush a few rose petals and add in this mixture.
You may consider applying a lanolin cream containing 100% pure lanolin for a bad case of cracked, chapped lips. You can use it as a lip balm as well. Besides, lanolin creams are used for dry cuticles, and cracked, itchy skin too.
In severe cases, you may apply 1 percent hydrocortisone ointment on your lips before applying Vaseline, lip balm containing waxes, or any other emollient ointment. Follow this treatment for about a couple of weeks.
Tips to Prevent Chapped Lips
- Kick the habit of licking and chewing your lips repeatedly. It makes your lips drier as saliva tends to evaporate quickly.
- Avoid using lip plumpers as they contain ingredients like capsicum (pepper), menthoxypropanediol, mint oils, etc. that cause irritation.
- As chapped lips can be caused by vitamin deficiencies, it is suggested to take a healthy and nutritious diet including carrots, spinach, nuts, beans, berries, tomatoes, and so on. In addition, stay away from spicy foods as they can irritate the sensitive skin around your mouth.
Source : http://www.howtoremovethat.com