Most people have experienced the sensation of chapped lips. This condition can be incredibly uncomfortable, as well as have many other negative side effects. There are many steps that can aid in preventing chapped lips, which can go a long way toward improving your comfort. In some situations, chapped lips can be caused by underlying issues, so it may be useful to consult with our experienced team at Intermountain Aesthetics MD Spa for more information about how to keep the skin on your lips healthy and in good condition.
What are Chapped Lips?
Essentially chapped lips are when your lips become irritated, have peeling skin, or are exceedingly dry. Chapped lips may also be red or flaky, depending on the severity of the condition. Excessively chapped lips can bleed, due to the damage to the skin over the lips. Chapped lips can be very uncomfortable and even painful, which is one of the reasons that preventing chapped lips can be so important.
Preventing Chapped Lips
Essentially, avoiding the causes of chapped lips can be the best way to prevent them from occurring. It can also be useful to understand the best methods for treating chapped lips so that you can restore their condition as quickly as possible. Here are a few of the best methods for preventing chapped lips.
Avoiding the Causes
There are many possible causes of chapped lips. They are often caused by the weather. Weather that is dry, cold, or windy can suck the moisture out of your skin, which can lead to lips becoming chapped. Saliva, such as licking your lips, can cause the skin of your lips to dry out. This is common because individuals often lick their lips when they begin to feel dry. While this might initially cause the lips to feel more moisturized, the saliva sucks moisture from the skin as it evaporates, which simply exacerbates the condition. Extremely spicy foods can also lead to chapped lips. If you are sensitive to chapped lips, it might be useful to avoid eating these foods altogether.
Sun damage is another incredibly common cause of chapped lips. Wearing lip balm that contains SPF is important in protecting your lips from sustaining damage from UV rays. The common cold can also result in the lips becoming dried out, which can cause chapped lips. Allergic reactions, certain medications, and various underlying medical conditions can cause your lips to become chapped.
Use Lip Balm
Regularly using lip balm can help to restore the condition of your lips after they are chapped. It is often beneficial to use lip balm whenever you begin to feel the signs of chapping. Lip balm is beneficial because it contains a mixture of various oils and wax that help to form a protective seal over the skin of the lips. This helps to prevent further damage to the area. Lip balms with certain ingredients, such as petroleum jelly, paraffin base, or Vaseline can help to keep the moisture in the lips, which often aid in recovery. You should also ensure that your lip balm has SPF to help prevent sun damage to your lips.
Avoid Exfoliating
Many people think that exfoliating the lips can help to heal chapped lips faster. While it is important to get rid of dead skin cells, exfoliation can actually exacerbate the original chapped lips. This can simply cause extra damage to occur to your skin. Avoid exfoliation unless you are advised otherwise by a skincare professional.
Ingredients to Avoid With Chapped Lips
While lip balm can be extremely beneficial when you have chapped lips, there are ingredients within lip balms that you should avoid if you have chapped lips. These various ingredients can cause irritation, which is likely to make the initial problem much worse. Avoid using lip balms that contain menthol, fragrances, camphor, or salicylic acid in order to protect your skin.
Natural Home Remedies
Many people like the ability to have a natural approach to preventing chapped lips or caring for them afterward. Aloe vera can be used to soothe skin in many situations and is often a great choice for healing damaged skin. Coconut oil is another great natural home remedy. This is often because coconut oil can help to provide a protective seal without dripping away from the skin. Honey can also be used to help protect the skin.
Cover Up
One of the major causes of chapped lips is exposure to wind and dry air. If the atmosphere outside is exhibiting these signs, especially during the winter, you should consider covering your mouth with a scarf. When you cover your mouth with a scarf on windy or cold days, you can often prevent your lips from becoming chapped in the first place.
Stay Hydrated
Staying hydrated goes a long way toward keeping your skin hydrated. It is generally the lips drying out that leads to chapped lips. When you commonly experience dry or chapped lips, you should ensure that you drink lots of water. This can help your skin to retain moisture. In addition, using a humidifier can also help to add moisture to your skin. When you use a humidifier in your home, you can generally ensure that the air within your property has more moisture, which can prevent your skin from drying out.
Avoid Smoking
If you experience dry lips, you should avoid smoking. Smoking can exacerbate dryness in the mouth, as well as lead to an array of other problems. When you avoid smoking, you can help to prevent chapped lips.
Preventing chapped lips can help to alleviate problems and ensures that your lips remain in good condition. These steps can help to maintain your comfort. If you find that your chapped lips aren’t healing on their own, you should consider visiting a skincare professional for more assistance. This can help to restore your skin to its prior condition. To learn more about preventing chapped lips or restoring your skin health after your lips have become chapped, contact our team at Intermountain Aesthetics MD Spa today!
