Dry, chapped lips are a very unpleasant phenomenon that occurs especially in winter. Some people are so affected by the problem of “Dry, chapped lips” that the skin on their lips tears deeply and even begins to bleed. Those who are troubled by dry, chapped lips should pay attention to the following advice, which is suitable for treating the problem of “dry, chapped lips”.
What are dry, chapped lips?
Those who have only minor problems with dry lips will do very well with a conventional lip balm. Dry, chapped lips mainly affect the delicate and very sensitive skin in this area. In the first stage, the lips are only dry. If they dry out further, dry, chapped lips lead to injuries as the skin tears. Especially in the corners of the mouth, this can lead to clearly visible sores. In some cases, inflammation also occurs, caused by dry, chapped lips.
Causes
Dry and chapped lips are primarily caused by excessively dry air. Due to this air, dry, chapped lips occur because the skin can no longer be supplied with sufficient moisture from the outside. In addition, many people practice to moisten already developed dry, chapped lips many times a day with the tongue. However, the saliva film created in this way does not improve the symptom of “dry, chapped lips”. On the contrary, it dries out the lips even more. Another cause of dry, chapped lips is the wrong care. Many people who are affected by the fact dry lips, use conventional cream also for the lips. In particular, moisturizers with preservatives contribute to the fact that chapped and dry lips even worse.
Diseases with this symptom
- Perioral dermatitis
Course
Dry, chapped lips should be treated, as there are different stages in chapped lips. In the advanced stages, dry, chapped lips can become extremely uncomfortable and noticeably affect the quality of life. In the early stages, dry lips are only slightly noticeable. The skin on the lips feels only slightly dry and the lips are tight, especially when smiling. If lips that become noticeable in this way are not treated with appropriate measures, the problem can continue to grow. In the next stage, dry lips are already visible to other people. The lips then form small flakes, which are especially noticeable in women who use lipstick. The color of the lipstick sticks to the flakes of skin, so they are particularly noticeable. If the lips dry out even further, deep tears sometimes develop, which can even bleed. But the scraped off skin flakes also lead to bleeding; a common symptom of dry or chapped lips.
Complications
Dry lips occur as a result of various conditions and usually do not lead to major complications. Problems can occur if the dry lips persist for a long period of time. Then there may be skin irritation, inflammation and pain when eating. If the lips crack as a result of dehydration, this can lead to infections and the formation of painful cysts in the corners of the mouth. In addition, chronically dry lips promote diseases such as herpes or existing inflammations in the area of the mouth. If inappropriately treated with certain home remedies or medical care products, dry lips can become further irritated and subsequently scarred. Infants and young children with dry lips run the risk of partially swallowing the applied cream, which can lead to nausea and vomiting, but also to allergic reactions and further complications, depending on the care product. Dry lips can also be an indication of underlying problems such as general dehydration or allergy, which in turn pose various risks. Because of the potential complication, dry lips must always be discussed with your primary care physician.
When should you go to the doctor?
Dry lips do not normally require medical or drug treatment. As a rule, dry lips are caused by excessively dry and chapped skin. To counteract this appearance, the affected person can resort to moisturizing creams or ointments.In most cases, a significant improvement can be seen after only two to four days. However, such freely available remedies do not always help. It is quite possible that there is no clear improvement even after prolonged use. It is not uncommon for the corners of the mouth to tear, so that the whole thing can become a painful affair. In such a case, a doctor should be consulted immediately. If an infection is behind the dry lips, a visit to the doctor is also recommended. Under certain circumstances, viruses and bacteria can spread throughout the body, resulting in a flu-like infection. If you want to avoid these complications, you should seek medical treatment immediately. Appropriate medication can bring about an improvement within a short time. Those who suffer permanently from dry lips should not delay a visit to the doctor for too long. If there is a serious underlying disease behind it, early treatment is of great importance.
Treatment and therapy
However, dry, chapped lips, although they are very unpleasant and in some cases also lead to painful complications during wound healing, can be successfully treated. The treatment methods focus on the one hand on the change of the external environment and on the other hand on the care of the lips. Since the humidity of the environment is crucially involved in this problem, it is worth changing it indoors. There are special devices that can increase the humidity in the room. In this way, dry skin on the lips can be significantly improved. However, in addition to this measure, proper care of the lips also plays a weighty role. Here, the choice of care depends on the severity of the symptom. If you have only minor problems, you will do very well with a conventional lip balm. In more severe cases, a care product can be chosen that has additional wound-healing active ingredients and thus works very well against dry or chapped lips.
Outlook and prognosis
Overall, the prognosis for chapped lips is very favorable in most cases. Dry lips are not a sign of disease in every case. If lips crack only in winter because they do not tolerate well the alternation between heating air and cold, the outlook is very favorable. The problems usually disappear with the end of the cold period without treatment. With creams, lip balms or other care products, the dry lips can often be eliminated even before that. If the dry lips are due to a vitamin or mineral deficiency, appropriate intervention is required. Without adequate nutrition, lips usually remain chapped. Low fluid intake also often leads to dry lips. In this case, however, the lips often become supple again within one to two days if the body receives sufficient water. In the days and weeks that follow, the skin of the lips will regenerate if people continue to drink enough and other factors such as diet are also in good shape. The prognosis is less favorable if the dry lips occur as a symptom of a serious disease. Even then, however, there is usually a marked improvement as soon as the treatment of the underlying disease makes progress. In addition, symptomatic treatment of dry lips is often possible in this case as well and can at least provide relief.
Prevention
However, dry, chapped lips can also be combated with preventive measures. Again, it’s all about humidity and proper care. However, experts warn against the overzealous use of a lip balm against chapped lips. If this is used too often, it may even contribute to the development of the problem of dry lips in the long term.
What you can do yourself
Dry lips are often an indication of a lack of fluids in the body. Therefore, it is recommended to drink enough. In the best case, the liquid requirement is covered by herbal teas or water. Two to three liters a day are suitable. An old household remedy for chapped lips is olive oil. It not only has a moisturizing effect but also cares for and stresses dry lips. Olive oil is particularly effective in combination with egg yolk. For this purpose, the ingredients are mixed and a thin layer is applied to the lips. If necessary, this can be applied daily. A curd mask for the lips also provides additional moisture.It is also important to care for the lips properly. Many care sticks only moisturize for a short time and dry out the lips in the long term. For a beautiful shine and long-lasting moisture provide milking greases such as petroleum jelly. In summer, it is important to protect not only the facial skin but also the lips from UV rays. In the pharmacy or drugstore there are lip balms with UV light protection factor. Sunburn on the lips should be avoided, as this additionally dries out the sensitive brittle skin. In winter, dry indoor air is more of a problem. It is recommended to ventilate regularly to ensure a good indoor climate. Furthermore, plants in the room and humidifiers can improve the conditions.
