This is an automatically translated article.
When lips are dry to the point of cracking, simple remedies like applying lip balm or drinking a large glass of water are probably not enough. If you are looking for a way to fix chapped lips, you can follow the simple instructions in the following article.
1. What is chapped lips?
Chapped lips is a condition where the lips are too dry and reveal cracks in the surface. Besides, if the lips appear to be burning, stinging or uncomfortable, they are most likely chapped but we can't see it.
Many people think that chapped lips can only happen in winter (cold season). But if we do not have a special care regimen, lips can completely dry, painful and scaly at any time of the year. This condition is more likely to happen with people who have a habit of licking, biting their lips or using products that irritate and dry their lips.
Symptoms of chapped lips :
Dry lips; Appearance of cracks, peeling of the skin; Bleeding lips; Red; A burning, stinging, or tingling sensation.
2. Causes and risk factors of chapped lips
Various problems can directly or indirectly affect chapped lips. Possible causes include:
Dry weather; Factors that make indoor air too dry; Lack of oil-secreting glands on the lips; Not applying the right lip balm; Using irritating lipstick or lip balm; Use products that dry your lips like menthol, camphor, or salicylic acid; The weather is too hot; Licking, touching, or picking your lips too often; Not drinking enough water.
Không thoa son dưỡng môi phù hợp là một trong những nguyên nhân dẫn đến môi nứt nẻ, khô.
MORE: 7 dermatologist tips to heal dry chapped lips
3. How to treat and prevent chapped lips?
Human lips do not have oil-secreting glands and they are almost always exposed to environmental factors. Therefore, if we do not take care of it, it is possible to encounter chapped lips. So what do we need to do to protect the health of our lips?
3.1. Apply lip balm
A good lip balm can be a cushion to protect the already fragile skin of the lips from harmful agents. Users should choose and apply lip balm with many emollients.
Choose a lip balm that contains petrolatum (a substance that locks in moisture) and dimethicone (to help prevent cracks when lips are dry). At the same time, you can use other lip balms such as lip balm.
Apply lip balm early and often. Whatever product you choose, apply before lipstick or lip gloss. To increase the effectiveness of lip protection, users should apply lip balm regularly. Normally, you need about 6 - 8 coats during the day, so apply the first coat of lip balm in the morning, the last at night and every few hours during the day. For added convenience, let's keep 1 lipstick in our purse, 1 in our car, 1 at our desk and 1 by our bed.
Natural lip balms such as:
Beeswax; Shea butter; Coconut butter; Olive oil ; Coconut oil ; Almond oil; jojoba oil; Rosehip Oil ; Apply gel from fresh aloe vera leaf to lips to soothe sore or tender lips; Mix honey and rose water and apply it on your lips for about 15 minutes before rinsing it off. Honey and rose water help prevent chapping and deeply moisturize.
3.2. Protect your lips when going out
We have a habit of covering our limbs when the temperature drops. So you can absolutely do the same for the lips. Wear a scarf when we're out in the cold, and be sure to choose a lip balm with year-round broad-spectrum UV protection.
3.3. Drink a lot of water
Drinking lots of water has a lot of benefits for the body and one of them is fighting the dehydration that leads to chapped lips. Eating vegetables that contain a lot of water will also help increase the amount of water in the body.
Bên cạnh việc thoa son dưỡng môi, uống nhiều nước cũng là phương pháp giúp phòng ngừa môi nứt nẻ.
3.4. Use a humidifier in your home
These devices provide moisture to the skin and lips. It's great to have one at work as well as at home, especially in winter. We should turn on this mode at night to replenish nutrients for the skin during sleep.
3.5. Limit licking lips
While licking our lips feels good, it's actually the worst thing we can do to our lips' health. As your saliva dries, the skin on your lips loses more moisture. Instead of licking, let's apply lip balm that will bring more effect.
3.6. Do not peel or bite peeling skin
Human lip skin is very delicate. So peeling or biting the skin of your lip can cause it to bleed, hurt, slow healing, and cause more irritation.
3.7. Do not exfoliate
Exfoliating can cause additional damage to chapped lips. Instead, apply lip balm or ointment and turn on a humidifier in your home.
Không nên tẩy tế bào chết vì có thể gây thêm tổn thương cho đôi môi nứt nẻ. Thay vào đó, bạn hãy thoa son dưỡng môi hoặc thuốc mỡ.
3.8. Listen to the health of your lips
Some treatments can do more harm than good. Ingredients like eucalyptus, menthol, and camphor can dry or irritate your lips. Therefore, stay away from those ingredients, especially if you are someone whose lips are prone to dry, chapped lips.
Some people who are allergic to plant-based oils and moisturizers such as beeswax, shea butter, castor seed, and soybean oil may turn to petroleum-based products.
3.9. Contact a doctor
See a dermatologist if chapped lips persist. Cracks that don't heal, despite regular use of lip balm, could be a sign of an infection or a more serious problem, like cancer or a precancerous condition (known as reactive cheilitis). ).
There are many causes of chapped lips. So you can use lip balm and some nutrients to treat. In some cases, you should go to a medical facility for examination and treatment.
Please dial HOTLINE for more information or register for an appointment HERE. Download MyVinmec app to make appointments faster and to manage your bookings easily.
Reference sources: webmd.com, nivea.com.au
