Learn about the causes of dry lips and tips for treating them
Often the lips are exposed to dryness, what are the causes of dry lips? And what are its symptoms? What are the ways to prevent dryness? Let's find out the answers in the article.
Let us know the following about the causes of dry lips, how to prevent them, and ways to treat dry lips if it occurs:
Causes of dry lips
Many symptoms appear due to dry lips, the most important of which are the following:
- Chapped lips .
- Bleeding in the lips.
- redness of the lips
- Burning and itching of the lips.
These symptoms are all painful, so what are the causes of dry lips? Dry lips occur due to a variety of reasons, the most important of which are the following:
1. The weather
The cold weather in winter and its dry air leads to dry skin, including the lips. In summer, the humidity of the air helps to reduce the occurrence of this problem, and this is the reason for the frequent exposure to dry lips in winter.
2. Licking the lips
When the lips are dry, the person with the problem licks his lips trying to moisturize them, but what happens is exactly the opposite, as saliva helps moisturize the lips temporarily, but soon the saliva evaporates and makes the matter worse.
3. Using cosmetics that increase the dryness of the lips
Some people use certain cosmetics to moisturize the lips, but they contain ingredients that increase their dryness, such as: mint, camphor, and salicylic acid.
4. Too much sun exposure
One of the reasons for dry lips is excessive exposure to sunlight, as the sun contains ultraviolet rays, and prolonged exposure to it leads to increased dryness and cracking of the lips.
It is worth mentioning the need to avoid excessive exposure to sunlight; Because it may cause skin cancer .
5. Taking or applying certain medications
Dry skin and lips are a side effect of some medications, such as: antihistamines, diuretics, and chemotherapy.
Some topical acne treatments also dry out the lips.
6. Other reasons
There are many other causes of dry lips, the most prominent of which are the following:
- Breathing from the mouth instead of the nose: This not only leads to dry lips, but also leads to the appearance of bad breath in addition to increasing the possibility of mouth exposure to diseases.
- Applying some types of cosmetics: There are many cosmetics that cause dry lips, including lipstick .
- Deficiency in some vitamins: A deficiency in iron and a group of B vitamins may lead to dry lips.
How to prevent the causes of dry lips
The causes of dry lips can be prevented, and thus avoid exposure to the problem, by following the following instructions:
- Protecting the lips: when exposed to cold and dry weather, the lips can be protected by applying lip balm, using a humidifier, or covering the lips with a shawl when going out.
- Avoid licking lips: Saliva caused by licking lips causes dryness, so this bad habit should be avoided, and a flavored lip balm should be applied to reduce this behavior.
- Keeping the lips moist: This is done by drinking plenty of water , and maintaining room humidity by placing a humidifier in the home.
- Avoid the effects that cause dehydration: This is done by avoiding the use of cosmetics, which is one of the causes of dry lips.
- Breathing from the nose: It was found that breathing from the mouth increases the chance of dry lips, so it is necessary to breathe from the nose.
Treat dry lips
After identifying the causes of dry lips, it is necessary to identify the treatment methods, in order to know how to deal with this condition when it occurs, as the treatment is represented in the following:
1. Use a lip balm
In fact, the types of lip balms differ according to their content, so it is better to use balms that contain ingredients that help moisturize, such as:
- Petroleum jelly.
- Vaseline .
- Shea Butter.
- beeswax.
- Castor oil.
- Ceramides.
It is also recommended to use ointments instead of creams. Because it stays longer with continued use several times a day in addition to before bed.
2. Follow natural remedies
Some natural materials contain components that help moisturize, and natural materials are the best, since medical treatments may be one of the causes of dry lips for some people, and among the most important natural remedies are the following:
- Aloe vera plant: Aloe vera leaves contain a gelatinous substance that contains vitamins, minerals, antioxidants , and anti-inflammatory that helps moisturize the skin.
- Coconut Oil: Coconut oil is an anti-inflammatory and natural moisturizer.
- Cucumber: Cucumber is a natural moisturizer, and contains a group of vitamins and minerals that improve the appearance of the lips.
- Green tea: Green tea is an antioxidant, and it contains many elements that help in being an anti-inflammatory.
- Honey: Honey is an excellent moisturizer for the lips, as it contains antioxidants and anti-microbial substances that may cause dry chapped lips.
3. Use exfoliants
Dead skin cells reduce the effectiveness of the moisturizer entering the lips and moisturizing them; So some resort to buying scrubs that remove them, then using lip balm.