What to do if your lips are dry? How to help them at home

Why do lips dry out?

Before looking for a way to quickly moisturize your lips, you should find out the cause of the problem. Depending on what formed the basis for the lack of moisture, you can choose a suitable remedy for complete restoration.

Causes of dry lips:

1. Harmful environment. Cold, heat, windy weather and poor air quality. Cold and heat provoke a decrease in moisture in tissues. The condition worsens during strong winds.
2. Stress. Situations when a person is very nervous and involuntarily licks his lips (a standard human reaction). The saliva that covers the delicate skin dries quickly, drying out the problem area.
3. Medicines that affect the salivary glands, for example, drugs aimed at reducing appetite.
4. Oral care products with high fluoride content. The element is characterized by a dehydrating effect. Thin skin is not able to retain moisture for a long time, as the dermis does on other parts of the body.
5. Cosmetics: long-lasting lipsticks, matte formulations, tints and products with a dry/powdery effect. Pigments for artistic makeup. Powdering for better durability of conventional products speeds up drying.
6. Unhealthy lifestyle: poor nutrition worsens the situation with vitamin saturation of the whole body. Lack of water (maintaining water balance is the key to health), alcohol, and tobacco are harmful.
7. Diseases that cause dry mouth. These include allergic reactions, lip burns, dental diseases, inflammatory pathologies, bacterial and hormonal diseases.

Excessive dryness can be caused by a cold with a profuse runny nose and nasal congestion. With frequent inhalation and exhalation through the mouth, the lips become chapped and dry. During such a period, it is especially important to know how to keep your lips moisturized.

Diagnosis of cheilitis

There are no specific laboratory tests to detect cheilitis. All diagnosis of the disease is carried out by visual examination. To determine the causes of inflammation, diagnostics of the gastrointestinal tract may be prescribed for the presence of Crohn's disease or ulcerative colitis. Additionally, allergy tests are performed to exclude food allergies.

General laboratory tests allow you to check the condition of the body and determine the possible causes of cheilitis:

• low levels of vitamins due to hypovitaminosis can provoke exfoliative cheilitis;
• bacterial cultures of smears and biopsies are performed in patients with immune system disorders in the absence of results from the treatment;
• testing for markers of HIV infection, herpes, the presence of fungal or bacterial microflora, respectively, allows us to identify the viral, bacterial or fungal causative agent of cheilitis;
• a blood test for anemia, ESR are required to assess general health;
• examination of the function of the thyroid and pancreas for endocrine pathologies.

On a note! Cheilitis tends to be chronic with periodic relapses. Self-healing without medical supervision is almost impossible, so try to pay attention to such a “minor” problem and consult a specialist. Diagnosis of the disease is carried out by a general practitioner or attending dentist. In some cases, consultation with an allergist, infectious diseases specialist, dermatovenerologist or gastroenterologist may be required.

What should healthy lips look like?

Those who know how to moisturize their lips can boast of their naturally beautiful appearance. The natural red hue is due to the location of blood vessels near the surface.

Signs of healthy lips:

• smooth skin;
• smooth texture;
• pleasant natural shade;
• no peeling or cracking.

Healthy lips have even, uniform pigmentation without light or dark areas. Healthy skin looks elastic, it is not prone to irritation, peeling and allergies.

If a whitened area is detected, it means that the delicate skin does not receive enough hydration or there are not enough vitamins in the body:

• A,
• E,
• WITH.

First you need to learn how to use the right cosmetics. This applies to all people, because even if there are no problems with the lips, a careful attitude will not be superfluous.

You need to be able to choose the right cosmetics. And the first thing people pay attention to is the composition. Oil-based products should contain only natural ingredients:

• jojoba oil,
• cocoa,
• shi,
• nut oils.

It is best to buy products at a pharmacy or labeled “pharmacy product”. This means that cosmetics:

• passed dermatological tests,
• approved by experts
• considered safe.

In addition to moisturizers, there are small life hacks to improve the color and contour of your lips.

Shock freezing is often used: using ice to massage the lips. With prolonged exposure to cold, the appearance of the lips deteriorates, but short periods of exposure to shock cold cause the capillaries to expand sharply. Blood flows closer to the skin and provides:

• more active saturation with oxygen and nutrients,
• more saturated lip color.

The most common advice for lip care is the use of special lipstick. But there are several ways to moisturize your lips without chapstick.

Treatment of cheilitis

Different forms of cheilitis differ in their approach to treatment. Collectively, the impact may include:

• correction of the psycho-emotional sphere - a neurologist prescribes sedatives, tranquilizers, a psychologist or psychotherapist conducts appropriate psychotherapy;
• physiotherapy - treatment with laser, ultrasound, magnetotherapy, electrophoresis is prescribed locally; they relieve irritation and accelerate tissue regeneration;
• drug symptomatic therapy - non-hormonal anti-inflammatory drugs are prescribed; in case of severe inflammation - hormonal drugs;
• immunotherapy – strengthen the immune system by taking immunomodulators and immunostimulants;
• vitamin therapy - taking vitamins A, C, group B (mainly vitamin B2) is of great importance;
• surgical treatment – ​​typical for glandular cheilitis with enlargement of the salivary glands; Both laser ablation with a surgical laser and direct removal of areas of the gland are used;
• antiallergic therapy with antihistamines.

Additionally, the doctor may prescribe diet therapy with the exclusion of foods that provoke allergies or chemical irritation of tissues (spicy foods, saltiness and marinades). When staying outdoors for a long time, it is imperative to use special protective equipment.

TOP 5 salon techniques

Women who are faced with dry lip skin sometimes do not know what to do with such a deficiency.

The most effective and fastest results are provided by cosmetic procedures. Here are the most popular ones:

Laser resurfacing

Used quite often. The essence of the method is to eliminate dead skin particles using a laser beam.

Sanding is not for everyone. If there are deep injuries, you will have to heal them first.

Non-injection hydration with hyaluronic acid

The surface of the lips is pre-cleaned. Then a concentrated composition of useful components and vitamins is applied.

Therapeutic substances penetrate deep into tissues using an electroporation apparatus.

The procedure provides complete hydration, improved color, and increased volume. The results obtained will last 2 – 4 months.

After this, you will need to repeat the manipulations. The impact of the unit is carried out under local anesthesia, so pain is not felt.

CONTRAINDICATIONS

1. women during pregnancy and breastfeeding;
2. people with malignant and benign tumors;
3. patients with diabetes mellitus;
4. patients with pathologies of the cardiovascular system.

Injection method

To replenish the lack of moisture, special fillers are used. They contain hyaluronic acid and lidocoine, which are necessary for painless injections. This procedure is called contour plastic surgery.

The result is not only hydration, but also enlargement of the lip area. This fact stops many.

But you need to understand that it is not necessary to greatly enlarge your lips, since an experienced doctor can introduce a small amount of fillers, so you will not notice much of a difference in size.

You can also perform lip biorevitalization. This is a procedure during which hyaluronic acid is injected into the skin layers.

In this case, the lips do not change in size, but enormous hydration occurs.

Vitamin complex

A mask enriched with vitamins is applied to the surface of the lips. The composition also includes other substances with beneficial properties:

• fixed oils;
• natural fruit acids;
• nutritional ingredients;
• beeswax.

A pronounced positive result will be visible after the first visit to the cosmetologist’s office.

Collagen mask

Suitable for quickly getting rid of flaking, giving softness and smoothness to the skin. The therapeutic effect of the mask lasts for 5 hours.

However, the procedure cannot be repeated too often. The ideal option would be sessions held twice a week.

Proper care (4 stages)

To prevent your lips from drying out, you need to surround them with care and attention.

With proper regular care, you will never know what tightness, cracks, or jams are. Daily care includes 4 stages.

Cleansing

Twice a day, dirt, decorative cosmetics, and dust are removed from the skin.

The procedure is carried out using a cotton pad moistened with micellar water, lotion, nourishing cream or any other makeup remover with a plant base.

If none of the above is at hand, plain warm water will do.

Exfoliation

Peeling is necessary for deep cleansing of the epidermis. The procedure will be especially relevant in the presence of peeling.

Soft cosmetic preparations are suitable. Exfoliation is carried out once a week to remove dead skin cells.

Massage

Performed together with peeling, as well as daily, as an independent procedure. The ideal massage is carried out with a soft toothbrush for a few minutes.

It is carried out intensively, but carefully. The lips are first lubricated with cream or vegetable oil.

Hydration and nutrition

Both effects are achieved by daily use of hygienic lipstick or moisturizing gel. Almond, olive, and shea oils are good for this.

These substances provide hydration, nourish the skin, and accelerate wound healing.

Before going to bed, nourishing products are applied to the skin to saturate the tissues with vitamins and give it a velvety feel. Purchased products must have a special composition.

The most useful will be: fatty acids, peptides, herbal extracts, hyaluronic acid, vitamins B, A, E, plant oils.

Expert opinion

• Cosmetologist
• Surgeon

Michelle Ellern

practicing cosmetologist-dermatologist

Dry lip skin, covered with cracks and crusts, does not look very pleasant and brings a lot of discomfort. To get rid of the deficiency and restore health and beauty to the skin, you can use salon methods, pharmaceutical preparations, as well as folk recipes. It is in combination that you can get an excellent effect. Proper daily care will help prevent problems from occurring.

Theda Contis

plastic surgeon

The skin on the lips is very thin and delicate and reacts sharply to any irritants.
Negative influences in the form of temperature changes, weather or stress cause harm to sensitive skin. Dry skin on the lips and around the mouth is a serious drawback that can greatly ruin your appearance. For complete elimination, you need to consult a specialist. It is better to entrust the choice of the appropriate method to a cosmetologist. Caring manipulations will protect the sensitive skin of the lips from the negative effects of many factors, maintaining its health and attractiveness.

It is easier to prevent a deficiency from occurring than to fight it later in every possible way.

Allergic cheilitis

A disease that develops in allergy sufferers upon contact with an allergen and affects the surface of the lips. Typical manifestations of this type of cheilitis are a feeling of itching and burning on the lips, dryness and significant discomfort. The lips begin to dry and peel, and the scales of dead epithelium begin to flake off.

The main cause of this disease is the patient’s increased sensitivity to external irritants, in particular to allergens. Allergic, or, as it is also called, contact cheilitis can develop gradually.

It all depends on the patient’s personal sensitivity to allergens, and it can develop over several weeks, months and even years. The duration of this process is determined by the peculiarities of the endocrine system, as well as the degree of manifestation of allergic reactions.

This disease practically does not appear in children. According to statistics, most patients with allergic cheilitis are women over twenty years of age.

Causes of the disease

In most cases, allergic cheilitis is caused by contact allergic irritants. Among the most common allergens that cause cheilitis is lipstick. It is not the lipstick itself that is dangerous, but the substances it contains - rhodamine, eosin and others. Provoking factors also include low-quality dental implants and plastic dentures.

Allergic manifestations may appear after contact with citrus fruits, as well as in patients who have the habit of chewing pencils or pens. The disease is also common for those whose work involves playing wind instruments or hazardous chemical production.

Symptoms of the disease

The disease manifests itself as hyperemia and swelling of the lips, as well as a sensation of itching and burning, accompanied by the formation of erythema. Small painful blisters appear and burst on the affected areas of the lips. If the pathogenic process is prolonged, over time, small scars and scars will form in their place on the lips. Dry lips only increase over time.

Inflammation almost never extends beyond the red border around the lips. In rare cases, it may spread to adjacent skin. Sometimes the inflammatory process moves to the oral mucosa. This form of allergic cheilitis is characterized by hyperemia (significant redness of the tissues), the appearance of noticeable swelling of the tissues, and when trying to palpate, pain occurs.

Diagnosis and treatment

Diagnosis of the disease is carried out by a dentist together with an allergist. To determine the allergen, it is necessary to conduct allergy tests.

When making a diagnosis, it is important to distinguish allergic and atopic cheilitis, as well as exclude exfoliative and actinic cheilitis. Treatment of this disease includes the mandatory elimination of the irritant or allergen that caused it.

Systemic (general) and topical (local) drug therapy is used. General therapy refers to the use of medications taken orally. To relieve allergy symptoms, a course of antihistamines is used. If the case is sufficiently complex, the use of corticosteroids may be indicated. In addition, calcium supplements may be prescribed.

Local treatment of allergic cheilitis includes the use of a variety of emollient oils, ointments and balms based on sea buckthorn, vitamin E and others. To avoid the recurrence of the pathology, it is necessary to take an allergy test in order to eliminate any contact with the allergen in the future. It is also advisable to reconsider your diet and carefully consider the choice of cosmetics.

Signs of deficiency

Both children and adults encounter unpleasant phenomena. Doctors call redness, soreness and peeling with one term - cheilitis.

Signs of this defect include:

• redness;
• burning sensation;
• cracks with edges turning into scales;
• tightness and swelling;
• discomfort;
• flaking crusts, bloody or white;
• tingling when drinking drinks and food;
• jams in corners;
• constant thirst.

It is important to figure out the cause of dry lip skin as quickly as possible. Perhaps the deficiency is caused by a common cold or improper daily care.