How to Overcome Chapped and Sore Lips (with Pictures)

2024 Author: Jason Gerald | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 10:50

Chapped, dry, or sore lips are common when the weather is dry and cold. Chronically dry lips can be a symptom of a more serious illness, but chapped lips are usually treated using home remedies. See Step 1 onwards below to learn how to keep your lips soft and supple again.

Step

Part 1 of 2: Treating Chapped Lips with Home Remedies

Step 1. Drink lots of water

Drinking 8-10 glasses of water every day is the ideal step. When the body is dehydrated, the first visible sign is on the lips. The more water you drink, the better!

Step 2. Don't lick or bite your lips

These two habits can make your lips drier and lead to infection or cold blisters. When your lips are chapped, avoid the urge to lick them constantly or bite them.

Step 3. Exfoliate the lips

Before applying any ointment, remove dead skin cells by exfoliating. Exfoliating will make the skin of the lips fresh and the lips will recover. Don't rub your lips so hard that it can make things worse. Rub the lips gently. You can exfoliate your lips using the same ingredients you used to exfoliate your body. Try one of the following ingredients:

Use an exfoliating concoction of salt or granulated sugar. Dab the mixture on the lips and rub in a circular motion, to remove dead skin cells. Your lips will feel soft and refreshed.
Use a brush for exfoliation. The easiest brush to use is the toothbrush! Make sure the toothbrush is clean. Small toothbrushes can also be used. Rub on lips in circular motions to remove dead skin cells.
Do not use special soap for exfoliation. Facial soap that contains scrub granules and special exfoliating soap will make the lips even more dry.

Step 4. Apply the ointment

Be careful with over-the-counter ointments or chapsticks you use to treat chapped lips. Many chapsticks and ointments contain ingredients that will dry out your lips even more, so you'll have to apply them over and over again.

Look for a lip balm or chapstick that contains beeswax, shea butter, almond oil, and natural moisturizers, and no added ingredients. Don't choose a lip balm that contains too many ingredients that you can't name.
Ointments based on vitamin E or glycerin containing natural ingredients can also help.
If you want to moisturize your lips, avoid using lipstick. Lipstick can dry out your lips. You need to apply moisturizer before applying lipstick.

Step 5. Apply the oil

For a lip treat with extra moisture, rub a little oil on the lipstick. The oil will relieve pain and moisturize the lips while also preventing chapping. The following oils can help soothe lips:

Coconut oil
Almond oil
Jojoba oil
Olive oil

Step 6. Relieve the stinging of the lips

If your chapped lips are so severe that they hurt when you smile, treat them with home remedies so they don't sting anymore. Here are some suggestions for easing it:

Rubbing cucumber slices on the lips for 10 minutes every day is also known to be effective.
Rubbing aloe vera on the lips can relieve pain.
Rubbing a little honey on your lips will moisturize and make your lips feel better.

Step 7. Avoid excessive use of skin care products

This includes flavored cosmetics and lip balms. These products can dry out the lips.

Step 8. Use a fluoride-free toothpaste

Some people have an allergy to fluoride which not only affects the lips but also causes irritation to the mouth. Change your toothpaste and see if it changes.

Step 9. Use a humidifier in your home or office

The space in the house that is heated in winter causes the air to become dry. Try installing a humidifier. This tool humidifies the air in the room so that the lips are also moist.

Part 2 of 2: Treating the Main Causes of Chapped Lips

Step 1. Consider your diet

Increase the amount of necessary vitamins in your diet by eating better or taking supplements such as vitamin pills.

Step 2. Try not to sleep or breathe with your mouth open

If you wake up in the morning with dry and chapped lips, then it may be because your mouth was open during sleep. The air in and out of the mouth all night can dry out the lips. See if changing your sleeping position can make a difference.

Dry, chapped lips can also be caused by breathing through your mouth when you have a cold. Try loosening your nostrils so that you can breathe in through your nose as often as possible.
Wearing a dental guard, retainer (a device to maintain the position of the teeth after braces treatment is complete), or other devices that cause the mouth to open can also be a problem.
If you can't keep your mouth open while sleeping, apply a good lip balm before bed.

Step 3. Pay attention to whether your lips are chapped due to the environment

For example, lips that are not moisturized will have problems when the wind is blowing hard. Being in a very dry place for a long time can cause dry and chapped lips. If the environment is the cause, you will need to take extra protection of your lips when you leave the house.

Step 4. Treat chapped lips from the sun

Your skin can be damaged by the sun, as can your lips. Yes, lips can get sunburnt and it hurts a lot! Treat chapped lips from the sun with aloe vera to help the burned lips heal faster. Use a chapstick with an SPF of at least 15.

Step 5. Notice if smoking or chewing something is the problem

Anything that comes into contact with the lips on a regular basis can affect the condition. Chemicals in cigarettes, chewing gum, and processed snacks can cause dry, chapped lips.

Step 6. Find out if a vitamin deficiency is the cause

Certain vitamins are key to maintaining healthy skin and lips. These vitamins include vitamins A, B, C, B2, (riboflavin deficiency) and E. Make sure you get plenty of these vitamins to avoid chapped lips.

Step 7. Find out if you have any allergies

Many cases of chapped and dry lips are the result of negative reactions to cosmetics and skin care products. Excessive use of commercial products can worsen the condition that is being treated.

Step 8. Note whether this condition is the effect of the treatment you are running

Certain medications can cause the lips to become dry and cracked. If this condition occurs at the same time as the start of a new treatment procedure, talk to your doctor about this possibility.

Step 9. Watch for more serious conditions

If none of the things above are the cause of problem lips, then it could be a symptom of a much more serious problem. Talk to your doctor if you suspect that your sore lips are from a seemingly unrelated disease. Some of the diseases that may be the cause are:

Diabetes. If you have diabetes or have a family history of the disease, this may be the cause of sore lips.
Kawasaki disease.

This rare but serious blood disorder is a cause of chronic dry lips.
Sjogren's syndrome.

It is a kind of autoimmune disease that can damage the tear ducts and similar glands which is also a common cause of serious chapped lips.
Macrocytosis. A blood disorder in which the average size of red blood cells increases at dangerous levels.
Sexually transmitted diseases. These diseases including HIV and other diseases can be the cause of chronic chapped lips.

Tips

Don't lick your lips. Licking the lips does feel good, but when the saliva evaporates, the lips will feel even more sore.
Don't try to exfoliate dry lips. This will make things worse. Let the lip balm and lip balm do the work!!
If the skin on the lips is peeling, do not exfoliate by hand. This will cause injury and bleeding.
Sleep with lips that have been affixed with a thick moisturizer.
Dab a lot of lip balm and don't touch your lips because they can dry out even more. Chapped lips can also get worse if you have a cold. If you have a stuffy nose, don't try to breathe through your mouth as this can irritate your lips.
Do not expose lips to cold / strong winds because they can cause chapping.
Do not use chapstick with flavors. Use a special chapstick for treatment. This will help with chapped lips.
Protect your lips from the sun as much as your skin.
Avoid rubbing your lips with objects in your mouth such as braces or retainers. This can cause the lips to become more sensitive and worsen the condition of the lips.
Apply lip balm immediately when you wash your mouth or after drinking.
If your lips are dry, wet a cloth, then rub it on your lips and don't lick them. Licking your lips will make your lips dry and chapped.
Dry lips can also be caused by breathing through your mouth when your nose is blocked. Try to breathe through your nose as much as possible.
Replace your toothpaste with Sensodyne toothpaste. This toothpaste does not contain sodium lauryl sulfate, a foam-producing substance found in many toothpastes, which can aggravate ulcers and chapped lips.
Dab a lot of natural, unflavored lip balm, then put a plastic wrap on your lips, and let it sit for 5 minutes. After that, rinse the lip balm and apply a thin layer of lip balm again.
Try to stop eating salty foods like chips and don't lick your lips.
Use a natural moisturizer made from nut and seed oils. Here are some examples:
- Coconut oil
- Jojoba oil
- Olive oil
- Cocoa oil or shea butter
- Rose seed oil
- Olive oil and sugar in a balanced ratio.
Do not scrub your lips with a toothbrush, nail file, or other similar object.
Use over-the-counter creams, chapsticks, and medications.
- Hydrocortisone cream
- Neosporin
- cymex cream
- Special lip balm for blistered lips (bottle packaging)
If you really want to lick your lips, use a chapstick and add ice or drink very cold water.
Do not use Carmex or blistex brand moisturizers. This product will burn the lips because it contains petroleum jelly, so the lips become dry.
Use a toothbrush with soft bristles, wet it, and gently rub it over your lips so they don't hurt too much.

Warning

Do not peel the skin of the lips that are peeled off with your fingers, because it can irritate the lips and bleed.
You should also exfoliate your lips once a week to remove dead skin cells.
Many chapstick / lip balm products contain ingredients that make lips feel better, but only make things worse. For example, certain lip balms contain camphor, which can dry out your lips and make them less moisturizing. Be sure to check product labels and avoid products with these ingredients.
Avoid petroleum jelly. Although often recommended, petroleum jelly can heal quickly but actually makes lips dry. Check the ingredients in a product to make sure it doesn't contain them.
Always consult a doctor to diagnose any medical condition, especially if it does not heal within a certain period of time with home remedies. For the case of problematic lips, a dermatologist is the most qualified person to carry out the examination.