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Chapped Lips

The condition of chapped lips is a very common condition occurring in most people around the world. This is the condition in which the lips of a person become totally dry and may even crack up. This is an uncomfortable condition, and for most people, it is also a painful condition. It is a common winter condition in most people, because this is the time when the lips become excessively dried out.

Symptoms of Chapped Lips

When chapped lips occur, the main symptom that is present is the excessive drying of the lips. The dry lips are clearly visible because their outer skin begins drying and flaking out. In some people, the condition of chapped lips is accompanied by bleeding also.

Causes of Chapped Lips

The main cause of this problem is the absence of moisture from the lips which can make them dry out very quickly, leaving them chapped. This happens often in the winter season when the air is dry and it absorbs moisture from people‚’s lips. Lips have a natural protection that keeps them moist. This is a very thin oily film that is present on the lips. This retains the moisture that the lips require. However, in some cases, this film is removed, sometimes due to excessive licking habits, and this causes the lips to become chapped.

Many environmental factors are responsible for chapped lips also. We get more conditions of chapped lips after we have traveled long distance to somewhere. That is because the travel can suck the moisture of the lips and that would give rise to this condition.

Some people have a habit of licking their lips excessively. However, by continuous lickings, the natural protection wears off. That is why lips that are continuously licked are prone to becoming chapped. Some other conditions that can bring on a condition of chapped lips in people are dehydration and breathing with the mouth open.

There are certain chemical products, such as allergens and irritants that are used in the cosmetic industry. These can cause the lips to become chapped.

Treatment and Prevention of Chapped Lips

The first thing to be noted is never to moisten the lips with saliva . There are two reasons for that. Saliva contains a medium that could cause the lips to feel more pain. Also, saliva evaporates fast. So when someone licks the lips, the saliva that is deposited on it will quickly evaporate. While evaporating, it will also take the inner moisture of the lips and hence hasten their possibility of getting chapped.

You could prevent lips from getting chapped by using a proper lip cream or lip balm , which is easily available nowadays. Lips must also be covered with balm or cream when moving about in dry urban areas.

One more important point about treating chapped lips is that the diet must be full of fresh produce. Prominence must be given to foods which are easy to digest and contain high water content. Using a humidifier within the home has been recommended as a treatment approach for this condition. If your chapped lips persist, you may want to schedule an appointment with your dentist to determine the cause.