Dry lips result from a lack of moisture in the skin on the lips and usually are caused by dry or cold weather, sunburn, wind exposure or excessive licking of the lips. Common dry lips symptoms include inflammation, redness, tingling or burning and a peeling or cracking when speaking or smiling. Recognizing the most common dry lips symptoms can aid in the proper care and treatment of the condition.
Also referred to as cracked lips or chapped lips, dry lips are often marked by a mild-to-severe dryness, peeling of the skin or breaks on the surface of the skin. Dry lips also might become very painful and result in bleeding if they are not properly treated. Too much lip licking also can lead to a red ring around the mouth, creating further problems. Other general symptoms of dry lips might include headache, a thirsty feeling, rash or nasal congestion. Cracked lips or dry lips are a symptom in and of themselves and can accompany other mouth problems, including canker sores, cold sores and dry mouth.
In many cases, a person can treat his or her dry lips symptoms in the home. For example, lip balm or petroleum jelly will coat the lips with moisture. Skin moisturizer, vitamin E oil or aloe vera gel also will suffice. If the dry lips symptoms are severe enough, a medicated lip balm might be needed. Dry lips are commonly caused by a lack of moisture to the skin, so drinking plenty of fluids will also help keep a person hydrated. Using zinc oxide is another way to prevent chapped lips.
Other prevention methods include using a humidifier in the home. This will help keep the air in the home moist and improve the overall health of one’s skin. Quitting smoking will also help a person retain the natural oils in his or her lips, thus keeping the lips moist. Additionally, using sunscreen on a daily basis, even in the winter, will help prevent skin damage. Cracked lips also can be the result of a riboflavin deficiency, so taking a vitamin B-2 supplement will help alleviate the symptoms and prevent further problems.
If dry lips symptoms do not disappear or if they get worse, it could indicate a more severe medical problem or condition, such as dehydration. Severe dehydration can lead to electrolyte imbalances, thus resulting in shock, coma or even death. A person should seek prompt medical attention in these cases.
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julies
Post 13 |
@bagley79 - I also struggled with dry lips in the winter and found myself constantly applying lip balm, but nothing seemed to work very well.
I finally decided to make my own and see if that would make a difference. It is very easy to do and all I needed to do was get some lip balm containers from a health food store or a soap supply company.
My lip balm contains olive oil, beeswax, a little bit of honey and a couple drops of Vitamin E. Since I raise honeybees, I use my own beeswax. You can usually get beeswax from a local beekeeper or buy it the same place you buy your lip balm tubes.
This only takes a few minutes to melt and works better than anything else I have ever used at keeping my lips from getting dry. I don't have to apply it nearly as often, and I went all winter without my lips cracking like they usually would.
I also like to add a few drops of peppermint essential oil for a nice crisp, minty flavor. |
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bagley79
Post 12 |
One thing I can't stand is dry lips. I always said if I was stranded on an island, I would somehow have to have my lip balm with me.
This is something I always have in my pocket, my purse, in my desk drawer, and by my nightstand. I apply lip balm many times throughout the day and feel naked if I don't have it on.
In the winter I have to do this more often because they get so dry. I find myself licking my lips if they get too dry, and this only makes them worse.
Even with applying the lip balm several times a day, they can still get dry and cracked in the winter. Does anybody have a good solution for this? |
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cloudel
Post 11 |
@shell4life – It sounds like you may need to exfoliate your lips. If you are putting a product on top of dead skin that needs to be removed, that could be the reason for the white lumps.
You can use your fingernail to scrape across your lips before applying anything. Wash off whatever gets trapped under your nail and scrape them again. When nothing else comes off, you can then apply a lip moisturizer.
Just like the skin on my face, sometimes, my lips need exfoliating. I have discovered that doing this regularly makes using a lip moisturizer so much easier, and it can be more effective, too. |
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shell4life
Post 10 |
Am I the only one who has noticed that most types of lip balm in tubes actually exacerbate the symptoms of dry lips? Any time I use the solid, waxy stuff, my lips seem to peel even more.
I guess it is the actual product lumping up and peeling off of my lips, but this is no good, either. If it won't stay on there, how can it help me?
I have switched to gooey lip gloss. It is kind of sticky and messy, but at least it doesn't form white patches that have to be scraped off with my fingernail. |
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wavy58
Post 9 |
@burcidi – I know plenty of guys who wear some sort of lip conditioner. Like you, they stick to the plain ones and avoid scented or colored ones.
My friend at work always wore a certain type of lip conditioner. His mother worked at a pharmacy, and she would often buy it for him and bring it to him.
One day, she accidentally brought him the shimmery kind. It looked just like the other in the tube, and it wasn't until he opened it that he discovered the glittery purple product inside.
He gave it to me. I loved it. My lips are continually dry if I don't use something, and this product was perfect.
It was mint flavored, tinted, shimmery, and wonderfully moisturizing. I was glad that his mother made that mistake, because I now have a new favorite lip conditioner! |
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lighth0se33
Post 8 |
@Sara007 – That is a really inventive idea! I know that petroleum jelly is super moisturizing, so I bet your homemade lip balm does wonders for dry lips.
My lips are dry year round, so I always have to keep something on them. As soon as I get that chapped, uncomfortable feeling, I know it is time to reapply whatever I'm using.
If I happen to be wearing lipstick when my lips start to dry out, I apply petroleum jelly on top of the lipstick. This way, it has the same effect as a tinted lip balm.
I have found that most kinds of lipstick do make my lips dry after an hour or so. Petroleum jelly allows me to wear color on my lips without the unattractive peeling and cracking. |
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popcorn
Post 7 |
My lips always get really dry in the wintertime and it can actually get painful to eat or drink anything, and smiling is out of the question. What I usually end up doing is buying some medicated lip balm from the pharmacy and keeping that on hand. The only problem I find though is that when I put on the medicated lip balm it stings like crazy. Does anyone know how to treat badly chapped lips without it hurting?
I like the medicated lip balm because it works quickly, and after the initial sting almost numbs my lips, so I can't feel the soreness anymore. But still, that initial application really hurts. |
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Sara007
Post 6 |
My husband is always getting dry lips and it makes him really uncomfortable. He doesn't like to use any kind of lip balm, but I have managed to get him to use some simple petroleum jelly in a small container.
What is interesting about the petroleum jelly is that you can also use it to make your own lip gloss at home to keep dry lips at bay. What I do is use some Kool-aid powder in a flavor I like and mix it with a bit of water in a dish. I add some food coloring until I get a shade I like then put in the petroleum jelly. It does wonders to help your dry lips and is an easy way to control what goes in your lip gloss.
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burcidi
Post 5 |
I'm a guy and I regularly use lip conditioning products as well. For some reason, people think it's weird or awkward for men to wear anything other than a mint flavored chapstick. But chapsticks don't always do a great job and I have a horrible habit of licking my licks very often.
If my lips are dry, red and cracked, I feel really uncomfortable. The skin peels off and it hurts when drinking and eating. It also looks very bad and unattractive and I don't think it's okay to go to work and talk to people with lips like that.
I think there is nothing wrong with a guy using a lip conditioner. It's a skin condition just like any other. Just as we use face creams and after-shave creams to keep our face moisturized, we can use lip products to keep our lips moisturized too. I do stay away from the ones that have fruity smells or a tint to them though because those are clearly made for women. |
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anamur
Post 4 |
@icecream17-- That used to be the case but more and more brands seem to be making lip balms and chapsticks with SPF and UVA protection these days. You might have a hard time finding a good one at the pharmacy, but if you check out some of the more well known and more expensive brands, you'll see lots of options.
I think as doctors find out more and more about the risks and side effects of sun exposure, manufacturers are incorporating sun protection into more products. Lip care is especially important because our lips are the thinnest skin layer our body has. So it's the most vulnerable to rough weather conditions and dangerous sun rays. |
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alisha
Post 3 |
My lips generally become very dry and chapped in wintertime. The cold air is really drying for lips. I usually don't realize how dry it is until my lips crack and bleed.
I wear a mouth guard at night to prevent clenching my teeth. That tends to stretch my lips out a little bit and if my lips are dry, I wake up with cracked lips that bled a little at night. My lips feel really tight and hurt a lot then.
That's why I've incorporated a lip balm in my night skin care routine. I always apply chapstick or lipbalm on my lips before sleeping. I try and keep one in my purse too so that I can use it outdoors as well. |
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icecream17
Post 2 |
@Cafe41 - I agree but what I don’t like about some of these lip balms is that many of them don’t contain sunscreen.
There are so many lipsticks that are formulated with sunscreen that I don’t understand why they can’t make lip balm that also has sunscreen. I just wear moisturizing lipstick instead of lip balm because I like to have color on my lips and I also like the sun protection. |
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cafe41
Post 1 |
I have woken up to dry lips. Sometimes if I don’t drink enough water, by lips will peel a little. Once I drink some water this goes away and my lips become smooth again.
I also use some Burt’s beeswax lip balm to moisturize my lips and it is the best lip balm that I have ever used. It really moisturizes your lips and it takes very little of the lip balm to really make your lips feel smooth.
This lip balm is really effective to counter chapped lips due to windburn which happens to me a lot in the winter. I just wish they would come out with a lip balm that had some color to it, like a lip tint. That would be great. |
