Dry lips (Chapped Lips)
Why do I have dry lips?
Our lips can become dry, cracked, or chapped for many reasons, but there are a few common ones. Often something irritates our lips, like cold, dry air (especially mountain air in the winter), licking our lips, chemicals in some lips products, and sunburns. Some medications that can dry our skin out also dry out our lips—isotretinoin (or Accutane) is notorious for this.
Dry lips can be very frustrating—they crack, peel, and even bleed. Then, we want to lick our dry lips more frequently, but our saliva can make it worse. Because winters are often less humid, lips dry out even more in the winter. Some chemicals in lip balms can cause allergic reactions, even if the products are natural or organic.
How do I fix dry lips (chapped lips)?
When you have dry or chapped lips, you need to frequently moisturize to get them better.
Use a very bland, thick moisturizer (Vaseline or Aquaphor) many times a day or a urea-based lip balm works really well if the lips are peeling (Flexitol Lip Balm). Apply a thick layer at bedtime (no one is going to see you).
Do your best not to lick your lips to moisten them—your saliva has enzymes that can irritate already dry skin on the lips.
If the lips are irritated or red, apply over-the-counter hydrocortisone (hydrocortisone 1% cream or ointment) a few times a day with Vaseline or Aquaphor on top. Some companies (FixMySkin, Dr. Dan’s) make lip balms that contain hydrocortisone.
Can lips get sunburned?
When you are out in the sun, your lips can burn just like the rest of your skin, so either apply sunscreen to your lips (this usually tastes bad) or apply a lip balm with sunscreen—I have two favorites here: Tizo Lip Protectant SPF 45 or Elta MD UV Lip Balm, but several other companies make great products (including Aquaphor). See below:
What if my dry lips aren’t getting better?
Usually, the steps above can help most people get their dry, chapped lips better. If you have painful cracks at the corners of the mouth, this is called perleche (see Perleche article). Sometimes people have sensitive skin or are allergic to one or more chemicals that touch their lips. Some skin conditions cause dry lips and when over-the-counter options are not working, there are stronger prescription topical steroids or patch testing that can be used to look for common skin allergies. Look for a board-certified dermatologist in your area. If you are in or near Utah, see one of my excellent colleagues at the University of Utah or me virtually with Honeydew.
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