Find out why it happens and what to do about it.
By Liesa Goins
Reviewed by Louise Chang, MD
When it comes to battling the elements, your skin serves as your front line of defense. But it's your lips that really bear the brunt of the attack from sun, wind, cold, and dry air. When compared to the skin on the rest of your face,lips are the most vulnerable to drying out.
"In fact, research shows you lose up to 10 times more moisture through your lips than you do elsewhere on the face or body," says Los Angeles dermatologist Jessica Wu, MD
Arid winter air, arctic blasts of wind, and the low humidity indoors all lead to a crisis for your lips in the form of dehydration. Once moisture is sapped from skin cells, they become fragile so your lips develop tiny splits and cracks. These tiny tears are what make chapped lips so painful -- heat, acidic food, even toothpaste can aggravate raw skin, Wu says.
Licking Your Lips: The Problem
We can be our own worst enemy, says Scottsdale, Ariz., dermatologist Jennifer Linder, MD, clinical instructor at the University of California San Francisco. The instinct to lick your lips makes the chapping worse, Linder says.
"As saliva evaporates, it dehydrates skin further," Linder tells WebMD. Saliva also contains acids that help break down food. Those acids only cause irritation when sitting on compromised lip skin, Linder says.
Another mistake people make in the effort to treat chapped lips: scrubbing, peeling or biting off skin flakes. "Picking at the already thin skin of the lips can lead to bleeding and severe discomfort," Linder says. "This slows the healing process and irritates the skin further."
Worst case: You can develop an infection from dirt and bacteria entering the cracks and splits on your mouth.
Keep Balm and Carry On
Your lips need a shield to stay in shape. A balm acts like a winterizing layer -- like a hat or scarf -- to provide a buffer between delicate skin and brutal weather, Linder says. Not to mention you have hot, dry indoor air to contend with, so never let your lips go nude.
For a non-waxy stick, the experts interviewed for this story like Avene Cold Cream Lip Balm, Fresh Sugar Lip Treatment, and Softlips Pure Pomegranate Organic Lip Conditioner.
Petrolatum is one of the most common occlusive agents, but also look for castor seed oil, shea butter, sunflower seed oil, or squalane to nourish cracked lips. Linder suggests ingredients such as hyaluronic acid, sodium PCA, and glycerin to ensure your lips stay moist. Wu suggests Kiehl's Lip Balm #1 containing squalane and natural oils. The experts interviewed for this story also like the petrolatum-based Aquaphor Healing Ointment and Vaseline Lip Therapy.
Another ingredient to look for: SPF, even if you're closer to a Pole than the Equator. The sun's rays can cause damage even in sub-Arctic temperatures. If your lip skin has been compromised by UV rays, you're more susceptible to dry lips. So a sun shield is crucial in the fight against lip flakes. Aveeno Lip Conditioner Essential Moisture SPF 15 and Blistex Lip Infusion SPF 15 won praise from the experts interviewed for this story.
Balms Away
There are some lip treatments that do more harm than good, says Steven K. Grekin, DO, clinical associate professor of dermatology at Des Moines University College of Osteopathic Medicine and Surgery in Iowa.
"Many ingredients can cause dryness and irritation, including eucalyptus, menthol, and camphor," Grekin tells WebMD.
Sealing Your Lips
The key to avoiding cracked, flaky lips is to balm early and often. Wu advises wearing a thick layer of ointment to bed. "Many of us sleep with our mouths open, causing our lips to dry out." Applying a treatment at bedtime means you'll be less likely to wake up with chapping. One expert favorite: Neosporin Lip Health Overnight Renewal Therapy.
Buy a few tubes at the drugstore and keep them within arm's reach at all times -- stash one in the car, near the bed, at your desk. That way you don't have to hunt down a tube to reapply.
Grekin also suggests using a humidifier in your home, especially at night, to keep your skin's moisture levels replenished. Drinking plenty of water will also help fight dehydration, another cause of chapped lips, Wu says.
http://www.webmd.com/
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