Ways to Prevent and Cure Chapped Lips

Ways to Prevent and Cure Chapped Lips
By Carolyn Anderson

You might have noticed your lips being dry, rough and cracked especially during the cold season. If you are experiencing these types of problems with your lips, be careful as you might start to develop angular cheilitis.

Angular cheilitis is a condition where there is a split in the corner of your mouth and could sometimes bleed in severe cases. Most often, this can start by chapping of the lips that lead to its the cracking at the corner of the mouth. Aside from the discomfort it gives, it can also be embarrassing as the symptoms are found on the face.

Lips that are rough, dry and cracked obviously need moisture. Most often, we sometimes lick it to provide moisture but medical experts say you could be making the condition worst, as saliva can make an environment suitable for bacterial or fungal infections, which could lead to angular cheilitis.

If not being attended to, you may continue to feel discomfort while your lips may start to get sore and painful. Before making it worst, it is always wise to seek for treatment. You can also find readily available means to prevent and cure chapped lips such as home remedies, and of course, avoiding its causes to prevent it from occurring.

Most often, the chapping of the lips may be due to exposure to cold, dry air, the wind and the sun. If your body is not hydrated well, it can also lose moisture in the lips and result to chapping. Chapping can also occur if you are allergic to some components of your lipstick or some acne medication. Deficiencies in Vitamin B12, Iron and Zinc have been also linked to the formation of severe lip cracking and angular cheilitis.

* Do not lick your chapped lips. You might be tempted to lick your lips to soothe the condition instantly, but it is important always to keep in mind that this can worsen the chapping and may lead to infection.

* Use a lip balm or cream to soothe your lips and lock the moisture on it. You may want to avoid flavored lip balms so you will also avoid licking them. It is also wise to choose natural lip balms and creams to get rid of the side effects.

* Stay hydrated. Drink plenty of water to keep your body as well as your lips hydrated.

* Get rid of your lipstick. If you think you are allergic to some components of your lipstick, get rid of it. Choose hypoallergenic lipstick and cosmetics if you really need to use one.

* Do not get too much exposure to the sun. Again, the sun can cause your lips to dry so you might as well avoid too much exposure to the sun and avoid being sunburned. Choose a lip balm with sunscreen to protect your lips.

* Consult a doctor. If you think you have severe cracking of the lips, and any of the home remedies does not seem to help, consulting a doctor is your best move to deal with the condition. There are medications and ointment used to cure chapped lips but always consult your doctor before buying these medications. Do not experiment.

Carolyn Anderson advocates natural ways to healing. To learn about quick and easy ways to cure angular cheilitis, check out the Angular Cheilitis Foundation. For effective acne solutions, check out Acne No More, for proven natural acne cures.

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