Why do lips dry: causes and methods of control
29 February 01:32
Perhaps everyone has experienced dryness, flaking, cracking and even crusting of the lips at least once in their lives. In medicine, all these problems are referred to by a single term – cheilitis. What factors can cause it and how to treat it? A practicing cosmetologist, Tatiana Otechko, who has a medical degree and 8 years of experience in cosmetology, tells about this on Instagram, Kommersant Ukrainian reports
Causes of dry lips
There are many types of cheilitis, and treatment may vary from case to case. So, the causes of dry lips include:
- Eczematous cheilitis, which can occur in people with eczema or dermatitis.
- Meteorological che ilitis is dry lips that occurs during the cold season and is very common in adults or children.
- Allergic contact cheilitis. An allergic reaction and, as a result, dry lips can be triggered by many factors, such as the use of new lip glosses, lipsticks, foods/supplements, toothpaste, mouthwash, metal crowns, medications, etc.
- Angular cheilitis, which manifests itself as dryness in the corners of the lips.
- Smoking.
- Deficiency of iron or B vitamins. One of the most characteristic manifestations of dryness in this case can be recurrent sores in the corners of the mouth, so if you have such a problem, the doctor advises you to check the level of ferritin.
- Treatment with retinoids.
- Bitingor licking the skin of the lips. Sometimes people do it unconsciously or have a bad habit.
- A number of autoimmune diseases, such as Crohn’s disease or certain thyroid disorders, etc.
It is worth noting that the above list of causes is not exhaustive and it is important to consider each case individually.
How to deal with dry lips?
The cosmetologist says that, unfortunately, there is no single method of treating cheilitis, as this condition can be caused by bad habits, stress, and certain internal pathologies and health problems.
However, it’s important to keep your lips moisturised and use nourishing lip balms or oils. This advice is especially relevant when dealing with meteorological cheilitis, which causes dryness and provokes the appearance of cracked lips in cold, frosty weather.
What balms should I use for dry lips?
Cosmetologist Tatiana advises a number of products that will help to keep lips moisturised:
- Sesderma Fillderma Lip Volumiser
- Topicrem Ultra-Moisturising Lip Balm
- Bioderma Atoderm Lip Stick
- La Roche-Posav Cicaplast Levres
- Bioderma Atoderm Levres
- Uriage Xemose Moisturising Lipstick
- SVR Cicavit
- Image Skincare Ormedic Sheer Pink Lip Enhancement Complex
- SVR Topialyse Levres
Repairing Nourishing
Care - Medik8 Mutiny
- Sesderma Laboratories Silkses Moisturising Lip Protector
More radical methods to combat dry lips
For additional and long-term hydration of the lips, the beautician advises to undergo lip contouring, which, in addition to fighting dryness, will help to gain additional volume and correct slight asymmetry. If you only need to achieve additional moisture, you can consult a beautician and use special biorevitalisers.
Author: Olya Yushko