Healing Chapped Lipsby Aimee Amodio | More from this Blogger 31 Oct 2006 11:11 AM The colder weather can bring all sorts of physical changes -- with the heat on, your skin tends to dry out more easily. And that includes your lips! If you suffer from dry, chapped lips during the winter months, try these remedies for your pucker-upper.
- Hydrate your lips... gently. Try a cool salt water compress: mix one teaspoon of salt into one pint of water. Soak a washcloth in the salt water and lay it over your lips. Pat dry. Try this treatment daily for a week -- just before bed is a good time -- to relieve and repair those chapped lips.
- Seal in the moisture. Try Vaseline or a lip balm that contains lanolin to help your lips retain moisture.
- Try hydrocortisone to help your lips heal. Use an over-the-counter one percent hydrocortisone ointment daily for a week or two.
- Stop licking your lips! It isn't easy -- it's an unconscious behavior, like blinking. But if you can lick your lips less often, you can give them a chance to heal.
- Use a lip balm that contains sunscreen. This is a good idea all year, not just during the summer!
Not sure why you have chapped lips? Here are some common causes.
- Lack of moisture. Dry air makes moisture evaporate from your lips (and skin) more quickly.
- Lip licking. If you lick your lips too often, you're actually helping dry them out more quickly.
- Sunburn. It isn't just for summer! Too much sun can dry your lips out.
- Allergies. Some people are allergic to the dyes in lipstick. Choose a hypoallergenic lipstick just to be safe.
- Mouth shape. If your lips turn down at the corners, you may find that your lips get chapped in the corners of your mouth.
chapped lips, cracked lips, dry lips, lips, lipstick
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