Chapped lips: how to fix them and stop them returning
Chapped lips: stop licking them, use a plain balm often, drink water and cover up in cold wind. See a doctor if cracks last or look infected.
Chloé Petit2 min read
3 to 7 days. Costs a few dollars.
Try this first (costs nothing): stop licking your lips. Saliva dries off fast and leaves them drier than before. Then add a plain balm each time you remember.
Make the balm work
- Apply after eating or drinking.
- Apply a thick coat before bed.
- Pick plain and fragrance-free if lips sting. Strong scents and menthol can irritate.
- Keep a balm in each coat pocket.
Other causes
Cold wind, dry indoor heating, mouth breathing and sun can all dry lips. Drink water through the day. Do not pick the flakes, because that opens cracks.
If that does not work
Cracks at the corners, bleeding, swelling, white patches, or sores that do not heal in two weeks need a doctor or pharmacist. Some medicines and skin conditions can cause chapped lips. The NHS and similar health bodies give plain advice on this.
Skip it if
Skip scrubs on cracked lips. For hands that crack the same way, see dry cracked hands in winter.
Mistakes that keep lips dry
- Balm with a strong scent or menthol. The tingle feels nice and can dry the lips more.
- Applying once a day. Balm wears off in an hour or two, so top up.
- Peeling flakes. Picking opens the skin. Let them lift off on their own, or press balm on.
- Licking before balm. Saliva takes the balm's job away.
A simple day plan
Morning: balm before you leave the house. Midday: balm after lunch. Evening: balm after brushing your teeth. Bedtime: a thick coat. That is four moments, and most people can manage that in a week.
Some toothpastes and mouthwashes can irritate lips in some people. If your lips get worse after a new product, stop it and see if they settle.
Dry skin elsewhere on the body is covered in body lotion vs body oil.
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