© bmf-foto.de
Split chapped lips that won’t heal. A downside of cold dry weather. I noticed on Facebook the other day that a friend had split her lower lip and was looking for some healing advice. I asked Dr. Martin Wesolowski, a family physician at Martin’s Point Health Care, for his expert opinion. Here’s what he had to say:
Great topic for this time of year. Chapped and eventually cracked lips come from being overly dry.
This is usually more of an issue in the winter because:
- Cold winter air holds less moisture.
- Forced air heating systems further decrease moisture content in the air.
- Dehydration (any time of year) can dry skin and lips, leading to lip-smacking, which worsens the situation.
- Spicy or acidic foods and chemical additives in some cosmetics can contribute as well.
The basics of treatment include:
- Hydration
- Humidifier use
- Topical treatment
There are two parts to treating chapped or cracked lips:
- Use oil-based products (emollients) to heal your lips (Aquaphor or other thick balms for example).
- Use wax-based products to seal or protect your lips from the elements (beeswax products are commonly available).
Leave A Comment