Why causes dry lips in women. Lack of vitamins in the body. Traditional methods of care

09.08.2019

The feeling of tightness and dryness causes discomfort during a conversation, facial movements. It can be caused by external factors or be a symptom of dangerous diseases. It is important to understand the accompanying symptoms, analyze the environment and choose the right method for treating dry and cracked lips.

If a person's lips are dry, this is rarely a concern. The defect is treated with pharmacy balms or simply ripped off the epidermis. If the reason is bad weather, strong winds or the sun, this method will help. But if the phenomenon is repeated constantly and for no reason, you need to find out the reason and cure the lips from dry epidermis and cracks.

Internal diseases

Avitaminosis. Lack of vitamins in the body will immediately affect the condition of the hair, nails, skin. Vitamin A (retinol) helps skin cells retain moisture, maintaining elasticity, tissue firmness (carrots, offal (liver), chicken egg yolks, fish oil, spinach, butter, cheese). Vitamin E (tocopherol) improves oxygen metabolism, increases vascular tone, has an antioxidant effect (herbs, vegetable oils, nuts, seeds). B vitamins (thiamin, riboflavin, pyridoxine, cyanocobalamin, folic acid) control metabolic processes, regulate division, the creation of new cells, and help to absorb iron (cabbage, potatoes, meat, cottage cheese, fish, cereals, legumes).
Anemia. A low hemoglobin content often provokes an insufficient supply of oxygen to the tissues of the body, causing dryness, peeling, and pallor of the skin.
Allergies caused by the use of citrus fruits, honey, the use of cosmetic products (gloss, lipstick), drugs containing components that cause allergic reactions.
Diseases of the gastrointestinal tract lead to impaired absorption of nutrients by the body, lack of necessary microelements.
Diseases of the endocrine system. Dehydration of the skin, itching, flaking, scratching spots with blood with the appearance of crusts, are the first symptoms of diabetes.
General diseases of the body. Curvature of the nasal septum, nasal congestion, runny nose, high body temperature are factors that provoke drying out.

Skin diseases

Heilit is the main representative of dry lips disease. The sign is the presence of an inflammatory process on the red border and mucous membranes. The causative agents of the disease are viruses, bacteria, fungal infection. With cheilitis, redness appears on the skin, translucent, dry scales are formed, easily scraped off by hand. Later, burning sensation, pain join, the places of accumulation of scales begin to itch, the formed crusts crack during conversation, eating. To understand the causes of the disease, to prescribe treatment, you must consult a dermatologist.

Tightness and roughness are caused not only by diseases, they appear in healthy people and are temporary in nature:

In the early stages of pregnancy (first trimester), powerful hormonal changes occur, causing changes in the appearance of expectant mothers - pallor, thinning of the skin, a tendency to peeling. Late dates are dangerous. The growing fetus presses on the bladder, provoking frequent urination, and increases the loss of fluid in the body.
Taking medications (antibiotics, hormone replacement drugs) causes increased thirst, insufficient salivation, dehydration, dry tongue, mucous membranes, skin.

Connection with the season

The skin around the mouth is very thin, without sebaceous glands. It is sensitive to temperature extremes, gusts of wind, harmful ultraviolet radiation.

In winter, the dry air of modern rooms is provided by central heating batteries. In summer, the sun's rays, sea water, high ambient temperatures deprive the skin of moisture. The human body is 80% water, with insufficient fluid intake, vital organs begin to take moisture from the surface layers of the skin. In the spring, a person does not consume a sufficient amount of vitamins with his usual seasonal diet, organs and systems do not receive the substances necessary for normal functioning. The addiction to licking, biting the skin around the mouth, only aggravates the problem.

Dryness elimination methods

The correct selection of cosmetics will help prevent dry spots and cracks. Waterproof cosmetics (matte or pearlescent long-lasting lipsticks) strongly dries delicate lips, leading to coarsening, the appearance of peeling areas.

Treatment of increased dryness and cracked lips is difficult to imagine without the use of nourishing creams, balms with hyaluronic acid, herbal extracts, oils, natural waxes. Use protective equipment (specially formulated hygienic lipstick) before going outside. Make gentle peels, apply masks at home, honey massage - these folk remedies will make the skin surface smooth and well-groomed. Before going to bed, be sure to rinse off the remains of makeup.

Caffeine, due to its diuretic properties, removes moisture from the body, and the use of hot, cold, sour, salty food can have a mechanical, traumatic effect. Be sure to include a sufficient amount of fresh vegetables and fruits in your daily diet.

Some ingredients of toothpastes (fluoride, whitening ingredients) have a pronounced aggressive effect on the thin dermis. Alternate between whitening and treatment toothpastes.

Stop smoking. Harmful resins, nicotine, heavy metals irritate the mucous membrane of the oral cavity, provoking drying of its upper layers.

Lip moisturizer review

Today, the arsenal of care products is quite diverse:

moisturizing lipsticks have caring properties due to the content of natural wax, vitamins, oils;
cosmetic creams with collagen, hyaluronic acid, peptides retain moisture in tissues, increase volume, smooth fine wrinkles;
hygienic balms protect from the harmful effects of cold, wind, ultraviolet rays.

Pharmacies, natural product stores, cosmetic stores sell:

oily vitamins A, E - can be smeared on the lips in pure form half an hour before bedtime, used at home, adding to all kinds of masks and peels;
essential oils of plants - jojoba, almond, wheat germ, grape seed - soften, saturate all layers of the epidermis with the necessary moisture, use for applications, massage;
ointments containing panthenol, restore cells, have a local anti-inflammatory effect, heal wounds, restore water balance;
baby cream with natural ingredients (calendula extract, chamomile, vitamins) is known for regenerating, protective properties, does not cause allergic reactions, suitable for any age.

How dangerous is dry lips in babies

Causes of dryness in infants: dry air in a child's room, water imbalance, vitamin deficiency, candidiasis, diseases of the gastrointestinal tract. The nasal passages of a child under one year old are rather short, with colds or allergic diseases, due to nasal congestion, babies begin to breathe through their mouths. As a result, the mucous membrane dries out very much, the lips begin to peel off, crack.

Children often have areas of peeling, cracking in the central part of the upper or lower sponge, and seizures in the corners of the mouth. Cracks cause a lot of inconvenience to babies - the sensations during sucking are so painful that the child refuses to eat and cries.

Recommendations for the care of delicate sponges are the same for children and adults: protect the thin dermis from weather influences, eliminate irritating mechanical factors, seek medical advice in a timely manner, drink enough liquid, select high-quality cosmetics, never break off pieces of exfoliated epithelium! Any wounds are the entrance gate for infection.

It is easy to get rid of dryness and itching, unpleasant crust, chapped lips, pain in the corners of the mouth. Proper care, use of ointments, prevention of fungus will help preserve youth, the possibility of kissing and the charm of a smile for years to come.

There are so many reasons why lips are chapped that it is difficult to identify a specific case on your own. But usually this happens against the background of reduced immunity or dehydration of the skin - provoking factors inherent in the off-season. What else contributes to the drying and cracking of the lips, how to get rid of the misfortune?

Weather influence

If your lips are chapped, look for the reasons first in the weather. Dryness and cracks are promoted by:

Wind. In windy weather, evaporation occurs faster: the air flow carries moisture from the surface of the lips with it;

Frost draws life-giving moisture from the lips. Have you watched how water evaporates in indoor conditions and outdoors in cold weather? In the latter case, a thick veil of evaporated moisture forms: there is so much of it that it does not have time to dissipate. Something similar happens to the skin of the lips;

The sun is another reason why lips flake and crack. The hotter the weather, the faster evaporation occurs, and from the skin too.

It is interesting! The delicate pink skin is thin, but a dense network of capillaries passes through it. Therefore, through a unit of surface area of \u200b\u200bthe lips, twice as much moisture evaporates than from any part of the skin on the face. And with a lack of moisture, dehydration develops rapidly. You may know from experience: just walk to the store in windy weather and your lips are dry.

If your lips are dry and cracked after walking down the street, then you have found the most likely cause of the misfortune. To confirm it, touch your cheeks: have they become rough? In the absence of protection in the form of a greasy cream and hygienic lipstick, the skin of the lips and cheeks dry out together.

Due to bad habits

Why do lips dry and crack even when the weather is nice? Review your habits. Among them, you can find those that harm the integrity of the lip skin:

Licking... If the lips seem to be dry, then there is a desire to moisturize them. The easiest way is to lick them. But by doing this, after the saliva evaporates from the skin, you will notice that the dryness has only increased. And you try to moisturize them again, the result will be the same: the lip surface will respond with even more dehydration;

Biting... In addition to wetting the skin with saliva, this habit provokes the formation of microcracks. Through them, evaporation is faster. Fungi, bacteria and viruses settle in small abrasions, from which cracked skin on the lips does not heal long;

Piercing promotes the penetration of saliva through the holes on the labial surface, which makes it dry out. Metal jewelry can cause micro-trauma to the skin, transforming with further irritation into cracks;

Smoking... When the lip surface comes into contact with the paper, the skin tends to give its moisture to the drier matter. Why it dehydrates and cracks. One smoked cigarette will not be enough, lips will be damaged if you do it regularly. Especially in cold weather or windy weather;

Wrong drinking regime... The skin is sensitive to the level of water in the body. It is she who suffers primarily in order to protect the internal organs from dehydration. If you don't drink much, then fix it;

Breathing with an open mouth - the next factor that provokes skin dehydration;

Eating sour, spicy, salty foodsirritating delicate skin;

Feeling lips with hands... Unwashed hands are a source of pathogenic microflora. As soon as you touch the skin with microcracks (if you have reduced immunity), a crack immediately forms. It may take a long time to heal, because medications are needed to fight bacteria and fungi.

Important! A kiss is not a bad habit, but such a manifestation of love on the street threatens to dehydrate the lip skin. With a kiss, the lips are moistened with saliva, and with a passionate one, they are even slightly injured. If it is too hot or cold outside, dry and the wind is blowing, then weathering is guaranteed to you. In the same way, the skin is damaged when drinking outside.

Internal reasons

The condition of the body affects the lips. Therefore, dried skin can indicate internal health problems:

Allergy on ingredients of food, cosmetics or toothpaste. The latter irritates the labial surface even without allergies: therefore, it is better to spit out excess foam in advance than it will drain from the mouth by itself;

Dental reasons... The bacteria that cause dental caries settle on the labial skin. But they begin to be active only when the immune system is weakened. At this time, the labial corners begin to burst. And until the carious teeth in the mouth are cured, the seizures will appear again and again. But another cause of cracks in the corners is the result of excessive stretching of the skin during opening of the mouth in the dentist's chair;

Herpes virus occurs in 9 people out of 10. If he got into the body, which happens even at the moment of birth, then he will remain there forever. It regularly makes itself felt in the form of blistering rashes on the body. The lips crack and hurt from the lips, covered with a crust formed from the contents of the burst bubbles;

Diseases of the gastrointestinal tract may have an indirect symptom in the form of dry labial skin. These include pancreatitis, gastritis with high acidity, intestinal dysbiosis;

Iron-deficiency anemia... Blood nourishes superficial tissues better when hemoglobin levels are within the normal range. With its lack, the skin does not eat enough, which is why it quickly dies, drying out;

Diabetes - a disease in which all body functions and water balance are disrupted. Therefore, dry skin is a common occurrence for diabetics. Lips are constantly chapped without any additional factors.

Important! Viruses and other pathogenic microflora, if not always live inside us and on the surface of the skin, then constantly communicate with us. Therefore, in order to get sick, contact with a sick person is not necessary - you have the same bacteria and fungi. You will only catch a cold if your immune system is weakened and it can no longer resist disease-causing organisms that also infect your lips.

Causes in children

In a child, cracks on the lips most often occur due to a violation of hygiene rules. Dirt with pathogenic microflora constantly gets on the skin as a result of:

Contact with the lips of dirty hands... Children touch everything, fungi and bacteria remain on the fingers and palms. They inhabit the skin and cause inflammation;

Samples of various items to taste... This applies to children under the age of one - they drag everything into their mouths! And not all objects around the baby are sterile;

Thumb sucking - Another reason why children have chapped lips. Because of the saliva, constantly wetting the delicate skin, constant evaporation occurs. As a result, the surface is dehydrated. A bad habit is characteristic not only of infants, it often persists even in school-age children.

If the baby has received a fungal infection, then he develops stomatitis: a whitish plaque with small ulcers forms on the oral mucosa. Lips dry and crack, hurt. The child usually at this time refuses juices and spicy, salty, sour food, which causes him discomfort. With a progressive illness, a complete refusal of food is possible.

Another cause of dry lip skin in babies is allergies. If a child has tried a product that is new for him, and the body is not yet ready to assimilate it, then diathesis develops. A rash appears on the cheeks, and the sponges dry out.

What vitamins are missing?

With a lack of vitamin A, the course of the body's regenerative processes worsens. Therefore, once a crack has formed on the lip, it may not heal for weeks, and through it, moisture will actively evaporate all this time. This will lead to even more drying and cracking of the surface.

B vitamins are responsible for the condition of the skin, hair and nails. Therefore, hypovitaminosis of this group of vitamins will manifest itself not only with a dry lip surface, but also with dull and weakened hair, which will begin to fall out profusely. Nails will lose hardness and become brittle.

Ascorbic acid is involved in the formation of immune bodies. The more vitamin C is obtained from food, the greater the "army" of immunity, the better the body will cope with fungi, bacteria, viruses and other foreign pathogens. As soon as ascorbic acid ceases to enter the body, immunity decreases, health is undermined as a result of the colonization of pathogenic microflora. The lips react to this with dryness.

During pregnancy

In pregnant women, lips usually crack in the first trimester when toxicosis develops:

The amount of minerals and vitamins entered into the body decreases due to a reduced appetite;
Anemia often develops, since during toxicosis in most women, meat causes nausea;
Vitamins and minerals leave the body along with the vomit.

The state of the body during pregnancy stabilizes in the second trimester. But the problem of dry lips can overtake closer to the end of the term. As it becomes difficult for the woman to walk, she becomes short of breath and opens her mouth to facilitate breathing. And this is one of the reasons for the cracked labial surface.

Treatment

Anyone who has chapped lips has a question: what to do to get rid of painful sensations? To do this, use general medications (they are used for any pathogens and causes of cracks, because they fight immediately against viruses, bacteria and fungi):

Miramistin - irrigate the affected skin surface with an antiseptic up to 4 times a day;
Fukortsin - lubricate the seizures with dye twice a day;
Stomatidin - twice a day, wipe the cracks on the labial surface with a swab dipped in a solution;
Metrogyl denta - use the ointment in the morning and evening.

If the drugs do not improve within 5 days, consult a doctor. He will tell you how to treat cracks in the corners of the mouth. Depending on the pathogen, the doctor will give appointments:

Viral infection - Acyclovir (ointment, tablets), Gerpevir (tablets or ointment);
Bacterial infection - tetracycline eye ointment or tablets, trimistin ointment;
Fungal infection - Clotrimazole and Stomatidin (in the form of an ointment).

And how to smear lips to speed up the healing of cracks? For this, traditional medicine recommends:

Aevit in capsules - crush, apply the contents to the seizures;
Vitamin A in oil solution and sunflower oil, which contains a lot of vitamin E, which provides the skin with softness and elasticity;
Tea tree oil to fight inflammation
Boric alcohol 3%;
Zelenka, iodine, fukortsin - up to 3 times a day.

Traditional medicine knows how to treat chapped lips. Use her prescriptions if you cannot visit a doctor to determine the exact cause of the cracks. Lubricate your lips:

Rosehip oil, carrot juice (contain vitamin A);
Sea buckthorn oil (contains vitamin C);
St. John's wort, calendula oil (have anti-inflammatory properties);
Cocoa butter, coconut, olive (heal cracks and moisturize the skin);
Almond oil, sunflower oil or wheat germ oil (contains vitamin E);
Aloe, plantain, Kalanchoe juice (natural antiseptics that soften lips and moisturize the skin);
Castor oil. The remedy is effective even when the lip in the middle is cracked and inflamed;
Vaseline or ghee (softens the skin, prevents drying out).

The table below shows top five folk remediesfighting cracked lips.

Name		Preparation	Application
Saline solution	Water - 250 ml; Table salt - 1 tsp.	Dissolve the salt in warm water.	In the evening, soak a cotton swab in salt water and apply to the seizures.
Rose petals in glycerin or milk	Rose petals - how much you collect; Glycerin or milk - enough to cover the petals.	Fill the rose petals with glycerin or fresh milk. Leave for 2 hours, remove and blend until puree in a blender.	Apply daily for 15 minutes, then rinse with water.
Glycerin balm with sunflower oil	Glycerin - 5 ml; Sunflower oil - 2.5 ml.	Mix.	Apply to lips every night.
Butter with honey	Honey - 1 part; Butter - 1 part.	Remove the oil from the refrigerator beforehand to soften the consistency. Mix with liquid honey.	Lubricate damaged skins daily.
Homemade lip balm	Take equally: Almond (olive) oil; Cacao butter; Cocoa powder; Beeswax.	Melt the solid components in a water bath, but do not overheat. Add chocolate powder and liquid ingredients. Pour into an old lipstick tube and refrigerate, store the balm there for 6 months.	Use as a hygienic lipstick, lubricating sponges several times a day. Use the product not only when the lower lip cracks or seizures appear, but also when you go outside - for prevention.

Cracks on the labial surface appear when leading an improper lifestyle (poor nutrition, neglect of personal hygiene rules, bad habits). So to keep your lips from chapping, include fruits and vegetables, red meat, and liver in your diet. Use hygienic lipstick before going outside, and take vitamin and mineral complexes in the off-season.

Dry lips cause a lot of inconvenience and ruin your appearance. Unpleasant sensations can be temporarily eliminated with balms and hygienic lipsticks, but this does not solve the problem. At the same time, lips dry and flake off not only in adults, but also in children. The disease manifests itself at different times of the year and in any weather. To get rid of excessive dryness of the lips, you must first find out why it occurs.

Causes of dryness

There are many culprits for the fact that lips dry, crack and flake:

1. Sharp temperature changes and unfavorable weather conditions. The skin is very thin and sensitive, there are no sebaceous glands on it. If an adult or child is in the wind, sun or frost for a long time, then peeling and dryness are inevitable.

2. Allergies. Lips can crack from the wrong toothpaste. Its components are too active, injuring delicate skin and provoking dryness and flaking. Oftentimes, toothpaste is the cause of chapped lips in children.

3. In women, lips crack and dry because of lipstick. Many brands contain harmful dyes. They dry out the skin a lot, so it starts to itch. It turns out to be a vicious circle. A woman tries to hide the flaw with lipstick, and she, in turn, causes this defect.

4. Reduced immunity and lack of vitamins A, C and E. A person is often sick, his lips begin to crack and dry out. It is the decrease in the body's defenses that affects the condition of the skin of the lips in children. Therefore, parents need to take care of a vitamin diet for their child.

5. Drinking insufficient water. Dehydration is another reason lips dry out.

6. Colds in which nasal breathing becomes difficult. The person is constantly forced to breathe through the mouth. At the same time, the lips flake off, dry and crack.

7. Dry indoor air.

8. Hot food.

9. Stresses that women are more likely to experience also cause dry skin.

10. A decrease in hemoglobin in the blood provokes cracks and dryness.

11. The habit of licking lips. In hot, frosty or windy weather, such actions can lead to dryness and cracks on the skin of the lips. Their constant biting injures the epidermis and contributes to the penetration of infection. The same happens if a person touches their lips frequently. This is especially true for children.

12. Allergy to food, eating too spicy, salty and acidic foods.

Dry lips, the appearance of cracks and peeling on them can be symptoms of diseases:

gastrointestinal ailments - ulcer, gastritis, pancreatitis;
intestinal dysbiosis;
herpes;
diseases of the pancreas and thyroid gland;
fungal infections.

The formation of cracks and seizures with a whitish bloom should be alerted. If you suspect an infection, it is worth taking tests. Doctors may order a scraping.

Dry skin can be determined by the following signs - the presence of a crust, cracks, slight itching, redness, peeling, pain. When seizures appear, it hurts a person to talk, eat and generally open his mouth.

What to do and how to treat?

1. If the lips are constantly cracking and peeling, you need to take action. The following mask recipes will help:

Sour cream mask. It moisturizes and nourishes the skin of the lips, protects it from harmful effects. To prepare it, you need to combine a dessert spoon of homemade sour cream, 5 ml of vegetable oil and a few drops of lemon juice. Everything is mixed and applied to the lips and the surrounding skin. You should wait at least half an hour and wash off the mask with warm water. After the procedure, the lips are lubricated with hygienic lipstick.
Honey mask. It helps to quickly normalize the skin condition. The mask does not need to be prepared. All you need is natural honey, which is applied to the lips and left to act for 30 minutes. The treatment lasts until the problem disappears.
Oil mask. To prepare it, mix 5 g of beeswax with the same amount of cocoa butter. Instead, you can take castor, apricot kernels, or olive. 5 g of petroleum jelly and a tablespoon of chamomile broth are poured into the mixture. First, beeswax is melted in a water bath. And only then the rest of the ingredients are added sequentially. Everything is mixed and whipped in a mixer or with a spoon until the mass is completely cool. The mask is applied to chapped lips before going to bed and is not washed off until morning. If the skin is too chapped and itches, then the procedure is repeated not only in the evening, but throughout the day. Especially before going out.

2. Severely dry lips will help moisturize the oils. They will quickly repair damaged areas and promote faster healing of cracks. The following types of oils are used:

almond;
grape seeds;
sea \u200b\u200bbuckthorn;
wheat.

To enhance the effect of treatment with oils, a few drops of vitamin A or E are added to them. This will combat dryness caused by a lack of nutrients and heals seizures. It is useful to lubricate chapped lips with baby cream daily. It nourishes delicate skin, eliminates flaking, burning and itching sensations. The cream is applied in the morning, shortly before going outside, and before going to bed.

3. For dry skin, apply a homemade balm. To prepare it, you need to mix in equal parts:

beeswax;
cacao butter;
shea Butter;
olive or almond oil;
cocoa powder.

Beeswax and cocoa butter are preliminarily melted in a water bath. Then the remaining ingredients are added to the mixture and poured into a tube from under the lipstick. The composition is left to cool. It should thicken almost solid. The tool is stored in the refrigerator for up to six months and is used to treat and prevent flaking, cracked lips, itching and burning sensations. The balm can be used by children.

4. If the corners of the lips crack, then use rosehip and sea buckthorn oils. They perfectly soften, heal and nourish the skin. Lips are lubricated several times a day. Oils can be used as a preventive measure during the cold season.

5. If the skin of the lips is constantly dry, then a product based on beeswax and butter will help. The ingredients are mixed in equal proportions and applied to the damaged area. Treatment is carried out until complete recovery.

6. If the lips are very flaky and dry in winter, then use the following recipe:

honey - 1 tbsp. l .;
melted lard - 0.5 tbsp l.

The fat is melted in a water bath. The ingredients are mixed well and poured into a jar. The product has strong nourishing properties.

Lip treatment using pharmaceutical preparations

There are ready-made products that can be purchased at the pharmacy and used in the treatment of dry lips, burning, itching and other similar problems:

Calendula ointment and oil - have healing and anti-inflammatory properties. If your lips itch and peel, then you need to lubricate them with oil or calendula ointment several times a day.
Cocoa butter is used alone or mixed with other ingredients. It heals dryness, relieves burning and itching, fights flaking and cracks. They need to lubricate their skin several times a day. Any damage heals quickly. Cocoa butter is a food product, so don't be afraid if it accidentally gets inside.
St. John's wort oil softens and heals lips. They lubricate damaged skin a couple of times a day.
Aloe juice is used to heal cracks. You need to take a leaf of this perennial plant, cut it lengthwise and wipe your lips up to 7 times a day. This treatment will help relieve inflammation and speed up healing.

If all of the above methods of treating cracks and peeling did not help, then you should consult a doctor. Perhaps the reason that the lips dry out is some kind of disease that needs urgent treatment.

As a prophylaxis for flaking and dryness in the cold season, it is recommended to apply the balm shortly before going outside. Women can use chapstick. It is necessary to take a vitamin complex, since it is the deficiency of nutrients that often provokes this problem.

Thus, in order to understand why the lips dry and crack, it is best to consult a doctor and undergo a diagnosis. If the skin itches and burns, then perhaps the reason is a fungal infection, which will have to be treated with chemicals, and all balms in this case will be powerless.

Dry lips are not harmful to health, but there is little pleasant in this: the skin tightens, cracks, burns and itches. And lips constantly peeling from dryness are a sign of internal problems of the body. The symptom cannot be ignored. And if dry lips persist with proper care, see a doctor. Going from cause to cure is the right thing to do.

External reasons

The external factors that provoke drying of the skin of the lips include weather phenomena, the microclimate in the living room and bad habits:

Strong wind is the number 1 reason, from which the labial surface of the sponge dries and flakes;

Heat and frost - weather conditions with low humidity, which intensifies evaporation from the skin;

A sharp change in temperature (from warm to cold and vice versa);

Licking and biting causes the lips to burn and dry with cracks. From frequent wetting, the skin tries to get rid of "excess" moisture, and from biting, microcracks form - areas with damaged skin. Through them, the liquid evaporates unhindered;

Frequent washing - works the same way as licking. Only the skin around the lips and cheeks also dries - areas of the face often moistened with water, devoid of sebum;

Breathing through the mouth. If you blow on hot tea, the steam emanating from its surface will become thicker. When breathing through the mouth, the same processes take place: the exhaled air carries away moisture from the lips;

Smoking - the skin dries up when moisture is returned to the filter as a material with good absorbency;

Abuse of coffee and alcohol - beverages that lead to dehydration;

Frequent consumption of salty, spicy and acidic foods, which promotes the release of fluid from the tissue into the bloodstream;

Poor vitamins (A, B, C, E) and minerals (iron) nutrition leads to dry lips. If you do not include herbs, fruits and vegetables in the diet, then the lips become more irritated and bake. The reasons take on an internal character.

Why do lips dry if you have not been in the cold and wind, eat well and do not have bad habits? Try changing your lipstick or gloss or toothpaste. With increased sensitivity to some components of cosmetics or care products, the delicate skin is the first to dry out.

Internal

Internal factors that make lips ache and dry include:

Hypovitaminosis or vitamin deficiency is a condition of the body characterized by a persistent lack of vitamin and mineral substances. Usually develop in late winter or early spring;

If the lips dry out strongly, itching appears, and a rash has begun on the body, or a runny nose has begun, then an allergy can be suspected. Remember what you tried new before you noticed the first symptoms;

Lack of fluid in the body, leading to dehydration. It will not work to nourish the skin with moisture from the outside in the absence of abundant drinking. You need to drink at least 30 g of water per kilogram of body weight per day. At 50 kg, it is optimal to drink 1.5 liters of water, and at 70 - more than 2. Coffee and alcohol are not taken into account;

Diseases of the gastrointestinal tract often cause dry lips. Lack of moisture is felt in the mouth;

If you feel dry all the time, you drink often, you have lost weight dramatically, you are faced with numbness in your limbs, then get tested for diabetes. Some women experience a similar condition during pregnancy. It's called pregnancy diabetes and goes away on its own after giving birth;

Skin diseases (eczema, psoriasis or seborrhea);

Dry skin in the corners of the lips indicates the development of a seizure, which is called a labial cold.

Attention! If the sponges are dry and cracked in the newborn, you need to inform the visiting doctor in order to prescribe adequate treatment. Before the arrival of the doctor, you can independently check the humidity of the air, make sure that the baby does not lick or suck on his lips. Leaking saliva and a draft in the apartment can lead to drying out.

To determine the internal causes, contact the clinic for diagnostics. Doctors know what kind of disease can cause dehydration of the skin. After taking the history, you will be examined and determined why your lips dry and crack. And after completing the course of treatment, you will only have to provide external protection to delicate pink lips.

Treatment

The first question that arises when lips dry: what to do? To fix the problem, you will need to correct your lifestyle, hygiene care and diet. And folk medicine will help you quickly restore moisture, tenderness and smoothness of the skin.

Before treating the damaged surface, try changing your habits:

Eliminate sour, pungent and overly salty foods from the diet;
Do not lick or bite your lips, do not kiss in the street;
Humidify the air in the apartment by providing a humidifier or placing a basin of water near the battery;
Don't wash your face often;
Do not use soap for washing;
Before going outside, grease the skin with grease or protective lipstick;
Drink plenty of clean water;
Try to eliminate alcohol and coffee;
Quit smoking;
Eat nuts, vegetables, fruits, grains, and liver;
Take vitamin and mineral complexes in winter and spring.

Attention! If your child's lips dry, wean him off bad habits. It is not recommended to suck fingers, drag various objects into your mouth. And if the baby is drooling during teething, wipe them off in time so that the delicate lips do not dry out.

Folk remedies

How to treat dry skin if not with masks? Suitable:

Bee Honey;
Vegetable oil;
Avocado;
Carrot;
Sour cream or cream;
Cottage cheese;
Petrolatum;
Apple.

Vegetables and fruits are mashed. Honey is used only liquid, and sour cream should be fresh, like cottage cheese. Do not give preference to sour and unripe apples, it is better to take red ones. They will dry the skin faster. Leave the mask on for 10-15 minutes after application. Remove with a napkin.

A therapeutic massage is useful for delicate scarlet lips: every day, as if beating the skin with your fingertips. But do not overdo it: microtrauma is not needed! Once a week, you can “brush” the skin with a soft-bristled toothbrush to remove dead skin and flakes. After this procedure, the lips need to be lubricated with fat.

Dry skin on the lips loves vitamins A and E. Buy Aevit - cheap vitamins in round capsules. Crush one and massage in. This is an excellent prevention against herpes and seizures.

If a dry crust has formed, then it cannot be removed. It should come off on its own after softening, which you can help. To do this, grease the crusts with castor oil or butter heated in a water bath with cocoa several times a day.

Drying of the skin of the lips occurs for external or internal reasons, which you can influence. You don't need to change your life drastically to get rid of dryness and cracks. It is enough to exclude some bad habits and learn useful ones. And traditional medicine will help eliminate dryness in an express mode.

The question why lips dry, was asked by most people faced with a similar problem. However, not many people suspect that what problems can a banal irritation on the lips conceal... The delicate dermis and mucous membrane may become covered with cracks and small ulcers, accompanied by dryness, itching and pain. This is not only a cosmetic defect, but also an uncomfortable situation for the whole organism.

Lips can dry and crack at any time of the year. Most often, the problem manifests itself during the off-season, when cold, cold and constant moisture and cause a weakening of the body. Doctors-cosmetologists tend to divide all the negative factors that contribute to dry lips into several categories:

Acute lack of vitamins in the body. The body reacts especially critically to a deficiency of vitamins A, E and C. Usually, both the upper and lower lips are affected. The gums are involved in the process, the general appearance of the skin deteriorates, the nail plates and hair lose their healthy appearance;
The negative impact of modern toothpastes with a high fluoride content. Sometimes products act so aggressively on the tissues of the human body that literally after 1-2 uses, characteristic ulcers appear in the corners of the mouth;
Incorrectly selected caring cosmetics, abuse of ultra-long-lasting decorative lip products, which usually penetrate very deeply into tissues and degrease mucous membranes and skin. Because of this, lips can not only dry and crack, but also age prematurely;
Sudden changes in temperature, sudden changes in the level of humidity, as well as negative weather conditions can cause serious damage to the skin in general. Delicate tissues such as lips and eyelids are always the first to suffer. Both frost and intense heat are harmful;
Lack of a normal microclimate in work and living quarters. Very dry air filled with dust and possible chemicals can cause irritation;
Smoking has a negative effect on the body as a whole. The cigarette comes in direct contact with the oral mucosa. The lower lip and tongue are usually irritated;
Excessive craze for caffeinated drinks. For the skin, moisture deficiency is harmful, which can occur due to the lack of an optimal drinking regime. Water consumed by humans must be clean, of high quality and contain all the necessary trace elements;
Eating spicy, too hot and dry food can cause mechanical, thermal or chemical irritation. Usually the lower lip suffers most.

Lips can often dry out and crack due to a systemic malfunction in the body. In this case, it is no longer a cosmetic or aesthetic defect, but a symptom of a serious pathology. The most common cause of peeling is: avitaminosis or hypovitaminosis.

Many pathologies of the gastrointestinal tract and the endocrine system manifest themselves not only as key syndromes, but also dry lips and ulcers near the mouth. A similar problem can arise against a background of stress, during a period of severe dehydration. Another common cause of dryness is fever or a febrile condition against the background of infectious inflammatory processes in the body.

Danger of disease

Lips can often dry out and crack, cracks, wounds, severe inflammation, ulcers appear on the surface. If the affected areas of the dermis and mucous membranes are not moistened and disinfected, the tissues can become infected with viruses, fungi or bacteria. The problem will only get worse.

Watch a detailed video about the reasons:

Cheilitis is considered one of the most formidable complications of banal irritation on the lips. This is an inflammation of the mucous membrane where the upper and lower lips are affected along the red border. The disease is difficult to treat, accompanied by dyskeratosis and stomatitis.

The main danger lies in the fact that extensive inflammatory processes occurring in the structure of the tissues of the red border accelerate the processes of cell division of the epidermis. This is a direct threat to the rapid formation of malignant tumors.

If we are talking about the exudative and exfoliative type of cheilitis, then the risk of cancer pathology is regarded as extremely high. Treatment should be started immediately.

It is always easier to prevent a problem than to deal with it. There are a number of simple recommendations, the observance of which will help to avoid unwanted irritation without letting your lips dry out:

It is necessary to forget about the bad habit of biting or licking lips, especially in the wind or in frosty weather. It is strictly forbidden to rip off the resulting scales;

Smoking and excessive coffee addiction should be eradicated as bad habits;

It is important to take care of the balance and correctness of the diet. The menu should include vegetables, fresh fruits, herbs and juices;

It is important to consume only high-quality drinking water. Deficiency of moisture in the body is the main cause of premature skin aging and loss of optimal turgor;

In the premises where a person works and rests, it is important to create an optimal microclimate. The simplest humidifier can solve most problems;

In the "arsenal" of each person should be protective products for the lips (creams, balms,), which will protect in bad weather. Such means should carry targeted assistance, protecting against a specific threat (strong wind, frost, ultraviolet radiation).

How to get rid of unwanted dry lips

If it was not possible to prevent the appearance of cracks and sores on the lips, it is necessary to fix the problem in a timely manner. Before starting the fight with a defect, it is important to understand why this defect arose. When the reason is clear, then it will not be difficult to eliminate dryness.

Internal factors

If the lips tend to dry and crack often, regardless of the natural conditions and lifestyle, and basic hydration and intensive nutrition do not help solve the problem, you should consult a doctor. The most serious problems signaled by chronic cheilitis are diabetes mellitus and thyroid disorders.

With hypothyroidism, not only the lips, but also the elbows can dry out. With diabetes mellitus, a person experiences a constant feeling of thirst, the skin and mucous membranes throughout the body are dehydrated.

Psoriasis, eczema and ichthyosis are also accompanied by lip irritation. What to do in this case, only a competent doctor can advise, after a thorough examination.

Certain pharmaceuticals can irritate the lips. Some blood pressure medications, acne and acne medications can have such an unpleasant side effect.

External factors

If the delicate skin of the lips begins to dry due to external negative factors, you can solve the problem yourself. Every woman knows how ultra-long-lasting lipstick can dry out the surface of her lips. After using such decorative cosmetic products, you need to take care of optimal hydration of the dermis.

Going out with "bare" lips, you should always apply a balm or colorless hygienic lipstick, which will protect against harmful factors. A suitable remedy is best obtained from a pharmacy.

Here you can find lip protectors that can be used by men, women and children. At home, every woman can make lip masks, lubricate the surface with life-giving oils or herbal extracts.