Do your lips feel dry and chapped, not only during the cold season, but also during hot days? Sometimes your lips may crack and bleed. This is a really annoying problem for many people. Today we are talking about this chapped lips, which is a condition that we medically call Cheilitis. Although this is usually not serious, it is no less uncomfortable.
What is Cheilitis?
Simply put, chapped lips are when your lips become dry and cracked. If you feel any burning, stinging, or pain in your lips, you probably have chapped lips. In medicine, we call this condition Cheilitis. It is an inflammation of the lips. It can be short-term or long-term.
We often think that chapped lips are only caused by cold weather. But that's not true. Your lips can become dry, sore, and flaky at any time of the year, especially during the summer months when they're exposed to the sun. This risk is especially high if you have a habit of licking or chewing your lips frequently, or if you use cosmetics that dry out your lips.
Do you also have these symptoms?
When you have chapped lips, each person may experience different symptoms . See if you have any of these.
| Symptom | Description |
|---|---|
| Dryness | Lips feel dry and lack moisture. |
| Bruising, peeling | Thin lines on the lips, peeling of the skin. |
| Bleeding | Deeply cracked lips and bleeding. |
| Inflammation and itching | A burning sensation, prickling pain, or itching sensation on the lips. |
| Swelling and redness | Lips become red and slightly swollen. |
| Mouth sores | Sometimes small sores appear inside the mouth or on the lips. |
Why do our lips get so dry? What are the reasons?
There is not just one cause of chapped lips, but many factors can contribute to it. Let's look at the main causes.
Environmental and habit-related causes
- Weather: Dry or extremely cold weather can suck moisture out of your lips.
- Dry air: Dry air in air-conditioned (AC) rooms or rooms with heaters can cause dry lips.
- Lack of oil glands in the lips: Imagine, unlike our face, the lips do not have oil glands. Therefore, the lips have less ability to protect themselves from the external environment.
- Frequent licking of lips: When our lips are dry, we instinctively lick them. But this only provides temporary relief. When saliva dries up, the moisture in our lips evaporates along with it, making them even drier.
- Sun exposure: Just like the skin, lips can also be damaged by the sun.
- Other habits : Keeping metal objects like pens and needles in your mouth, and constantly picking your lips can also cause this.
Nutrition, medications and medical conditions
- Drinking less water: Dehydration is a major cause of chapped lips.
- Nutritional deficiencies: Deficiencies in nutrients such as vitamin B and iron can cause chapped lips, especially at the corners of the mouth.
- Certain cosmetics: Some lipsticks or lip balms contain fragrances, menthol, and camphor, which can irritate your lips and dry them out.
- Certain medications: Some medications for high blood pressure, retinoids for acne, chemotherapy, and lithium can also cause dry lips as a side effect.
- Other medical conditions: Allergies, thyroid disease, autoimmune disorders, and some fungal, bacterial, or viral infections can also cause persistent chapped lips.
Home remedies for chapped lips
The best thing is that most of the time, these chapped lips can be treated at home with a few simple treatments.
- Use a good lip balm: A good lip balm can protect your sensitive lips from the environment. Choose one that contains ingredients like petrolatum to retain moisture and dimethicone to seal cracks. If you're going to be in the sun, choose a lip balm with SPF.
- Drink enough water: Drinking enough water throughout the day can help prevent dehydration, which is very important for lip health.
- Stop the habit of licking your lips right now: This is the worst thing you can do. Apply lip balm whenever your lips feel dry. Make it a habit.
- Don't pick at your lips: The skin on your lips is very delicate. Picking at your lips can cause bleeding, increased pain, and delayed healing.
- Protect your lips: If you are going to a cold climate, cover your mouth and lips with something like a scarf.
The most important thing is, if you experience any burning or itching when applying a lip balm or other product, stop using it. This means you are allergic to something in it.
When should we see a doctor about this?
Usually, a chapped lip should heal within two to three weeks with home care. However, if your chapped lip doesn't heal no matter how much care you give it, gets worse, or bleeds frequently, you should definitely see a doctor, especially a dermatologist.
Because persistent chapped lips can sometimes be a symptom of another medical condition.
- Infection: The doctor may take a small sample of skin (biopsy) to determine if the cheilitis is caused by a fungal or bacterial infection.
- Angular cheilitis: This is a condition where the corners of the mouth crack. This can be associated with certain immune system diseases, so your doctor may recommend a blood test.
- Allergy: Tests can be done to confirm whether you are allergic to something.
- Nutritional deficiency: A blood test can determine if you have an iron or vitamin B deficiency.
- Actinic cheilitis: This is a pre-cancerous condition caused by prolonged exposure to the sun. Early detection and treatment are very important.
Therefore, if the condition persists, do not be lazy about it. Consult your doctor immediately for advice.
Take-Home Message
- Chapped lips are a condition that can usually be treated with home remedies.
- Avoid licking and cracking your lips completely. Make it a habit to regularly use a good moisturizing lip balm.
- Drinking enough water and eating a nutritious diet are essential for lip health.
- If the condition does not improve or worsens after 2-3 weeks of home care, be sure to see a doctor.
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