Lips are cracking and dry: what vitamins are missing and what to do about their deficiency - advice from Lisa.ru

Why do lips dry out?

Lips dry out for several reasons:

Change in air temperature from high to low. If no balm is applied to the lips, they become dry and tight.
Presence of an allergic reaction for the funds used. To understand the reason, you need to recall in your memory the products that have been used over the past 4 days. It could be cosmetics, food, toothpaste, medicine or coffee - a large amount of coffee dries out the skin of the lips.
Partial dehydration. If the body experiences a lack of fluid, the lips begin to dry out. To normalize your water balance, it is important to drink 2 liters of water per day.
Presence of a virus or disease. With fungal diseases, diabetes, psoriasis or weak immunity, the lips may peel. If this happens, it means that the body does not have enough vitamins A, B and E.
Hot food. It is best to eat warm food, as hot food dries out the skin.
Inappropriate cosmetics. If cosmetic products are chosen incorrectly, they cause a feeling of discomfort. Lips dry out and crack. Unsuitable lipstick should be wiped off and not used again.
Smoking. Harmful smoke and temperature changes also cause women's lips to dry out.
Lack of vitamins.
Changes in hormonal levels. Like the above mentioned reason, it is observed during pregnancy. This is why pregnant women often complain of dry lips.

Dry lips as a sign of disease

In some cases, internal pathologies of individual organs and systems can manifest themselves through the skin. What, besides external factors, can cause dry lips? What disease can cause this unpleasant symptom?

Fungal infection. The most common cause of inflammation of the skin around the mouth is the fungus Candida Ablicans. This microorganism causes peeling of the lip borders and also provokes the appearance of small wounds in the corners of the mouth.
Cheilitis. This disease can affect both the lips themselves and the skin around them and the mucous membrane. The disease manifests itself in the form of peeling, the formation of small crusts and wounds. If these symptoms are present, the patient experiences difficulty eating, drinking, and talking.
Herpes. The presence of herpes simplex virus type 1 in the human body manifests itself in the form of dry lips, itching, and the appearance of fluid-filled blisters on their surface.
Endocrine system diseases (diabetes, hypothyroidism)
Low hemoglobin level. One of the signs of low hemoglobin levels in the blood is the appearance of cracks in the corners of the mouth.
Some medications (hormonal drugs)
Psoriasis. With this disease, areas of the skin around the mouth may suffer: they begin to peel off, itching and pain appear.
Allergy. Dry lips can be a sign of an allergic reaction to components included in decorative cosmetics and toothpaste, as well as to a number of other allergens - household dust, pollen, food, etc.
Hypovitaminosis. A lack of vitamins B2, PP, E, C and A often causes dry lips, peeling and the formation of cracks on their surface.
Dehydration. Dry lips can be a sign of insufficient fluid intake. Dehydration can also be caused by the body losing large amounts of fluid due to diarrhea, vomiting, excessive sweating, or taking diuretics (water medications).

Lips dry out after 40, 50 years - reasons

After overcoming the 40-year mark, women's bodies begin to undergo hormonal changes, which is why their lips begin to dry out. What to do must be decided, taking into account not only age, but also possible associated causes.

If there is a deficiency of vitamins and other beneficial nutrients, lips begin to crack and peel. This happens because blood stagnates in the lips and metabolism is disrupted.

Spend a few minutes a day on your lips and they will be perfect.

People 40 years of age and older need to constantly moisturize their skin and periodically take vitamin complexes. It is also important to drink 2 liters of plain water every day. After 50 years, women experience menopause, which is accompanied by changes in hormone levels. When the level of estrogen and progesterone decreases, dryness and burning appear in the mouth, and the same is felt on the lips.

What diseases can cause dryness?

The causes of dry lips in women are not always external factors; quite often the causes are pathological. To find out why this happens and what to do, you need to conduct a diagnosis.

Dry lips can occur due to a number of diseases:

chronic ichthyosis , inherited. With this disease, the functioning of the skin is disrupted, which is expressed in peeling of the lips;
seborrhea – malfunction of the sebaceous glands. The skin dries not only on the lips, but also on the head;
renal failure . Because of it, lips dry out and crack;
diabetes. The skin of the lips begins to peel off;
psoriasis . Due to this disease, a dry crust forms on the lips.

Dry lip skin: what to do for prevention?

If you don't want to have the problem of dry and flaky lips, follow these simple preventive tips. What basic rules of care should you remember?

Don't lick your lips - especially on the street.
Avoid eating both very hot and extremely cold foods.
Before going outside, use hygienic lipstick for dry lips. La-Cri lip balm is well suited for this purpose. The product contains active ingredients such as almond and castor oil, shea butter and rosewood, licorice, aloe and vanilla extracts, as well as vitamins A and E, panthenol, allantoin and bisabolol. They have a beneficial effect on the skin of the lips, nourishing, moisturizing, regenerating and softening it.
Minimize the use of long-lasting matte lipsticks.
Don’t forget to remove makeup residue every day, do gentle exfoliation from time to time, and make nourishing lip masks.
Eat properly and balanced.

If you follow these simple recommendations, you can not only avoid the problem of dry lips, but also maintain their elasticity, softness and youth for a long time.

When to see a doctor

You need to go to the doctor if:

the appearance of purulent crusts on the lips;
the occurrence of ulcers and plaque on mucous membranes, painful sensations;
limited salivation, difficulty swallowing saliva;
malaise, rapid onset of fatigue;
fluctuations in body temperature, its increase or decrease relative to the norm;
constant need to drink fluids, frequent desire to go to the toilet;
swelling of the tongue, lips or throat;
vomiting or diarrhea.

First of all, you need to visit a therapist. Based on your symptoms, he will make a referral to the appropriate doctor. Dermatologists, infectious disease specialists, allergists, endocrinologists and dentists treat lip problems.

What measures to take

To prevent your lips from drying out, you can take vitamins A, E and B, which are necessary for the human body, which are readily available in any pharmacy today, or you can ensure a sufficient supply of vitamins by consuming foods rich in them.

The products are sources of the following vitamins:

Vitamin A – egg yolk, carrots, sea buckthorn, pumpkin, as well as bell peppers and liver;
Vitamin E – soy, almonds, eggs and peas.

It is important to drink 2 liters of water daily. If your lips are already chapped, you should temporarily avoid eating citrus fruits and foods with a lot of spices and salt. Such food will irritate the skin, which will make it take a very long time to heal.

Under no circumstances should you lick or bite your lips. Saliva is capable of digesting food, so getting it on the skin will lead to negative results. It is also not recommended to tear off or bite off dried skin, since its recovery will be long and painful, and there is a possibility of infection in the wound.

Massage

To improve blood circulation, you can do a small massage. To do this, apply Vaseline to your toothbrush and apply it to the skin of your lips. Movements can be in different directions: circular and back and forth. Vaseline that is not absorbed should be removed with a dry cloth.

As a result of the massage, your lips will turn a little red and dry skin will peel off. This procedure should be done once; if necessary, it can be repeated in a week.

Hydration

To moisturize lips, a variety of products are used, ranging from cosmetic balms to those prepared independently at home from natural products.

Hygienic lipsticks . There are different types, sold in any pharmacy and in many stores. Suitable for regular use at any time of the year.
Ice. They need to wipe the skin of the lips in the morning and before bed. Thanks to ice, the skin adapts to the cold and will not react to frost.
Baby cream. Rub into the skin of the face and lips, the layer should be thin.
Aloe. Helps well with small cracks. You need to cut a small leaf from the flower and spread the juice on the surface of your lips. Repeat this process until complete healing.
Fish fat. It is best to take it in capsule form. With regular use, fat helps prevent dry skin.
Kiwi. Apply a fresh cut of one piece to your lips and wait until the juice dries.
Goose fat. In case of severe dry lips, this product will help from the first use.
Vitamins A and E. They need to be purchased in ampoules. Both vitamins should be mixed and smeared on the skin in 2 layers. The mixture is stored in the refrigerator until next time.

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How to get rid of unwanted dry lips

If it was not possible to prevent the appearance of cracks and ulcers on the lips, it is necessary to eliminate the problem in a timely manner. Before you start fighting 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 your lips tend to dry out and crack frequently, regardless of natural conditions and lifestyle, and basic moisturizing and intensive nutrition do not help solve the problem, you should consult a doctor. The most serious problems signaled by chronic cheilitis may be diabetes mellitus and thyroid pathologies.

With hypothyroidism, not only your lips, but also your elbows can become dry. With diabetes, 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 irritation on the lips. Only a competent doctor can advise what to do in this case, after a thorough examination.

Some pharmacological drugs can cause irritation on the lips. Some drugs for normalizing blood pressure, treating acne and acne can have such an unpleasant side effect.

External factors

If the delicate skin of your lips begins to dry out 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 the lips. After using such decorative cosmetic products, it is necessary to ensure optimal hydration of the dermis.

When going out with “naked” lips, you should always apply a balm or colorless hygienic lipstick, which will protect against harmful factors. It is best to purchase a suitable product at a pharmacy.

Here you can choose lip protection 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 plant extracts.

Lip masks - recipes

When lips dry out, women wonder what to do about it and why this problem arose. Most of them prefer to deal with such a nuisance at home.

Treatment for dry lips

Dry lips occur for certain reasons, the identification and treatment of which is the main task of every beautiful lady or man. At the same time, it is necessary to treat and eliminate external defects at home.

Deep health problems that cause dry lips can be treated with appropriate medications prescribed by a doctor. In some cases, autohemotransfusion (transfusion of a patient’s own blood), UVB (ultraviolet irradiation of blood) and other methods of increasing the body’s reactivity are effective.
If signs of an allergy are found to any cosmetic product or product, then you should not experiment - forget about it forever, no matter how tasty or expensive it is. If the lips are very sore, antihistamines are taken orally.
In order to prevent your lips from drying out, peeling and hurting, you need to constantly protect them from cold or insolation, using hygienic lipstick before going outside - and better with SPF protection, which will be useful in winter.
It is also beneficial to use moisturizing lipsticks after meals and throughout the day.
It will take more than one or two days to treat vitamin deficiency by adding to the diet foods that contain microelements that are beneficial for the skin: nuts, herbs, vegetables, fish, etc. To speed up the process of restoring balance, you need to take pharmacy vitamins in addition.
When treating complex forms of dryness and irritation of the lips, it is very important to follow a hypoallergenic diet, excluding strawberries, caviar, herbs, citrus fruits, spicy foods and alcohol from the diet.
Don't lick your lips! Yes, the feeling of dryness causes great discomfort, but you absolutely cannot do this - and here’s why: this only worsens the symptoms of dryness, and besides, licking leads to the formation of weeping cracks against the background of dry skin. The lips continue to constantly hurt, and soon a feeling of roughness, tightness and tingling appears - subsequently deep cracks form, which are difficult to treat.
You should always take care of your dental health - check them for caries, periodontal disease and other problems. Sanitation of foci of chronic infection in the oral cavity is the key not only to fresh breath, but also to smooth, delicate skin of the lips.
It is necessary to increase the amount of fluid you drink to avoid dehydration. The best option is a glass of clean water in the morning and half an hour before meals.
It is worth maintaining air humidity in the room in which you spend the most time. It is especially important not to dry your skin in winter.
To improve the condition of the delicate skin of the lips, it is worth resorting to the use of anti-inflammatory ointments, creams and special masks. It can be:
tetracycline, erythromycin and oxolinic ointments, products with glucocorticosteroids (sometimes it is necessary to treat with hormonal ointments);
honey, sour cream, curd masks; masks made from flax seed decoction, aloe juice, etc.

Taking care of the beauty of your lips is an important daily ritual for every girl who wants to always look attractive to her man and everyone around her. Following these simple rules will always allow you to smile broadly and feel great!

Lip peeling

First you need to clean the surface of your lips from makeup, and then wipe the skin with a towel so that it becomes dry. The pre-prepared mixture is applied to the lips with your fingers, while doing a slight massage for 4-5 minutes. Any composition that is not absorbed should be washed off with water. At the end of the procedure, lubricate the lips with cream.

Recipe No. 1. 1/3 tbsp. sugar, 1/3 tbsp. Olive oils are mixed in one container and applied to the skin of the lips with massaging movements. Wash off the residue with water.
Recipe No. 2. 1 tbsp. honey, 2 tbsp. Cane sugar is mixed and applied to the lips. After half an hour, wash off the residue with water or a napkin.
Recipe No. 3. 0.5 tsp ground coffee, 1/3 tbsp. Olive oils are mixed until smooth and applied to the skin with massaging movements. The residue should be washed off after 4 minutes.
Recipe No. 4. 1/3 tbsp. honey, 1/3 tbsp. soda, 0.5 tsp. Olive oils are mixed and applied for 1/3 hour. Wash off the residue with water.

Dry lips - what to do at home

Dry lips are accompanied by the formation of crusts, superficial cracks, wounds in the corners of the mouth and signs of inflammation - redness, swelling, itching, soreness. These symptoms can be relieved with some home remedies.

Important! If, in addition to dryness, you have severe bleeding cracks and a white coating on your lips, this may indicate a bacterial infection. In such a situation, it is better to consult a doctor and have a scraping followed by a bacteriological examination.

If the corners of the lips dry out, the lip surface peels and cracks, the following masks, balms and oils will help:

Sour cream mask with aloe. The following mask will help moisturize dry lip skin and protect it from harmful environmental factors: 1 tsp. fat sour cream, 2 drops of any vegetable oil and 0.5 tsp. aloe juice The prepared mixture is applied to the lips and the skin area around them for 30-40 minutes. The procedure can be performed an unlimited number of times.
Masks with vegetable oils. Daily moisturizing of the skin with different oils will help restore damaged lip skin. Suitable oils include sea buckthorn, grape seed, jojoba, and almond oil. You can also use a liquid solution of tocopherol (Vit. E). You need to treat the entire surface of your lips with oils, without missing a single area.
Honey mask. If the condition of the lips is extremely severe, when the skin is completely cracked, blood often oozes and there is pain when moving the lips, you need to moisturize your lips as much as possible. Melt 20 g of lard (be sure to heat it for 15 minutes on fire), then add 10 g of honey to it. Lubricate your lips until the wounds heal.
Wax lip balm. Mix two parts wax and one part each cocoa butter, sea buckthorn oil, aloe juice, almond oil. Combine and heat the ingredients in a water bath, then let them harden. Use balm instead of chapstick.
Aloe. This perennial will help heal lip cracks. Cut an aloe leaf lengthwise and lubricate your lips several times a day.

What medications to use

Aevit contains vitamin E and retinol. Thanks to this composition, this drug combats dry lips well. Aevit is sold in capsule form. The oil from the capsules should be applied to the surface of the lips no more than 2 times a day throughout the year, this will protect the lips from drying out. If they are already dry, apply the oil at least 3 times a day until recovery.
Acyclovir used to treat herpes disease. It is sold as an ointment. It should be applied to the affected area of the skin, without distributing it over the entire area of the lips. The drug is used daily until recovery.
Panthenol is sold in the form of hygienic lipstick. It works best for cracked lips. This lipstick can be used daily until complete recovery. The drug contains cocoa, beeswax and shea butter. It also contains vitamin E and provitamin B5.
Levomekol is sold as an ointment. It is excellent for the treatment of angulitis - sticking at the corners of the lips. The ointment helps against inflammation, stops the proliferation of staphylococcal bacteria and accelerates skin regeneration.
Miramistin helps fight herpes on the lips. It is applied to a cotton pad and applied to the herpes blisters for 10 minutes. The drug is sold in the form of a spray. The more often you use it, the faster it will help. If you use Miramistin 3-4 times during the day, then you can forget about the sore within a day.
Syntomycin ointment treats cracks on the lips. It contains chloramphenicol, which has an antibacterial effect. You need to use liniment every day, twice a day. After a few days, the cracks will disappear, and your lips will delight you with their smoothness and elasticity.
Calendula is sold in the form of ointment and oil. It heals and fights inflammation. This remedy will help when your lips are itchy and the skin is peeling off.

Dry lips - treatment with medications

It is better to get rid of dry lips, which is accompanied by the proliferation of bacteria, with the help of pharmaceutical preparations:

Calendula-based ointment ensures rapid cell regeneration, kills harmful microbes, moisturizes, and relieves itching. You need to lubricate your lips several times a day.
Cocoa butter - perfectly removes crusts and cracks, moisturizes and relieves the feeling of dryness and soreness on the lips. Can be used all day as needed.
Levomikol is an effective antiseptic in the form of an ointment. Completely destroys bacteria and is indicated for deep cracks with signs of infection. You need to treat your lips twice a day, preventing the drug from getting inside. And it doesn’t matter whether the lower lip or the upper lip is dry, the main thing is to completely disinfect all lips from infections.
Panthenol is a regenerating agent. It is used for various skin burns, but in case of dry lips it has also shown high effectiveness. You can also use Rescuer ointment with the same success.
Syntomycin ointment is a great help for “sticking” in the corners of the mouth.
Miramistin is a liquid antiseptic. You need to irrigate injured sponges twice a day.
Aevit is a vitamin preparation in gelatin capsules. You need to crush the capsule and lubricate your lips. The product contains vitamin A and E.
Acyclovir is an antiviral gel that is used to treat dry lips caused by herpes.

If all these methods did not help you forget about dry, painful lips once and for all, it is better to go to the doctor to accurately determine the cause of this pathology and get rid of it.

Homeopathic remedies for dry lips

Aconitum is a natural product from flowers of the ranunculaceae family. It fights well against dehydrated and dry lip skin.
Belladonna helps cure lips from severe dryness and flaking. Belongs to the nightshade family.
Bryonia is used for cracked lips and chapped skin. Belongs to the pumpkin family.
Cinnabaris helps in the fight against thirst, dry mouth and lips.

Cosmetical tools

Lip gloss . Such products should contain paraffin, natural oils, vitamins, wax and petroleum jelly. One such gloss is Toitbel Sensitive. It is designed for sensitive lips.
Pomade. It is best to choose one that does not contain glycerin. Such lipsticks usually belong to the middle and premium segments.
Lip balm. Must be wax based. It is better if the composition contains vegetable oils and vitamins. The Payot line of balms well moisturizes and protects the skin of the lips.
Hygienic lipstick. The composition should contain beeswax, vitamins and plant-based oils.
Lip cream . Must contain lactic acid, oils, caffeine and natural extracts.

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Dry lip skin: causes

The problem of dry lips can have both external and internal causes. In the first case, we are usually talking about such provoking factors as:

Insufficient air humidity. This problem is especially relevant during the heating season, when the indoor air becomes hotter and drier. To prevent dry lips from causing discomfort at this time, it is recommended to additionally saturate the air with moisture: both special humidifiers and water containers placed along central heating radiators are suitable for this purpose.
Exposure to frost, wind, sunlight. Both high and low temperatures are a real test for the skin. Exposure to harsh weather conditions can result in very dry and chapped lips. The reason for this problem is explained by the fact that during frost and wind, the skin becomes covered with microscopic cracks, loses its own supply of moisture, and loses elasticity. As for exposure to direct sunlight, lips are more vulnerable to ultraviolet radiation compared to other areas of the face. Due to the negative effects of UV rays, their skin dries, flakes and ages faster.
Using inappropriate cosmetics. Long-lasting decorative cosmetics (especially matte lipsticks) tend to dry out the skin. As a result of frequent use of such cosmetics, many women complain of dry lips, peeling and the appearance of microscopic cracks on them. Therefore, if you use long-lasting lipsticks, choose products that contain caring ingredients - vegetable oils, animal fats, beeswax, vitamins, etc.
Habit of licking and biting lips. When a person bites his lips, small cracks form on their surface, and when licking, their water-lipid protective layer is disrupted.
Smoking. Smoking leads to decreased salivation. Due to this, the smoker licks his lips more often, disrupting their protective water-fat balance and leading to dry skin.

What not to do

Thanks to numerous studies, scientists and doctors have found out why women’s lips dry out, what not to do, how not to harm and how to painlessly cure this problem.

The main prohibitions include:

First of all, you should not let the process take its course and ignore the problem, because dry lips can signal illness.
You cannot remove dry skin from your lips, as the wounds will take a long time to heal, and they can also accidentally become infected.
Chapped lips cannot be scrubbed as this will make the situation worse. It is best to understand the cause of the disease and begin treatment.
You should not lick your lips, as saliva can dry out the dermis. Moreover, you should not do this in the cold.
You can't neglect moisturizers during the cold season. Thanks to them, your lips will be protected from moisture loss.

Anyone can have dry lips, including women. We managed to figure out why this happens and what to do if the disease occurs. The disease causes discomfort, but there are many possibilities for its treatment, the main thing is to correctly diagnose the cause.

Meteorological reasons

Cold, heat, wind, low humidity, prolonged solar radiation are common causes of meteorological cheilitis (inflammation of the red border of the lips). Lips become very dry in people who are forced to work outdoors for long periods of time, especially in unfavorable weather conditions. We often use the expression “chapped lips.”

Prevention and treatment of this condition consists of protection from harmful factors, the use of fatty creams or sunscreens.

There is a special form - actinic cheilitis, which occurs in people who spend a long time in the sun. With this form, only the lower lip often dries out; the condition is seasonal (spring-summer) and is combined with other photodermatoses.