Prevent dry, cracked lips
Do you have dry and sore lips or cracked peeling lips? There can be many causes for these symptoms. Like the skin on all parts of our body, lips react to environmental changes, and exposure. They do not produce natural oils like on the nose to help lubricate and protect from dry cracked lips. The lips are very sensitive to climate changes and can loose more moisture than the rest of the face.
Main causes for cracked, dry, sore lips:
- Extreme weather changes, hot or cold
- Dry heat and low humidity in the winter time indoors
- Sun damage, yes the lips can be sunburned
- High wind exposure will dry your lips very quickly
- Allergic reactions to skin care products
- Side effects from medications
- Spicy foods especially hot chilies and peppers
- Skin diseases, or other serious medical conditions such as diabetes
- Nutrition deficiencies may be from not eating enough, or during weight loss dieting
- Dehydration from not drinking enough or eating foods with high water content
These vitamins can help:
Vitamin A (Retinol) Food sources: Fortified skim or low fat milk, dark green, yellow, or orange fruits and vegetables (carrots, pumpkin, papaya, mango, sweet potato, winter squash, and cantaloupe), eggs, butter, and liver.
Vitamin B6 (Pyridoxine and Pyridoxamine) and Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin) can help dry cracked lips. Food sources: milk, cheese, liver, chicken, turkey, fish, nuts, green beans, leafy greens, legumes, wheat germ, almonds, sea vegetables, and bananas
Vitamin C (Ascorbic acid) Food sources: all citrus fruits and other fresh fruits, vegetables (oranges, lime, lemons, guava, strawberries, melons, broccoli, green peppers, Brussels sprouts, red peppers)
Tips for prevention and treating cracked, dry lips:
- Add a humidifier in your home/office in the winter time
- Use SPF 15 lip balms for sun protection
- Avoid licking your lips that causes chapped lips to get worse, and do not use flavored lip balms
- Drink at least 6-8 glasses of water a day, and eat foods with high water content
- To get rid dry cracked lips eat adequate amount and a variety of foods to provide what your body need for maintenance and repair
- Take a multiple vitamin supplement daily if you do not eat well or on a weight loss diet
Seek help from your dermatologist if your lip condition persists after trying the above suggestions. You may have a serious medical condition that need to be treated.
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