Unlike other parts of the body - the lips lack the oil glands that keep our skin hydrated. Our lips are composed of soft delicate tissue making them more susceptible to environmental factors that cause dryness such as lack of hydration, heat, cold, dry air, and the sun. Dry and Chapped lips can be a frustrating condition, but with the following tips, dry lips will usually subside in a couple of weeks. Please note if the condition lasts for more than 2-3 weeks it can be an indication of another condition. A Dermatologist should be consulted if the condition is persistent and ongoing for more than a month. Below are tips to help heal dry chapped lips.
- Maintain Water Intake. Drinking plenty of water is one of the easiest ways to bring back moisture to the lips. Upon first noticing a chapped or dry sensation to the lips, we recommend first increasing your water intake. The amount of water you should consume varies on your body weight and lifestyle (e.g., how much you are perspiring) but on average 2-3L is sufficient to maintain healthy levels of hydration.
- Use a lip balm with SPF during the day. The sun can further dry or even burn lips. Use a lip balm with an SPF of 30 or higher to protect the lips from the drying effects of the sun, even in the wintertime, which many people forget we still get sun during these cold months! This is important during the winter months as the sun can reflect off surfaces (like snow or ice) and still cause damage to the skin and lips. When treating chapped lips the less irritation the better!
- Avoid fragrances in lip products. Lip balms with peppermint, cinnamon or citrus additives can be irritating to the lips and prevent healing. When treating dry or chapped lips it is always recommended to use unscented products as they will typically be less irritating. At RejuvaDERM, we are able to select the right product for you and your skin type.
- DO use fragrance-free and hypoallergenic products. Simple products like petroleum jelly are often the least irritating for the lips.
- Be cautious while exfoliating. Chapped and dry lips are more irritated than usual so using abrasive scrubs or forms of manual exfoliation can further increase irritation and actually slow the healing process. We recommend only exfoliating as little as possible and doing so with a washcloth and warm water. The lips should NOT look red and irritated after this process.
Whether you live in Grande Prairie, Edmonton, Calgary, Toronto, Vancouver or any city in Canada, these tips will help you with chapped lips!
To book your FREE consultation regarding treatments for dry skin and lips, call or text to book with our skin care experts::
Grande Prairie location: (780)533-7546
Edmonton location: (780)665-4646
We look forward to seeing you!
To see our dermatologists, ask your family physician to send our medical side a medical referral to Alberta Dermatology Consultants. Click here for our website: Click here