Avoid Chapped Lips This Winter

The holiday season may be over, but it is important to remember that the winter season has just begun. We are only a few weeks into winter, and this can be a brutal season for your skin – especially the skin on your lips.

The skin on your lips is a bit more vulnerable than the rest of your skin because your lips are exposed to dry air and cold temperatures. Your lips also do not have the oil and sweat glands that the rest of your body’s skin has to keep them moist. Did you know that your lips can dry out ten times faster than the other skin on your face? Your lips are delicate areas that can show damage fast, so it is important to implement good lip care practices to protect them.

The lips are commonly overlooked until it is too late. Dry lips can lead to cracked, chapped, bleeding, and even infected sores that can be uncomfortable and quite difficult to deal with through the winter months. Below are simple tips for winter lip care that will help you put your best face forward:

• Don’t lick! It is a totally natural response to lick your lips when they feel dry. However, licking your lips wicks away moisture and can cause the outer skin cells to dry out from the cold, dry air.
• Don’t pick! It is tempting to want to pick away dry pieces of skin from your lips, but this will only irritate your lips and lead to painful sores. Picking your lips also makes you vulnerable to infection and cold sores.
• Don’t be a mouth breather! Breathing through the mouth dries out any existing moisture that you have in your lips. It is important to be mindful of breathing through your nose to prevent your lips from drying out during the winter. Of course, sinus congestion and colds are common in winter that can prevent breathing through the nose, so you will want to treat your symptoms before they cause further issues of drying out your lips.
• Don’t forget the lips balm! It is important to choose an ointment-based lip balm with healing properties and sunscreen. You will want to avoid balms that contain camphor, eucalyptus, and menthol. While these balms smell good and may feel good, they actually dry out the lips and cause chapped lips in the long run.

If you are struggling to stop the cycle of chapped lips this winter, Medical Dermatology Specialists can help you. Contact our practice today to learn more about how you can keep your lips moist, soft, and healthy this year.

Medical Dermatology Specialists,
5730 Glenridge Dr, Suite T-100
Atlanta, GA 30328
(404) 939-9220

Monday – Thursday 7:30 AM – 5:00 PM