by Bruce W. Coffman

Created on: February 01, 2009

1) Adhere to what some say is an old wive's tale about licking your lips. According to Mayo Clinic dermatologist Lawrence Gibson, M.D. in an article on MayoClinic.com, "Saliva evaporates quickly, leaving lips drier than before you licked them."

2) Hydrate yourself and your lips. Drink plenty of fluids and keep lips moist by using lip balm. Ask your doctor or pharmacist to recommend a good lip balm or ointment for particularly chapped lips.

3) Avoid exposure to the elments, including wind, sun and cold or dry air. At home, try using a humidifier to keep the air moist. Use a lip balm with sunscreen when going outdoors.

4) Shut your mouth. Breathing through an open mouth is a quick way to dry out your lips.

5) Avoid salty snacks. Salt-laden foods rob your lips and body of much-needed moisture.

6) Change your skin-care and/or cosmetic products. Chapped lips can sometimes result from an allergic reaction to or irritation from chemicals in these products. Never apply any product to your lips that isn't specifically designed for that delicate skin.

7) Very gently exfoliate excessive dead skin from the lips by rubbing them with a clean, warm wet washcloth. Don't rub too hard as you will only irritate your lips further by using too much pressure.

8) If you wear lipstick, apply lip balm or ointment before you apply your color or look for a lipstick with moisturizers and sunscreen as part of the formula.

9) Talk to your doctor or healthcare provider if chapped lips become extremely severe or do not respond to any of these prevention and treatment tips. In rare cases, chapped lips can be an indication of an underlying medical condition or problem.

Understanding the causes of chapped lips can help you avoid them in the first place. The most common causes are licking your lips, dehydration, exposure to the elements, breathing through an open mouth, eating salty foods and irritation or allergic reactions from cosmetics or other skin care products used on the face. Take steps to identify which of these factors are causing your particular problem and then address it accordingly.

Be proactive in treating chapped lips before the situation becomes severe and potentially painful. Dry, cracked lips are more than just embarrassing, they can be quite uncomfortable. At the first sign of chapping, be sure to slather on your favorite lip balm or ointment to soothe and hydrate your lips. Also, be sure to drink more water as this will help hydrate your body and your skin and diminish the severity of the chapping.

We often tend to neglect our lips. Make applying moisturizing lip balm or ointment and lip care products with sunscreen part of your daily routine. By doing so you will more than likely be able to stop lip chapping before it ever has a chance to start.

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