Dryness and flaking of the lips is an embarrassing and unpleasant defect that causes constant discomfort. It's hard to enjoy communication when laughing and talking hurt.
Moreover, unpleasant sensations can worsen at the most inopportune moment: while walking, while eating. Of course, you can moisturize your lips with cosmetics around the clock to relieve soreness, but this is only a temporary solution that does not eliminate the problem itself.
We advise you to understand the reasons that cause dry lips in you and begin to eliminate them. And in order for the skin of your lips to recover faster, you can use the recommendations and help of our cosmetologists.
Hair loss
It is normal to lose about 100 hairs per day. But if you notice large strands or clumps of hair on your pillow or in the shower, you may be low on iron. You are not alone. This is one of the most common nutritional deficiencies in the world. To check iron, the doctor may prescribe LVSS, Transferrin saturation with iron, Complete blood count (CBC/Diff) with leukocyte count without ESR, Reticulocyte count, Ferritin.
If you're a new mom and your hair is falling out like a waterfall, don't panic right away. During pregnancy, hair usually grows faster and thicker. After childbirth, estrogen and hair fall along with it. In a year everything should be back to normal. Iron deficiency after childbirth is quite common.
Why do lips crack and what to do about it?
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The lips have many blood vessels and nerve endings, and the skin there is thin, there are no sebaceous glands or fatty lining. This is why lips are so sensitive. For some purposes, this is very good, but only until the delicate skin cracks and the lips turn into a desert landscape.
Let's figure out why this happens.
Why do lips crack?
Cold
When it's very cold outside, unprotected lips immediately feel it. The blood vessels in the lips shrink and stop nourishing the surface of the lips. And if you don’t protect yourself with anything (don’t close your mouth and don’t use special cosmetics), then frost also affects the moisture in the upper layers of the skin of the lips. Thin skin, having lost fluid, becomes dry and fragile.
Heat
Although heat does not constrict blood vessels (quite the contrary), it contributes to general dehydration of the body. A feeling of dryness appears on the tongue, in the throat and, of course, on the lips. Lack of moisture increases the fragility of delicate skin, hence the cracks.
Habit of licking lips
When saliva dries out, lips lose moisture and natural lubrication, causing them to become more chapped. If you have a habit of licking or biting your lips, notice when it occurs most strongly. As a rule, banal stress is to blame for this.
Allergy
Have you noticed that sometimes you eat some food and it makes your mouth burn? Perhaps this is how oral allergy syndrome manifests itself, which can also damage your lips.
Dangerous food
Some foods do not cause allergies, but even without this they spoil the appearance. For example, foods with a lot of vinegar (salads or canned food), some fruits with a high acid content (citrus fruits, kiwi), hot spices, salty snacks irritate and dry the skin, which immediately becomes covered with a network of cracks.
Bad cosmetics
Expired or simply low-quality cosmetics, of course, have never made anyone better.
But sometimes even products from trusted brands lead to chapped lips. Moreover, dryness appears even if you take hygienic lipstick, specially made to prevent such problems. So this lipstick just isn't right for you.
Take a closer look at how your lips feel after using lipstick. Do you need to apply the product three times a day, otherwise your skin will feel tight due to dryness? Buy another lipstick that works for you. You may have to search for a long time.
Aggressive peeling
If you constantly use harsh scrubs or even lip brushes while washing your face, you can damage thin skin and develop unsightly cracks. So be careful with the smoothness.
Infections
The most common infection that affects the lips is the herpes simplex virus, the so-called cold sore. Exacerbations pass without problems, unless a bacterial infection occurs.
In some cases, lips become cracked, especially in the corners, due to a fungal infection called candidiasis. This is a common thrush that has developed in the oral cavity. This often happens in children.
You should go to the doctor if the inflammation is pronounced, the lips are red and sore, dry lips do not go away on their own, or if there is a white coating around the cracks.
Once you treat the infection, the cracks will go away. A dermatologist will tell you how and what exactly to treat in such cases, because treatment depends on what kind of infection you have.
Where do the sticky spots in the corners of the mouth come from?
Cracks in the corners of the lips, the so-called jams, are the most disgusting, because they hurt a lot, do not allow you to open your mouth, and do not go away for a long time.
The main reasons for their appearance are the same as for normal dry lips, but there are additional factors.
- Chronic diseases. For example, diabetes or any skin diseases.
- Lack of vitamins A or B2, possibly iron deficiency. But this is a condition that occurs only with an unbalanced diet. Therefore, switch to healthy food and a nutritious diet so as not to suffer from skin problems. To find out if you have enough iron, take a routine blood test.
- Humidity. If the corners of your lips are constantly wet from saliva, an incorrect bite may be to blame. Consult your dentist. It might be possible to fix this.
How to cure chapped lips at home
When your lips are already chapped and rough, you need to put in a little effort to make the unpleasant symptoms go away.
Firstly,
You should not bite your lips or tear off hard flakes of skin, even if you really want to. This way we only injure the skin more and prolong the peeling.
Secondly,
moisturize your lips with special balms or lipsticks. It’s better not to buy products in jars, so as not to touch them with your fingers and not to apply a pack of germs to your lips along with the balm.
Do not buy products in jars to prevent germs from getting into the jams.
Third,
try natural and as simple as possible products based on wax and Vaseline. The more impurities in the composition, the higher the likelihood that this balm will not suit you.
What else to apply to chapped lips?
If you are desperate to find that lip balm in stores that will help, use simple remedies.
Regular natural honey is a good moisturizer. It is better to apply it before bed so as not to give in to temptation and lick your sweet lips.
If you are allergic to honey, try cocoa, coconut, almond, sea buckthorn, rose hip, and calendula oils. They retain moisture, soften the skin and help cracks heal faster.
What to do to prevent chapped lips
Basic prevention is simple:
- Drink as soon as you feel dry mouth.
- Use indoor air humidifiers.
- Protect your lips from the sun with a cream with a UV filter or the same lipstick.
- Protect your lips from frost with lipstick or Vaseline.
- In winter and autumn, cover your mouth with a scarf from snow, rain and wind.
- Use only high-quality cosmetics.
- Avoid consuming irritating foods.
- Learn to stay calm and not get nervous.
Unexplained fatigue
This symptom fits almost any vitamin or mineral deficiency. It may be time to check your vitamin D levels. This vitamin is unique. It reduces the risk of cardiovascular disease, flu, multiple sclerosis, diabetes, colon, breast and prostate cancer. Plays an important role in regulating mood, sleep and wakefulness, and preventing depression. Increases calcium and phosphorus absorption and promotes bone mineralization. Vitamin D deficiency can cause muscle pain, weakness and unexplained fatigue.
WHY DO YOU NEED A 25-OH VITAMIN D TEST? Easy to measure. Just one 25-OH vitamin D test will show your current vitamin levels and supplemental needs. taking medications. Easy to pass. Add the 25-OH vitamin D test to your cart, sign up for delivery and receive a 50% discount by paying for your order online. Easy to adjust. Enter your 25-OH Vitamin D test results into our free calculator. We will calculate your dosage of vitamin D medications and offer you a convenient dosage regimen.
Vitamins B9 and B12 help the body produce red blood cells and chemicals that regulate sleep patterns and mood. When you don't get enough of them, you may feel forgetful, weak, and apathetic.
Causes of dry lips
First of all, pay attention to your diet . A lack of healthy fats, a deficiency of vitamins and microelements in the diet can cause cracks in the corners of the lips and cause dry skin. Add nuts, avocado, red fish and butter to your diet - these foods are rich in healthy fats. To compensate for the deficiency of vitamins and microelements, take a course of multivitamins.
It’s not just dietary deficiencies that cause dry lips. Proper drinking regimen is also important , as well as what kind of water you drink. Peeling of the delicate skin of the lips can occur if you overuse soft drinks or drink little water. In this case, just drink enough and preferably warm water. A glass of warm water with honey and lemon is a great start to the day. Start with this ritual every morning and you will quickly notice an improvement.
If your diet and drinking regime are in order, analyze the microclimate in the rooms where you spend the most time (at work and at home, for example). The air in the rooms should not be too dry. If humidity is low, use humidifiers to bring it back to normal. Sufficiently humidified air not only has a beneficial effect on the condition of the skin, but also protects the mucous membranes from viruses.
Finally, dry lips can cause a tendency to constantly lick your lips. This habit is especially disturbing in cold weather in autumn and winter. Because of it, peeling first occurs, and then dry crusts may appear, which in no case should be peeled off or touched with your hands.
Vitamins that are responsible for skin condition
There are a lot of them, and they belong to different groups. Let's list the main ones:
- A. Its task is to “delivery” collagen and elastin to the tissue: substances that slow down the aging process. In addition, vitamin A is also responsible for cellular regeneration;
- AT 2. Provides lips with protection: they do not crack or peel. Thanks to vitamin B2, regular tissue renewal occurs;
- AT 7. Promotes regenerative processes of the skin. With enough of it in the body, the skin becomes more elastic, healthy and smooth;
- AT 12. If there is no deficiency, a person will always have a healthy complexion and tissues in good shape;
- C. It is a strong antioxidant that stimulates the body’s “production” of its own collagen;
- A kind of “guarantor” of a healthy cell life cycle. Relieves inflammatory processes, protects against them, helps strengthen the immune system;
- E. Responsible for proper nutrition of the skin, smoothing wrinkles and slowing down the aging process in general. Like vitamin C, it is a strong antioxidant;
- Heals wounds, eliminates inflammatory processes, the skin is smooth, does not peel or crack;
- K. Helps improve overall blood circulation and microcirculatory processes.
If the body lacks one of these vitamins or more, the condition of the lips can deteriorate sharply.
What to do
If you are concerned about the quality of your skin, order vitamins early. First you need to go to the doctor and find out what the reason is. Maybe the body does not have enough iron, or the person has hypothyroidism - only an examination will determine this. If the indicators are normal, the doctor will prescribe a test for vitamin levels in the blood. When there are few of them, the diet is first changed. Supplements are prescribed only to those who have digestive problems.
“Most vitamin A comes from foods rich in beta-carotene and provitamin A carotenoids. These are powerful antioxidants. They neutralize the effect of free radicals, which break down collagen and contribute to the appearance of wrinkles, explains Nadezhda Nabatnikova. “The substances also reduce skin sensitivity to ultraviolet rays, providing natural protection against redness and pigmentation caused by the sun.”
The norm for a person from the age of four is 5000 international units of vitamin A. He should receive it from food of animal and plant origin. The best source is cod liver. One teaspoon of its oil contains 150% of the daily requirement. A lot also contains beef liver, salmon fillet and tuna. The plant richest in vitamin A is sweet potato, one hundred grams of which covers the daily requirement. Kale, winter squash and turnips contain it in abundance, with carrots only coming in sixth. Important: heat-treated root vegetables are taken into account, not raw ones.
Some people, tired of acne, buy systemic retinoids and take dosages from the Internet. This is dangerous - if the dosage is exceeded, these drugs cause fetal malformations - auricular atresia, underdevelopment of the limbs, atrial septal defect and displacement of large vessels. Therefore, a dermatologist prescribes systemic retinoids after a pregnancy test and the patient’s commitment to use double contraception - hormonal pills plus a condom.
“When using systemic retinoids and other vitamin A preparations, a teratogenic effect on the fetus is possible. Therefore, even before taking dietary supplements, and even more so medications, it is worth consulting with your doctor,” says Nina Alexandrova. “The unfavorable effect of high doses of vitamin A persists even after stopping its use, depending on the drug - from 1 month to 2 years.”
Treatment methods for vitamin deficiency
Treatment of hypo- and avitaminosis is aimed at replacing the vitamin missing in the body.
An excess of vitamins in the body - hypervitaminosis - is a dangerous condition and can lead to various disorders and disorders.
Diet correction
Since the main source of vitamins is food, proper, balanced nutrition is of great importance. It is advisable to eat fresh and natural foods. It is also worth considering that fat-soluble vitamins (A, D, E, K) are preserved during heat treatment, while water-soluble vitamins (vitamins B, C) are destroyed.
Meat contains vitamins B1, B2, PP, B6, B9, H, B5, lipoic acid, A. Fish contains B12, E, D and B5. Eggs supply our body with vitamins E, D, B5, H, A; grains - B1, PP, B6, B9, E; nuts - PP and N; vegetable oils - vitamin E. Dairy products contain B2, B12, A, D; vegetables, leafy greens and fruits - vitamins C, B6, B9, K, H, P, lipoic acid, beta-carotene.
Taking vitamin supplements
In serious cases, vitamin-containing preparations (vitamin complexes and single preparations) are prescribed to compensate for the lack of vitamins. Do not forget that such drugs have a serious effect on the body and should not be abused. The course of taking vitamins must be prescribed by a doctor.
Specialist consultation
Vitamin deficiency is treated by a general practitioner (internist or family doctor).
If you observe symptoms that suggest vitamin deficiency, contact any of the clinics of JSC “Family Doctor”. Our doctors will make a diagnosis and prescribe a course of treatment based on the specifics of your case.
Make an appointment Do not self-medicate. Contact our specialists who will correctly diagnose and prescribe treatment.
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