Lips are among the most sensitive parts of the body and they easily become chapped, burned or they even start to peel or bleed. When this happens, it is good to know what caused it and how to fix peeling, dry and chapped lips.
Causes of peeling lips
One of the major factors that cause damage and the peeling of the lips is weather. Winter is the time when many people suffer from chapped, peeling lips. Cold, wind and dry air outside, indoor heating inside the house and constantly licking the lips to make them wet often cause this problem.
Peeling lips can also be caused by dehydration. When a person does not get enough water and other fluids, the entire body suffers and dehydration usually shows on the lips first. In addition, since the skin of the lips does not have sebaceous glands, there is no natural mechanism that lubricates them and they easily become very dry.
Harsh products, like lipsticks and similar, as well as certain medications, can also cause peeling lips.
Peeling lips can also result from a nutritional deficiency. Certain vitamins are important for nice, healthy skin, and if they are not taken in sufficient amounts, they cause skin problems. Dry lips are usually associated with the deficiency of vitamins A, B C and E.
Treatment for peeling lips
Since one of the major causes of dry, chapped and peeling lips is dehydration, one must first make sure to drink enough water. Eight glasses a day are considered a golden standard, and this amount can even be increased. Not all of the fluids have to come from plain water, though. Herbal teas, green tea and fresh fruit juices also count towards the eight-glasses quota.
The next step is to protect the lips from the harsh weather. During winter, it is vital to frequently apply a good lip balm, preferably the one that contains vitamin E. Lip balms are very important in the summer too, when they should contain a sun protection factor in order to prevent sunburned lips.
Lips that are already damaged and peeling can be relieved by applying cocoa butter, coconut oil, aloe vera gel, petroleum jelly, Vaseline or vitamin e gel.
Cosmetic products used on lips should be as natural as possible, since certain chemicals have a very negative effect on the skin.
In case peeling lips are caused by a deficiency, it is necessary to have a well-balanced diet, with lots of natural sources of vitamins, minerals, enzymes, antioxidants and essential fatty acids, like fresh fruit and vegetables, whole grains, seeds, nuts, fish, low-fat dairy, and, of course, plenty of water.
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