Dry, cracked and peeling lips not only look bad, they can hurt when you smile. The thin lip skin becomes dry and cracked and begins to peel. Things can get even worse for those who can't resist the temptation of pulling the dry skin from the lips. It might even lead to bleeding. Though chapped lips is a common problem in winter season, sometimes it might be caused due to other factors. It might be caused due to a vitamin deficiency or dehydration.
Peeling Skin on Lips
Causes
Harsh Weather
Most of us suffer from this problem in winters. The cold, dry and windy climate robs the moisture from the skin as well as lips. Sometimes over exposure to sun can also cause dehydration which might result in cracked dry lips. The fact that the lip skin is very thin and is devoid of natural oils makes it even more vulnerable to the dry, chapped lips
Reaction to Cosmetic Products
You need to be very careful about the cosmetic products you use. Some women don't even realize that it is their lipstick or lip gloss which is causing an allergic reaction on the lips. Bad quality cosmetics can leave the skin very dry and cause the lip skin to peel.
Dehydration
Do you drink enough water? Is your intake of fluids enough? If not, you might get dehydrated and this will certainly cause your lips to become chapped. Peeling skin on lips indicate that the body is not well-hydrated and you need to drink fluids to prevent the loss of moisture.
Nutritional Deficiency
Lip skin can become dry and begin to peel due to a vitamin deficiency. Certain vitamins help in keeping our skin healthy. If there is a lack of such vitamins and your diet is not providing you with the necessary vitamins and minerals, the skin gets affected. If you suffer from deficiency of vitamin A, B, C or E, you might experience dryness of lips. It might also be accompanied by inflammation or redness of lips.
Treatment
Since chapped lips are mainly caused due to dehydration, you must drink lots of water to prevent this problem. Loss of moisture is mainly responsible for dry and cracked lips, therefore, drinking fluids will solve this problem to a great extent. In case, you are suffering from a vitamin deficiency, you need to start taking foods rich in the vitamins A, B, C and E. You must increase your intake of fresh fruits, leafy vegetables, dairy products, whole grain cereals, fortified bread, egg yolks and red meat. You must avoid spicy food.
Since lips lack the natural oils that help in retaining moisture, you need to keep your lips moisturized. You could apply petroleum jelly, cocoa butter, vitamin E gel or aloe vera to moisturize your lips. Exposure to sun or cold winter winds are known to cause dry lips. Therefore, you must protect the skin during harsh weather. If the skin on your lips is peeling, you must completely avoid licking or biting your lips. Frequent licking would not only adversely affect the healing process but will certainly worsen the problem.
Smoking dries the skin and contributes greatly to this problem, therefore people suffering from chapped lips should avoid smoking. Cheap cosmetic products use certain chemicals that can make your lips dry, therefore, you must use good quality cosmetic products only. You could also try some home remedies. Take a ripe papaya and mash it. Apply this on your dry lips and wash it off after 15 minutes. The exfoliating enzymes in papaya will certainly soften your cracked lips. Applying honey, clarified butter or olive oil will also work wonders.
If your lips often become dry and chapped, you must protect your lips from harsh weather conditions. Keep your lips moisturized at all times. Make sure that you use good quality lip makeup products.
