Dry and cracked lips are certainly related to the climate, but what if it's not too dry in summer? Does it seem a bit abnormal? Let's take a look at the reasons for dry and cracked lips together with me!
Causes of Dry and Cracked Lips
1. Lack of Vitamins in the Body
Signs: If the corners of the mouth start to crack and there is white secretion at the corners, it is a sign of vitamin deficiency, and attention should be paid to internal conditioning.
Dry and cracked lips are related to the lack of fresh vegetables in people's daily lives and insufficient intake of B vitamins.
The area around the lips of the human body called the "vermilion border" relies on abundant local capillaries and a small amount of underdeveloped sebaceous glands to maintain moisture.
The blood circulation of the human skin and mucous membranes is poor. If fresh vegetables are eaten less and the intake of vitamin B2 and vitamin A is insufficient, they will become dry and cracked.
2. Cheilitis
If you always feel that your lips are dry and cracked, it may be due to a lack of vitamin B2 or indigestion, or it may be chronic cheilitis. It is best to seek medical help for diagnosis.
Cheilitis often occurs in young people, and some bad habits are the cause. When the lips are dry, licking or biting them can cause increased pain, bleeding, infection, and difficult wound healing. It can develop into chronic cheilitis after a few days of delay.
Oral diseases can also cause dry and cracked lips, so oral hygiene should also be taken into consideration. If the lips are dry and scabbed for a long time without healing, seek medical treatment promptly for targeted treatment.
3. Physical Factors
For people who are allergic to certain cosmetics or sunlight, people who have excessive emotional fluctuations and are prone to getting angry, and people whose body tissue fluid osmotic pressure is reduced due to certain diseases (such as diabetes), excessive drainage and insufficient tissue fluid can cause dry and cracked lips. Smoking, alcohol, and spicy foods can also easily cause dry and cracked lips.
Daily Care Methods for Dry and Cracked Lips
1. Wear a Mask
Especially for cyclists, wearing a mask can block the cold wind outside. The purpose of wearing a mask is simple: to maintain the temperature and moisture of the lips to prevent dehydration and dryness.
2. Apply Honey
If you feel that your lips are already dry, you can apply some vegetable oil or honey that is commonly found in your home with a clean cotton swab.
However, diabetic patients should avoid applying honey. Honey can moisturize and nourish the skin, inhibit bacterial growth, and prevent infection of broken skin.
3. Apply Lip Balm
Many lip balms sold on the market mainly contain petroleum jelly, and erythromycin eye ointment also contains a large amount of petroleum jelly, which can have the same effect as lip balm.
Moreover, erythromycin can also have anti-inflammatory and antibacterial effects. For dry, cracked lips with open sores and bleeding, erythromycin is more effective than lip balm and more affordable.
4. Trim the Lip Skin
To deal with lifted lip skin, carefully trim it with small scissors in front of a mirror.
Do not tear it with your hands or pliers to avoid tearing the lips, causing pain, bleeding, and even infection. That area is what medical professionals call the "danger triangle".
What to Eat for Dry and Cracked Lips
1. Eat More Water Products for Dry and Cracked Lips
It is best to eat more moisturizing and kidney-nourishing water products, such as kelp, seaweed, jellyfish, clams, snails, crabs, carp, eels, black fish, and oysters.
2. Eat Fresh Vegetables for Dry and Cracked Lips
Such as spinach, radish, mustard greens, amaranth, bamboo shoots, tomatoes, eggplant, winter melon, luffa, mushrooms, tremella, bitter gourd, and soy products.
3. Eat Grains and Hard Nuts for Dry and Cracked Lips
Such as black beans, millet, sesame, pine nuts, wheat, and barley.
4. Eat Fruits and Other Foods for Dry and Cracked Lips
Such as watermelon, sugarcane, pear, monk fruit, banana, mango, persimmon, coconut, lotus root, pineapple, lily, coix seed, lotus seed, wolfberry, and chrysanthemum, etc.
5. Eat Poultry, Meat, and Eggs for Dry and Cracked Lips
Such as pork, duck, duck eggs, goose meat, black-bone chicken, pig lungs, and dairy products.
