Cracked lip corners can be quite a nuisance. They might seem like a slight annoyance at first, but if you don’t take care of them, they’ll get more and more painful. Keep reading to find out our top tips on healing your cracked lip corners as fast as possible!
Identify the Cause of Your Cracked Lip Corners
Why do these pesky wounds happen, anyway? Learn about the causes below so you can try to prevent them from happening next time!
Dryness: Dry lips turn into chapped lips. And it’s no different with the corner of your mouth. In fact, those areas are more sensitive to cracking because of your mouth movements. If they’re dry, you’re at risk.
Allergies: What are your allergies? Are you sure you know them all? Perhaps you just ate something you’re allergic to and it’s causing a reaction on your lips. Allergic reactions can lead to itching and swelling, and they can cause your lips to crack.
Sun damage: The UV rays from the sun will damage and kill your skin cells, including the ones on your lips. If you’ve had lots of sun exposure lately, that could be the reason behind your cracked lip corners.
Smoking: If you smoke cigarettes, particularly every day, it can dry out your lips. And, remember, dried-out lips lead to cracked, chapped lips. Develop a plan to mitigate the risk of smoking by applying lip balm frequently or cutting back on smoking.
Certain medical conditions: Sjogren’s syndrome is one example of a condition that causes dry, cracked lips. If you’ve exhausted the list of causes, it’s time to consult with a doctor. A healthcare professional will assist you with finding the medical cause of those aching lips.
Treatment Options: How to Heal Cracked Lip Corners Fast
Lip Balm or Vaseline: Put on some lip balm throughout the day and never let your lips dry back out. Put more on after you drink or eat so your lips stay hydrated.
Avoid Your Allergen: Did you just find out a new food or drink you’re allergic to? If so, do your best to avoid contact with it. It’s an easy way to notice a difference in your cracked lips.
Sunscreen: Are you out in the sun? If so, apply sunscreen on your lips, especially the cracked ends. It’ll moisturize your lips and, at the same time, protect them from further damage.
Cut Back on Smoking: Cutting back on cigarettes is another way to treat cracked lips. It’ll prevent further aggravation to your already-aching lips and stave off more cracks.
Get a Medical Treatment: When you really can’t solve the problem yourself, you have to go to the doctor to receive the appropriate medical treatment. Even if you have lip balm available, should you really need to apply it every hour of every day? Go get a check-up to see what underlying issue could be happening.
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How Do You Prevent Cracked Lips?
Preventing cracked lips in the first place is ideal, it’s safe to say! But how can you do this effectively? The best way is to change your habits slightly to ensure that you are giving your body (and lips) the hydration it needs.
Apply lip balm every day and always drink plenty of water. Be aware of your overall health situation and understand your lifestyle and job’s effects on your body, including those lips.
Apply a Lip Balm or Cream to Soothe Your Lips
Lip balms and creams go a long way to hydrate thirsty lips. You’ll find a wide variety of these in any beauty or drug store.
Consider investing in a daytime lip balm and a thicker nighttime one. The daytime lip balm should have SPF coverage to protect your lips from the sun.
Get in the habit of applying your lip balm in the morning and at night at the very least. Carry one with you, if you can, so it’s handy when necessary.
Use a Humidifier
Is your climate on the dry side? If you live where the air is dry, you’re more likely to suffer from cracked lip corners and dry skin, in general.
Control your home or office environment by adding a humidifier. These genius inventions spray water vapor into the air to help it stay a little more humid. If you start sleeping with one at night, you might notice a big difference.
Apply a Gentle Lip Scrub
Exfoliating your lips will help remove that outer skin layer that is dry or damaged. It stimulates more blood flow to your lips and gives you a fresh start to apply your lip balm.
Look for natural lip scrubs, and don’t rub too hard. Be gentle with the delicate corners of your mouth. You can even use a substance like sugar with honey as an all-natural lip scrub.
Drink Lots of Water
Make your home and workspace into little hydration stations. Set reminders for yourself to keep drinking water. Be diligent about getting the water intake you need. Drink at least several glasses a day to keep your whole body moisturized.
On that note, remember that substances like caffeine and alcohol dehydrate your skin. If you drink those beverages, try to replace them by drinking more water.
Avoid Irritating Foods and Drinks
Take caution when eating spicy, salty, or acidic foods. If you already have cracked lip corners, just stay away from them completely. It will only cause them more pain.
Avoiding dehydrating foods helps your lips stay healthy and intact. If you do eat spicy or salty food, try to rinse your lips with water or brush your teeth and lips after the meal so it doesn’t stay on.
Use a Moisturizing Lip Mask
Lip masks are great options to rehydrate thirsty lips. These products have ingredients like coconut oil, shea butter, honey, beeswax, or castor oil.
Usually, you apply a lip mask and leave it on (try to be patient!) for about 20 minutes before rinsing them off. You can apply them weekly or daily depending on how severely chapped your lips are.
If you follow these tips, your lips will be in great shape fast and you’ll be ready for any kind of kisses that come your way.
Use Hydrating Lipstick or Gloss
Who said looking glamorous couldn’t help your cracked lip corners at the same time? Look for lipstick or lipgloss that has hydrating ingredients. You might find some with shea butter or hyaluronic acid.
Add them to your daily routine so your lips stay hydrated all the time. Depending on how the lipstick or lipgloss is textured, you may or may not also apply lip balm to your lips.
