Loss of moisture in lip skin causes chapped lips. The loss of natural oils may happen due to exposure to sun, cold dry winds or even repeated licking. Chapped lips are dry, red and painful. They may split and bleed causing immense discomfort.


Steps

1. Ensure your body is not deficient in B vitamins, iron or essential fatty acids. These deficiencies can cause scaling of lips and cracking of lip corners. Take a multivitamin/mineral supplement after consultation with your physician.
2. Hydrate your body by drinking plenty of water. Dehydration can cause dryness of lips. Increase your water intake during winter to keep your lips looking fresh. You can also humidify the rooms to deal with winter dryness.
3. Rule out allergy to lipstick dyes.
4. If in spite of water intake your lips seem dehydrated, apply cool wet cloth to hydrate lips. Also try to seal in the moisture with a lip balm. Apply lip balm every hour or two to treat dry lips and to keep them healthy. Use balm with spf of at least 15 to save your lips from sun damage.
5. Don't lick your lips, it will cause more chapping. Licking lips doesn't moisturize them.
6. Lip lickers also tend to be lip biters. Biting lips removes their protective covering which causes further drying.
7. Use a soft toothbrush to softly buff your lips to remove the deposit of dead cells that will cause more drying and flaking.
8. Creamy lipsticks can act like balms and prevent your lips from chapping. Avoid using lipsticks that can dry out your lips.
9. Ordinary Vaseline works wonders. It prevents sun blisters as well if applied before venturing into the sun.

Tips

• If your chapped lips are due to drooling in the night, you can use zinc oxide ointment that acts as a protective agent.
• You can also try applying clarified butter or milk cream before going to bed for a few days.
• Vitamin A is also important for repair of skin. Ensure that your diet includes vitamin A rich ingredients like carrots, tomatoes, green leafy vegetables, whole grains and legumes. You can also have a vitamin rich juice made up of 1 tbsp. of water cress, carrot and spinach juice, 2 tbsp. wheat germ oil, one glass of tomato juice, and 1 tbsp. of nutritional yeast.
• Put on lip balm after a shower to seal in the moisture.