Human lips do not produce natural oils to help protect them from extremes in temperature and climate. Lips often become dry, chapped or cracked in extreme conditions such as very cold winds or extremely low humidity. Dry and harsh winters can cause just as much chapping as dry summers do. Corner cracked lips are uncomfortable and even painful and you should treat them as soon as possible.
Rehydration
The main cause of chapped lips is dehydration. In extremely dry climates, lips are more likely to crack because there isn't enough moisture to keep them soft and supple. Therefore, the most logical method of curing cracked lips is to rehydrate by drinking more fluids than usual.
Drinking lots of water not only helps reduce the cracking in your lips, but it also reduces the dryness of the skin on the rest of your body. Although drinking other fluids will also help reduce the dryness of your lips, water is definitely the best and most effective thing to drink.
Topical Treatements
There are many different substances that you can apply to your lips to reduce the incidence of cracking and related symptoms. The most common substance to apply to your lips is petroleum jelly or lip balm. However, pure ghee (clarified butter) or regular butter can also be applied to your lips to reduce cracking. Although it can be messy, it is much more effective than your usual over-the-counter lip balm. Making a paste out of rose petals soaked in milk can also help not only to heal the dryness in your lips, but also to restore their natural pink color. Aloe vera gel can also help ease the pain of cracked lips as well as heal them.
Vitamins
Corner cracked lips are often the result of a vitamin A deficiency. You can increase your vitamin A intake most easily by taking vitamin supplements that you can get from your local health food store or pharmacy. However, many foods naturally contain vitamin A. These foods include carrots, green leafy vegetables, tomatoes, legumes and whole grain foods. By increasing your consumption of these foods, you will boost the vitamin A in your body and will help reduce the incidence of cracked lips.
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