Thread: chapped lips

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http://health.discovery.com/encyclop...tml?article=91

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Sorry, Mike, I got sidetracked the other night.

Tips to Treat and Prevent Chapped Lips:

Take a water bottle with you wherever you go. Drinking enough water (the equivalent of at least 9 cups of fluids daily) will keep the body, skin and lips hydrated.

Lick the smacking habit. Licking your lips damages the protective barrier, which can dry out the lips, says Robert Brodell, M.D., a dermatologist in Warren, Ohio. (Saliva contains digestive enzymes that can break down this barrier.) Instead, regularly apply lip balm .

Know thy balms. Look for hydrating ingredients like beeswax, shea butter, vitamin E and almond, jojoba or coconut oils. If you have sensitive skin, use camphor-based medicated lip balms sparingly. (They can be irritating.) Instead, opt for the camphor-free Aesop Rosehip Seed Lip Treatment with shea butter ($15; 888-223-2750). But if you have hearty skin, try ChapStick Medicated lip balm ($1.69; at drugstores) with camphor and menthol.

Plug in a humidifer. It can replace moisture in dry indoor air, keeping your lips (and your skin) hydrated..

Exfoliate when necessary. Lip exfoliators (products that contain fruit-acid-based alpha or beta hydroxy acids) slough off dead skin - much like the ones you'd use on your face, says New York dermatologist Dennis Gross, M.D. "But if you have sensitive skin or your lips are severely chapped or cracked, use these products cautiously [no more than once weekly) as they do contain acids that can irritate skin," says Gross. (Signs of irritation: intense stinging and/or persistent redness.) Try Blistex Lip Revitalizer with AHA and vitamin E ($1.89; at drugstores).

Protect, protect, protect. Lips are susceptible to sunburn since they lack melanin, the pigment that helps shield skin from the sun. Apply a layer of a sun-protective product daily like Neutrogena Lip Moisturizer SPF 15 ($3; at drugstores)

I no the cure