What Causes Chapped Lips?



For some people, winter means a daily battle against cracking, scaling or peeling lips. But what actually causes chapped lips? How can you prevent it? Learn more at HowStuffWorks.com: http://health.howstuffworks.com/skin-care/lip-care/tips/5-tips-for-battling-cracked-lips.htm Share on Facebook: https://goo.gl/R2ZwmK Share on Twitter: https://goo.gl/eyBIVF Subscribe: http://goo.gl/ZYI7Gt Visit our site: http://www.brainstuffshow.com I’m going to go out on a limb here and say you’ve probably had chapped lips at some point. Here’s what’s happening. Your lips are pretty delicate things – this one at the top is your Labium superius oris, and the one at the bottom is your Labium inferius oris. Collectively they form an enormously sensitive, incredibly flexible part of your body. However, they also have some vulnerabilities. For instance, the skin of your lips is different from the rest of your face – let’s take a closer look. Here we go – this is your skin! The outer layer is called the epidermis, and it has a protective covering called the stratum corneum. Underneath your epidermis is another layer of skin, the dermis. Like the rest of your skin, your lips have all three of these layers -- the difference is that the stratum corneum on your lips is way thinner than it is anywhere else on your body. In fact, it’s part of the reason people’s lips have that alluring red or pink pigment. It comes from underlying blood vessels -- red-colored, blood-filled capillaries close to the thin skin on your lips. Next, your lips also don't have the oil and sweat glands that protect other parts of your skin. Their only source of moisture is your saliva, and that's why they can easily become dry and chapped. And that’s usually the culprit here: hydration. We often experience chapped lips in cold weather – not because our lips are allergic to winter or anything, but instead because the outside air tends to be drier, and this also dries out the lips. And this drying out is the leading cause of chapped lips, also known as common cheilitis. Luckily, there are some pretty simple ways to prevent this. First, and no matter what the cause of your chapped lips might be… stop licking them! I know, I know it can be a difficult habit to break. But licking your lips can contribute significantly to dry, cracked skin. The saliva evaporates quickly, taking with it any moisture that was already on your lips and leaving them even drier, especially in winter air. And speaking of amazing segueways, let’s tackle weather-related chapping. If you have very dry air in your house, consider investing in a humidifier. If you’re outside, then protect your lips with a product that contains beeswax or petrolatum, which will help maintain your lips' hydration. If you plan to be out in the sun for awhile, help prevent dryness by using a sunscreen on your lips as well. A lip balm with SPF in it could help address both of these issues at once -- and, as always, drinking plenty of fluids is a great move for your entire body, not just your lips. And that’s it. Well, almost. We didn’t talk about the multiple other causes of chapped lips, or lip balm addiction, or whether some of the ingredients in those things actually cause chapped lips – an interesting little conspiracy theory. SOURCES: http://health.howstuffworks.com/skin-care/lip-care/health/lips-most-sensitive.htm http://health.howstuffworks.com/skin-care/lip-care/health/lips-different-skin.htm http://health.howstuffworks.com/skin-care/lip-care/health/dry-lips-health-problem.htm http://health.howstuffworks.com/skin-care/lip-care/health/cold-temperatures-damage-lips.htm http://www.today.com/id/22505976 http://www.healthline.com/symptom/chapped-lips http://www.medilexicon.com/medicaldictionary.php?t=47434 http://www.medilexicon.com/medicaldictionary.php?t=47448 http://www.webmd.com/beauty/lips-smile/end-chapped-lips http://drtrue.com/2014/02/cheilitis-inflammation-of-the-lips/ THE LIP BALM CONSPIRACY THING: http://lifehacker.com/5974745/know-which-ingredients-in-lip-balm-actually-cause-dry-lips http://www.today.com/style/got-chapped-lips-lip-balm-isnt-answer-I313924 http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/dry-skin/expert-answers/chapped-lips/faq-20057819 http://health.howstuffworks.com/skin-care/lip-care/tips/10-tips-for-battling-dry-lips.htm

Comments

  1. whenever I have dry lips there are some simple ways, like putting green tea on your lips for 5 minutes, putting a thin slice of an cucumber on your lips for 15 minutes or honey for 5 minutes
  2. How else licked there lips before she said not to and then wiped it off 😹
  3. But my lips only get chapped when it's hot out.. HOW DO YOU EXPLAIN THAT?
  4. Well Spongebobs lips where dry and then this was recommended next and now I'm here so um yeah
  5. Does anyone else hear the pool game pigeon song in the background
  6. Why is there 8 ball music 😂😂😂
  7. Hello Mam, I have an exfoliative cheillitus for more or less 8 years. and I have some researched about AQUAPHOR, but here,, philippines, i think they were really few, and now there is no stock from the website which sells, (lazada.com.ph). its hard to live with it.
  8. I always get chapped lips on the top of my lip and on it and then I start to get cracks on the side of my lips. They get super read and then after about one week it goes away. This happens once a month
  9. what if you're a trumpet player
  10. I hate the feeling of chapstick.
  11. why is it that licking your lips is bad but saliva is your lip's main source of moisture?
  12. Lipstick is dry, vaseline is dry. I'll never understand the world.
  13. No matter what I do mine are ALWAYS chapped. It's so aggravating.
  14. i couldn't focus on the video, all i could focus on was the 8 ball music playing in the background
  15. YAALL HEAR THAT 8 BALL MUSIC IN THA BACKGROUND?
  16. THIS VIDEO WONT FUCKING LOAD!!!!!!😡😡😂😂
  17. the background sounds like the 8ball games from Imessage 😭😭💀
  18. Why are they using the 8-ball song?
  19. I have never get chapt lips
  20. The green Blistex and Aquaphor Healing Ointment are my faves atm.👄 Plus the Aquaphor can be used on your hands, around your eyes even.. it's bomb af!


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Duration: 3m 27s

Rating: 4058