It is important to take care of the lips during winter. Here are a few tips

Dr Vikas Sharma

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In the current season, there are many skin problems that can make your life hell. A major one is dry, cracked and painful lips during winter. Our lips and, basically everything else on our face, tend to lengthen and sag after 35 years of age. So, extra care needs to be taken.

• During winter, cold and dry conditions contribute to chapping of lips as the cold air tends to strip our skin of moisture
• Room heaters and blowers if kept too close to the body can cause problems
• Avoid licking your lips when dry, which is easier said than done, but the inner acidic secretions cause further damage and finally result in dark pigmentation at the angles as well as around the lips
• Another bad habit that can cause further damage to the lips is biting off bits of dead skin, resulting in formation of cuts and fissures
• Chewing on the lips, especially in tense situations, should be avoided.
• For women who wear lipstick, here is a bit of trivia. Women who are habitual lip chewers end up ingesting four to nine pounds of lipstick during their life!

Contact cheilitis is an inflammatory reaction provoked by the irritant or sensitizing action of chemicals present in various items meant for daily usage and a person is totally ignorant of what is actually causing all the harm. Many cases are caused by lipsticks, toothpastes or mouthwashes, but a large number of substances can aggravate this condition. So use these agents carefully once one notices even the slightest of dryness or scaling on lips.

Things to remember

• The first step you should take to protect your lips is to hydrate and nourish them well by drinking plenty of water.
• Cracked lips could be a sign that your diet is low in vitamin B. So make sure that your food contains enough vitamin B supplements. Some of the B complex vitamins like niacin (vitamin B3) and riboflavin (vitamin B2) boost your skin’s ability to retain moisture.

(Dr Sharma is a Chandigarh-based

dermatologist)