What causes chapped lips? What to do about chapped lips

Medical theory holds that "the spleen opens up at the mouth, and its beauty is in the lips", meaning that the spleen is associated with flesh, and the lips are muscle tissue. The color of the lips is closely related to the spleen's function, so strengthening the spleen is the key to preventing chapped lips. In Western medicine, it is called angular cheilitis, which is caused by the particularity of the lip tissue.

What causes chapped lips?

First of all, the lips are mucous membranes. They have no sweat glands and no oil secretion function, so in the dry season, the lips will easily become dry. At this time, many people will lick or bite their lips with their tongue. Although the saliva temporarily moistens the lips, it will quickly evaporate and take away the moisture that is already scarce in the lips. As a result, the lips become drier and the more you lick them, the drier they become, which creates a vicious cycle of chapped and peeling lips.

In addition, saliva contains protein substances such as amylase. After the water evaporates, the amylase sticks to the lips and causes the contraction of the deep connective tissue and wrinkling of the lip mucosa, which makes the lips dryer and even causes infection and swelling, causing pain. The amylase protein remains on the lips and forms a scab together with the cells that fall off the lips. Since the tissue under the scab is incomplete, if it is torn off forcibly, it will cause more local exudation, thus forming more scabs.

What to do if your lips are chapped

1. Don't peel off the skin with your hands, as this may tear your lips. You can first apply a hot towel for 3-5 minutes, then use a soft brush to brush off the dead skin on your lips, and then apply lip cream. If your lips are always dry, it is best not to apply lipstick.

2. Don’t lick your lips all the time, otherwise your lips will become drier; correct bad habits such as licking and biting your lips.

3. Use professional lip cream to remove lip dead skin; massage from the middle of the lips to both sides to prevent dead skin accumulation, do it once a month.

4. When choosing lipstick, try to use long-lasting lipstick as little as possible, because long-lasting lipstick has a drier texture and will make the lips drier. It is better to choose lip gloss; or use lip balm before applying lipstick.

5. For people with allergies, applying sesame oil or honey to the lips with a cotton swab can also have a good moisturizing effect.

6. Avoid spicy food.

7. If the chapped and scabby symptoms on the lips do not heal for a long time, you should go to the hospital in time to find out the cause as soon as possible and receive symptomatic treatment.

8. Try to avoid external stimuli such as wind and sun. You can wear a mask to protect yourself.

What to eat for chapped lips

Medical theory holds that "the spleen opens up at the mouth, and its beauty is in the lips", meaning that the spleen is associated with flesh, and the lips are muscle tissue. The color of the lips is closely related to the spleen's function, so strengthening the spleen is the key to preventing chapped lips. In Western medicine, it is called angular cheilitis, which is caused by the particularity of the lip tissue. In addition, the climate is dry in winter, so lips are prone to chapped. Moreover, there are few fresh vegetables in winter, which can easily lead to vitamin deficiency. The health of lip mucosal cells is closely related to vitamins.

1. Fresh vegetables. Fresh vegetables rich in vitamins such as bean sprouts, rapeseed, Chinese cabbage, and white radish.

2. Yam. It is rich in nutrients, contains free amino acids, polyphenol oxidase and other substances, has a nourishing effect, has been a good tonic since ancient times, and has a variety of ways to eat.

3. Tremella stewed with rock sugar. Stew 50 grams of white fungus and 10 red dates with rock sugar and drink it 3 to 4 times a day, or chop kelp and boil it into a soup to drink.

Home remedies for chapped lips:

20 grams each of raw rehmannia, Yuanshen, honeysuckle, and forsythia, 15 grams each of ophiopogon, asparagus, radix trichosanthis, adenophora, platycodon, and polygonatum, 10 grams of belamcanda, 30 grams of lily, and 6 grams of licorice. Take it in decoction, 1 dose per day. The effect will be better if it is used in combination with an external prescription (20 grams of gallnut, fry until yellow, grind into fine powder, mix with sesame oil into a paste and apply to the affected area, 1 to 2 times a day).

Note: You should drink more water, eat more fruits, and eat less spicy and greasy food.