When the low temperatures arrive, we protect even our ears. However, we forget to safeguard our lips, one of the most sensitive parts of the face.
During the winter we protect our hands with gloves, our feet with good socks under our shoes… we even cover our ears to prevent them from suffering the consequences of low temperatures. But we leave the skin of the face exposed, and the lips are precisely the area that suffers the most. As a consequence of this, the usual cracks and wounds often appear, which are not infrequently painful and can bleed easily.
Why only the lips crack?
The skin of the lips is much thinner than that of any other part of the body or face. As if this were not enough, does not have sebaceous glands that help keep them soft, hydrated and protected against the cold.
How does the cold affect them?
Exposing them directly to a low ambient temperature causes them to dehydrate quickly and therefore they can crack, but the dry environment of interior spaces due to heating also contributes to the appearance of these painful wounds. If the air is cold and dry on the street and we forget to protect them properly, they will almost certainly crack.
Is it good to moisten them with saliva?
If we suck or moisten our lips with saliva we will notice relief, since It is the most natural way to hydrate them, but depending on the moment it can even be harmful. If we are in a cold environment and we pass our tongue to moisten them, when entering a heated space it will evaporate and that will cause even more dryness and the chances of cracks and wounds will increase.
How do lip balms work?
They are cosmetics that usually contain as a base elements such as petroleum jelly, beeswax, olive oil, karit butter, argn. These fats act by forming a film that sticks to the labial tissue, protecting it from external aggressions such as cold and heat.. In addition to this, they hydrate the lips in depth, helping their regeneration.
Can children use lip balm?
Of course I do. The lip balm can be applied as many times as necessary and at any age. In children and babies, as well as in the elderly, it is even more recommended than in adults since their skin is thinner and very sensitive to solar radiation. In general, protectors for them tend to have a more pleasant flavor and be enriched with moisturizing, soothing and regenerative plant extracts.
Should the lip balm include sunscreen?
Some lip balms include a high protection sunscreen, 30 SPF or higher. This is especially necessary if we go to the snow, since the skin of the lips is very sensitive to ultraviolet radiation from the sun. In summer, especially when we go to the beach or the pool, we must also use it.
Does the lipstick serve as a lip balm?
Generally not. Decorative lipsticks usually dry out the lips, since they have silicones in their composition that evaporate quickly.
A possible alternative is the lip glosses or lip gloss, which contain a certain fatty content in their base that will hydrate and will protect the lips, but the protective film they create lasts less time than lip balms.
I have cracks and wounds, how do I heal them?
The wounds on the lips they do not heal with an antiseptic as we would a wound on a hand. Its proximity to the mouth and the characteristics of the skin make us treat wounds differently.
In case of bleeding, we will press with gauze until it stops, and then we will apply a lip balm with a repairing and healing function that hydrates the area, soothes irritation and helps heal the wound.
How can I remove skin from the lips?
A few days after the skin of the lips has cracked, small loose skins appear that are not very aesthetic. We can wait for them to disappear or remove them by massaging the lips very carefully with the help of oil.
Is it true that with the masks they cracked less?
That’s right. The winter that we had to wear masks at all times on the street there was very little chapped lip, and that’s because the masks helped keep them at a higher temperature, increased humidity and protected them from cold air. Now we don’t have to carry them anymore, but a scarf or a handkerchief are very good options to protect our lips in winter.
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