One of the conditions that often accompanies, or is sometimes even confused with AC is chapped lips. This is a very common condition that is most prevalent during the winter because of the cold , dry weather. If you suffer from dry, chapped lips you will also know that your lips will also start cracking and can become quite painful if you don’t take some remedial action. Its often caused by the evaporation of moisture from the lips and, therefore, as you might expect, many of the most effective chapped lips treatments involve ways of keeping your lips moisturised.



Dont Lick Your Lips!

Many people believe that licking your lips will cure the problem, but, in fact, this is completely wrong and will actually make your chapped lips worse. Its a natural reaction to lick dry,chapped lips and it may even bring about a temporary respite, albeit for a few minutes, but because you are applying your saliva to the outer part of the skin, it will evaporate quickly leaving your lips even drier than before.





Tip: Apply something bitter to your lips, like lemon juice for example, if you really can’t stop licking them.

In addition, most people aren’t aware of the fact that saliva also contains enzymes that actually make the situation much worse.

So, in short, don’t lick your dry chapped lips if you want them to get better!

Dont Breath Through your Mouth

If you have a cold, or if you are a heavy snorer you may find that chapped lips are also a problem. This is because these conditions tend to make you breath more through your mouth, thus drying out your lips.





If this is a problem, then try applying some decongestant ointment under your nose before going to bed at night or, alternatively, you could try applying ‘sleep-strips’ which are an over-the-counter anti-snoring remedy. These are cheap and effective and completely hypo-allergenic.





Stay Out Of The Sun

Everyone should be aware of the dangers of execessive exposure to the sun these days, but this doesn’t stop most of us spending as much time as we can outdoors sun-bathing. If you simply have to top up your tan then make sure that you wear a suitable lip balm with built in sunscreen. This will keep your lips moisturised and also prevent them drying out and burning.





Use The Right Toothpaste And Mouthwash

Some toothpastes and mouthwashes contain chemicals which can cause chapped lips in some people. Tartar-control toothpaste is a particular problem so, if you normally use this then you might consider simply brushing with baking powder which will offer the same benefits without the nasty side-effects (Its also a lot cheaper as well). Interestingly, using baking soda can also help protect your teeth against cavities and help to whiten the teeth.





Get Your Vitamin B!

AC and chapped lips can also be brought about by a vitamin B deficiency. Luckily, this is easily remedied either by taking a suitable vitamin supplement, or, as a better option, you can eat more tasty foods such as eggs, cheese,meat and whole-grains which are high in Vitamin B and also liver and kidneys which are rich in iron.



Treating Chapped Lips

Of course, all of the above advice is great if you are trying to prevent chapped lips but what if you are already suffering from them? Well, luckily, the condition can usually be quite easily cured. The best solution is simply to use a suitable lip balm – there are loads of them available,and some even come in a range of yummy flavors. Make sure that you keep your lip balm applied constantly, especially after meals or after drinking. While I’m on the subject of drinking, its also important that you remain hydrated so be sure to drink plenty of water throughout the day or, if your condition is particulary severe or keeps recurring you could even think about adding a room humidifier to keep the air around you moist.





Chapped lips treatment is, luckily, simple, cheap and usually very effective. Just make sure that you avoid licking your lips, use a suitable lip balm and stick to a healthy diet.