Lips

What is it?

The lips correspond to the fleshy parts that mark the entrance of the mouth.

These are muscle tissues whose function is to articulate sounds and control food entering the oral cavity. From a medical point of view, the term encompasses the two red-pink bands (commonly called lips) as well as the lip contour.

This distinguishes an upper lip, which extends from the upper lip to the nose; and a lower lip, which extends from the lower lip to the chin fold.

In common parlance, "lips" essentially refers to the reddish-pink part.

Lips are particularly sensitive to dryness.

Their dehydration can lead to chapping and cracking. These lesions are not only a source of discomfort but also increase the risk of inflammation (cheilosis) and are a recurrence factor for cold sores.

In addition to the aesthetic aspect, taking care of your lips is therefore essential to limit the risk of disease and contamination by the herpes virus.

Why protect your lips?

   The skin of the lips has a different structure from that of the rest of the body. It is very thin and does not have a corneal layer: it is therefore more fragile. In addition, it does not contain sebaceous glands or sweat glands: without a hydrolipidic film, it is less well protected from dehydration.

The lips are therefore particularly sensitive to drying, which results in :

• a faded aspect.
• tingling sensations, tugging .
• the presence of small, dry skin peeling off the surface of the lips.
• cracks.

 

Cracking corresponds to extreme dryness that can go as far as cracking the surface of the lips.

This dryness often occurs in the winter, following prolonged exposure to cold, but various factors promote dehydration of the lips.

Poorly cared for, chapped lips can form cracks, painful fissures that are difficult to heal. These lesions of the lips increase the risk of herpes labialis outbreaks in people who are carriers of the virus, as well as the risk of cheilitis.

What elements promote their drying out?

The most common causes of dry lips:

• Cold.
• The wind.
• The sun.
• Dry atmospheres.
• Insufficient hydration.
• An unbalanced diet (for example, a restrictive diet low in essential fatty acids) or a vitamine deficiency .
• Smoking, which impairs the assimilation of vitamins A and C, leads to blood circulation problems and is one of the main factors in premature aging.
• Diabetes.
• Excessive alcohol consumption.
• Taking certain medications.
• Fever.
• repeated moistening of the lips with saliva, which increases dryness.
• Breathing through the mouth.

It is necessary at the same time to limit dehydration on a daily basis and to protect the skin from aggressions.

 For that purpose:

• Apply daily and throughout the year a protective balm.
• in case of strong sunlight, opt for a protective balm with a sun filter (protection factor greater than or equal to 30).
• Avoid tearing off dead skins. To remove them, wipe your lips with absorbent cotton, a clean washcloth or a soft toothbrush soaked in warm or hot water.
• Avoid moistening the lips with saliva, which has a drying effect.

5 tips to heal chapped lips:

In summer as in winter, lips - which are very exposed - are subjected to harsh tests: excess sun, saltwater, wind, frost, excessively low temperatures. When they are chapped, they are dehydrated and irritated. Cracked, they are sometimes so painful that it is not pleasant to smile. Fortunately, there are natural and effective tips to care for chapped lips and a simple solution to prevent this inconvenience. 

Start with an ultra-gentle scrub

Exfoliate chapped lips with honey and a little powdered sugar. Remain to rub gently with a soft toothbrush moistened before rinsing and wiping. The lips are cleared of small skins, ready to receive care.

The lip stick, but without kerosene

The ideal is to always have at hand a lip balm in stick anti-crevasses with strong hydrating power. We prefer sticks based on vegetable oils and we avoid sticks with kerosene oil which have an unfortunate tendency to accentuate the drying process.

Honey for a greedy healing balm

To naturally care for chapped lips, it is highly recommended to apply a highly repairing mask several times a day: honey. Applied to the lips in a generous layer, it needs a fifteen-minute break before being removed with a soft, lint-free cotton pad soaked in warm water. Remain to dab the lips to dry them without irritating them. Honey has remarkable healing power. It thus makes it possible to fill the small cracks so painful. 

Shea butter for a repairing hydration

Drawn from the eponymous nut, the shea butter is famous to hydrate, soften, repair. Stuffed with vitamins A and E, it is the ally of chapped lips. The ideal is to coat the damaged lips with a thick layer of shea butter before going to bed then to keep this saving mask until the morning. As of the first application, the repairing functions of the shea butter will start to make their effect. This repairing mask for the lips can also be applied during the day.

Oil to relieve and protect

Coating chapped lips with an extremely greasy substance almost immediately relieves the discomfort of chapped lips and even creates a real protective barrier against moisture that amplifies cracks. Olive oil and sweet almond oil are good solutions, as are avocado oil and coconut oil. But castor oil is even more effective since it acts as a healing agent. All these vegetable oils make the lips silky smooth. 

It is possible to prevent chapped lips

Food can prevent chapped lips. We can give preference to vitamins of the B group, particularly present in whole grains, green vegetables, fish, meat, oilseeds such as nuts. Drinking a good amount of water every day helps to limit the dryness of the lips.

How to maintain the health of your lips?

Healthy lips are supple, comfortable, and have a uniform reddish-pink color due to the important vascularization of the underlying tissues. To keep them that way :

- Adopt a varied and balanced diet, rich in fresh fruits and vegetables. Certain nutrients (are particularly beneficial to the health of the lips and skin in general.

- Apply a protective lip balm daily and throughout the year. In case of intense sunshine, opt for a balm with a sun filter, with a protection factor greater than or equal to 30, and avoid lip glosses and lip glosses, which would increase the risk of "sunburn", or apply sun protection (lip balm or cream) beforehand.

- Avoid moistening the lips with saliva, which can dry them out.

- Wash hands before putting them in your mouth to limit the risk of mouth ulcers.

How do lips age?

Lips and their contour are quickly marked by aging. This translates into the presence of wrinkles and a progressive loss of tonicity of the cutaneous and muscular tissues from the age of 30-40.

Visible signs of aging :

• the formation of wrinkles at the corners of the lips.
• the appearance of small wrinkles running upwards above the upper lip.
• a decrease in relief between the red part of the lip and the white skin on top, with a progressive flattening of the philtral ridges and the cupid's bow.
• a lengthening of the distance between the base of the nose and the upper lip, a phenomenon due to a decrease in muscle mass in the cheekbones.
• small color irregularities.
• a refinement of the lips, which seem to go inside the mouth.

   

  However, the signs of aging vary in intensity from one individual to another.

Thank's you for reading this article .