10 "culprits" that cause chapped lips

Dry and cold weather can easily cause dry and chapped lips.

Dry skin is frustrating enough, but chapped, even bleeding lips are even worse. Weather, wind, and exposure to dry air can make your lips more susceptible to drying and cracking.

Here are 10 common causes of chapped lips that you should know to prevent:

When your lips feel dry and chapped, your reflex is to lick them. But as soon as you lick your lips, they feel even drier, so you lick them again and again. This cycle causes your lips to become dehydrated, as saliva evaporates, reducing the moisture in your lips, causing dry lips.

Before long, a rough, shriveled layer of epidermis separates from the moist layer underneath your lips. Biting and chewing your lips can have a similar effect. So if you find yourselffrequentDo this, try to give up this bad habit.

Lips do not contain oil glands like your skin, so they can dry out and become chapped very easily. In fact, dry lips are also one of the signs of dehydration. If you do not drink enough water during the day, your lips will become dry and flaky. Moreover, constant outdoor activities, combined with wind and UV exposure, can lead to dehydration and cause chapped lips more quickly. You should drink 6-8 glasses of water every day.

Don’t forget to protect your lips by moisturizing and protecting them from the sun. Look for a lip balm with sunscreen to protect your lips, or just apply a little sunscreen to your lips before you leave the house.

Keep your lips moisturized all day long with vaseline or beeswax for plump lips, especially during cold, dry winter days.

4. Due to mouth breathing

Whether it’s a habit of sleeping with your mouth open or a medical condition that causes nasal congestion, mouth breathing causes air to constantly pass through your lips, drying them out quickly. People who snore or suffer from sleep apnea often mouth breathe and often wake up with dry, chapped lips. In these situations, it’s best to keep your lips moist throughout the day, especially before bed, and talk to your doctor about treating these potential problems.

Many toothpastes contain sodium lauryl sulfate, and studies have shown that this ingredient can irritate dry, chapped lips. If you're struggling with chapped lips due to toothpaste, try switching to a different toothpaste.

The acids in citrus fruits can irritate lips. Tomato sauce can also be uncomfortable and painful when you have chapped lips. Cinnamates, a substance used in candies, chewing gum, and toothpaste, can also have a similar effect to the acids in citrus fruits.

If you are consuming too much vitamin A, or are taking too many vitamin A supplements, it can cause dry lips. If you take more than 25,000 IU of vitamin A per day, you are consuming too much vitamin A.

There are a number of allergies that can cause dry lips, including cobalt and nickel allergies. If you take too many vitamin B12 supplements, it can cause an allergic reaction to cobalt, leading to dry, flaky lips.

Certain prescription medications, such as Accutane for acne or wrinkles, the blood pressure medication propranolol, or the dizziness medication prochlorperazine, can also cause dry lips.

Autoimmune diseases can make your lips sensitive to sunlight and chapped. Thyroid disease and psoriasis can also cause dry lips. Perleche, or angular cheilitis, and diabetes can lead to dry skin around the mouth.