Her lips were dry, peeling and painful. Ms. Hoa tried many remedies such as applying honey and aloe vera but they did not work. The doctor said she was allergic to lipstick.

Ms. Hoa, 29 years old, from Da Nang, has a habit of using lipstick every time she leaves the house. Every day, she applies lipstick 3 to 4 times, and after each meal when the lipstick wears off, she applies a new layer. When buying lipstick, she only cares about her favorite color, not which brand or where it is sold. "I don't have much money, so I buy lipstick for about 80,000 VND at the market near my house. I really don't know what the quality of the lipstick is like," said the young mother.

After being examined by a doctor, prescribed oral and topical medications, and stopping the use of lipstick, Ms. Hoa's condition improved. Her lips are now soft and no longer chapped. Doctors believe that Ms. Hoa was irritated by the lead in cheap lipstick of unknown origin.

The patient's lips were irritated due to using poor quality lipstick. Photo: TH

Specialist II Doctor Le Kim Loc, Tam Tri Da Nang General Hospital said that recently this place has received and treated many patients with dermatitis, itching, irritation related to the habit of using cosmetics, especially lipstick. The risk of chemical poisoning, especially lead poisoning, from lipstick is very high. Toxic chemicals in lipstick, including lip balm, especially fake, poor quality products, are the cause of dermatitis, itching, allergies, irritation... affecting the health of users.

Tooth decay is increasing in people who use lip balms containing hard petroleum jelly (a substance that erodes tooth enamel). In poor quality lip balms, the content of this substance is often many times higher. "When used regularly in large amounts, the paraffin in lipstick will stick to the tooth surface, attach and create conditions for infectious bacteria to grow, creating small cracks in the tooth enamel leading to tooth decay," the doctor explained.

Not all lipsticks contain lead, but recent studies have shown that this toxic metal is present in more lipsticks than people think, increasing its adhesion. The more lead in lipstick, the longer it sticks. According to Dr. Loc, the lead used in lipstick, even in very small amounts, can easily enter the body when swallowed or absorbed through the skin of the lips. Few people know that many lipsticks contain lead - a toxic metal that can cause poisoning and even disorders of language, behavior and intelligence. Many studies show that lead is a neurotoxin and can be dangerous even in very small doses.

Dermatologists warn that lead is not the only toxic metal that many people are applying to their lips, there are many other toxins in lipstick. A recent study by scientists at the University of California tested 8 lipsticks and 24 lip glosses. The results found 9 toxic metals, including chromium, cadmium, aluminum, manganese and lead.

Lipstick manufacturers claim that the amount in lipstick is so small that it is not harmful, but they are ignoring the fact that people who use lipstick regularly accumulate toxins over a long period of time. If you only use lipstick once a day, there is no harm, and the good news is that not all lipsticks contain lead. However, if you use lipstick 2 to 14 times a day, there are many potential health risks. It is estimated that the average woman who applies lipstick ingests 84 mg of lipstick every day.

To know if lipstick has a lot of lead, when buying it, you can apply a thin layer of lipstick on your hand, then use a gold ring to gently rub the lipstick layer. If the lipstick has a high lead content, the lipstick color on your hand will turn gray. The darker the gray, the more lead the lipstick has./.

According to VnExpress