Dry Lips And Skin
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Dry lips are the most common side-effect of Isotretinoin (Accutane). If you are on a course of Accutane and your lips are not dry, then you are either not using the drug, or you are not taking the medication with fatty food.
Sticky ointments are best for relieving this dryness and may prevent cracking, these products must be used multiple times a day. Occasionally, you may get a secondary bacterial infection on your lips, this will usually respond to topical antibiotics.
Some doctors will advise a few days of mild cortisone ointment for you if you have significant inflammation on and around your lips.
With dry skin, you may see this most often on the back of your hands and forearms. Dryness may cause a secondary bacterial infection in your skin, your skin may become fragile and the healing of your skin may slow down.
We often forget about protecting our lips from chronic sun damage, long term exposure will often produce "actinic cheilitis", which describes changes such a loss of a distinct lip line, and white patches on the lower lip called leucoplakia.
These changes are precancerous and you should take care to protect your lips to reduce this occurrence. Those who are prone to cold sores may get them more frequently after sunexposure. Those taking Accutane® will have dry lips that are more sensitive to sunburn.
Regular sunscreens are not entirely satisfactory for lip protection, and a number of lipsunscreens have been developed.
[edit] How to Remove Dry Skin from Lips
Sometimes it can be impossible to correct dry skin on the lips only moisturizers. There is an easy step you can perform daily if needed, so you can quickly be on the road to having a more supple and soft kisser.
[edit] Instructions
- Wet a clean washcloth with very warm water and apply it to your lips. Hold the washcloth in place for one to two minutes.
- Remove the washcloth and set aside, then dab a small amount of daily face scrub on your lips.
- Wet the toothbrush that was chosen to use on the lips and then gently scrub them using small circular motions. Scrub lips for approximately 20-30 seconds and then rinse the toothbrush clean.
- Wet the washcloth once again with warm water and remove the remaining face scrub from the lips. Follow up by gently splashing tepid water on the lips until any traces of the face scrubs has been washed away.
- Gently pat the lips dry with a clean towel and then apply your favorite lip emollient, such as lip balm, petroleum jelly, or olive oil.
[edit] 6 Home Remedies for Chapped Lips
If puckering is painful and pursing is too much to bear, you're probably suffering from chapped lips. Harsh winter weather, dry heated air indoors, and a habit of constantly licking your lips can all help dry out the skin of your lips by causing the moisture in them to evaporate. The result is rough, cracked, sensitive lips that leave you little to smile about.Protecting your lips from chapping is not only important for appearance and comfort, but for health. Cold sores, bacterial infections, and other problems are more likely to strike lips that are already damaged by chapping. In this article, we'll recommend home remedies to avoid other people giving you lip about any chapping problems.
Here's what you can do to keep your lips soft and moist:
Don't lick your lips. It may make your lips feel better temporarily, but you'll be making matters worse. Licking your lips has the same drying effect as constantly washing your hands; the repeated exposure to water actually robs moisture from the skin, causing it to become dry.
Use a lip balm. Numerous products are available over the counter. Pick one that you like so you'll use it frequently. Most lip balms are waxy or greasy and work by sealing in moisture with a protective barrier. Plain old petroleum jelly works just fine, too.
Screen out the sun. The sun's ultraviolet rays can damage and dry the sensitive skin on your lips in the same way they can harm the skin on other parts of your body. Indeed, the lips are a common site for skin cancer, since they don't contain melanin, a pigment (coloring) that helps protect skin from ultraviolet rays. Certain skin cancers that appear on the lips may be more serious and more likely to spread, too, so if you'll be out in the sun, use a lip balm that contains sunscreen. Choose a product that has an SPF (sun protection factor) of 15 or higher.
Wear lipstick. OK, this advice may apply only to female readers. But dermatologists say older women are less likely than older men to have skin damage on their kissers, especially on the lower lips, and lipstick may be the reason. Lipstick appears to offer moderately effective protection against the sun's ultraviolet rays, and these days you can purchase lipstick that includes sunscreen, for even greater protection. Lipstick acts as a moisturizer, too.
Check out your toothpaste. You might want to consider whether an allergy to your toothpaste or mouthwash could be to blame for the rough, red skin on your lips. Try switching brands of toothpaste and skipping the mouthwash for a few days to see if the problem clears. Also, rinse well after brushing.
Watch what passes between them. When lips are chapped, they're more sensitive, and certain foods can irritate them. Hold off on pepper, mustard, barbecue sauce, orange juice, and alcoholic beverages to give your lips a break as they heal.
Remembering these home remedies will keep you smiling about how your lips look.
Why Do I Suffer From Dry Skin in the Winter?
In winter, low temperatures, low humidity and strong, harsh winds deplete skin of its natural lipid layer, which keeps the skin from drying out. The dry air from furnaces and other heating sources also suck the moisture out of skin. To keep skin soft and supple, your goal is not to add moisture to skin, but to keep moisture in. These 25 tips show you how to do this.
Dry Skin Tip: Keep Water Lukewarm, Not Hot
Hot water robs skin of moisture causing dry skin, so it's best to shower in lukewarm water. If you can't bear this rule -- I can't -- try to keep your showers short and try showering only once per day. This also means skipping hot tubs (another rule I simply cannot bear). The hot, hot temperature, combined with drying chemicals, is torture on dry skin. The same rule applies to hand-washing: Wash hands in lukewarm, never hot, water (this is a rule I firmly abide by). If your skin turns red, the water is simply too hot.
