What causes dry lips? And how to treat them effectively

Dry, chapped, or sore lips? There are many reasons why your lips may be suffering, from environmental and lifestyle factors to hormones and ageing. Sudden temperature changes may compromise the skin barrier, and even UV damage can hinder the health of your skin in this area, leading to premature ageing. Our lips are incredibly delicate – this area of the face has only three to five cellular layers, whilst the rest of the face has up to 16. Lips also don’t have sebaceous glands, so they lack any sort of natural lubricant, making them more prone to dryness and environmental stressors such as wind and cold.

So, what can you do to tackle dry lips for good? Read on for everything you need to know.

Causes of dry, chapped lips

As previously mentioned, the lips don’t have sebaceous glands, so they can’t provide moisture to protect their surface from the harsh winter winds and changes in temperature. This can lead to transepidermal water loss, which causes dryness and an impaired skin barrier. This in turn can cause cracks or peeling on the surface.

In winter, it’s essential to ensure that you’re drinking plenty of water, eating plenty of water rich-foods and to try not to turn up the temperature in your shower too much. Consider also using a humidifier to help keep moisture in the air.

Give your lips a dedicated skincare routine

Just like our faces, the skin on our lips must also be taken care of. Start with a very gentle scrub to buff off any dry skin. You’ll want to apply lip balm afterwards and also regularly throughout the day. Choose one with ingredients such as shea butter or lanolin to lock in moisture and keep the lips firm, nourished, and plump. You can also consider an overnight lip mask to infuse extra hydration.

Restoring ageing lips

As we age, our lips lose their ability to hold water within the lip tissues. With age, your lips lose hyaluronic acid, the molecular structure that holds water in the skin and gives them a moist and dewy appearance. This can result in overall dryness, chapping and the appearance of fine ‘lip lines’ on and around the lips.

Using strategically placed hyaluronic acid facial fillers, we can restore older lips, even without adding significant volume. Fillers will boost skin hydration in your lips by naturally replenishing your hyaluronic acid stores. They also immediately bring back fullness and plumpness to your lips to fill lines and cracks in the process. Fillers can also give the lips shape and definition and transform the Cupid’s Bow, the attractive heart-shaped feature that sits at the top of the lips.

If you are considering a treatment with lip fillers to restore dry or thinning lips, to reduce lip lines, or if you want to rejuvenate the whole area around the mouth, make sure to consult an experienced medical practitioner. They will understand how to treat your lips and the area around the mouth to create the best possible result.

For more information or to book a consultation, click here.