by April Reinhardt
(last updated September 5, 2008)
Growing up in Ohio winters had me playing outside with siblings and friends in zero weather. Invariably, each winter I formed a bad case of chapped lips, including the skin above my upper lip. While licking my lips eased the pain, it also added to the problem, resulting in redness, chafing, and pain, akin to a burn.
Dry weather, lip biting, overexposure to the sun, sucking on your lips, ill-fitting dentures, and vitamin deficiencies can all cause chapped lips. Although most common in wintertime, chapped lips can happen any time. Prevention is always better than a cure, so here are some things that you can do to prevent chapped lips:
While preventing chapped lips is always best, treating chapped lips is not difficult. Follow these steps to have your chapped lips silky smooth in a short amount of time:
There are instances when chapped lips are a sign of a more serious medical condition. Persons with a vitamin deficiency develop chapped lips and cracks in the corners of their mouth. Loose-fitting dentures also can cause chapped lips. In either instance, see your health professional for advice in treating your chapped lips.
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