Dry lips can be caused by dehydration, extreme weather conditions, allergies to metal, beauty products or toothpaste, and certain medications. Drinking water, limiting salt and alcohol intake, using lip balms, and avoiding allergens can help prevent and treat dry lips.
Dry lips, which can make everything from breathing to smiling uncomfortable, can be caused by any number of things. The most common is dehydration, although extreme cold or heat and low humidity can be the root of the problem. An allergic reaction to metal, beauty products, or toothpaste can also cause chapped lips; essentially, any allergen that gets in your mouth can cause dry lips. This condition is also often a side effect of blood pressure or antinausea medications.
For otherwise healthy individuals, dehydration is the most common cause of dry lips. This can occur because a person does not drink enough water or consumes substances or foods that dehydrate the body; generally, salt and alcohol are two of the biggest culprits. A lack of moisture can make your lips feel tight and chapped, as well as reduce the amount of saliva your mouth produces, also leading to dryness. Drinking water regularly, limiting your salt intake, and consuming alcohol in moderate amounts can help bring moisture back to your lips and prevent this problem in the future.
In addition to dehydration, the weather can also play a significant role in the appearance of chapped lips. A lack of humidity, or moisture in the air, can dry out your lips pretty quickly. When this is coupled with cold temperatures and excessive wind or heat, your mouth can dry out even faster. For those who live in arid climates with extreme temperatures in both directions, protective and moisturizing lip balms and plenty of water are usually the best ways to prevent this problem.
Countless objects come into contact with a person’s mouth every day, all of which have the potential to cause an allergic reaction. For many people, the lips are more sensitive than other areas of the body, and while they may not experience a reaction when another part of the body comes into contact with an allergen, the lips can react by becoming swollen, cracked, or dry. The most common unknown reaction is nickel found in objects such as pens or paper clips, which many people carelessly put into their mouths. Beauty products that contain propyl gallate, a preservative, and toothpastes that include sodium lauryl sulfate, a foaming agent, or guaiazulene, a blue dye, can also cause an allergic reaction that results in dry lips.
If a person has recently started a new medication and develops dry lips, the problem may be with the medication itself. Several common prescription medications list dry or chapped lips as a possible side effect. While this is usually not harmful to your health, especially when compared to what would happen without the drug, it can be annoying and uncomfortable. Typically, this side effect occurs with blood pressure and anti-nausea medications, and increasing your water intake and using a hydrating lip balm usually helps.
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