Dr. Divya - How to care for your lips in winter?

How to care for your lips in winter?

Kissable lips? Well, the winters are a tough time to keep them kiss ready all the time. Winters can be harsh. The strong chill, the winds and the dry weather makes it difficult to keep your lips moisturized all the time and therefore visible uncomfortable signs of chapping and cracking skin is inevitable. While we have warm clothes and added layers around our body to protect it, we have nothing to cover those beautiful, luscious lips. Lips are composed of special skin, extremely delicate and thin and therefore require extra care and attention. The skin on lips is devoid of sebaceous glands, therefore the need for licking our lips to keep it moisturized is instinctive. This involuntary habit causes more trouble by drying the lips faster and causing a very opposite effect than expected. The yeast buildup that it ultimately causes leads to inflammation on lips and its corners which is painful and requires a good dermatologist's attention.

To prevent unnecessary trouble this winter, here are a few tips from Dr Divya Sharma- a dermatologist based in Bangalore to keep your lips healthy this winter.

Hydrate

A lip balm should be applied generously all across, especially on the corners of the mouth to ensure proper hydration. This needs to be done as frequently as needed if the lips feel dry. For those with extreme dry skin and eczema, a lip balm which is ointment based is a must.

Sunscreen

Sunscreen may seem totally unnecessary but it is one of the most essential steps to keep your lips protected from burning out in the strong heat of the winter sun. A sunscreen with SPF 30 is ideal and can be combined with lip balms and other moisturizers.

Exfoliation

Cracked lips are common and so is the feeling of biting off that peeling skin. We are so used to smooth lips all day long that the roughness is uninviting. We long to do away with it albeit the wrong way. To avoid difficult situations and escalate more trouble it is advisable to exfoliate the lips with a good scrub. This would help in doing away with the dead skin and help restore the soft, shiny, supple form of lips.

Visit a Dermatologist

This is the most ignored step in ensuring healthy, happy lips. Please treat a severe bout of peeling and cracked lips with seriousness. Chances of infection and a cold sore is higher in winter,  with the body's immunity being compromised. Herpes is another infection one should be wary of and therefore getting all defenses up and taking precaution is extremely necessary. Book an appointment with a skin specialist near you immediately if you find yourself struggling with dry lips.

Here’s a video on tips to prevent dark lips.