Chapped lips can affect children and adults alike, both men and women. The condition is caused by dryness in the atmosphere, fever or the constant biting of lips. Chapped lips can be treated with proper hydration of lips, but there are certain factors that can aggravate chapped lips.
Alcohol and Chapped Lips
Alcohol is a compound that causes dehydration and is not recommended if the patient has chapped lips. Alcoholic beverages will cause additional dryness, as they will cause the system to eliminate a lot of water. Also, if the alcohol comes in contact with the lips, it will have a drying effect.
In addition, the alcohol, or more precisely the ethanol, present in the alcoholic beverages may also cause ulcers on the lips, which can take a long time to heal and may only worsen the chapped lips. During a treatment for chapped lips, the patient should focus on hydrating the skin and especially the lips.
Other Factors Aggravating Chapped Lips
Any food or drink that extracts moisture from the skin can aggravate chapped lips. Caffeine is known to cause dehydration, so it should be avoided. Smoking can also cause dehydration and aggravate chapped lips. Patients with chapped lips should avoid windy weather and moistening the lips.
As for treatment, the patient may use lip balms that may contain petroleum jelly or a number of natural ingredients. Products that contain alcohol should be positively avoided. The patient should consult a dermatologist if the chapped lips persist, even after 3 to 5 days of treatment.
