You more than likely have suffered from chapped lips, and you may wonder what causes chapped lips. Are there myths about chapped lips that you have always thought were the truth? The answer is probably. Some of the most common myths about chapped lips and the facts that dispel these myths are provided below. You may find yourself surprised by some of the unknown facts about chapped lips.
Myth: You can become addicted to Lip Balm or Chap Stick
Fact: This is one of the most common myths about chapped lips. People believe that by not applying lip balm or Chap Stick several times a day, they will instantly have chapped lips. The fact is your lips cannot become addicted to anything. The lips do not contain any type of nerve receptors that would allow them to become addicted to lip balm or Chap Stick.
Myth: Chapped Lips are Contagious
Fact: Chapped lips are in no way contagious. Chapped lips are caused by exposure to harsh environmental conditions, such as extreme cold, low humidity or dehydration of the body in general.
Myth: Brushing Your Chapped Lips with a Toothbrush Helps
Fact: Some people believe that exfoliation of the lips with a toothbrush will help treat chapped lips. This is a very bad idea; in fact, it can make the chapped lips worse and can even lead to cracked chapped lips, which are very painful and more prone to infections. The brushing of the lips with a toothbrush will take off the dry skin of the chapped lips and will more than likely lead to pulling of the skin which causes pain and tearing of the sensitive skin of the lips.
The best thing you can do to help get rid of the flaky skin on the chapped lips is to apply some triple antibiotic ointment to the lips or something similar, and then take a warm shower. While you are in the shower, either take your finger or a wet rag and gently rub the lips. This will help to moisturize the lips, and if the skin is ready to come off, it will. If the skin is not ready to come off, it won’t.
You should not force the removal of chapped lip skin off of your lips. This will cause pain, cracks in the skin of the lips, and lead to an increased risk of infection to the open areas of the lips and potential bleeding lips.
There are many myths about chapped lips, but you should know that the main causes of chapped lips are simple environmental factors, licking your lips too often, being dehydrated and using lip balms or lip sticks that have ingredients such as propyl gallate, and toothpastes that contain guaiazlene and phenyl salicyclate. Just check the labels and make sure these items do not contain those ingredients.
