Stop Paying Lip Service to Lip Health
By Chris Brown
Lips, next to our eyes and nose, are the most noticeable feature of our faces. This past year, with mouths covered in public, many have neglected vital lip care maintenance. As we move out of a mask-wearing society, however, lips (and lip health) are going to once again become increasingly important to our overall appearance.
Lip Wear and Tear
Weather and bad personal habits dry out and age lips' delicate skin. While allergic reactions and injuries create temporary trauma, the ambient environment is the culprit of lip problems for most. For example, many remember to don sunscreen at the beach, but don't think to apply lip protection. Lips are extremely susceptible to sunlight, arid conditions, and cold exposure, drying out 10 times faster than the rest of the face's skin. Therefore, protecting delicate lip skin from weather is important to maintaining young, smoother-looking lips. Similarly, extended contact with your own hands or breath (from mouth breathing) can accelerate dryness. Follow the below 10 tips to help keep those kissers in tip-top shape.
10 Tips for Healthy Lips
- Don't lick your lips - While it may be tempting to lick dry lips, saliva irritates and further dries lips. So instead of licking, reach for lip balm.
- Apply lip balms at night - Daytime lip balm application is important, but lips can be unknowingly affected by nighttime mouth breathing. Applying pre-bed balm keeps them protected throughout nightly snores.
- Not all lip balms are created equal - While they may feel good, lip balms with menthol, eucalyptus, and camphor actually increase lip dryness, rather than moisturize.
- Keep your fingers off your lips - Touching your lips is a sure way to expose them to bacteria, especially if they are already cracked and dry.
- Perform daily lip exercises - It may sound silly, but lip therapy exercises strengthen the texture, shape, and fullness of lips by increasing blood circulation.
- Load up on foods rich in Vitamin B and E - Consuming these vitamins helps keep lips looking and feeling smooth.
- Stay hydrated - Hydration affects the elasticity of your whole body's skin, including your lips.
- Treat lip injuries or dryness early - Early treatment of lip injuries makes sure that problems don't worsen or become infected.
- Apply salt water and baking soda to cut lips - Most lip cuts can be treated with saltwater rinse and a baking soda paste to reduce bacteria and inflammation.
- Avoid smoking - Not only does nicotine restrict blood vessels (skin's oxygen delivery system), the constant lip puckering causes creases in the lips over time.
Following these tips can help you keep a healthy smile well into 2021 and beyond.
To learn more about your health, wellness and fitness, see your local chiropractor at The Joint Chiropractic in Mentor, Ohio.