Our lips are subjected to many tests throughout life: extreme temperatures, dehydration …
Sometimes the appearance of a lesion or a pimple can worry us. While it may be a simple crack, other symptoms should not be taken lightly.
Your lips are chapped
With the cold, the wind and the dry and overheated interiors, the lips undergo many attacks which damage them. Other factors may also explain a dry lips : a predisposition to eczema, particularly fragile skin, sinusitis which forces you to breathe through the mouth, an allergy to certain cosmetics, diabetes, the taking of certain medications …
The right reaction
To get started, buy a lip balm good moisturizer that you will always have with you and that you will spend on the affected area as often as necessary. Prefer those in the form of a cream which deposits a light protective film on the lips (in addition, it replaces the gloss!).
Absolutely avoid running your tongue over your chapped lips as this only accentuates the dryness even if it relieves immediately. To remove small, dead skin, scrub gently with a toothbrush.
The corners of your lips are dry
It is certainly that you lack minerals such as iron and Zinc but also vitamins of group B. For example, vitamin B3 also called niacin which is used for the production of energy from nutrients. Also vitamin B12 which is essential for growth, cell division, the functioning of all cells in the body and the balance of the nervous system. The vegetarian people often encounter these types of deficiencies.
The right reaction
We don’t hesitate to put seafood and oily fish on our plate (salmon, tuna, oysters, shrimps …) but also pulses (lentils, chickpeas) and oilseeds (nuts, almonds). As iron absorption occurs through vitamin C, we also eat kiwis and citrus fruits.
You have sores and redness at the corners of the lips
Unlike a simple dryness due to a vitamin deficiency, the appearance of sores in the corner of the lips can be a sign of angular cheilitis, that is, an infection with bacteria or fungi. This skin problem can be caused by excessive dryness, sagging folds in the mouth that entered into rubbing (age may be a factor), or high acidity of the saliva. People suffering fromanemia also have a higher risk of angular cheilitis.
The right reaction
If the perlèche is not yet too established, your doctor will only recommend that you moisturize your lips well and follow your brushing with a mouthwash for impeccable hygiene. If the angular cheilitis is already in advanced condition, it may be necessary to apply an antibiotic or anti-fungal cream.
You have a pimple at the edge of your lip
It could be a simple inflammation of a hair follicle … or a cold sore. It is an infection caused by a virus, the herpes simplex virus type 1 in most cases. Once you become infected with the virus (usually before the age of 20), it persists in the body for life, without causing permanent symptoms. From time to time, for various reasons (fatigue, fever, exposure to the sun …), the virus “wakes up” and triggers a herpes sore or sore.
The right reaction
You must first avoid triggering factors such as exposure to the sun or stressful situations. Then, it is useful to adapt a healthy lifestyle to strengthen your immune system and avoid relapses: get enough sleep, eat a balanced diet, practice sports.
Small spots and scabs appear on your lips
These symptoms are not to be taken lightly as it may be actinic keratosis. These small lesions are caused by prolonged exposure to the sun. It is estimated that in 15% of cases, they progress to skin cancer. How to recognize actinic keratosis? Lesions form a small crust or scale, rough to the touch. Only a dermatologist can give you a reliable diagnosis.
The right reaction
You start to go to your dermatologist at the slightest doubt, you avoid exposure to the sun as much as possible and you put a cream with a UV protection index on the lips.
If actinic keratosis is found, the doctor may recommend two types of treatment: cryotherapy to burn the lesions with liquid nitrogen or surgical excision which involves removing the lesions under local anesthesia.
