What is the best way to treat chronically chapped lips?

Question

I have a lip ring in the middle of my bottom lip, and on either side of the ring (not under the ring it's self, but on either side) my lips get severly chapped. What are the best chapsticks or homemade remedies?? Please help!!! Its not the most attractive thing!!!!

I'm not taking my lip ring out. I got it with a friend who is no longer with us. I take very good care of my teeth and my dentist tells me to keep doing what i'm doing and i'll be fine.

Again, I'm not taking out my ring. I don't really bother with what people think is attractive and what isn't. I do just fine at my CORPORATE job with no complaints. I know when I need to take it out and when I can leave it in. Thanks for all the superb answers I've gotten. For the haters who just have an opinion on fashion, go to hell.

Also, it is not infected. I've had this piercing for about 3 years now. When I wear the little post (that just goes straight through the lip with a small bead on one end) my lips don't get chapped. When I wear the ring (which goes up and over my lip and moves around and rubs on my lip) I get chapped. For all those concerned with infection, it is not that. And before you ask why I don't just put the post back in, I lost it about a week ago and just haven't had time to go get a new one.

Thanks for your comment pooterilgatto, but think of it this way. God didn't give us self cutting hair, yet we cut it, mostly for appearances sake. What God did give us is free will. And that helps us be the type of people we are. God didn't put this ring in my lip, but he gave me free will. And yes, I believe in God. Who knew a simple question about chapped lips could turn into a theology debate?! I love yahoo...

Answer 1

The most important thing to do is drink plenty of water - this will hydrate your skin (including your lips). Avoid licking your lips & playing with your lip ring. Contrary to those who tell you to take out the lip ring, you can live healthily with it. I use Blistex Medicated Lip Balm, but if money is not an issue, try Clinique Just For Lips. Mmmm! Also, plain, unscented lotion works well (I use Udder Cream).

Answer 2

Girl I feel you on the chapped lips. I don't have a lip ring but just chapped lips. let me tell ya it's a hassle. I've tried dozens of lip balms, sticks, gloss, etc. The best ones to recommend are those that contain SPF protection(I think majority of them do) helps keep lips protected against heat and cold. Products containing shea butter, cocoa butter and aloe vera work wonders. If it's that serious pure shea butter has a variety of fabulous uses. Chapped lips is one of them. You will know it's pure if it says 100% SHEA BUTTER. It normally comes in a clean container because it's harvested straight from the plant. It will have a yellowish color too it. Keep it at room temperature. It rairly if ever comes in anything smaller then 8 fl. oz. You can pick it up an most cultural shops or beauty supply stores for ethnic people. Try your local shop first you never know. Good luck and if you use it don't go overboard. A little goes a long way.

Answer 3

I haven't seen this one but it worked for me. I wouldn't get the DRY cracked chapped lips, I would get the red chapped lips (you know the one where it looks like you have clown makeup on your lips because the redness extends past your lips). Well I tried all that was mentioned here and the only thing that's worked so far is to put a little bit of Hydrocortizone on it (like Cortaid, or Cortizone10 something like that). Leave it overnight and you'll see immediate results.

Answer 4

Chapstick does NOT work for me - not even medicated blistex, carmex, etc. I have chronically chapped lips too - although no lip ring. I pick my lip because it is constantly dry and tough. The ONLY thing that has worked for me is Medicated Campho-Phenique cold sore treatment for scab relief. I swear by it. It doesn't just coat your chapped lips it actually penetrates the dryness. Seriously - I've tried almost everything that people have mentioned - The Body Shop's products, Burt's Bees, Blistex, Carmex - these people obviously haven't dealt with SEVERLY chapped lips. Maybe that stuff for cow's utters would work though! Haven't tried that! But I think Campho-Phenique is probably easier to get your hands on, unless you live in a cow town.

Answer 5

u need 2 take it out at least for a minute.... let the ring soak in peroxide or alcohol. I have a pet peeve with dry lips and I need something moist on my lips or else I cannot function. Get some medicated vaseline since you got that piercing and work with that. Then use blistex or chap stick frequently. (hell my lips getin dry talkin about it). Whenever you think about it or when you feel them getting dry, slap some moisture on them, and over time doing this will keep them soft. Don't stop using it just because your lips aren't dry anymore. I love neutrogena clear lip gloss because it's thick and it lasts! But if you don't like shiny lips, then stick with the latter.

Answer 6

The reason the stuff probably bugs you is becasue your lips are chapped in the first place. You need to heal them just like dry skin that itches. Buy one of the "softer" lip treatments. Vaseline makes a good one. You don't need to use a lot. Just a tiny bit will spread a long ways. After a couple of minutes, you probably won't even know it's there. Use it in the morning before you leave and at night before you go to bed, but probably after the kissing otherwise it will wear off.

Answer 7

Everyone else seems to want you to put vaseline or some other kind of disgusting goop onto your lips.

I have a chronic lip-chappage problem myself, and no lip ring... so that piece of metal or whatever clearly has nothing to do with it.

Moreover, as someone with a very similar condition, I can tell you that no amount of water-drinking or smearing goop onto the lips is going to present a permanent or even long-term solution.

The only thing I find gives me any comfort in this given situation is to neaten up the lips by tearing the chapped skin off. Nobody else would advise this, I imagine... but if you're going for nice, red-looking lips without any extra nonsense... then tear all that chapped skin off your lips to get to the softer, more alive skin underneath. There are often little tiny bits of dried skin left over that are difficult to pull off... but they can be encouraged off with just a bit of cheap lipsalve or chapstick (which really is only good for softening it up JUST enough to tear it off)... Then your problem is basically solved for a day or two, until the surface skin dries up again... then its rinse and repeat, basically.

Its really not worth spending money on expensive goop to stick on your lips since its not going to solve the problem. It might soften up the skin, but it can't mend where the skin is already broken... and you'll just end up with floppy bits of skin hanging off your lips rather than crusty bits sticking out all over the place.
Just tear the damned skin off and have nice lips for a while that way.

[And note: I'm totally and utterly leaving the whole "god" thing out of this, since once I get started on that subject, I don't tend to stop until moderators have to step in.]

Answer 8

I recommend the Body Shops' Cocoa Butter Lip Care Stick. It costs $5 or 2 for $8. It is a pretty simple compound, with no menthol or crap that will irritate your lips. The simpler, the better.

If your lips are severly chapped, be careful with the medicated lip balms or lip balms with menthol. They may be useful to use once or twice, but they will make the condition worse if you use it more than a few times, so you'll want to immediately switch over to somethign more basic.....I don't use petroleum jelly because it causes pimples around the lip area. The Body Shop balm works great for me.

Answer 9

Do not use any chapsticks or carmax remedies. Your lips produce their own natural oils, therefore, using these interferes with your own oil production. I would go get a light exfoliate and GENTLY try to remove some dead skin. Then tough it out for a few days b/c your lips have to repair themselves. You may want to make sure there is also no infection from your piercing- like the pharmacist at your local drugstore or something- Good Luck!

Answer 10

Vaseline is the best remedy for chapped lips. That's what they use in the hospitals when patients complain of chapped lips. It doesn't have a taste to it and it stays on for quite awhile. If you haven't tried it, do it for at least 2 weeks, you will probably get better results with it than with all the other things on the market, and it's a lot less expensive.

Answer 11

OK, I know you won't believe this and are going to laugh at me but when I was a kid I used to get chapped lips all the time and my mom use d to tell me to put on some vaseline or vitamin A, D or E ointment not just on my lips but also on my belly button and it always worked (don't ask me why and how!). Now I don't know if any of those 50 something treatments have worked or not. But if you have tried them and neither one of them have worked, you might want to try this one as well! :))

Good Luck!