Common causes of dry and flaky lips that you should know

Is your toothpaste making your lips dry and flaky?

Chapped flaky lips is a common problem during winters and many people tend to bite of the flaky pieces of dried skin thus fueling the problem. However, you might want to prevent yours from drying out and getting flakier by keeping in mind these causes:

Dehydration

Not drinking enough water throughout the day could be one of the major reasons for your lips drying out and getting flaky. Make sure that you drink enough water and other healthy fluids throughout the day.

Constantly licking your lips

If you have a habit of constantly licking your lips when your lips are dry and you don't have a lip balm around, you know that's only a temporary fix and soon after licking them, they feel dry again-- even drier than before. Since saliva evaporates very quickly and it has less of a moisturising effect, you should stop doing that to prevent flaky lips.

No protection

Your lips have sensitive skin and hence you must always keep it protected. Especially during winters, you must take proper care of your lips and keep them soft and moisturised. Don't leave your house without wearing a lip balm and don't forget to carry a lip balm with you wherever you go. If you are wearing a lipstick, opt for the one that is not matte.

Breathing Through Your Mouth

Sometimes when you have a cold and your nose is blocked you tend to breathe through your mouth, having air constantly pass over your lips which in turn dries it out and make it flakier. Also, people who snore open-mouthed or have sleep apnea face wake up with chapped lips.

Toothpaste

Many kinds of toothpaste contain ingredients like sodium lauryl sulfate which is known to cause skin irritation and dry out the skin. You must have noticed that after brushing your teeth your lips feel dried out. It can even cause perioral dermatitis, which is dermatitis of the lips and mouth.

Image: Shutterstock