How to prevent lips from drying

Here are some tips on how you can prevent your lips from drying

Dry lips are a common issue in the summer season. Keeping them moisturised constantly is important and calls for much care. Here are some tips to prevent dry lips -

1. Don't lick them: 

It is a common habit of many to lick their lips every few minutes. Avoid it. Form a habit to keep a check on you as licking lips leads to dryness and chapped lips.

2. Use a good lip balm: 

Invest in a nice, fruity lip balm that will keep your lips soft and moist. Do check that it comes with a certain level of sun protective SPF. If you do not want to use a cosmetic balm, try using petroleum jelly.

3. Drink lots of water: 

Hydration is most important in summers. So make it a point to drink at least 2.5-3 liters of water.

4. Choose healthy cosmetics: 

Every girl likes to put on some make-up. But when wearing a variety of lip glosses or colors, make sure you use healthy ones as cosmetics can dry out your lips quickly.

5. Avoid using a harsh facewash: 

Avoid using a harsh facewash for skin problems as they may harm your skin and lips especially. If you do use one for acne or other issue, protect your lips from any contact with the foam of the facewash.

Ways to fix your discoloured lips

Dark/discoloured lips could be due to an unhealthy lifestyle or bad hygiene habits.

 

If you smoke, here's one more reason to kick the butt. Smoking is one of the biggest causes of lips turning dark. Experts say that the nicotine present in cigarettes causes lip discolouration.

Your lips also need regular exfoliation. Use a soft bristle toothbrush to scrub your lips once a week. This will remove all dead skin and keep your lips pink, soft and healthy.

Experts say that massaging your lips regularly will improve circulation. Make a paste of crush almonds and lemon juice and massage it on your lips regularly. 

 

Lips also need to be hydrated and moisturized. Apply petroleum jelly or lip balm daily so that you don't suffer from dry and chapped lips. Use a balm, which has cocoa butter, known to be great for lips.

A simple home remedy to lighten dark lips is to crush pomegranate seeds and mix them with a few drops of milk cream. Apply this paste on your lips and leave for 20 minutes.

How to lighten dark lips

 Feel that your mouth is too dark compared to your face? Do you want a pink perfect pout? 

You are not alone. Millions of women worldwide suffer from this entirely treatable condition. So, look no further for your dermatologist-recommended tips to lighten your lips!

1. Stop licking your lips: 

Many people suffer from a repetitive habit of licking their lips. This repetitive friction and irritation causes a darkening of the lips and even the surrounding skin. Why does this occur? Usually, people with this habit have lips that continually dry and they repeatedly lick their lips to moisturize it. Unfortunately, the more you lick your lips, the more water evaporates from the lips, ultimately making them even drier. This ultimately perpetuates a never-ending cycle! So stop this habit for a lighter and healthier pout!

2. Exfoliate your lips: 

A lot of people with dry lips will have excess skin that makes your pout look rough, uneven and discolored. Luckily, there is a natural remedy for this. You can gently rub your lips with your toothbrush every morning! Or, for an extra effective exfoliation, you can mix sugar, honey and olive oil and apply it to the lips as a gentle scrub and then wash it off. Do this a few times a week and be amazed at the results.

3. Moisturize regularly: 

Dry lips are darker lips, likely because light is not able to reflect properly off an uneven surface. Moist lips will look healthier and pinker, so moisturize regularly with a strong lip balm at least 5-6 times a day! Make sure the lip balm has shea butter in it, as it is highly effective at moisturizing your pout.

4. Apply sunblock: 

Yes, lips can get tanned too! In fact, the sun can damage the skin on the lips, making them appear darker and rougher. Look for a lip balm with SPF30, and apply it at least 5-6 times a day to make sure it does not wear off.

 

5. Try lasers: 

If natural remedies do not work, then you can try a KTP Laser for your dark lips. This safe and painless procedure uses a targeted light therapy to attack excess color on the lips. Typically, KTP requires 2-4 sittings, depending on how dark your lips are. Talk to a certified dermatologist about it to learn more.

(Inputs by: Dermatologist Dr. Kiran Lohia, Medical Director of Lumiere Dermatology, New Delhi)

Get kissable lips at home !!

Rummaging through your kitchen can give you kiss-ready lips, read on how.

The way your lips look can affect the overall look of your face. Darkened, dry, chapped or bleeding lips can mar the beauty of your smile. A perfect pair of lips looks healthy, pink, soft and flexible. Find out how you can solve you lip problems at home.

To get lighten dark lips and make them pink, mix equal quantities of heavy cream, tomato paste and a good quality of pink lip colour. You should make a fresh mixture everyday and apply it on your lips. Within a few days, the colour change will become noticeable.

Stretchy, bleeding lips are an effect of dry and dead skin accumulating over the skin. Just mix some olive oil and sugar and rub it on your lips. You can also use a toothbrush to remove the dead skin, but be gentle. Once the dead skin is completely removed, your lips will be smooth and supple.

You can even make your very own lip balm at home by melting some bee wax with apricot oil and cooling it. Later, add some drops of coconut oil and mix. Keep aside till the mixture sets. You can use this balm everyday for strong, supple lips.

Get rid of dark lips

Worried about dark lips, here are some home remedies.

Dark lips can make you less confident and mar the beauty of a smile. Here's how to get naturally pink and healthy lips.

Lemon 

Rubbing lemon juice over darkened lips can help lighten them. Being a natural bleaching agent, lemon helps remove pigmentation and dark spots on skin also.

Cucumber 

Cucumber juice is cooling and can help bring the colour back to darkened, dry lips due to their moisturizing qualities also.

Beetroots

Rub some beetroot juice onto your lips and leave it on for 5-10 minutes allowing the skin to soak it all up. Wash it off and repeat this for a few days until you see the pinkness coming back in your lips.

Olive oil 

Massaging your lips with olive oil before bed can help to not just lighten the lips but also bring moisture and flexibility to them.

Sugar 

Sugar is an excellent exfoliating agent and can scrub all your dead skin cells away. You can make a sugar lip balm by mixing two spoons of granulated sugar with one spoonful of butter and use it several times a day.