Let us ask you something. What do you do when your lips feel parched and need some instant moisture, and you don't have a lip balm handy? Lick 'em, right? Well, it's the normal thing to do. But if you constantly have dry and chapped lips, chances are, your lip licking habit is to be blamed. Let us tell you what happens when you lick your lips, how to stop and still keep your lips moisturised.
01What does licking your lips do?
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You might think that licking your lips keeps them hydrated and keeps them from getting flaky and chapped, but, in reality, it makes them even drier. That's right! You've been living a lie all your life. Plus, this habit and the dry lips it causes is a chronic condition called lip licker's dermatitis. Your saliva moistens the lips but soon evaporates, leaving them drier than before. This is because your saliva has digestive enzymes which wear down the skin on your lips and thus dry out your lips.
02What you can do about it
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Licking your dry lips only makes things worse. Kick this habit by always keeping your lips hydrated. Keep a lip balm handy and apply on dry and chapped lips whenever you feel like licking them. Also, drinking more water can help big time. A hydrated body means hydrated skin and since the skin on your lips are more sensitive, they become dry much faster if you don't drink enough water. So keep them moisturised and healthy. If your lips don't feel dry, you won't get the urge to lick them.
