Does licking chapped lips help?

The skin of your lips is much thinner than skin elsewhere on your face. The outer layer that guards moisture is thin, and there are almost no oil glands to coat the skin. There are no sweat glands either, so lips struggle to replenish moisture on their own. That's why moisture escapes from lips easily when the air outside gets dry.

In autumn and winter the air is cold and dry, and turning on the heat indoors lowers the humidity even more. When your cheeks are fine but only your lips turn flaky and split, it's because lips are the first place to lose moisture in this kind of weather.

Saliva is mostly water, so your lips feel moist the moment you lick them. But a thin film of water quickly evaporates in wind and dry air. Evaporating water takes nearby moisture and heat with it, so once the saliva dries, your lips are drier than before.

Saliva also contains small amounts of substances that help digest food, so touching cracked lips with it again and again can sting and irritate them. It's easy to fall into a cycle: dry lips make you lick, and licking makes them dry. Red, chapped skin around the mouth is also linked to this habit of frequent licking.

When your lips feel dry, instead of licking them, apply a thin layer of fragrance-free, dye-free lip balm or an ointment like petroleum jelly. These products don't so much add moisture as form a film over the lips that keeps existing moisture from escaping. Applying plenty before bed makes mornings much more comfortable. Products with cooling ingredients like menthol or camphor feel refreshing but can make cracked lips sting more.

It's better not to peel off flakes with your fingers, since skin that's still attached can come off too and bleed easily. On windy days, cover your mouth with a scarf, drink enough water, and keep your room from getting too dry. If cracks last a long time, swell, or hurt, it's a good idea to have a dermatologist take a look.