Metal Mouth Message Board

My lips are sooooo chapped. I never had this problem till I got braces. Now it seems no matter what I do, my lips are always chapped and it hurts so bad. Right now their bleeding and I just want to cry

Anyone have any secrets for relieving chapped lips?

Well I wouldn't exactly call it a secret, but I do have some advice from someone whos lips gets so chapped they bleed. ( pre braces )

One word. Carmex. It really works wonders. I keep a tube of the stuff with me at all times. Complete relief.

- Missing Tooth -

hi, definitely invest in some chapstick!! I like the fruity kinds...I find that burts bees makes a great chapstick which has a peppermint kind of zing to it and that one really soothes my lips. sometimes after an adjustment I'll swipe the chapstick on the inside of my upper lip and it kinda tingles and feels good. Chapstick will definitely be your best friend...they have 10 packs of them and you can keep a tube everywhere you are so you always have it.

thanks for the responses so far. I forgot to mention, I have all kinds of chapstick and carmex, I have several in my purse, some in my desk at work, about 10 in my nightstand, a few in the car, etc. I am constantly putting some on & still, no relief

I just got braces on a week ago and feel your pain as I have the same problem. I use burt's bees wax and it helps a ton and just try to keep my lips closed..I know thats whats drying them out.

I have all kinds of chapstick and carmex, I have several in my purse, some in my desk at work, about 10 in my nightstand, a few in the car, etc. I am constantly putting some on & still, no relief

That's just terrible. I can only think of two other things. You could try vasaline. Yeah it's greasy, but maybe you just need it for a short time to get your chapped lips into a state of normalicy. Second thing is a bit harder, try not to lick your lips, talk as little as possible.

Other than I don't know what to tell you, short of going to the doctor. Possibly something unrelated to the braces?

Best of luck

- Missing Tooth -

You need to keep lip balm on you at all times. Just go buy a whole bunch and put one in each of your handbags, in your bathroom, kitchen, car, workplace -- pretty much everywhere you are in a normal day. That makes it a lot easier if you've got on at your fingertips no matter where you might be. I did the same thing with dental wax and proxy brushes and it makes all the difference.

Drink lots and lots of water.

I put tons of vaseline on my lips at night before I go to bed. That really helps. If I forget then they are really dry all the next day. (works great around the eyelids too...and really takes the mascara off in a flash)

I wonder why the braces make my lips so dry. I keep thinking that maybe it is because the inside of my lips kind of catch on the braces making more lip surface exposed to the air. Then the additional teeth brushing, mouthwash, etc.... maybe that drys things out more.

ronni, something I forgot to mention.

You could possibly be allergic to something you are using on your lips regularly. I had an experience one time where my lips were chapped, and the more Carmex I used the worse they got until they were bleeding. Turns out I was allergic to Carmex and it was just making everything worse. Since then I have discovered that I am allergic to most things made with plants, like Aloe, jojoba (sp?), etc.

So you might want to experiment, but use only one thing at a time or you won't be able to isolate a potential allergic reaction.

My braces have made my lips dryer than usual, but not to the point of bleeding or peeling.

Good luck.

Hi Ronni
What worked for me was Smiths Rosebud Salve its great . Nothing had helped my lips like this stuff!!!!!!!
Pinkdiamoind

I had a problem with really dry lips so I splurged on a chapstickfrom The Body Shop. I bought it because it said it was for dry to extremely dry lips. It has Hemp in it and it cost $9. I'd never paid that much for chapstick in my life but it was worth the money.

Basically, after all these posts, the moral is find something that works for you.

Personally, I swear by a little company in Delaware, U.S. called My Lip Stuff, http://www.mylipstuff.com I find Brea's lip balms to be hydrating with the perfect hint of gloss. Best part is that you can order them in any scent you want, there are over 250 available. Do not be mislead by the word "flavor", it really is scent. My favorites so far have been Dr Pepper, Apple Cider, Marshmallow Peeps and Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies. The pots are better than the tubes and last me a good 2 months with everyday use. Blistex, Vaseline, etc all were quick fixes, but none repaired my lips and maintained them as soft and hydrated as this stuff.

Anyway, best of luck in finding something that works for you!

I love blistex hydrate. I found regular blistex would just be absorbed really quickly and vasaline was way to greasy and did nothing to improve the situation.

The problem with everyone suggesting things is that it may not be avalible or may have a different name where you live.

If you live somewhere sunny (oh how i wish) remember to use something that provides a spf of at least 4.