How to Treat, Soothe, and Prevent Them 2022
You’ve heard us (and every dermatologist in general) sing the praises of skin protection anti-aging serums, Eye creams with retinol, Vitamin C serumsand suncream. But a product application that gets overlooked? Sunscreen on lips most people forget, says dermatologist Mona Gohara, MD. “The lips are actually one of the most sensitive parts of the skin on your body,‘ adds the dermatologist Zain HusainMD, “So if you’re exposed to unprotected UV light for a long time, your lips will burn much more easily than other areas of your body.” Basically, your lips are both biologically and situationally attuned to more sun damage and burns.
Still, slips do happen, and if you’re right here with burning, stinging, scaly lips and looking for relief, we’ve got you covered. I spoke to dr. Husayn, Dr. Gohara and a dermatologist Dione Marcus Super to the The best tricks to quickly soothe sunburnt lipsincluding how long symptoms last, what products to use, and how to effectively prevent sunburned lips in the future.
How do you know if your lips are sunburned?
If your lips are sunburned, you’ll find that they might be feel tender, inflamed, swollen and/or look red or darker both on your actual lips and the skin around your lips, says Dr. Gohara. These symptoms can appear five to six hours after sun exposure, but they can progress a few hours to a few days later and cause throbbing, stinging, or in severe cases, blisters, sores, or scabs. Your lips may also peel, peel, or itch as they begin to heal.
4 treatments to soothe your sunburned lips
How to treat sunburned lips
Relieves swelling and redness
Relieve your swollen, inflamed lips with an anti-inflammatory product as soon as possible. All three dermatologists recommend Dabbing 1 percent hydrocortisone cream on your lips to reduce swelling and reduce inflammation once you notice the sunburn. It won’t be pretty (think: thick and white), so try applying it in the morning or at night before bed. You can also straighten aloe vera Apply the gel to your sunburned lips to cool down stinging and irritation, says Dr. Husain (tip: keep the gel in the fridge to increase the calming effect).
Use ice to reduce inflammation
Hold a cold compress (like a towel soaked in cold water or an ice cube wrapped in paper towel) against your lips to constrict blood vessels and reduce swelling, says Dr. Gohara. If holding a cold towel over your lips feels a little uncomfortable, pop in ice roller 10 minutes in the freezer and massage it over your sunburnt lips for a maximum of one to three minutes.
Wet your lips
Sunburnt lips can become chapped and dehydrated from overexposure to the sun, so “Putting some moisture back into your lips will speed healing.” says Dr. Great. She recommends layering on a Lip balm with hyaluronic acidthis helps draw water into your lips and lock it in. You can also search for lip creams filled with ceramides (lipids that form a protective layer over the skin to minimize moisture loss) and moisturizers such as shea butter, jojoba oilsqualane, almond oiland vitamin E
Keep sunburnt lips happy with these moisturizing balms
Use sunscreen on your lips when you’re out in the sun again
If you do go back to the sun Immediately apply SPF 30 or higher to your lips, even if your lips are already sunburned, says Dr. Gohara. Additional sun exposure on already burned lips can lead to even more dryness, burning and redness. Although a SPF lip balm is easiest to apply, you can Use your regular facial treatment suncream on your lips If you do, Dr. Husain to stay with a mineral sunscreen (which uses zinc oxide or titanium dioxide) as it is best tolerated by the sensitive skin of your lips.
These lip balms with SPF help prevent sun damage
Avoid popping or picking at blisters or scabs
If your sunburned lips start to form blisters or scabs, Avoid touching, popping, or picking at them. “If you try to pop or pick at the blisters or scabs, you’re not only prolonging the healing process, but you’re also irritating your skin and making it susceptible to additional inflammation,” says Dr. Gohara, “As well as doing so, you risk long-term marks and scars.”
if You are dealing with blisters or scabs that have not healed within a week or deteriorate See your dermatologist as soon as possible, says Dr. Husayn. “If the pain is severe, some patients may need stronger topical or even oral prescription steroids to become more comfortable,” he says
What not to put on sunburnt lips?
“If your sunburn is fresh, you should do this avoid using petrolatum-based products,” says Dr. Great (see: vaseline or aquaphor) as they could trap the heat from your sunburn and cause further inflammation. Instead, wait until your sunburn has stopped stinging or stinging before wetting your lips with petroleum jelly balm or ointment.
Another lip balm ingredient that Dr. Super not recommended for sunburned lips? menthol because it can worsen burning and redness, She says. dr Gohara also suggests patients avoid topical antibiotics (like Neosporin or Bacitracin), which sometimes cause contact dermatitis and can actually cause more inflammation.
How long does sunburned lips take to heal?
Sunburned lips take between three and seven days to healsays Dr. Husayn. “While a sunburn on your back or face can take a week or two to heal, your lips tend to heal fairly quickly if left alone,” says Dr. Gohara. All the more reason not to pick at scabs or pop blisters, which can increase healing time and potentially require a visit to your doctor for prescription intervention.
How can I undo sun damage on my lips?
Sun damage to your lips can cause this dark spots on and around the mouthwhich you can reduce with products that contain glycolic acidtranexamic acid, or retinol– all of which help exfoliate skin and fade blemishes. You can also integrate one Vitamin C Serum into your morning skincare routine, which can help block pigment production and prevent your hyperpigmentation from getting worse. However, that doesn’t mean you can completely “reverse” sun damage, especially if you’ve had a severe burn, which is why prevention (and SPF!) is so important.
How can I protect my lips from the sun naturally?
To protect your lips from the sun, Dr. great “The best prevention really is sun avoidance.“Obviously, hiding from the sun isn’t necessarily practical, and this is where being smart comes in: try to minimize exposure when the sun’s rays are at their strongest (between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m.), and wear Always wear sunscreen with SPF 30 or higher on your lips (and entire body) 15 to 20 minutes before going out in the sun and every two hours thereafter. When applying your daily SPF you can also massage the cream over your lips or just buy a special one SPF lip balm to keep handy.
Final Thoughts
If you have sore, stinging, or sore lips, use something to soothe the irritation hydrocortisone cream or Aloe vera geland keep your lips moisturized lip treatment. If your lips start blistering or peeling, don’t scratch them — consult your dermatologist instead. And to (hopefully mostly) Avoid sunburned lips altogether, just smear your lips in Lip balm with sun protection Every time you go outside, k?
Meet the experts:
- Mona Gohara, MD, is a board-certified dermatologist in Hamden, CT. dr Gohara is an Associate Clinical Professor Yale School of Medicine and President of Dermatological Society for Women. Her areas of expertise include medical and surgical dermatology and the treatment of colored skin.
- Zain HusainMD, is a board-licensed dermatologist and Mohs micrographic surgeon at the New Jersey Center for Dermatology and Aesthetics in Marlboro, NJ, specializing in skin cancer surgery.
- Dione Marcus SuperMD, is a board-certified dermatologist and founder of Great dermatology in Conyers, GA and Atlanta, GA. She is an expert in detecting and treating skin cancer.
Why trust Cosmopolitan?
Beth Gillette is a beauty editor at Cosmopolitan with four years of experience researching, writing and editing skincare stories ranging from eczema shampoos to creams against stretch marks. She’s an authority on all skincare categories, but an expert when it comes to sunburned lips, thanks to interviewing doctors about her own sun-damaged lips. She regularly tests and analyzes sunscreen lip balms for effectiveness and works with the industry’s leading dermatologists to evaluate new formulas and brands.