Health

This helps with sunburned lips

Sunberned lips: When it comes to sun protection, one area of ​​the body is often forgotten:

The lips. How to recognize sunburned lips and what to do about it. / Sunberned lips

If you stay in the sun without protection for a long time, you risk sunburn. The UV rays trigger an inflammatory reaction in the skin. The lips can also be affected. Especially the lower lip, because it is particularly exposed to sunlight.

In addition, the lips are particularly sensitive to the sun. In other areas of the body, the skin forms more of the color pigment melanin when exposed to increased sunlight. This offers a certain protection against (further) UV radiation. However, this pigment is missing in the red of the lips, so that sunburn can quickly develop on the lips. This often happens when skiing or mountain hiking, for example.

Experts speak of sunburned lips as cheilitis actinica acuta or cheilitis solaris (cheilitis = inflammation of the lips).

Already knew? / Sunberned lips

The sun can not only damage the lips in the short term, but also permanently: Long-term exposure to the sun sometimes causes a chronic inflammation of the lips, called cheilitis actinica chronica. If left untreated, it can develop into squamous cell carcinoma, a form of white skin cancer.

Sunburned lips: symptoms

The first symptoms of sunburn on the lips appear within a few hours after sunbathing. In particular, the lower lip is

swollen,
flushed and
she burns.

In severe cases, small blisters and/or scaly crusts may form on the lips.

Sunburned Lips
Sunburned Lips

Sunburn on the lips is easy to confuse with other diseases. For example with cold sores, especially since sunlight favors this. Cosmetic ingredients in combination with sunlight can also lead to lip eczema. If in doubt, it is advisable to consult a doctor.

Treat sunburn on lips

Sunburn on the lips usually heals within a few days to a few weeks. Afterwards, the lips can feel very dry for a long time.

When the first symptoms of sunburn appear on the lips, the following applies: get out of the sun. Those affected should go to a shady, cool place and avoid further sun exposure until the sunburn has completely healed.

As a further measure, cooling is recommended, for example with moist compresses. Anti-inflammatory additives can provide additional relief. Those affected should seek advice from the pharmacy or doctor’s office.

Attention: Ice-cold cooling pads can cause additional damage to the affected lip skin. If you still want to use it, you should wrap a cloth around it.

Ointments or creams containing cortisone that have an anti-inflammatory effect are also available in pharmacies without a prescription. In the further course, high-fat care products are recommended for application to the lips.

Last but not least, those affected by sunburn should drink a lot. Water, tea or fruit spritzer are well suited.

In the case of a very severe sunburn on the lips – for example, when numerous blisters form – a doctor’s visit is due. Only in severe cases will the doctor prescribe oral cortisone preparations.

Prevent sunburn on lips

Sunburn on the lips can be prevented. It is important not to leave your lips unprotected in the sun for too long.

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Like all areas of the skin that are heavily exposed to the sun, the lips also need adequate sun protection. Special lip care sticks with a sun protection factor are available in drugstores or pharmacies. How high this should be depends on the duration and intensity of the solar radiation. On the other hand, it is important how well the person is already used to the sun and what skin type they have.

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