My almost 4 year old has very chapped lips. I put lip balm on it and my husband puts some kind of mentholatum (sorry about the spelling) on it at night. But it seems like it's not getting any better! I gave her daycare lady some for her to use at daycare, but even on the weekends when I have her it doesnt seem to be getting better. Is there anything else I can use? I know she's picking at it, because it started bleeding tonight.
Thanks, mommies!
She licks alot, is it ok to put Neosporin on if she might lick it? It's really just her lips, but they're pretty chapped. I'll look tomorrow for the aquaphor, I only have to have her in daycare until 12 tomorrow. so I'll keep on it the rest of the day.
I just snuck in and put some vaseline on her lips. I hope it helps.
I'm not sure how she could be dehydrated, because she always has a cup of water during the day until after dinner when we cut her off so she wont wet the bed. I bought some aquaphor and neosporin lip therapy, and so far the neosporin lip therapy has been making it feel better for her, at least. We're working on not licking it, but that might be like trying to nail jello to a tree. hee.
Thanks, mommies! I appreciate all the advice!
Final update 1/8/10:
The Neosporin Lip Therapy already has it all healed up, in one day! They were so cracked they were bleeding, and now they just look slightly chapped. Thank you so much!
More water in her, a cool mist humidifer in her room and try to teach her not to lick her lips. That is very drying....so she needs to stop that.
It's hard after it becomes a habit.
Neosporin makes an overnight lip treatment. My daugther gets very chapped lips in the winter. They get so bad they bleed. I started using this every night and they started to get better within a few days.
Hi Sara,
She's IS dehydrated. Lip balm can help it from getting worse or bleeding but it will not heal until she is rehydrated. More water, even electrolytes (pedialyte, or coconut water if you do things naturally as I do) will get rid of the chapping. Not juice or tea or anything else but water and electrolytes until it's healed. It will probably heal overnight....
God bless,
M.
I agree with using Aquaphor! I use it morning and night and it is wonderful. The best lip balm ever. You can get it in the diaper balm aisle at Target, the drugstore, etc. A tube of it will be enough to last several years, and costs around $6.
she may be dehydrated...make sure to get her drinking a lot of water. Constipation and dehydration are VERY common this time of year because kids are not sweating and/or realizng they need to drink more water.
Mary Kay has a "Satin Lip" program where you exfoliate your lips to get the "crusties" off, and some balms for day and night. It works great, and your daughter will feel so grownup if she and mommy can make this a regular night routine. It makes your lips feel amazing.
Mentholated products are probably good to avoid – they can cause congestion (yes, that means Vicks, too), and if the skin is sensitive to any of the ingredients, they can actually cause greater chapping and peeling. I've learned this from first-hand experience, by the way. Mint, which is very commonly used in lip balms, can also work against healing if it is irritating on the lips and the user licks it off.
A wonderful product that protects beautifully without added harmful ingredients is Lansinoh, the same super-purified lanolin that nursing mothers can safely use on their nipples during breastfeeding. There are also very good lip balms available at natural food stores; I get good results from Badger brand unscented and a few others.
Try to get her to drink lots of water, too. Hydration can make a positive difference, particularly during very cold weather, when we lose lots of moisture through our skin to low air humidity.
My son has the same problem and I use Aquafor (it's like Vaseline).
I use regular, cheap Vaseline. I put it on my daughter before nap (if I remember) and always before bed. I slather it on her lips and cheeks and her hands too b/c they are so dry! During the day she doesn't really love the vaseline b/c it's so greasy so I just use regular chapstick and kind of rub it all over her lip area! It's kind of funny but she doesn't seem to notice and it helps. The Vaseline usually clears up most of the redness in a couple-few days.
Aquaphor at night (sneak in & SLATHER away after she's sleeping) really works. It also works for that red upper lip/nose thing when they're blowing the nose a lot.
slather some neosporine at night and try to keep them lubed with aquaphore during the day. It happens in winter. Lots of kids end up with that red clown ring around their mouths. Vaseline will work to if you have that on hand. I woudnt used mentholatum... ouchie.
Hi Sara, my son is seemingly have the same problem. I use plain vaseline and that seems to help. I also, use a wet/warm wash cloth at night to peel the excess skin off of them. I find that this happens more int he winter, due to the heat and humidity in the house. Good luck
Daycare probably isn't going to help much with keeping it on, but once you have her home, I would set your watch and about every 15 minutes apply lip balm. just keeping it on and having her not lick it, will help. I was one of those kids that licked and I got chapped lips from my nose to the bottom of my chin!! My mom used vaseline back then and as I got older I found that medicated chapstick was nice and didn't burn. I would definately try the lansinoh as it would be gentle for sure. just keep the area protected as much as possible and it will heal. Best of luck, it is tough. Poor thing.
The thing with chapped lips is that they are tempting to lick. My 6 year old always has chapped lips in the winter. I try to keep some kind of lip balm on him but he is still always licking.
I second the neosporin lip therapy. It's made for chapped lips and, unlike regular neosporin, you don't have to worry if she licks it off. Although it is not recommended because of ingestion, I also like to use a small swipe of regular, plain old vasiline. I put that around the mouth because my three year old can lick down to his chin and it's all chapped up!
She may be allergic to the lip balm you are using...I am allergic to ChapStick and anything with sunscreen in it--my lips peel and hurt when I use these products, and the more I use them, the worse it gets. If this is the case, she may be able to switch to a different brand, or it may get better on its own once you stop using whatever she is allergic to. I do well with Neosporin LT (Lip Therapy). Also, I agree with her drinking LOTS of water and keeping her room more humid.
Good Luck!
I agree, Aquafor is a lifesaver for my daughter and myself! She has terrible chapped lips that bleed, but that stuff really works. Just make sure she keeps applying it and tell her not to lick her lips.
The Mary Kay Lip Protector (comes in a tube like chapstick) with an SPF 15 works really well. My boys use it when their friends are not looking :)
I have a lip balm that is so good it was featured in both Alure magazine and O magazine. It is amazing! It also comes with an exfoliater for extremely dry lips to use before using the balm. It is called Lip Apeel. You undo the top under is the exfoliator, you put it on without rubbing it in, leave it white. It will look like youve been eating powdered doughnuts. Let it dry and then flake it off, rubbing it and taking off the dry dead skin (and any old product). Then apply the balm. It is very moisturizing, contains no alcohol like some other lip balms do.
Please check out my website and search lip apeal www.beautipage.com/ldulaney I hope she feels better soon.
L.
EWWWWWW!!!! PLEASE don't put Vasoline on her lips! Especially since she will probably lick it off! Vasoline is PETROLEUM JELLY - a clearer, thicker version of MOTOR OIL!! Might as well use some 10W/30 on her lips!!!
Neosoporin has a lip treatment product http://www.neolips.com/products (like Carmax in a tube). You can get it at CVS.
I use olive oil (EVOO) on my son's lips. {mine too!} I sneak in at night and put some on his lips - and cheeks if they look chapped. I use it on our hands also.
Use A&D Ointment. It is the wonder treatment for all things concerning the skin. I have been using it on my lips for over 40 years. I use it on my 3.5 yr old's lips too.
I use lotion lites lip balm- and it works really well. They sell it at www.lotionlites.com It doesn't have water or alcohol in it, so it shouldn't dry out the lips. Petroleum Jelly works, but it is synthetic.
Lip balm actually worsen chapped lips. Try plain Vasiline peterolium jelly.
