Chapped Lips Vs Cold Sores: What's the Difference?

What are Chapped Lips?

Did you ever feel your lips become dry, scaly, cracked, and irritated no matter how much you moisturise? Well, that is how chapped lips look. 

Why do you get chapped lips? Here's why. The tissue that forms your lips is quite delicate and lacks the protective features of typical skin. Your lips lack oil glands or hair follicles to produce sebum (which keeps your skin moisture-protected), which means they are prone to dryness and Irritation. Moreover, lips lack all the protective features of the thick outermost layer of skin called stratum corneum, which makes them susceptible to cracks or causes dry lips. 

No wonder lips need extra TLC to keep them looking and feeling their best.

What are the Causes of Chapped Lips?

Now that your lips are naturally susceptible to dryness, let's see what factors can lead to this dryness and chapped look.

• Exposure to cold weather, low humidity and sun damage can crack your lips.
• Dehydration and a poor skin care diet tend to affect the lips first, causing dry and damaged lips. Dehydration can give you harrowing chapped lip corners.
• Some habits like lip licking, kissing, and chronic mouth breathing can also cause dry lips.
• Severe allergic reactions or skin sensitivity to oral care products and certain autoimmune conditions like 'Sjogren's Syndrome' can also be the reason for chapped lips.

"Sun damage is one of the most common causes of lip dryness. In the long run, sunburns bring changes in the lips that can lead to actinic cheilitis (a precancerous condition of lips that looks like chapped lips). This particular condition is even more challenging because some lip balms and chapsticks used to treat dry lips may worsen the condition due to irritating ingredients added to them", says Dr Isra Ismail.

So, you must always consult a medical professional if you have long-standing chapped lips that don't come down with any natural or home remedies for cold sores or environmental changes.

What Are Cold Sores?

Cold sores - no, it's not what it sounds like. You may think that cold sores on your lips are something that you get when you are in a cold, frozen environment. In contrast, cold sores are sores or blisters you see after an attack of viral infection like the common cold. That is why they are also known as fever blisters.

But wait, fever and cold are not the causes of cold sores but triggers - something that activates the inactive virus inside you. Some other triggers of cold sores are;

• Hormonal changes during menstruation or pregnancy.
• Sunburn
• Extreme temperature (hot or cold).
• Stress (physical or emotional).
• Fatigue
• Fever and illness, such as cold or flu
• Damaged, dry or cracked lips.

So, if those are triggers, what are the causes?

What Are the Causes of Cold Sores?

Herpes virus (Herpes Simplex Virus Type 1: HSV-1) causes cold sores. That is why experts call these cold sores on the lips oral herpes. But, at times, other body parts like the genitals also get infected by the virus when one person with these herpes blisters comes in contact with another.

"You must know that HSV-1 infection is not the same as HSV-2. HSV-2 typically starts in the genital region and inside of the mouth, and HSV-1 is the one seen as early-stage herpes on lips.", says Dr Isra Ismail.

The herpes virus lives dormant inside a part of your nerves and creeps out to the skin whenever triggered and reactivated by the earlier triggers. It shows up as herpes blisters on the lips.

What Are the Symptoms of Cold Sores From Herpes?

The symptoms of herpes blister or cold sores will be severe if it's the first time you are experiencing one. But, whenever they appear, the symptoms of herpes cold sores will be the same, such as;

• Tingling - You will feel an unusual tingling sensation on your lips.
• Blistering - You will notice the appearance of bubbles in the same area.
• Weeping - The blister fluid will be oozing.
• Crusting - After that, you will see the formation of dry crusts over the area of cold sores.
• Healing - Healing will start 8-10 days after the initial symptom. You will find no scar after the herpes cold sore has healed.

The above symptoms are also herpes, which is a cold sore stage.

Another interesting fact is that 90% of people around the world have at least one type of HSV residing in them, but hardly a few show symptoms like cold sores on lips.

As chapped lips can trigger the cold sores virus to reactivate, it is easy to get confused between simple chapped lips and herpes simplex sores. Read on to learn how to differentiate them.

Chapped Lips V/s Cold Sores: The Difference

Every sore on the lips is not a cold sore. You can even experience simple chapped lips after viral fever. So, understanding the difference becomes essential so as not to worry.

So, how about making sure what that tiny cut on your lips means?

Treating Chapped Lips and Cold Sores

Do you know that feeling when your lips are dry and cracked? It's not fun, but the good news is there are ways to combat it. 

Dr Ismail states, "The first step in curing chapped lips or cold sores is identifying the cause of your dry lips. If it's due to environmental dryness, then a thick, moisturising lip balm is your best bet. But, if you experience any additional symptoms like recurrent bleeding with cracked and chapped lips, you need a thorough checkup to determine the cause."

Let us see what the experts at Nirva Health opine about the treatment options for chapped lips and cold sores.

How Can You Take Care of Your Chapped Lips?

You can try natural remedies to combat chapped lips and get beautiful, plump, and shiny lips besides using a simple moisturising lip balm. Experts suggest the following:

Exfoliation

If your lips are not bleeding or cracked deep, then you can start by gently exfoliating to remove the skin peelings. Use a mixture of salt or sugar with oil or honey and apply it on your lips in a circular motion using a cotton swab.

Coconut Oil

Applying coconut oil to your lips can help keep them moisturised throughout the day.

Honey

Sweet honey is our following magic remedy. Apply organic honey to your lips daily using your fingers or a cotton swab. 

Note: If you have a pollen or bee venom allergy, it's best to steer clear of honey.

Avocado

Avocado butter is a good candidate for use as an emollient and thickener in lip balms. Both viable options are buying organic avocado butter or making your own at home using organic avocados in your food processor.

Ghee

Repeated application of ghee on your lips throughout the day will free you from chapped lips. Ghee locks in the moisture and heals all the injuries from dry, cracked lips, especially if you have a crack in the corner of your lips. Get hold of ghee for lips like a baby.

Apart from these remedies, some of the points to remember to prevent and treat chapped lips are:

1. Identify and avoid irritants that give you chapped lips.
2. Keep yourself hydrated and consume a nutritious diet.
3. Use a humidifier beside your bed if you have mouth breathing and nasal congestion.
4. Apply lip SPF whenever you go out to prevent sun damage.
5. Ayurvedic experts mention that anyone with an innate Vata type of body constitution will be prone to dryness of lips. So, if you are one (find out by taking a prakriti analysis quiz at Nirva Health), you must always consume a grounding diet with enough healthy fats.

How Can You Address Cold Sores?

Cold sores need medical attention and mainly involve treatment with antivirals. Here are some of the expert-recommended treatment options.

Antiviral Prescription

Visit your healthcare provider and get the appropriate cold sore medication to combat the herpes virus. Consume the medication at the first outbreak of cold sores. If you have a recurring cold sore attack, you may need to take the medications for a long duration.

Application of Essential Oils

Some essential oils like rosemary essential oil, peppermint oil, clove oil, and basil oil help heal cold sores, especially in infants. 

Home Remedies

Other suggested home remedies for cold blister healing are kanuka honey, apple cider vinegar, and lemon balm.

Note: Make sure that you discuss this with your healthcare provider before you use any natural remedies.

The best treatment is prevention if you know that you have an inactive herpes infection. To prevent an outbreak of cold sore, you must;

• Avoid known triggers as much as possible.
• Wear a sunblock on your face and lips whenever you move outdoors.
• Pay attention to your general health and stress levels.
• Avoid getting ill or run down.

Always get help from an appropriate healthcare provider to get the best results.

The Final Takeaway!

Taking care of your lips is essential for overall health and wellness. Whether it's chapped lips or cold sores, it's crucial to identify the problem and take the appropriate measures for treatment. Always remember to moisturise your lips and protect them from harsh weather conditions. And if you're sure about your symptoms, don't hesitate to consult an expert you trust. After all, healthy lips make for a happy smile!