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How Can You Overcome Lip Balm Addiction?

Q. My son has been using lip balms for years and has developed an addiction to them. He is frustrated and hasn’t been able to find a substitute to heal his lips. Is there help out there for him?

A. Dermatologists frequently blame dry lips on the habit of lip licking. If your son can overcome the urge to moisten his lips with his tongue, he may not need lip balm so often.

Sometimes, a common ingredient in lip balm such as lanolin, sunscreen ingredients or menthol can be irritating. This may lead to lip licking, and a vicious cycle of lip balm use. Switching to a different brand that does not contain the culprit might help.

For others, the irritation might be coming from the diet. J Mc reported this: “My grandson, age 6, had very dry, peeling lips for almost a year. Turns out he had an allergy. When the allergen was removed from his diet, the lips cleared up.

“I developed a strange reaction to tomatoes and tomato-based foods 2 years ago, causing my lips and surrounding skin to become irritated and eventually peel.”

If he has a fungal infection of the lips, however, he may need an antifungal cream. A trip to the dermatologist might reveal the root cause of the lip balm dependency.

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About the Author
Terry Graedon, PhD, is a medical anthropologist and co-host of The People’s Pharmacy radio show, co-author of The People’s Pharmacy syndicated newspaper columns and numerous books, and co-founder of The People’s Pharmacy website. Terry taught in the Duke University School of Nursing and was an adjunct assistant professor in the Department of Anthropology. She is a Fellow of the Society of Applied Anthropology. Terry is one of the country's leading authorities on the science behind folk remedies..
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