Chapped Lips? It could be a Vitamin Deficiency..

I have been suffering from chapped lips for the longest time. I remember suffering from chapped lips even when I was just 10 years old. At that age, I applied pure ghee or malai at night, but it rarely did much other than soften them temporarily.

Over the years I have tried tons of balms. Some have helped a bit more than others, but even if I stop using them for two days, I'm back to ground zero. I always find it hard to stick to a schedule at night, becoz I'm so sleepy, the lip balm invariably goes unused. Good Morning Chapped Lips!

About four weeks ago I began taking a multivitamin & multi mineral supplement daily. Not for my lips. Just generally.


Two weeks into the meds, I noticed my lips weren't chapping as much. I was still skipping lip balm on most nights. But my lips would be perfectly fine in the morning.

Wanting to know if there was more than a causal relationship between these two events, I went researching (I mean googling!)

And I found that vitamin deficiency is a surprising culprit in perpetually chapped lips. 



Chapped lips could be a reaction to a deficiency of  *any* or *all* of the following:
  • Vitamin C
  • Iron
  • Vitamin B12 (Cobalamin)
  • Vitamin  B6 (Pyridoxine)
  • Vitamin B9 (Folic acid) 
  • Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin)
All these vitamins & minerals are needed to maintain cellular hydration. So some of our skin woes may actually have a genesis in nutrition and the solution may not lie entirely in our skin creams. 

Has it happened to you where a skin or hair issue got resolved when you made a change in your diet?

P.S.: Please consult your physician / doctor before starting any pills - even if they are vitamins/minerals. They could react badly as everyone is metabolically different. Overdoses of some vitamins / minerals could be injurious to health. 

Comments

  1. It happens to me everytime Tanveer. Whenever I stop using my balms, my lips gets dry and peeled off within a couple of days. I think I should take a Vitamin C pill everyday! Informative post.

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    1. Yea, Lancy.. Pls talk to yr Dr. before you take any supplements :D

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  2. Couple weeks ago I suddenly got THREE huge pimples, and I haven't had them in years. So I thought about what I'd eaten over past few days-- mostly out, food with artificial colouring, sauces etc.

    I was reading the book The Beauty Diet at that time, so decided to try eating right. (will review that book soon).

    For the next few days, I ate only healthy home-made food, no bread, dairy or sugar. Didn't do anything to the pimples (no ointments nothing). They ALL disappeared couple nights without leaving a scar!

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    Replies
    1. Wow! That's really nice! Pls do a review soon, I'm waiting to read it :D

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  3. so true Tanveer and its not only with the lips but also with one's skin... abhi am on a strict dietary regimen which sees me take in a lot of fresh fruits and veggies... and seriously my skin has stopped feeling dry, flaky and tight! :)

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    1. I saw!! U had done a post on eating habits & I saw that u were having a tomato & carrot clear soup - if you don't mind I'd love to have the recipe :D

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  4. It think its the hormones at play generally for the skin coupled with diet. No matter what i do my lips are just as chapped. I have similar situation like yours.I apply sesame/coconut or olive and have stopped thinking about it. Earlier my skin was smooth now over the years its become reactive,combination even though i take better care of it now than during my teens or 20's.:)

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  5. I have been researching about peeling nails but nothing has worked till now:(

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  6. I agree, this is what my doc said when I had a mouth ulcer.

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  7. Yup! It's true. A simple Vitamin B Complex tablet (usually come fortified with Vitamin C) taken once at night everyday resolves the issue of eternally chapped lips. I saw the effects in just under a couple of weeks. Also, if you have a problem of unexplained dark, cracked looking patches appearing in the corners of your mouth; it is a sign of a Vitamin B deficiency as well; and the same tablets will work just fine to resolve the issue.

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  8. I enjoyed this! Totally answered my question for when I'm staring at myself in the mirror, thinking about what on EARTH is going to stop them from chapping. Keep 'em coming!!

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  9. oohhh!!!!...my hubby has this prob with lips...M gonna chk if this makes a diff to him

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  10. oh..hey can i ask which tab is it?

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  11. Yes, vitamin & mineral deficiency effects not just chapped lips, but skin condition as well..Every time I make an effort to eat right (fresh fruits,nuts,fibrous stuff) my body immediately shows its appreciation, so yes a vitamin supplement would help with skin troubles as well

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  12. Great post! I'm anemic and it affects my body in more ways than I thought.

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  13. This is a very lovely article. We do suffer from deficiencies all the time due erratic diets and unhealthy stressful lifestyles.
    My skin is gone so bad right now post-father-death due to immense stress and depression that I need to take drastic measures to be back on track.Thats the reason I have again started taking my Herbalife supplements.

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  14. Tans, i too suffer from perennial chapped lips...Which multivitamin do u take?

    This is an extremely enlightening post...i had no idea this cud be the reason...kept blaming diff lip products...

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  15. I have a few deficiencies, and I think my lips are chapped because of it. I think being healthy, is the best make-up.

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