There are more than 1,000 different conditions that can affect the skin. According to the Skin Cancer website, the skin is the largest organ of the body and responsible for protection of the organs, the regulation of temperature, sense of touch and excretion of waste material. Much of the intricate abilities and potential problems are related to the complexity of the structure of the skin. In order to perform the tasks required the skin has three layers, each of which has several sub-layers. Keep your skin and lips in good health to improve appearance and maintain a healthy body.
Lip Problems
According to Wrong Diagnosis, there are 20 different problems that can affect the lips which include cracked lips, yeast infections, lip tingling, cheilosis, lip sores and paresthesias. Sun damage, aging, chapped lips, traumatic lesions, photo-damage and cosmetic dermatitis are other lip problems according to Blistex. The more common issues are lip sores, cheilosis and chapped lips. Treatment for each of these conditions is based on the causative factor. For instance, if your lips become chapped because you lick your lips frequently then treatment is to reduce the number of times you lick your lips and add moisture several times per day with a moisturizer or lip balm. According to Healthy Skin Care, angular cheilitis is a very common lip problem that results in inflammation, burning, redness, itchy, painful and cracked lip at the corner of the mouth. It can be caused by a Vitamin B deficiency, bottle feeding, improperly fitting dentures, bacteria, virus, fungus or exposure to sun, wind or cold. Treatment for cheilosis is also dependent upon the causative factor.
Skin Problems
According to Essential Day Spa, all skin problems fall into one of nine different categories which include rashes, bacterial infections, fungal infections, parasitic infections, pigmentation disorders, tumors and cancers, trauma and a large "other" category. Skin conditions that can't be easily categorized, such as rosacea, spider veins, wrinkles and age spots, fit into the "other" category. According to Doc Shop, some of the most common skin conditions include acne, age spots, birth marks, large pores, moles, eczema, rosacea, scars, abnormal skin texture or dry flaky skin, sun damage, warts, under eye circles and wrinkles.
Solutions
Solutions to the lip and skin problems that plague most of us are related to treatment on the exterior and on the interior. Conditions, such as cheilosis, are related to vitamin deficiency while wrinkles and age spots are the result of years of sun damage or smoking. Some of these conditions can be treated while others can only be covered or the progress halted. Start with your primary care physician to address the lip and skin problem issues you may be facing. Many times your primary care practitioner will have an preliminary treatment that can be initiated which can reduce the probability you'll have to visit a dermatologist for treatment.
