Ensuring your teeth look their best throughout the summer is important. But did you know that other parts of your mouth need just as much care and protection? Your lips are highly sensitive and can easily burn, resulting in damaged tissues. If you want to learn how to protect your lips from the sun, here are four effective ways to do it so that you maintain a safer, healthier smile this summer.
What Can Happen if My Lips Become Burned?
Too much sun exposure can leave your lips red, swollen, and tender. Because they are thinner and much more sensitive, this skin can become blistered if left unprotected from the sun’s harmful rays.
UVB rays are those that the sun gives off and can cause sunburn. They’re also commonly associated with cases of oral and skin cancer, which can be serious if not caught early. When allowed to spread, the disease can become difficult and even impossible to treat.
4 Tips to Reduce Sun Exposure to Your Lips
There are plenty of effective ways to minimize your risk for oral cancer, skin cancer, and blistered lips. You can do so by:
- Minimizing your time spent out in the sun – While enjoying the pool or beach for a while is fine, you’ll want to avoid sitting out in the direct sun for too long. Too much of it can be harmful to more than just your lips. Your skin can suffer as well.
- Putting on an SPF Lip Balm – You shouldn’t expect to use a general, everyday lip balm and expect it to protect them from the sun’s rays. Instead, you should purchase one that contains a high SPF so that there will be a barrier between the sun and your soft tissues. Reapplying it every two hours is essential as well, so don’t forget to stop what you’re doing and safeguard your lips throughout the day.
- Wearing a hat – Surprisingly, wearing a wide-brimmed hat can be highly effective in reducing the chances of sunburned lips. Not only will your eyes and face thank you, but your soft tissues will get a reprieve from the hot temperatures that can cause redness and swelling.
- Exfoliate your lips – While this might not seem as important, getting rid of dry skin can help to reduce chapped lips. Because a sunburn can often cause them to feel as if they would during cold winter months, ensuring that your mouth is clean and free of dead skin can allow for SPF lip balm to go on more smoothly, delivering maximum protection.
The sun can still be your friend this summer, so you don’t need to hide from it entirely. Just make good choices when choosing to be out in it so that you and your smile don’t suffer.
About the Author
Dr. Ahir is a trusted dentist in Denton who offers preventive care to individuals who want a healthier smile. This summer, he and his team can offer suggestions and tips to keep mouths free of damage, especially when exposed to the sun. If you want to avoid sunburned lips and the potential threat of oral or skin cancer, contact us via our website or by calling (940) 514-0333.
