All my boys once the weather changed to cold are constantly licking their lips and making this large red ring around their mouth and the skin is craked and red. I lather on vaseline at night and it looks better in the morning but by the time they are home from school it looks horrible again. Anyone know the best lotion for this and why they do it ever winter!!
I have heard, great things about "Vermont's Bag Balm".
If you go to Amazon, they have it.
I heard, it works wonders... on skin and chapped lips.
I heard that here, on MamaPedia once in a post awhile ago.
All the best,
Susan
Have them keep a chapstick in their pockets and let the teachers know that they are supposed to use them! Vaseline in the morning when they wake up, when they get home from school and before bed!
Get them some carmex, blistex, chapstick... they are reasonably trying to get moisture in their lips by licking them, but it's only making it worse. Put a humidifier in their room as night as well.
They do it in the winter b/c that is when the skin is the driest from the cold and moisture stealing heaters and when lips start to chap the most.
I'd keep doing the vaseline or try the aquaphore. I used to do that when I was a kid too... my mom has pictures. My grandmother gave me my first tube of chapstick when I was about 5 just for that purpose. And this was way before they had the flavored chapsticks... but I remember cherishing it in my pocket and using it often in the winter.
The cold and the dryness in the house since we are running heat now just makes the lips much dryer than normal. Oh and another tip I got from my Grandpa (this sounds gross but works in a pinch) is to rub your finger behind your ear and get some of the skin oil and put that on your lips. That is for when you forgot your tube of chapstick ;)
How old are they? Can they be trusted to carry their own chapstick to school with them? That's what I do for my 6 and 8 yr olds. There lips are DRY - make sure they're drinking enough water and put humidifiers in there rooms at night.
I would suggest using only a chapstick/blistex/lip balm and not vaseline--the chapsticks have been tested to be safe to eat (since it's on your lips & will end up in your mouth), but vaseline is not okay to eat.
I've used lanolin (like what you get for breastfeeding), smeared on the lips at night & in the morning, and maybe when they get home from school. Lanisoh is one brand that is supposed to hypoallergenic, and if it's safe for a nursing baby, it's safe for your boys.
I agree with the poster to also give them chapstick and remind, remind, remind them to use it. And send a note in to the teacher to remind them also while at school.
You already got great suggestions! Also make sure they are drinking enough. Kids often do not notice they are getting dehydrated. Proper hydration will help keep the skin supple and can lessen the habit of licking your lips.
My pediatrician recommended using a bit of hydrocortisone cream...let it dry and then follow with a little petroleum jelly afterwards...3 times a day until the redness subsides and then used the jelly or chapstick. This also works with the irritation caused under the nose from nose blowing.
Hi T., My grandchildren do the same. We also use vaseline at night. My daughter sends them with a Chapstik or some other lip balm for during the day. Years ago I was told by my dentist to use glycerine on my daughters lips. It also worked over night. Don't know how to get them to stop licking. Grandma Mary
Wish I had the answer, my boys do the same thing, it drives me nuts. Tried Chapsticks of every kind and brand, called the doctor and he said their is nothing except vaseline (lightly) at night, having the boys drink plenty of water, and don't say anything about them licking as it only makes them do it more. I will say I do say something to them when I catch them and whenever they complain about their lips hurting but nothing helps. Wish I could wave a wand for both of us.
My daughter does the same thing and she HATES chapstick, lipstick or anything else that goes on her lips. When she was younger we used to sneak some neosporin on her lips after she went to bed and now that is the only thing she uses.
My 2 year old has started the same habit. We are experimenting with Aquaphor. It is safe for them and hypoallergenic. The bottle says it is safe for dry cracked skin, including lips. She doesn't seem to mind it and it has been keeping her from licking. We are using it several times a day and at bedtime.
They do sell the Aquaphor in travel sized squeeze tubes at Target.
Good Luck
We switched from chapstick to Burt's bees beeswax lip balm. It seems to last longer than chapstick and keeps their lips more hydrated.
Get more water in them -with all the heat on, they get thirstier. Try putting on neosporin - it tastes terrible!
I use Lansinoh (purified lanolin) for this exact problem. The more chapped my lips, become, the more I lick them. Lansinoh is safer to lick than vaseline, coats a bit better, lasts a bit longer. Apply before bed and again before school.
We use an air hydration thing to put extra water in the air during winter. Not only do we skip the chapped lips, but my husbands coughing stops.
My grand daughters had the same problem. I finally got each of them a Chap stick in their favorite flavors to keep in their coat pocket. Every time they put on their coats they use it. It helps a lot. Of course, being 6 and 8 year old girls, they like it because to them it the same as putting on lipstick.
Best solutions I have found for myself, & my kids is Medicated Blistex, either the waxy kind in the round green tube, or the ointment type in the white squeeze tube. I can put them on & still feel it all day. Or at night, & still feel it in the morning when I get up. They are also good for dry spots & cold sores on your face. Even my 5 yr old daughter likes it.
I use chap stick on my son during the day and vaseline at night.
My son is doing the exact same thing and it drives me nuts. If we see him do it we remind him not to, ill throw some aquaphor on it quite often but he seems to wipe it off with his sleeve and is back to licking. So I quit with the aquaphor until after shower, and then again after he falls asleep. It does look better in the morning. If it gets really bad i put carmax on it and he says it stings so i say well quit licking and it tastes horrible so he doesnt really lick at it but he will try to wipe it off with his sleeve. I've heard its just a spell that mostly boys will go through.
First off I know how you feel. I have a 13 year old boy that did the same thing for a year. What are the ages of your boys? There is really nothing that you can do or say to get them to stop because I think that it only makes it worse. The school nurse put on some bacitration ointment on him during the day and at night believe it or not used stuff like desitin on it. He has started at the high school and has not done this yet this year. I am thinking that it is an age thing and will out grow it once they start getting interested in girls and around the older kids in the high school. I hope this helps
