Inflammation of the lips due to exposure to various external factors – such as active sun rays, cold damp wind, temperature and humidity fluctuations, dust particles – called meteorological cheilitis. This is a benign disease, in which not even the fact of damage to the lips plays a very important role, but how long the damaging effect was or how often it happened.
Meteorological cheilitis is most common in men, as women tend to use lipstick or other substances that can prevent damage to the lips.
Why meteorological cheilitis occurs and what provokes it
Meteorological cheilitis develops at any time of the year, and by no means in winter or summer, since damaging factors that lips do not like and can cause their inflammation, always exist. It can be solar ultraviolet, too cold or too hot weather, dusty wind and even overdried & nbsp; air-conditioned office space.
Those with white and delicate skin (phototype one), those who complain of very dry and sensitive skin, as well as those who have seborrhea, eczema, neurodermatitis or have a genetic predisposition to these skin diseases are most at risk. Meteorological cheilitis tends to be chronic.
How does meteorological cheilitis manifest in patients
Most often, patients come with meteorological cheilitis to a cosmetologist and complain that their lips hurt, crack, swell, that they feel tight and dry. However, the problem of lip damage with meteorological cheilitis is dealt with by a dermatologist, since this disease can cause the development of precancerous conditions if therapeutic measures are not taken in time.
The pathological process in meteorological cheilitis affects, as a rule, the lower lip, and mainly the red border of the lip. Damage to the lips with cheilitis leads to the fact that they swell and acquire a bright red color, covered with many small scales. If the damaging factor has not disappeared, the skin on the lips cracks, becomes covered with erosions.
The disease can develop in waves and for a long time, the symptoms either worsen or subside. Exacerbations most often occur when the lips are repeatedly exposed to unpleasant meteorological factors.
Read about other "Types of inflammation on the lips"
Meteorological cheilitis diagnosis and treatment
Diagnostic difficulties in meteorological cheilitis are that cheilitis can be both allergic and atopic, and actinic, have a different nature of development, different methods of treatment, but at the same time, forms similar to meteorological & nbsp; cheilitis. Histological examination in the skin with meteorological cheilitis is determined by tissue hyperplasia, with mild keratinization and infiltrates.
Treatment should be started only after a decision has been made together with the patient to change the lifestyle or even the profession – to minimize the impact of meteorological factors on the lips. It may be worth recommending a change of job if the damage to the lips comes from being outdoors for a long time.
For treatment, vitamin A, E preparations, nicotinic acid preparations are recommended, if necessary, corticosteroids can be applied topically.
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