Those dry, desiccating pieces of washed up fishing net you see at the top of a beach line

[ScribblyGum]

That’s my lips that is.

I don’t need a product I need an intervention. I require a whole life strategy for dealing with these crispy fuckers on an otherwise perfectly normal everyday face.

Please, please help, but don’t just suggest some unguent to rub on them. Believe me, I own it already.

Stop putting anything at all on them. Give it three months. I did this and it worked. Before I was always putting lip balm, blisteze on and still ending up with scabby lips.

That is a radical strategy @Hawkmoth. I’m scared that if I gave them nothing they’d just shrivel up and fall off like an umbilicus.

Are you actually drinking enough? Are your electrolyte levels ok?

Soft dry toothbrush to gently exfoliate them and coconut oil as lip balm. Game changer.

Not being awkward by the way. I only made the connection that my lips were like that because I was more dehydrated than I realised after being put on IV fluids and it suddenly resolving. Now I use it as an early warning sign I'm getting dehydrated.

Drinking loads. Rest of me is fine (afaik).

A toothbrush, that’s sounds harsh. I’m happy to be harsh if that’s what it takes.

Drink more water

Don't lick your lips

Don't add salt/eat anything salty, especially crisps and chips

Breathe through your nose

Take a hydrating supplement such as evening Primrose oil or omega 3 fish oil

Don't use anthing on your lips, especially medicated or flavoured products

Don't let any toothpaste, toothpaste foam or mouth wash get on your lips

Use a humidifier

See a GP (might be an indication of an illness)

Are you using anything on the rest of your face that might be irritating them? Do you lick them or bite them at all?

You could try adding more essential fatty acids to your diet - oily fish, seeds, nuts etc if your diet is low in them or you are on a weight loss diet. Otherwise might also be central heating making them worse so you can out bowls of water on the radiator in your room overnight. And yy to PPs suggestions of water and the toothbrush!

I agree, go radical and ditch all the products

www.independent.co.uk/life-style/health-and-families/health-news/why-your-lip-balm-may-not-be-good-for-your-after-all-a6861026.html

Ah, so this could be it. When I put the balm on I think I’m rubbing away at them absentmindedly at they momentarily don’t feel all raspy and horrid.

I put moisturiser on them too, currently using the m and s eye and lip cream, and then balm on the top.

It's hard to go cold turkey though, as sometimes I'm licking my lips in my sleep and making them worse.

Vaseline has never let me down, to be fair.

And hand cream as that all I’ve got by the sink and in the car.

OK so [lighbulb] I’m an idiot.

No, no, don't go hard with the toothbrush! Gentle circle movements and the softest bristles you can find.

Soft bristles. Gentle loving circles. Check.

I am concerned about this element of the intervention tbh. I’ve just realised c/o mumsnet that I’ve been a serial lips tormentor for years. Are you sure about the toothbrush?

You need a balm with a high Lanolin content therefore I recommend Lanolips from Boots approx £10.99.

It's expensive but the only thing that works for me.

Diet.

Harsh things you use on your face.

Environment (inside or out).

If you must put anything on your lips use food quality EV olive oil.

Blistex and then seal with the Blistex balm in the blue pot. Only combo which gets mine back to normal when they go like this..

Ok I'm pretty sure this is not recommended, but it works for me. I use hydrocortisone ointment on my lips when they are particularly dry. Just a tiny bit. Does the trick. Tried every lip balm known to man and never found anything that works as well as this.

I live by the seaside, I clicked on the link with excitement thinking you had the answer to environmental pollution and it would be stylish and beautiful. In my head I was thinking could it be knitting them together? Perhaps to craft a delicate tiara, maybe an alternative bridal train or even just a way of processing them to a shower scrubby fluffer. Sorry about you lips but your title had led me down a path far more fancier.

Lansinoh cream.

Derma therapy.

I would bet however that the truth is that you are dehydrated even if you think you drink a lot of water. Do you drink much coffee/tea/wine? Live in a harsh (cold/hot) enviro? When I go booze/caffeine free (eg pregnant) my lips are totally fine. Otherwise, really flaky.

Lansinoh! Literally just puts a waterproof coating over your skin. It's a completely natural product, like petroleum jelly. Stop putting things on your lips that penetrate and just coat them to protect them from the elements while you go cold turkey

So you're putting 3 separate creams on your lips? Cold turkey with Lansinoh or Vaseline to seal in moisture sounds like the best bet. I wouldn't even do the toothbrush thing as it sounds like it could irritate everything further - the Lansinoh will settle any flakes down, I'd just clean everything gently with water and your fingers and then do Lansinoh for a week.