How to fix dry, chapped lips and fine lip lines

The advisor checks whether the lip surface is smooth and even, whether there are visible flakes or cracks, and how pronounced the vertical lines are. We also look at colour. Well-hydrated lips have a slightly translucent, even tone. Dry lips look matte, dull and sometimes greyish at the edges.

Stop licking them. Saliva evaporates fast and takes the lips' own moisture with it, which is why licking makes them drier within minutes. Keep a balm in every place you spend time so the reflex has something else to do.

Use an occlusive balm, meaning one built on petrolatum, lanolin or a heavy wax, rather than a light glossy one. Occlusives form a seal that stops water leaving. Apply it to slightly damp lips after washing your face so it locks that moisture in.

Avoid balms with menthol, camphor, peppermint or strong fragrance. The tingle feels like it is working, but those ingredients irritate the surface and make you reapply more often, which is the point for the manufacturer and not for you.

Do not peel or scrub flakes off. It removes skin that was still attached and starts a fresh crack. If you must exfoliate, do it once a week at most with a soft toothbrush over a layer of balm.

A thick overnight mask with hyaluronic acid or ceramides, applied as the last step before bed, gives the lips eight hours under a seal to rehydrate. Most people wake up with visibly plumper lips and see the vertical lines soften after a week or two of nightly use.

Sunscreen on the lips is the step nearly everyone skips. Lips burn easily and sun is the main cause of the lines that stay after the dryness clears. A balm with SPF 15 or more, reapplied through the day, prevents more than any treatment repairs.

Colour helps optically. A satin or sheer lipstick in a shade close to your natural lip fills the lines with light, while matte formulas sit in them and make them more obvious.