Sports, some rough-shod games, accidents – any of these can lead to minor cuts or wounds on your lips. Lack of moisture can cause your lips to crack or split too. If you’re wondering how to go about tackling a cut on your lips, simple home remedies can step up and help with the healing process. Here are 6 simple but effective remedies you can try right at home:
# Rinse The Cut And Apply Pressure And IceIf you cut your lip, apply pressure with a clean cloth for a few minutes to stop the bleeding. Now, wash with soap and water and clean all dirt from the area. If the cut is on the inside, rinsing the area with cool water should suffice. Applying ice or sucking on an ice cube or ice pop can also help lessen swelling and bleeding. As the wound heals, be sure to keep it dry and clean.
# Dab On Some Sesame OilResearch indicates that sesame oil can help heal wounds. As one animal study found, topical application of this oil improved the rate of wound closure and tissue generation. Free radicals, which impair healing, are generated when there is an injury and antioxidants have been found to promote wound healing. Lignans such as sesamolin and sesamin present in sesame oil have proven antioxidant activity and may be responsible for its healing capacity. So rub a little sesame oil on your lips to help them heal faster.
# Smear On A Little Grapeseed OilAnother natural oil that can speed up the healing of wounds and work wonders for cut lips is grapeseed oil. This oil also has antibacterial effects that can protect your wound from getting infected. Rich in oleic, linoleic, stearic, and palmitic fatty acids, grapeseed oil can also prevent loss of moisture from your lips by forming a protective barrier.
# Apply Coconut OilCoconut oil can offer your skin many benefits. One study found that application of this amazing oil resulted in much faster healing, with a marked reduction in the time taken for complete epithelization, helping tissue form over a wound. This antioxidant-rich oil also has potent antimicrobial properties and can act against bacteria which could potentially infect a wound. It can also tackle dry skin and keep your lips moisturized. So there you go, apply a little food grade coconut oil and watch any cuts on your lips quickly heal.
# Use Aloe Vera
Another remedy that can heal that cut on your lips is aloe vera. Studies show that it can improve the amount of collagen, a protein which provides strength and structure to your skin. Research has also found that the topical application of aloe vera gel can speeds up wound contraction. A compound known as glucomannan present in this plant is thought to be at least partly responsible for these beneficial effects. Moreover, aloe vera has antimicrobial effects and can help prevent infection. Break open an aloe vera leaf to obtain the gel inside and apply it to injured or cut lips. You can also use an aloe vera lip balm that’s meant for treating wounds.
# Try Safflower Oil
An edible oil rich in linoleic acid, safflower oil, can also help heal your wound. Studies have found that the application of linoleic acid can boost wound-healing factors like the protein and DNA content of wounds as well as the healing tissue mass. Even consuming linoleic acid can be beneficial as research shows that it can induce the formation of new blood vessels and enhance wound healing. There’s a variety of safflower oil which has a high content of oleic acid instead of linoleic acid so make sure you check and get the right oil – the one rich in linoleic acid.