How to Heal a Cut on Lip

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A cut on lip, tongue and inside of mouth is quite common. Lips are very soft and fleshy, this and their exposed location makes them vulnerable to injuries. A simple blow to the face can crush your lip against your teeth causing bruising. The denture of the teeth could also cause damage inside your lip or on skin. Here is how to heal a cut on lip fast.

What causes a cut lip?

Cut on lip as said is very common. Children will often get minor cuts, wounds and lacerations to the lips and mouth when playing and participating in sports activates. Most of the injuries and trauma occurring on lips or mouth are not that serious to warrant health emergency. Most can be handled at home with simple first-aid treatment. Other causes that might result in a cut on lips will include the following:

• Shaving
• Accidental lip biting
• Trauma or injuries from Boxing/punching
• Cracked lips due to over-drying common dry and cold weathers
• Fever Blisters caused by oral herpes
• Mouth ulcers and cold sores
• Drug  and food allergy causing busted and cracked lip
• Insect bites
• Using matte lipsticks or wearing lip paint for long
• Using lip plumper that contains irritants such as pepper, methanol or ginger
• Vitamin deficiency
• Oral yeast infection
• Excessive vitamin A intake from oral supplement

Most of these causes will be accompanied by symptoms such as bleeding, itching, and swelling, burning sensation, pain, and inflammation.

Cut on inside of lip

Cut on inside of lip as said is quite common. This can be through physical trauma and injuries. The soft nature of the lip skin also worsen the situation, this is because a small impact directed to the lips could cause damage.

The lips, tongue, and inside of cheeks are among the body parts with the highest concentration of blood vessel. This means that a small cut could bleed a lot. It also means that wound occurring in any of these parts could heal faster compared to those occurring in other parts of the body. This is because the blood vessels concentration in this area will boost nutrients that facilitate clotting and healing of the wound.

Cut on inside of lips can also be caused by oral herpes. Oral herpes is an infection of the lips, mouth or gums. This infection is caused by a virus-herpes simplex virus.  The condition is also referred to as herpes labialis. Common symptoms of this infection will include

1. Pain, burning, tingling or itching on the site of the infection ii
2. A cluster of blister on tongue, lips, or inside mouth
3. Painful oral sores

Cut on corner of lip

A cut on corner of mouth or lip also known as angular cheillitis, angular stomatitis or perleche is painful and annoying. Just as on inside of lip, a cut on corner of lips might be caused by an oral herpes infecting. When the blister or sores caused by herpes appear on the corner of lips they may lead to intense pain. This can be mostly felt when one trees to chew, talk or yawn.

The other common cause of cut on the corner of lips is smoking.  The cracking can also be a sign of cancer. The cracking is also common in people who chew khat for long. The cut can be on one or both corners of the lip. It is also itchy and painful and could last for days or years. The main cause of this cut is infection, irritation, and allergies.

Irritants will include such things as poorly fitting dentures, licking the lips for long or drooling especially for children.  Other will include mouth breathing resulting in dry mouth, sun exposure, closing the mouth for long, smoking and minor trauma [Wikipedia]

Infected lip cut

A cut on lip could be infected by fungi such as candida albicans and bacteria such as staph. Aureus. A cut on lip will be infected when left open for long, when you fail to keep it clean and when you keep picking on it with dirty hands.

Lip cut may also be infected due to factors such as poor nutrition or poor or weakened immune system. Treatment for an infected cut will depend on the underlying cause of the infection. The most common used for of treatment is topical or oral antibiotics. Seek medical attention when the cuts become swollen or very painful.

How to heal an infected lip cut inside the mouth

Mild cases of lip cut infection can be managed and controlled at home using natural and simple remedies. Below are some of the remedies you might use.

 

1. a)Saline solution for heavy bleeding

We have mentioned before that the lips, gums, and inside mouth contain a high concentration of blood vessels. This means that a simple cut or damage to either f this parts will lead to excessive bleeding. That should not worry, the high concentration of blood vessels also means that these areas can clot and heal faster compared to other areas.

A simple homemade saline solution can be very helpful in treating severe cuts, bleeding, and swelling of the lip. The saline solution stings and can be irritating especially when used on children. It, however, promotes a good effect inn promoting faster healing.

Here is how to prepare the remedy:

1. Add some amount of warm water into a cup or bowel
2. Into it add a tablespoon of kitchen salt

• Gently stir to mix the contents of the cup

1. Soak a sterile cotton ball into the solution for 5 minutes
2. Gently dab the cotton ball onto the cracked, or cut lip
3. The process can be burning but it surely helps

• The anti-inflammatory and antibacterial properties of salt will help reduce the swelling and prevent bacterial infection

1. b)Honey

You could also try using honey, to relieve the irritation, reduce the swelling and inflammation accompanying the cut. It is common practice for some people to apply honey or granulated sugar to a wound before dressing it. Honey is believed to contain antibacterial properties that serve well to reduce bacterial infection to a wound.

Most people will agree that honey does wonders to a lip cut. It speeds up the healing process of a wound and relieves the pain, irritation, and inflammation caused by the cut.  Just do the following:

1. Gently clean the cut on your lip until it stoops to bleed
2. With your clean and dried finger, apply a thin layer of raw organic honey
3. Spread the paste until it is evenly distributed
4. Try not to lick the honey out of your lips
5. Leave the past for close to 20 or overnight
6. The other best way would be to apply the pest for 20, rinse it off then apply another one
7. Repeat this for four days
8. c)Aloe Vera gel

Aloe Vera gel can also work wonder on a chapped lips. Aloe Vera was found to be a strong antibacterial and anti-inflammatory remedy. This way, when applied on a cut, aloe Vera will not only relieve the pain and itching, it will also help reduce the swelling, inflammation, and irritation.

To use aloe Vera;

1. Pluck a fresh aloe Vera leave
2. Cut off the serrated edges on the sides of the leaves
3. Clean then leave and cut it into small pieces, you could also squeeze the gel in a cup
4. The other way is to split the top layer of the leave lengthwise
5. If you choose to squeeze the gel in a bowl, you can add some lemon juice
6. Just squeeze half a lemon into the bowl contain aloe Vera
7. Mix the two and using a clean finger, apply a thin layer of the resulting gel onto your cracked lips
8. Repeat this twice daily
9. d)Avoid picking on the healing cut

Most people like picking on a healing wound. For deep cuts on the wound, you need to refrain from doing so as this could cause more damage by opening up your lips for a bacterial infection. You need to give time to the wound to heal on.

Make sure the area surrounding the cut is clean. You can do that by gently cleaning with a cotton swab dipped in the antiseptic solution.

How to treat a cut lip at home

A cut on the lip can be a very painful experience. When left untreated or fail to be treated properly, it could jump from an irritation to a major infection. This is common in children especially when dirt and other foreign particles get lodged into the wound and it goes uncleaned.

A lip cut can be accompanied by symptoms such as heavy bleeding, swelling, burning sensation pain, and irritation. The lip will experience heavy bleeding due to the high supply of blood vessel in this part of the body. How then do you relieve this symptom and treat the wound fast at home?

Cold compress to reduce bleeding

The lips, gums, and inside of the mouth are highly concentrated with blood vessels. This means a simple cut or injury could lead to excessive bleeding over a longer period of time. To control this, applying a cold compress is advised.

A cold compress is not only comforting but also numbs the area, this help by offering relief for the pain caused by the swelling and inflammation resulting from the cut and injury of your lips.  A cold compress can be used for herpes induced or accidents, trauma and injuries triggered busted lips that are quite severe and painful.

Do the following:

1. Wrap some ice cubes in a clean face towel ii
2. You should not put the ice cubes directly on the cut as I could trigger mild frost bite

• Press the compress gently for around 15 minutes

1. Repeat this inn intervals of 15 minutes until the pain subside and the swelling goes down

Cleaning the area thoroughly with water

After bleeding stops, you need to clean the affected are thoroughly with water. You could choose to use salty water or a mild soap. This is an essential treatment for almost all kind of lip swelling and bleeding caused by a variety of factors.

To clean a bleeding wound, you will need to gently pat the affected area with a wet clean towel. Gently apply some pressure to stop the bleeding. Avoid moving the lip roughly least you worsen the bleeding. With a clean wound, the higher supply of blood vessels will facilitate clotting and the bleeding will stop.

Topical analgesic to minimize itching

Topical analgesic contains clover and salicylic acid which work well to minimize pain and itching that might result from a busted or cut lip. You could also mix some natural oils such as eucalyptus and neem oil. All this oils are beneficial for helping a cut on lip.

Baking soda paste for pain

Baking soda is a substance you wouldn’t expect to miss in the kitchen. The chemical and physical properties of baking powder has medicinal capabilities that could work well for different skin and body disorders. A paste of this remedy can be used to relieve inflammation, itching and burning sensation caused by rash.

To use baking powder as a home remedy to treat a cut on lip, you will need to do the following;

1. To make a thick paste, you will need a part water and 3 parts of fine baking soda
2. If you are to use 1 tablespoon  water, then you will need 3 tablespoons of baking soda

• Gently mix the contents in a cup to achieve a fine paste

1. Using your clean finger or a clean cotton swab, apply a thin layer of the paste on your lips
2. Leave the paste on for a few minutes
3. Rinse the paste off by rubbing and not scrubbing

• Do this again until the pain and swelling  subsides

Keep the lips moisturized

Both dry and cold weathers can make your lip dry. Dehydration is a common cause of cracked lips. Dry or chopped lips will not only make you look bad but also feel uncomfortable. Most people who use lip balm will tell you that most are barely effective or could worsen a dry lip.

If this is found to be the cause of the cracking and cut on lip, you need to discontinue the use of the product. Clean your lips and dry them then apply a thin layer of mild skin moisturizer. Most can be obtain from over the counter from your nearest drug store.

A mild petroleum jelly might prove helpful during dry and cold weathers. This way, your lips remain hydrated for long thus you are able to prevent dryness causing the cracking.

Vitamin C to heal a burst lip

Vitamin C also known as ascorbic acid is an essential requirement for the synthesis of collagen. It is a highly effective antioxidant protecting cell from damage by free radicals. Research shows that vitamins can help speed the healing process of wounds and cuts.

So to speed the healing of  cut on lip, you will have to increase you intake of vitamin C. you can do this by either using vitamin C supplements or food that are high in vitamin C. apart from hastening the healing process, vitamin C will help prevent infection of the cut.

Increase intake of vitamin B

Vitamin B12 deficiency is a common cause of skin dryness and lip cracking.  Therefore increasing your intake of vitamin B12 and folic acid supplement will help prevent painful blistering on lip. You could do this by increasing the consumption of green leafy vegetables, dairy products and low fat milk.

Calendula ointment

Calendula ointment works by soothing the wound caused by the cut on lip. Calendula oil also help in quick re-epithelialization, this is the restoration or the epithelium over a denuded area by natural growth.

The ointment can also keep the lips moist especially in dry weather, this helps prevent future cuts and damage to the lips.

Turmeric paste

Turmeric is another strong anti-infection home remedy for cut on lips and wound appearing on the body. The paste can be used to treat busted lips caused by dehydration, trauma, injuries and many other causes.

Turmeric unlike other herbal medicine, has no side effects, it is also anti-bacterial therefore it can help prevent and fight bacterial infection. To use turmeric as a remedy:

1. Prepare a thick paste by mixing three part fine turmeric powder with a considerable amount of cold water
2. Using your fingers or a clean cotton swab, apply the paste a thin layer of the paste on the lip cut

• Leave the past eon for 300 minutes without licking it

1. Rinse your lips with warm water and gently dry with a clean towel
2. You can now apply a thin layer of skin moisturizer such as mild petroleum jelly.

Coconut oil

If by now you have not found the right remedy for your chapped lips, you could try applying a coconut oil. The oil is good for reducing and relieving the skin of itching, swelling, inflammation, irritation and burning sensation that mostly accompany cracked or cut lips.

References.

1. Cut and wounds of mouth and lips: http://www.stanfordchildrens.org/en/topic/default?id=cuts-and-wounds-of-the-mouth-and-lips-90-P02836
2. How to help a busted lip: http://woundcaresociety.org/help-busted-lip
3. Lip wound healing process: http://woundcaresociety.org/lip-wound-healing-process
4. Traumatic injuries of the lips: http://www.colgate.com/en/us/oc/oral-health/conditions/dental-emergencies-and-sports-safety/article/traumatic-injuries-of-the-lips-and-tongue