Can Your Lips Get Sunburned Too?

Just like any other part of your body, your lips are susceptible to sunburn. While many choose to prioritize their arms, shoulders, and cheeks when applying SPF, the lips are actually the most sensitive part of the body and are therefore more vulnerable to sunburn and other skin damage. "Compared with the rest of your face, the lips have a lower concentration of melanin and fewer layers of skin," Dr. Adeline Kikam, a board-certified dermatologist in South Texas, told Glamour.

As a result, the lips are a fairly common area of the face where people develop skin cancer, especially the lower or bottom lip (via Good Housekeeping). That's because your lower lip is directly facing the sun overhead, which means that it is more likely to get sunburned than your upper lip. However that doesn't necessarily mean that upper lip is spared. You should protect both your upper and lower lips by regularly applying lip balm with a SPF of 30 or higher.

If your lips get sunburned, they'll become red and swollen and will feel tender to the touch. Depending on the severity of the sunburn, blisters may even form on your lips (via Healthline). Since sunburns can be quite painful and uncomfortable, you'll need to treat it with a variety of cooling and healing ointments and other various remedies. For instance, you can treat your sunburn by applying aloe vera to your lips. Aloe vera is a soothing gel that comes from the leaves of the aloe plant. It is commonly used to relieve sunburns and is sold at most drugstores and pharmacies.

You can also use moisturizer to treat your sunburned lips. Creams like CeraVe and Vanicream can help soothe your lips while they heal by adding moisture to the affected area. In addition, cold compresses and anti-inflammatory medication can help relieve pain and redness and reduce the hot feeling on your lips.