Lipstick

[pmelissakis]

What kind of problems do female harmonica players
have regarding lipstick.  Or does the lipstick improve
the playing.

Pete (don't read anything into this  )

[Scotty]

What kind of problems do female harmonica players
have regarding lipstick.  Or does the lipstick improve
the playing.

Pete (don't read anything into this  )

Hi Pete: I promise not to read anything into it,   at least not until I get to know you better <G>

I always make sure to remove any "real" lipstick before I play...it just gums up my harmonicas...and I'm a wee bit obsessive about keeping them clean...BUT since my lips get far too dry when playing for any length of time, I must use "something" and have  used Blistex Lip Medex (the one in the round blue container) for years under my lipsticks (which are, admittedly, light both in color and texture).  Since I retook up harmonica playing I found myself casting about for something I could use for the last 4 conventions I attended...to keep my lips both hydrated AND which wouldn't add to my usual pallor (we're talking Casper's Ghost here....or as Billy Connelly does in one of his comedic riffs...I refer to myself occasionally as a "pale blue Scottish person")...to give you some idea  

I found the perfect solution in a new product by Blistex...Lip Infusion.  It's a roll-on in a tube...but LIQUID!  Goes on extremely easily...not the least bit sticky...doesn't gum up my mouthpieces...and keeps my lips from chapping.  The issue of color is a bit trickier...but I have a slightly sneaky solution for that...either use of a lip pencil OR one of the newer mineral powders in a blush tone....rubbed onto the lips imparts some color...then the liquid blistex gives enough of a sheen to simulate lipstick with none of the problems. (I'm nothing if not innovative, in my own way).  Hope this helps,
Elizabeth

[SlideMeister]

I sometimes use that clear stuff called DCT (Daily Conditioning Treatment) only I don't use it every day    just when my lips are dry (er) than normal. Stuff works pretty fair for me. And, so far nobody's hit on me when I use it, so I guess it doesn't make me too pretty either. Yeah, That's really important to me! Ark ark!

age

[Scotty]

I sometimes use that clear stuff called DCT (Daily Conditioning Treatment) only I don't use it every day    just when my lips are dry (er) than normal. Stuff works pretty fair for me. And, so far nobody's hit on me when I use it, so I guess it doesn't make me too pretty either. Yeah, That's really important to me! Ark ark!

age

Yeah, I should hope not...but he didn't ask you....he asked WOMEN players, LOL....hehehe

Who makes that, by the way..  Vaseline?
Elizabeth

[Grizzly]

A woman let me play her harmonica to try it out (no names…), and the most objectionable thing about it was the fragrance. Even I smelled (like) lipstick for the rest of the day.

Didn't improve my playing, Pete.

Tom

[pemiller86]

Dear Members:

It's nice  8)to hear from female harmonica players,  :(since there are not many ladies, who play the harmonica (especially professionally).  My wife Elaine, doesn't use anything while she plays her harmonica, because she doesn't want to take a chance to ruin the harmonica.   ;)I agree with Elizabeth about using Blistex Lip Infusion-(Cherry Splash) while I play, and I have introduced it to Elaine, but she hasn't used it yet, and she's not opposed to it.   It rolls on quite easily and it's not sticky. 

Kind regards, 

pemiller86
Boynton Beach, FL

[pmelissakis]

hmmm ......  blistex,  now that I'm in Wyoming,
it's so dry here it kind of limits how long I
can play the harmonica.  I might try it as long
as it doesn't make me any less manly.

That DCT sounds like an engine oil additive,
maybe too manly for us non motorcycle drivers.

Pete

[Ziggy]

I base this on nothing more than personal observation... but it appears to me that people who start to use lip balms end up "addicted" to them. I.E. My wife is constantly puttint something on her lips, and while this leaves her with very kissable lips (You'll have to take my word on that) .... she never complains about mine and I use nothing.

I live in Chicago, which also has very dry winters. But I have never felt the need for lip balms. Well, once when I was skiing, and I used Vaseline.

Any thoughts?

I hate to see anyone get dependent on anything. clandescant meetings with shady characters in the inky shadows of back alleys trying to score some of the good stuff, Chapstick, Blistex... hopefully even Carmex!
Ziggy

[Grizzly]

I base this on nothing more than personal observation... but it appears to me that people who start to use lip balms end up "addicted" to them. I.E. My wife is constantly puttint something on her lips, and while this leaves her with very kissable lips (You'll have to take my word on that) .... she never complains about mine and I use nothing.

I live in Chicago, which also has very dry winters. But I have never felt the need for lip balms. Well, once when I was skiing, and I used Vaseline.

Any thoughts?
Ziggy

If you're kissing your wife often enough (what's "enough"?), you're benefitting from her applications.

Tom

[Scotty]

I base this on nothing more than personal observation... but it appears to me that people who start to use lip balms end up "addicted" to them. I.E. My wife is constantly puttint something on her lips, and while this leaves her with very kissable lips (You'll have to take my word on that) .... she never complains about mine and I use nothing.

I live in Chicago, which also has very dry winters. But I have never felt the need for lip balms. Well, once when I was skiing, and I used Vaseline.

Any thoughts?

I hate to see anyone get dependent on anything. clandescant meetings with shady characters in the inky shadows of back alleys trying to score some of the good stuff, Chapstick, Blistex... hopefully even Carmex!
Ziggy

Hi Ziggy:  I just realized my original response to this must have gotten "et" by my computer or something,   .... or more likely I was logged off after dozing off in the middle of writing, lol....

My take on this is a bit different.  I see it as a difference between those who have dry skin or not....ergo dry lips necessitating the use of lip balms.  Compared to all of my friends, my skin is definitely the "driest".  My lips also dry out the fastest...and I absolutely need to use "some" form of protection, most especially in the Winter months (here in New York where it can get almost as cold as in your Chicago).....but Sun exposure is also a very big factor in the use of lip protection.  Fair skinned people who burn easily should ALWAYS protect their skin from exposure, and that includes their lips. It's simpler (and tastes a lot better) to use a lip balm than sunblock.  So I've used Blistex in the little blue canister for years...great product, until now discovering the liquid infusion Blistek makes which doesn't gum up my harmonicas, something I didn't have to worry about until retaking up playing.  I've long been complimented in a similar fashion to your wife so I guess it's done its job.   I'm very fair-skinned, so my skin would dry up or burn and peel without protection in any harsh weather, Winter or Summer.  People with more natural oil in their skin have somewhat more built-in protection.  You just may be the one exception who doesn't get chapped lips in harsh Winter conditions, but you should still be careful when it comes to Sun (U/V)exposure, since everything I've ever read about protection against skin cancer includes protecting one's lips.
Regards,
Elizabeth (Scotty)

[Grizzly]

Keeping well hydrated—drinking more water—may help, too. Especially when playing, we blow off more water than just sitting around. As we get older and the skin becomes more inelastic, being hydrated becomes more of an issue.

That's not to say that moisturizers are out of the picture. They form a barrier than helps prevent dehydration, rather than actually adding to the moisture content of skin or lips. As they are absorbed or rubbed off, they need to be reapplied. Drinking more water may enhance their effectiveness.

By the way, caffeine drives moisture from the body (why you have to pee more when you drink coffee), which may affect skin and lip dryness. (Lips aren't made of skin; they're an extension of the mucous membrane that lines our mouths.)

Tom "Grizzfessor"

[Scotty]

I agree with Tom...hydration is very important...I drink tons of water, but still somehow am always playing catch up, feeling dehydrated much of the time despite not ingesting much caffeine.  Just my luck, I suppose.  But I had no idea licking my lips a lot as is mentioned in the following link...could be a factor.  Lots of good information available, the consensus seems to be to err on the side of using balms to protect one's lips from UV rays and possible skin cancer, and to keep them from sunburn which can be mistaken for chapping.

Elizabeth (Scotty):

This is from the Online Rodale Book on Symptoms, Causes and Cures:

WHEN TO SEE YOUR DOCTOR

* Your chapped lips develop severe cracks and fissures.

What Your Symptom Is Telling You

If your rough, peeling chapped lips could talk (on their own, that is), they'd beg for two things: moisture and something to seal the moisture in. But how do lips lose their moisture? If you have a common habit—lip-licking—you have a sure setup for chapping. Here's how it happens.

In dry air—a centrally heated house in winter, for example—moisture evaporates from your lips. Unconsciously, you notice that dry feeling and lick your lips to wet them again. Then, when this wetness evaporates, it robs your lips of even more moisture, so you feel the urge to lick again. A sunburn on the lips can also tempt you to lick and cause them to chap.

Another common cause of chapped lips is an allergic reaction to dyes in lipstick.

Some people have chapping mostly in the corners of their mouths, and the cause may be the shape of their lips. If your lips turn down at the corners when your face is relaxed, saliva may collect in the corners and cause the outside edges of your lips to chap.

Symptom Relief

Chapped lips can be irritating and unsightly. The good news? You can almost always cure them yourself.

Soak to hydrate. To give your sore, chapped lips the ultimate treatment, use daily cool salt water compresses, suggests Caroline Koblenzer, M.D., a clinical associate professor of dermatology at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia.

"Use one teaspoon salt to one pint water. Soak a washcloth in the solution and lay it over your lips. Keep it cool and moist for a while, then pat dry," she says. You might try doing this just before going to bed. Do it daily for one week.

Seal in the moisture. Right after the compress, apply a thick coat of an emollient ointment like Vaseline or a lip balm containing waxes or lanolin to hold the moisture in, says Alan R. Shalita, M.D., professor and chairman of dermatology at the State University of New York Health Science Center at Brooklyn.

Step up to cortisone. If a week of compresses and emollients don't do the trick, you can add over-the-counter 1 percent hydrocortisone ointment to your regimen, says Tor Shwayder, M.D., a pediatric dermatologist at Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit. Use the hydrocortisone under your emollient ointment, he suggests. Try this for two weeks.

Don't lick the problem. It's tough to stop licking your lips because the behavior is mostly unconscious, like blinking. But stopping is the first step in healing, says Dr. Shwayder. And he says the first step in stopping is just knowing that lip-licking is causing the problem.

Change lipstick. If you suspect that an allergy to an ingredient in your lipstick is causing your lips to chap, Dr. Koblenzer offers this easy home allergy test: "Put a little dab under an adhesive dressing on your inner arm and leave it there for 48 hours," she says. "If you're truly allergic to something in the lipstick, you'll have an itchy reaction."

Your other lipstick options? Either avoid using it altogether or opt for a hypoallergenic brand, she suggests.

Don't get burned. The delicate skin on your lips is easily damaged and chapped by sunburn, says Dr. Shalita. While you're developing the lip ointment habit, be sure to choose a lip balm that contains sunscreen, he suggests.

[Scotty]

This is my FOURTH try to post this...first as a reply to Tom (Grizz) and then three times as a full post) only to be rejected as "over the 4200 limit.  So now I've had to post it independently and broken it up into two posts. Hope it works .

Part 2 of my reply to Tom: (about staying hydrated with water and using lip protection):

......and this from an "Alternative Health" site:

"Don't forget that your lips are just as important as your skin. Lip balm that contains SPF protection helps prevent sunburn, windburn and chapping and protects against harmful UV rays as well as . Good lip balms soothe and moisturize. Lip balms that contain aloe vera are great, because they not only soothe your lips, the aloe vera  also relieves painful cold sores, fever blisters and cracked, dry lips.

As with sunscreen, lip balm with antioxidant protection is a bonus. Some great herbal lip balms contain herbs such as aloe vera, apricot, castor oil, jojoba oil, squalane, beeswax, camphor, bee propolis, Icelandis moss, menthol or golden seal.

Because our skin and lips are exposed to the sun and UV rays on a daily basis, it's crucial to provide adequate protection. Protecting your skin from the sun can help prevent wrinkles, decrease the aging process and help prevent skin cancer. So what are you waiting for?"

 
 ....and from an article from the Virginia Cooperative Extension about Gardening, Sunburn and Skin Cancer, here is a link with a lot of good information...

Click here: Gardening and Your Health: Sunburn & Skin Cancer
the most pertinent sentence about lips is:"Even with a sunscreen on it is still possible to get burned. Reapplying the sunscreen doesn't extend the time of protection, it only replenishes what sweats off. And don't forget a sunblock for lips. Chapped lips may really be sunburned."


Elizabeth (Scotty)

[Grizzly]

I agree with Tom...hydration is very important...I drink tons of water, but still somehow am always playing catch up, feeling dehydrated much of the time despite not ingesting much caffeine.
8<

If you're always thirsty, and peeing a lot, and having trouble with your eyes, and sores don't heal very fast, have your blood sugars tested.

You could be diabetic, if there's a family history, or you're considerably overweight (not you, Scotty; I've met you and you're not, so this message is more generic) and you don't exercise, and you eat large quantities of refined carbohydrates (sugar, fat and starch).

Unchecked diabetes can lead to heart and circulatory problems, including erectile dysfunction, loss of eyesight, and amputation.

I'm no expert, nor a doctor, but I am diabetic. Get regular checkups, and ask about a blood glucose test.

Tom

[Scotty]

I agree with Tom...hydration is very important...I drink tons of water, but still somehow am always playing catch up, feeling dehydrated much of the time despite not ingesting much caffeine.
8<

If you're always thirsty, and peeing a lot, and having trouble with your eyes, and sores don't heal very fast, have your blood sugars tested.

You could be diabetic, if there's a family history, or you're considerably overweight (not you, Scotty; I've met you and you're not, so this message is more generic) and you don't exercise, and you eat large quantities of refined carbohydrates (sugar, fat and starch).

Unchecked diabetes can lead to heart and circulatory problems, including erectile dysfunction, loss of eyesight, and amputation.

I'm no expert, nor a doctor, but I am diabetic. Get regular checkups, and ask about a blood glucose test.

Tom

Interesting, Tom...because there IS a history in my family (my maternal Uncle and now my older brother) of Diabetes....both of which have led to amputations, brrrr...

So I'm one of those who has to harangue my family physician to include testing for Diabetes in my regular blood work...mostly because of the odd symptoms.  I have some thyroid issues, so that's probably the cause...but the thought always lurks. Weirdly enough, my brother claims never to feel thirsty, despite his obvious dehydration.  One has to practically hit him over the head to get him to drink water...my good friend's husband is just going through yet another series of surgeries caused by and complicated by his recently diagnosed Diabetes, so I heartily concur with your suggestions.
Elizabeth (Scotty)