Re: Any Updates

Read my other post of today on my progress with the 'leaving lips' alone method. In short, I think it's helpful, perhaps even healing.

About keratin:

I have been a research intern at a Dermatology department in Nijmegen University medical centre, so I know a few things on normal/ diseased skin growth & regulation.

Keratin itself works as a barrier to keep moist in and out. Keratin builds up in skin cells, which keep accumulating it, untill they sacrifice themselves to become the dead skin cells of the outer layer of our skin, to peel off. Keratin itself forms large complexes throughtout the entire cells, based on a 'meshwork', or blueprint. This blueprint is filaggrin, which is a protein like keratin, that binds and holds keratin. Filaggrin is important to keep this moist barrier intact. (Filaggrin stands for 'filament-aggregating protein).

In cold weather, filaggrin is produced much less in skin cells, so that the keratin complexes are reduced as well. This explains why our lips dry out faster in cold weather. I think keratin production is much less affected by cold weather.

I am unsure of this, but the rapid skin growth in EC may allow insufficient keratin to build up in skin cells, so that the moist barrier is already weaker then normal. This could make our lips more sensitive to drying out, irritation etc, even in warmer weather.

As a conclusion, I think that keeping the lips in a more moist environment, by for instance much drinking/ sitting close to evaporating tiles of hot water (reducing irritation), and protecting the lips from cold weather, may promote keratin retention in the skin.

Hopefully I have provided some insight.
Michel