"addiction" to lip balm?

Pawel Paron

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Jul 10, 2005, 5:30:25 PM7/10/05

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Hi everybody,

I believe it happened to me, seems, that my lips got addicted to a lip balm,
or whatever it is called in English (kind of a cream to prevent lips from
drying, sold in sticks or in small containers). The symptoms are that I
cannot stop using this substance for longer than day or two, if I do so, it
badly affects both my trumpet and flute playing. Although my tone of either
of these instruments is far from being clear and perfect, when I regularly
apply this lip balm, I can play two octaves on flute, and up to E2 or F2 on
trumpet, and I can play trumpet for an hour, or an hour and half, and still
reach E2, and it still sound like a trumpet. After couple of days without
using my lip balm, tone becomes airy, with trumpet I can play few short
tunes, and my lips get tired, I just cannot hold them against the air
pressure, and anything above C2 is hardly possible, I can only force some
higher notes, but not really play them. It's similar with flute, I feel like
my lips cannot form proper shape, playing second octave becomes difficult,
and even first octave requires an unusual volume of air. At the same time, I
don't really observe any significant change of lips condition, they just get
a bit dry, I feel it, but it's hardly visible.

I started using lip balm because I ride bike a lot, it was to prevent lips
from drying, and to protect them from the sunshine. Later I started using it
also before going to bed, so I usually use it two or three times a day, in
the morning when going out to work, sometimes in the afternoon when going
for a bike ride, and in the evening.

Did this happen of anyone of you, or has anybody hard about such a
condition, like addiction to a lip balm? My "diagnosis" might be faulty as
well, and there is no connection between playing and using lip balm, just a
coincidence, I would like to hear from others.

Regards
Pawel

William Graham

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Jul 10, 2005, 5:55:50 PM7/10/05

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"Pawel Paron" <pawelpA...@freeland.lublin.pl> wrote in message
news:slrndd35e7.d5j....@90-mo5-2.acn.waw.pl...

Yes....A lady I know told me about this about 15 years ago. She did not play
the trumpet, or any other instrument, but she saw me using, "Chapstick" one
day, and she warned me that it can become addictive, so I stopped using it,
and have only used it (or some similar product) very sparingly since then. I
have told others about this, on this forum, but they scoffed at me and said
that it was impossible to become addicted to anything like this. I think one
can become addicted to anything. Especially anything that one applies to the
skin. The only thing I can advise you to do is to, "Take a vacation from the
stuff". Just force yourself to play without using it at all for a few
months, and then use it only under dire circumstances, such as particularly
dry weather, or when your lips are in really bad shape. Try to not get into
the habit of wetting them with your tongue too often....This is what gets me
into trouble......

yes

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Jul 13, 2005, 3:28:53 AM7/13/05

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You are not alone. There is help for you here:
http://www.kevdo.com/lipbalm/home.html

William Graham

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Jul 13, 2005, 7:46:31 PM7/13/05

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"yes" <y...@yes.yes> wrote in message news:db2fm...@enews4.newsguy.com...

> You are not alone. There is help for you here:
> http://www.kevdo.com/lipbalm/home.html

Wow! - I wasn't aware the problem was so widespread.....

Cliff Hartle

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Aug 6, 2005, 8:02:11 PM8/6/05

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kitekrazy

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Aug 6, 2005, 8:40:37 PM8/6/05

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Cliff Hartle wrote:
> More info to add to the topic.
>
> http://www.snopes.com/business/secret/carmex.asp
>

I know some people who like the taste of Carmex. I can't stand it. Put
it on and your food taste like Carmex.

William Graham

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Aug 6, 2005, 10:59:07 PM8/6/05

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"Cliff Hartle" <cliff_...@verizon.net> wrote in message
news:7ccJe.2344$zB4.271@trndny08...

> More info to add to the topic.
>
> http://www.snopes.com/business/secret/carmex.asp

You (or someone) can become addicted to anything. That's because there are
two (at least) kinds of addiction. Physical, and psychological. If you think
you are addicted to something, then you are, whether there is any physical
basis for the addiction or not.

jeff.h...@gmail.com

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Aug 22, 2005, 3:58:54 PM8/22/05

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Back when I was in high school, the claim was that Blistex was
addictive.

Just goes to show you that you can fool people some of the people some
of the time.

The writer of the base note is talking specifically about physical
reaction to the use of lip balm, so let's stick to that.

Lip balm is basically designed to seal the lips to prevent chapping.
That's pretty much it. Products like Carmex (really a cold sore cream)
are a bit different in that they also contain Menthol, Camphor, Alum,
and such. But the base is usually the same, some anhydrous material
like lanolin or parafin or beeswax or something.

If there's a connection between use of a balm on the chops and a
temporary physical change in the tissue, it's almost certainly related
to moisture. (Or lack thereof. If you bike ride alot or participate
in other activities that are prone to dry out the soft tissue of the
chops, your chops may be "addicted" to moisture, not lip balm.)

I would suggest that the writer of the base note try saturating the
lips with water before playing (minus the lip balm) and report the
results back to the list.

Randy Replogle

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Aug 23, 2005, 7:10:37 PM8/23/05

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On 22 Aug 2005 12:58:54 -0700, "jazz...@hotmail.com"
<jeff.h...@gmail.com> wrote:

Where do you hang out these days?
Randy