What for drying lips ?

dessinchat · Post by **dessinchat** » Sun Nov 19, 2006 1:37 pm

Hi ! I have been playing a wooden flute for a year now and a have the following problem. When playing , I would often need to wet my lips and I don't find the time ! but when they are really dry, it happens that there is no longer sound out of my flute ... any tips against that ?
Thanks all

Nicole

Post by **Nanohedron** » Sun Nov 19, 2006 1:54 pm

Hi. Try just wetting the insides of your lips with your tongue. It's fairly quick, and that's where it really counts, I find. If you lick the outer portion of the lips too often, you might risk chapping, and then flute playing will really be a chore.

Unseen122 · Post by **Unseen122** » Sun Nov 19, 2006 2:41 pm

Along with Nano's suggestion, try drinking water while you stop between tunes. I suspect your mouth gets dry too and water may do the trick.

jtrout · Post by **jtrout** » Sun Nov 19, 2006 3:20 pm

At this time of year, my upper lip gets a bit dry and threatens to crack. I apply lip balm throughout the day, but if any remains on my lip whilst attempting to play the flute, things don't work until I wipe the stuff off! So its back to licking while I play. Also, it took me awhile to acquire the skill of taking a lick while playing (no pun intended!). Ah, this flute business: if it isn't the breath phrasing, its the licking!

dessinchat · Post by **dessinchat** » Sun Nov 19, 2006 3:31 pm

jtrout wrote:Ah, this flute business: if it isn't the breath phrasing, its the licking!

right !!

it's a problem, but I have others and yes, finding the time to breathe is another !

Henke · Post by **Henke** » Sun Nov 19, 2006 3:59 pm

Keep yourself and your lips hydrated when not playing the flute as well. Drink water regularly and use lip balm. Did you know that something like a third of the people in the western world are constantly more or less dehydrated because they don't bother to drink? Being dehydrated is bad for your health.

treeshark · Post by **treeshark** » Sun Nov 19, 2006 5:03 pm

You might try to make your embouchure on the inner part of the lip, not so prone to dryness. I'm in a halfway stage moving to this but it has helped me with the same problem.

Off topic here is an addition to your colour pencil links!

http://www.yvonnegilbert.com/home1.html

talasiga · Post by **talasiga** » Sun Nov 19, 2006 5:08 pm

"chat" is not a good ending for a forum name if you want wet lips.
"chien" would be better .....

jim stone · Post by **jim stone** » Sun Nov 19, 2006 5:11 pm

Aquaphor is what dermatologists recommend; works too.
Available over the counter at pharmacies.

BillG · Post by **BillG** » Mon Nov 20, 2006 5:35 am

Pure lanolin also works but needs to be applied a few hours before playing. I use Badger Balm to keep my lips moist in the winter or during hot sunny days. Its the same stuff I use to grease the corks of my flutes. AND the same stuff I use on my hands - finger tips especially - when they get too dry and don't cover the holes tightly.

http://www.badgerbalm.com/

Usual disclaimers here.

BillG

dessinchat · Post by **dessinchat** » Mon Nov 20, 2006 5:36 am

Thanks for your advices ! Yes, I can try to drink more ...

water of course

and yes ! I was just going to order some essential oils and I saw that this website sells a lot of natural balms... I will give a look at them

clark · Post by **clark** » Wed Nov 22, 2006 6:39 pm

Bill G: ...Its the same stuff I use to grease the corks of my flutes. AND the same stuff I use on my hands - finger tips especially - when they get too dry and don't cover the holes tightly.

I like the idea of using one substance for everything. I quit using any cork greese that comes in those Chapstik like containers because I kep cork greasing my lips. I use Burt's Bees lip balm (beeswax with lanolin, pepermint and some other stuff) on my lips; maybe it would work well on the cork too. I'll try it.

Clark

Loren · Post by **Loren** » Wed Nov 22, 2006 6:53 pm

I like you're thinking Clark, and I've been considering going the same route, except using Bag Balm instead, that way I can also use the same product on hands, which get incredibly dry during the winters here.

Also covers me if I run across the odd cow that needs emergency Udder moisturizing.......

Loren

Congratulations · Post by **Congratulations** » Wed Nov 22, 2006 9:29 pm

Loren wrote:emergency Udder moisturizing

Excuse me?

Jim W · Post by **Jim W** » Wed Nov 22, 2006 9:43 pm

Bag Balm was originally made for use with cows. Lots of folks use it for dry, cracked skin; we have a tin in our house, with no cows within smelling distance. In addition to providing excellent care for cracked skin, it also has an antiseptic in it. Use it on corks, and you won't have to worry about your flute becoming infected...

http://www.bagbalm.com/