Cracked lips

Doug_Tipple · Post by **Doug_Tipple** » Sat Feb 17, 2007 7:49 pm

This thread has been quiet all day, so I decided to break the silence with a question. Many players of wind instruments find themselves having difficulty playing when they have cracked or otherwise sore lips. I have been using the following product to remedy this malady. I like the SNORK design best.

However, someone recently told me about "Chopsavers". Has anyone used Chopsavers?

Jack Bradshaw · Post by **Jack Bradshaw** » Sat Feb 17, 2007 8:44 pm

I feel like Snork right now...nose and ears blocked up.....the flute only sounds squeeky to me right now.....havn't figured out if its the breath or the ears.....or the screwed up audio feedback mechanism......Nyquil here I come....

Edit: Yup...Chapstick in my pocket...use it for cork grease as well...

flutey1 · Post by **flutey1** » Sat Feb 17, 2007 9:00 pm

I have a tendency to apply chapstick obsessivly (as in, if I go anywhere without chapstick I pretty much die) and that seems to work. I rub it off before I play and I can then play for up to a few hours without having a problem. this stuffis my favorite at the moment. it seems to last a long time. I haven't tried chopsavers, but it seems to me that it's probably a bit of a rip-off (costs over twice as much as chapstick), but I dunno...

cheers,
Sara

cocusflute · Post by **cocusflute** » Sun Feb 18, 2007 3:44 am

I use Doctor Burt's Res-Q ointment, Not cheap at $5 but a tin lasts a long time and is good for other cuts and scrapes. It's great for tenon lube and has vitamin E and comfrey in it.

http://tinyurl.com/cgjvj

Hoovorff · Post by **Hoovorff** » Sun Feb 18, 2007 9:46 am

I tried Chopsaver out of curiousity. They sell it at music shops. It's fine, just glorified chapstick that costs more. I don't particularly care for the "flavor" of it. For us gals, I prefer "Kiss My Face" organic lip balm with spf 15 or Badger Balm.

Jeanie

Wormdiet · Post by **Wormdiet** » Sun Feb 18, 2007 10:06 am

Jack Bradshaw wrote:I feel like Snork right now...nose and ears blocked up.....the flute only sounds squeeky to me right now.....havn't figured out if its the breath or the ears.....or the screwed up audio feedback mechanism......Nyquil here I come....

Edit: Yup...Chapstick in my pocket...use it for cork grease as well...

Probably both.

Try blowing your nose until your ears pop, then report back to us

(Seriously - it works).

Bart Wijnen · Post by **Bart Wijnen** » Sun Feb 18, 2007 11:11 am

Hmm, well, I'm not familiar to the products mentioned above, don't know if I could find them in the Dutch swamps anyway.

A long time ago I used stuff like Labello, Blistix, even Vaseline. Sold in tube or lipstick-wise. I found out (like a lot of fellow woodwinders) that it's a sort of drug; the more you use it, the more you get addicted to it and the more it lowers the condition of your lips.

I sort of 'ignore' my lips and it truly did help me. (My marriage improved when I started to ignore my missus as well, but that could be a personal matter so don't 'follow the leader').

Berti66 · Post by **Berti66** » Mon Feb 19, 2007 2:25 am

bart, badger balm IS available in the netherlands, try De Tuinen van... or visit their website they have addresses there, if I remember right there is also a website in dutch, the company "de rit" sells badgerbalm in netherlands.
otherwise I do use a lipbalm by the brand dr schwaab, widely availale at chemists like DA or Kruidvat.

groetjes
berti

treeshark · Post by **treeshark** » Mon Feb 19, 2007 3:29 am

Otter Fat it's the only thing that really works.

johnkerr · Post by **johnkerr** » Mon Feb 19, 2007 6:36 am

Jack Bradshaw wrote: Yup...Chapstick in my pocket...use it for cork grease as well...

Chapstick will work for cork grease, but the other way around...not so much. I found out the hard way one time when I arrived at the session and discovered I didn't have my Chapstick in my pocket. Normally I wouldn't go anywhere without it, I'm addicted to the stuff. But this day when my pocket turned up empty, I said to myself Hey, this cork grease looks just like Chapstick. It will probably work. Then I applied it to my lips, where it did no good at all, and left me feeling rather, um, greasy. That was a rough session...

Now several years ago I actually bought a couple of tubes of woodwind cork grease at a music store, and they were flavored. One cherry and one orange. What's up with that?

Aodhan · Post by **Aodhan** » Mon Feb 19, 2007 8:53 am

I use chapstick for preventive purposes, but if I get a blister or crack (Usually from playing at ren faire), carmex is the best stuff I've found for clearing it up.

John

meemtp · Post by **meemtp** » Mon Feb 19, 2007 9:41 am

Ha! I had a similar experience to John except accidental. I had my cork grease in one pocket, my Burt's Bees stuff in the other, same type of stick, feel the same. Before sitting down to play, I thought to myself..."hmm, lips feel dry, better use some balm", reached into my pocket and proceeded to apply cork grease to my lips....yeccchhh.....I've since smartened up and keep my cork grease in my flute case where it belongs.

Jennie · Post by **Jennie** » Mon Feb 19, 2007 11:07 am

Those of us with a little more surface area exposed are really, really careful in dry, cold weather. I don't obsess about the chapstick until it gets windy, but if my lips get cracked to the point of bleeding I use Abreva. Sold in a teensy weensy tube that costs over twenty bucks, but it does make healing faster. It's recommended for cold sores, which I haven't had yet.

If you get desperate and can afford it, I'd say it makes a difference.

Jennie

flutey1 · Post by **flutey1** » Mon Feb 19, 2007 5:21 pm

meemtp wrote:Ha! I had a similar experience to John except accidental. I had my cork grease in one pocket, my Burt's Bees stuff in the other, same type of stick, feel the same. Before sitting down to play, I thought to myself..."hmm, lips feel dry, better use some balm", reached into my pocket and proceeded to apply cork grease to my lips....yeccchhh.....I've since smartened up and keep my cork grease in my flute case where it belongs.

hehe, I've almost done that, but have never actually gotten to the point of putting cork grease on my lips. I tend to realize it's not chapstick before I get that far

cocusflute · Post by **cocusflute** » Tue Feb 20, 2007 3:37 am

Really the best is Bag Balm. It's used for raw udders on cows so it's well capable of healing our fragile lips. I find it's good for both tenons and lips.

It's also the absolute least expensive as well as being the most effective.

www.bagbalm.com

Reviewed here:
http://www.amazon.com/Bag-Balm-10-oz-Tin/dp/B0000AXJQG

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