Mt. Whitney Portal Store & Hostel Forums General Mt. Whitney Portal Store Message Board I've got MT. Shasta lips !!

Like several other MT W. board members, I just returned from my MT Shasta summit climb, and I have big puffy lips that a Hollywood starlet would pay thousands of dollars for. Apparently, just because your tube of lip balm is medicated and states "Skin Protectant" on the label, it doesn't mean that it is really going to protect your lips from a terrible sun burn, and the resulting swelling and the ugly painful blisters of which I am now suffering . My Idea of a celebratory Pizza went right out the window as soon as I thought about a hot piece of melted cheese sticking to my enlarged bottom lip. So, what brand or type of lip protectant do you fellow climbers use that has worked well for you at high altitude and in a highly radiant snow covered environment?

Thanks, and congratulations to all of those who summited MT Shasta last weekend.

White Tundra

My lips get messed up to some extent on 9 out of 10 trips I go on, the worst was my first backpacking trip about 4 years ago, it was so bad when I got back and made a sandwhich I couldn't open my mouth wide enough to get more then a nibble in...

I used SPF 50 (Banana Boat)copiously on my face. It was a stick designed for lips or skin. Applied it twice during the climb. Everything else was covered with clothing. Still, I returned to Bunny Flats with a pretty red face. That evening I realized that the underside of my nose was pretty burned....the one place I neglected to apply sunscreen.

Tundra Dude, i too summited Shasta with Laura and the gang And my lips are still swollen and burn like hell. the only thing that helps is icecream.

Hmmm, I don't remember lip burn when I did Shasta in early June 2001. I do remember my knee popping out (or some such thing) at the summit as I bent down to get a picture. I guess my knees were spent. Luckily, I was able to glissade down to around 7500' or so and limp out the rest of the way :>)

It's also possible to sunburn the roof of your mouth this time of year after cranking up a long snowfield in bright sunlight. So, if your mouth feels like you've bitten into a too-hot pizza - maybe it's a bit of sunburn.

Try zinc oxide, & use it generously! Better to walk up the mountain with white lips
than be miserable for a week after.

I am going to be this miserable for a week ??

I have GOT to get more ice cream !!!

White Tundra

for treatment, a useful home remedy is Aloe Vera Gel, which is best kept in the refrigerator.

Worse sunburns we treat with oral steroids, doubt topical would help much.

Not fun.

Kurt Wedberg had recommended a balm that I picked up at A-16, whose name escapes me. It has worked well in severe burn situations, such as sailing or on the snow. Kurt?

Important to look at the particular balm. Many of them DO NOT have sunscreen! Check for the SPF factor.

Whenever I go to hiking or skiing, I always use lip balm with spf 15. Got the last one in Mammoth in a mini mart. They don't taste as good as plain Chap Stick, but then, I don't get burned lips, either.

Moose turned me on to this "Sol" product (www.solsunguard.com) last time I was up in the Mammoth area. Lip protectant and sunscreen products. I LOVE them both and carry them clipped to my backpack for easy access. Never had a burn when I remembered to put them on!

i agree with Randuf.....zinc oxide is the best!! i use it for all my climbing/surfing adventures... you gotta join the White Lips Crew!! haha, check it out.. Burts Bees makes a really good Zinc chapstick..its all "natural" haha,

Peace

I've had great success with "Z-SILC-Plus". It is a zinc like block with a SPF 30+. Really stays on while climbing or running. It is tan in color, and recommended by my Doc. Not sure of the taste however as only used outside of the lips and Blistex 45 on the "lickable" parts which still tastes like heck, but works.

I've had good luck with Labiosan

Dermatone Lips-n-face
It is the best.

ACK!!! I never considered the idea of having your mouth open from breathing hard and having snow reflected light shine in!

Breath through teeth?

Climbed Shasta the first weekend of May and got the dreaded Shasta Lips. Casaval Ridge is kind to your face as well, until you don't put sunscreen on (frozen when I woke up) and forget thanks to the altitude-addled state that is climbing big mountains...when high on the mtn (once out from behind the shadow of the ridge). Bleh! My girlfriend now threatens me that she will hide all of my packs in the event that I return from a mountain foray that burnt again. EEP.