Klarinet Archive - Posting 000822.txt from 1998/08

From: "David B. Niethamer" <dnietham@-----.edu>
Subj: Re: [kl] Lip balm
Date: Fri, 28 Aug 1998 10:09:31 -0400

on 8/27/98 2:32 AM, Anna Dodgshun wrote:

>I'm fairly
>dependent on lip balm, and I wondered how many others are? I find if I
>don't have it, my lips dry out completely, especially if I'm doing a lot of
>bass clarinet playing. I also find that if I split my lip (like I did last
>night, halfway through the final number in a concert) it helps it to heal a
>lot faster. And medicated lip balm, like Blistex, is much more effective.

Blistex and other such lip preparations are real trouble. While they do
provide some temporary cosmetic relief, some of the contents actually dry
the lips more over time. My wife, who is a flutist, uses pure lanolin
(available in many pharmacies) on her lips, and her lips are her tone
generating mechanism. While it's a bit greasy in feel going on, the
greasiness disappears in a minute, and the relief is more long lasting.
I've used it when I've had trouble, and it really works. But no Blistex,
or Vaseline!

David

David Niethamer
Principal Clarinet, Richmond Symphony
dnietham@-----.edu
http://members.aol.com/dbnclar1/

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