Lower Lip drying out endless cycle
Posted , 2 users are following.
Dear community,
I am having a lip problem since 3 years already that I am not able to solve.
It started out of the blue. One day I woke up and my lower lip was very irritated.The lip started drying out, in patches, as if a crust is being created on it.
Within 2-3 days, the skin gets so dry it peels away, revealing "fresh" lip skin under it. Then, the cycle starts again.
It has been going on non-stop ever since.
I have seen a few doctors but none of them found a solution:
- I made an allergy test (the one where they poke you with 16 substances) - found nothing
- I tried Zinc supplements - didn't help
- I did a vitamin D blood test - it showed OK numbers, also tried taking extra vitamin D but it didn't help.
- I did a mouth swab - found nothing
- I went to an allergy specialist to try a pro allergy test (the one that takes a couple days) - they said my situation doesn't look like an allergy so they didn't do it.
- I tried various creams with cortizon / without - nothing helped.
- I use lip balm to relieve the situation (when it really hurts/burns) from time to time, but it doesn't stop the problem.
I tried a complete lip balm break for 1+ months but nothing changed. I try to use it as little as possible.
- When the skin gets super dry I try my best to not bite it, and definitely not peel it off...sometimes after the shower it gets soft from the water and just removes itself since it's dead skin.
A few pointers:
- Only the lower lip is affected. The top one is in perfect condition.
- I don't lick my lips. I pay close attention to it since I know it can cause it.
- The situation remains the same during summer & winter / dry or moist.
- For a year or so I thought that when I'm traveling away from my flat, for a week or longer, it gets better. So I thought I might be reacting to something in my flat.However I just went for 2 weeks on vacation and after a week of getting better, it got worse again - so I am not sure anymore that it's related.
- No one in my family has this problem so I don't think it's genetic or anything like that.
I am completely out of ideas of what to do. I am stuck in this cycle for so long I really can't find a solution.
Does anybody know something that might help me?
Thank you very much in advance.
0 likes, 1 reply
Marina_Dee ELADGT
Posted
Have you tried an antifungal cream on your lips? Something with clotrimazole as the active ingredient? Its worth a try.
Do you smoke?
Have you been tested for diabetes?
Are your iron levels OK? you could try taking an iron supplement
Its called Cheilitis by the way so do try and read all the articles on line about it and you may come up with ideas of your own.