Any advice for really dry, tight lips - gross picture

[ATrueBlue]

Apologies for the gross picture. Have had a cold for two weeks which has now evolved into a sinus infection. Currently on doxycycline. Going through over a box of tissues a day due to all the mucus. My poor lips have bearing the brunt of it all and are so tight and dry. My go to is normally o' keefes overnight repair cream but it's not made a bit of difference. Any advice? Have tried exfoliating and lathering in cream but doesn't work. To add, I do get my lips going like this occasionally even without an illness, the philtrum doesn't be affected during these occasions, just my lips. I wonder if the dramatic presentation of the lips could be a sign of an underlying problem.

It looks like extreme chapping, or even rosacea.
For the area around the lips Weleda weather protection cream (for children but works on everyone) heals chapped cheeks and lip edges quickly. You can put it in lips too, but I think you might need something else there. My dd uses a Korean lip mask , Laneige , that she finds good. I tend to slather on Dr Hauschka lip balm, but I feel you need something more heavy duty -it is good though. Have you tried blistex ?

You poor thing, that looks so painful. I think you should see the GP separately but can also recommend Nuxe reve de miel lip balm, it is a lovely treatment.

https://www.cultbeauty.co.uk/nuxe-reve-de-miel-lip-balm-new-formula/11897399.html?affil=thggpsad&switchcurrency=GBP&shippingcountry=GB&gad_source=1&gclid=Cj0KCQiAwvKtBhDrARIsAJj-kTjjIogCsVDiExgZuO8pBhF-qeSC6_62uo6xXEXt7CF4p1gmDzY-SdMaAi4PEALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds

Also make sure you drink plenty of water. I hope the antibiotics kick in and you start to feel better soon.

This is really good and handy to keep reapplying.

www.elizabetharden.co.uk/eight-hour-cream-lip-protectant-stick-spf-15-UK10014253000.html

@ATrueBlue Any vaseline or chapstick at home?

Don't exfoliate.

www.kaplanmd.com/blogs/on-the-record/lip-scrubs-damaging#

Oh poor you! I would try lansinoh nipple stuff (for cracked nips when breastfeeding) overnight. Palmer's cocoa butter lip balm is good too but yours might be a bit beyond that.

Sympathies op, mine have been really bad recently which is not normal for me. Gp was not interested at all. I'm using Dr Lipp Original nipple cream and it seems to have done the trick. Worth a try!

Blistex relief cream is the bees knees. Things like vaseline stop it drying out but won't rehydrate it so to speak. Lots of fluids too

ds's lips are a dry mess just not because he is on roaccutane. When he started using Aquaphor acute lip balm regularly it really helped. He also had to get out of the habit of licking them which didn't help.

Also, if I don't use Kleenex Balsam tissues when I have a cold my nose and lips really suffer.

Oh it looks like lansinoh do a lip cream now! Same stuff as the nipple but less embarrassing to apply in public. Lanolin Lip Balm - Soothes and Protects Dry & Cracked Lips - Actively Moisturises 7g, Clear amzn.eu/d/hzJrHWA On Amazon

I swear by Ceramidin from dr Jart (i get something similar to you).

Another vote for Elizabeth Arden 8 hour cream (I actually just like the cream rather than the special lip one) - it works like magic

Gosh, that looks painful. I have really dry lips and use, slightly weirdly, clear lip gloss rather than balms. It provides more of a barrier. I used to use Bobbi Brown glosses, before they discontinued them but now use this from amazon at about a tenth of the price!
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Broadway-Vita-Lip-0-47oz-Coconut-Rosehip/dp/B01N1ZC8JZ/ref=sr_1_7?crid=3OS951I7Z2VJ4&keywords=lip+gloss+set&qid=1706886667&sprefix=Lip+gloss%2Caps%2C80&sr=8-7

Hope it gets better soon.

The only thing that works for me is Blistex Relief cream (Blue metal tube). It’s harder to get hold of these days but Savers stock it in stores and online.

Lansinoh, not the lip balm, the nipple cream. It works miracles.

I have similar and have worked out it's some kind of allergy to common ingredients in lip products. Mine are so bad at the moment (reacted to a lipliner that I daringly tried) that I have been resorting to plain olive oil (from the kitchen bottle!) or plain coconut oil. Try those so that you're sure you're not in a chain of reacting to ingredients.

Another vote for Blistex relief cream - only thing that works for me

All the balms just sit on the top and don't fix lips this dry

Another fan here of blistex red top. Mine were exactly like yours and this fixed the problem quickly. You have my sympathies

I feel your pain OP.

As others have said a thick barrier cream - Nipple Balm/ Liz Arden 8hour cream.

Another vote for Lansinoh. Best stuff ever

Surely only Vaseline can fix this?

Blistex Intensive Moisturiser Hydrating Lip Cream SPF10 5g - Boots

This. Actually moisturisers rather than just sit on the lips like vaseline / chapstick etc

Ive just got over COVID and my lips looked like this, so painful!! Keep drinking loads of water and stay hydrated. My lips have got so much better now I'm over the cold symptoms but I used Egyptian Magic cream - it's called cream but it's more of an oil , it's really helped, I've been lathering it on thickly. Can get from Amazon, it's good for cuticles and dry knees/elbows for after too. V plain ingredients.

Blistex was brilliant for my DD's lips when they were really sore all around the outside

I had this, it was horrible, thick peeling skin. I bought a tube of Carmex and applied it a few times that day again, and again, whenever it dried out and by the end of the day my lips were almost normal the dry layer had come off after being moisturised. Best thing ever and only a few pounds from Superdrug.

Thank you so much for the replies everyone. Lots of suggestions! I will maybe try the blistex/ lansinoh cream to begin with as these seem to be popular. I'll up the hydration too and switch to kleenex balsam (just using bog standard tissues at the minute). Thankfully it's not too painful just very unsightly and have had a number of people comment on it, so getting a bit self conscious!