Daughter’s lips - picture in thread

[sleepfortheweek]

DD’s (8) lips keep flaring up. Mine did exactly the same when I was a similar age.

Within a couple of days she goes from just occasionally licking them - to this (pictures).

I am going to take her to the chemist tomorrow as this is the worst they have been. It happens maybe 3/4 times a year - no obvious triggers.

We have tried Vaseline, sensitive lip balm, weak hydrocortisone and aqueous cream (the latter made her cry for a few minutes so will try avoid that in the future!)

Babe licks/bites/wipes them constantly when they are irritated. I’m able to be empathetic as I know how it feels, and I know it’s involuntary when she’s licking them as it gives her temporary relief. I try not get on at her too much either (just offer her Vaseline etc instead) as a core memory I have is of adults getting mad at me for licking my lips when I was already feeling miserable 😭.

Does anyone else have a DC who gets the same? I wonder what the chemist will suggest tomorrow.

@sleepfortheweek

could it be lip licker's dermatitis?

alternatively, a mast cell destabilisation caused by chemicals in food?
which was posted by wwyd2021medicine · 20/05/2025 19:59 on this thread (the 11th post down)

Thank you - I’ve not heard of either of these so will read about them - thank you so much

My son was forever getting a rash like that, doc recommended over the counter cortisone cream, a low dose, used sparingly

That does look sore. DD and DS often lick and their skin looks like a milder version of this. At night I put a layer of sudocreme on it and then a layer of Vaseline to stop to drying out and it usually looks calmer in the morning. (This hasn’t been advised by any doctor, just something that seems to work).
Their dentist has commented on it in the past and suggested going to the pharmacy/doctors for a stronger cream if it gets worse, so hopefully they will be able to advise you tomorrow.

My DS2 had the exact same! I tried all sorts of things but he didn’t like the idea of lip balm or anything he felt was a little “girly”. So went with Vaseline and also low dose hydrocortisone.

It flared up most often in the colder months. Usually went away on its own.

I was also a licker from about 8 yrs old to 10. That happens to be when I lived in the UK ( in between two stints in tropical climes). So for me I always felt it was linked to cold weather.

I’ve been using hydrocortisone on her twice a day - just a thin layer morning and night, but because she’s licking so often I don’t know if she’s getting the benefit of it 🙈

We are in Scotland but just back from southern England where it’s been warm so I don’t think always linked to cold weather in DD’s case

We have exactly the same here - GP this week recommended 6x daily application of cetraben. We have also found that Vaseline before and after eating helps. I have never noticed my DS licking his lips but the GP said (at the end of appt) he's been doing it throughout the consultation but it's so quick you don't see it !

Same here, in the end what works is Carmex to break the licking cycle. Stings horribly but also doesn’t taste nice, thicker coating than Vaseline

DD is licking them CONSTANTLY.

I’ve just googles ‘lip Lickers dermatitis’ as PP suggested and it sounds exactly like what DD has. And me!

Bepanthem nappy cream or lanisoh nipple cream work really well as a barrier. Also something like aproderm ointment or hydromol ointment. The ointment create a barrier as well as moisturising. Dd had this at a similar age. The nurse gave us a sample of a LaRoche Posay cream which also worked well but was very expensive and couldn't be given on prescription.
https://www.laroche-posay.co.uk/en_GB/cicaplast-baume-b5-repairing-balm/LRP_035.html?dwvar_LRP__035_size=40ML

My DC had this for a couple of years, though it wasn’t linked to lip licking. GPs prescribed steroid cream but it would come back as soon as we stopped using them. My DC was referred to paediatrics and they couldn’t work out what it was (they wouldn’t do any allergy testing); they just prescribed more steroid cream and the cycle continued.

Anyway, at some point afterwards there was a post on here where someone recommend pawpaw ointment for a similar thing. I bought some and didn’t expect much but it cleared it up and it didn’t come back! I bought Lucas Pawpaw ointment - I’ve no idea if the other brands are as good.

Once it had cleared we noticed that redness started to appear after eating tomatoes/ tomato based products but we applied some pawpaw and it would clear it straight up!

Years later my DC still has this sensitivity to tomato based products so applies aveeno before eating them to prevent flare ups. We still have pawpaw ointment on hand for if it does though!

Thank you - we’ve not tried those but will definitely look into them!

DS went through a relatively short phase of lip licking/sucking and got sores a bit like that, the best thing I found was lansinoh the purple tube your use on your nipples to heal them when breastfeeding. I'd put it on him before bed and it really stays on and works wonders

My little girl had the same and I was recommended to put Lanisol nipple cream
on it which really helped, I put this on at bedtime and then more on before I went to bed. I also got Dr Paw Paw lip balm for her to use through the day and the combination of these cleared up the redness.

This worked brilliantly for my daughter but I did also need to tell her a lot to stop licking around her lips! https://amzn.eu/d/fPu2blT(freezyderm baby perioral cream - recommended by chemist for non-baby daughter)

Another vote for lansinoh nipple cream. My ds used to have a similar rash and this really helped

dd had this but it was linked to a dairy intolerance. Lips would get mildly inflamed/sore from something she ate and then worse with the licking.

I had this when I was a teenager nothing got rid of it the gp tried barrier creams, anti fungal treatment, antibiotic creams and tablets and hydrocortisone. It turned out to be food allergies I had to cut out dairy, gluten and avoid even airborne exposure to shellfish (I’d never eaten it but my parents used to and the rash had started after a holiday abroad where they ate a lot of it and apparently this must have triggered off the rash) . It’s worth looking into sensitivity and if there have been any recent exposures to new foods. Mine looked identical, it went extremely dry and tight as it healed and despite using moisturiser it was constantly dry till one day it all just peeled off in huge chunks leaving healthy looking skin under, I had it for just over a year

My eldest got this when my youngest was in the NICU for months. She ended up having counselling and a support worker as I had to live away from home with the little one. It went away after we all came home. Could it be stress related?

@sleepfortheweek but she isnt just licking her lips. she is licking all around the mouth area as far as her tongue can reach! that looks really inflamed. lip balm flavourless so she doesnt try to lick it off.

Another vote for lanisoh, a thick layer of it overnight worked wonders for my 3 year old, I used to put it on when he was asleep as he couldn’t tolerate the feel of any creams/lip balms. Now he’s older hes ok with it in the day and actually asks for it if his lips start getting sore, which has broken the cycle of them getting really sore like your daughter’s.

Another recommendation for this cream

https://www.laroche-posay.co.uk/enGB/cicaplast-baume-b5-repairing-balm/LRP035.html?dwvarLRP035size=40ML

Try it with a light layer of Vaseline over it at night. It provides some protection to the licking. I think it is just a nasty cycle, their lips feel a little dry, then they lick and the lips get worse and worse. My DS’s get’s bad in winter and we have stick Vaseline that we tell him to put on instead of licking.

My daughter gets lip lickers dematitis too but only usually in winter (I guess as her spit doesn't dry as fast... ? Ew!)

As others have said, I find just constantly putting a barrier cream on (lanisoh, or if I don't have it, sudocreme) is the only way to deal with it.

Ensuring it is put on last thing at night seems to be most effective as she doesn't lick at night and it has a chance to heal.

Elizabeth Arden 8 hour cream. Slather on whilst she is asleep. It's a miracle worker