Chronic Dry, Chapped, Cracked Lips/Cracked Corners

[Wanderer21]

Hi. I'm 20 years old and I have been suffering watching chapped, cracked, dehydrated lips ever since I recovered from Anorexia Nervosa at age 16. So 4 years!!!
Prior to the eating disorder, my lips were NEVER this dry and chapped. I'm Nigerian and have naturally full, plump, big lips so the Angular Cheilitis has DRAMATICALLY damged my lips. Since age 18, I've been going to digfy dermatologists and NONE of them have EVER found a cute for my problem and have dismissed and neglected my lip concern. I've tried everything single lip balm, moisturizer, Lanolin, pertrolatum (Vaseline), Bag balm Aquaphor, pretty much every Lil balm you can think of. I previously used hydrocortisone and triamcinolone but the side effects include permanent lip thinning. Now, I've been taking Vitamin B2 supplement because I've heard itcan help reverse angular cheilitis and chapped lips. Its been about 5 days and the corners of my lips are in EXTREME PAIN. I don't know if the symptoms get worse before they get better😭😭😭

[Wanderer21]

She (dermatologist) said vaseline would AMAZING for my lips. Her words. She even said my lips look fine. She is a young doctor at that, so just let that sink in.

I seriously wanted to slap her😭😭😭

I'll be getting braces soon so, as of currently , no I haven't had any dental work done aside from cleanings. I'm trying to find a permanent solution to make my lips softer, smoother, supple, and plump again because this has seriously caused depression for me. I've rejected so many guys, dates, and future relationships because I don't want to kiss with my disgusting lips😭😭😭

[Wanderer21]

I've been seeking medical attention for 2 years with no solution. Several different dermatologists and allergists have neglected my concerns and all of their prescriptions (Vaseline, Lanolin, Aquaphor, Hydrocortisone ointment/cream as well as drugstore lip balms) have made my lips worse over time.

[wafflyversatile]

Ok. Your lips are chapped but they are not disgusting!

Depending on what is going on in your mouth there might be saliva pooling at the corners of your mouth. This provides an ideal environment for AC. You may find me once your teeth are sorted out you don't get any mire flare ups. Maybe ask your dentist. They are mouth experts after all!

[GiveMeFiveMinutes]

Avoid Vaseline. It is terrible for chapped / cracked / damaged lips. It's only useful as a barrier in extreme weather.

Try Blistex Relief Cream. There are a number of varieties of blistex, but the relief cream is best.

Failing that, there is a hydration injection that you can get. I'm afraid that I'm unsure of the name (think it is a type of hyaluronic acid), but the lady who does my lip fillers was talking about it last time I was there. It's not a filler, just a hydration injection that lasts 12 weeks.

[Surfingtheweb]

I stopped drinking alcohol, started drinking tons of water & protein shakes that are filled with all sorts of vitamins, use Vaseline all day & 7 day hydration body cream & not only did my chapped, dry lips stop but my skin all over totally changed. I have not looked & felt this healthy since I was a child

[Surfingtheweb]

Oh just to add I started brushing my lips with my toothbrush, weird I know but it took the dry skin off & let the Vaseline get right in there & hydrate them.

[AllTheCakes]

I find Elizabeth Arden Eight Hour Cream is the only thing that works when my lips get very dry. They do a lip version but the original all rounder is best. It’s a sticky balm if you haven’t tried it.

[DidgeDoolittle]

I suffered from this for years. I tried everything I could find and nothing worked. GP was generally unsympathetic and everything he tried was also an abject failure.
I then tried Nuxe Reve De Miel lip balm. Wasn't expecting much,BUT it cleared it up really quickly. I use it twice a day and it hasn't come back since. I highly recommend.

[tappitytaptap]

When mine are really dry and cracked in the corners, the only thing that works is the Blisteze relief cream applied several times a day as mentioned by a PP, really concentrating on the corners of the mouth

[LonnyVonnyWilsonFrickett]

Are you in the States? Just your mention of dermatologists in plural...

So I think you need to go to ground zero. Stop wasting your money on dermatologists and do nothing to your lips for two weeks. At the moment you're piling product on to product, you have no idea what's working and what's not working, some things could be making things worse...it's basically a chemical soup!

Apply nothing, drink lots of water, take a B12 supplement and maybe a vitamin D depending where you live (as in, are you getting enough sun on your skin to make vitamin d?).

Then after two weeks try ONE thing. If it makes things worse, stop immediately, give your lips a couple of days to go back to a ground zero state again and then try another thing. Process of elimination.

And see your dentist.

[wafflyversatile]

Will agree that toothbrush works but not Vaseline.

[Wanderer21]

I'm going to delete this thread because it's been absolutely unsuccessful.

[Wanderer21]

Seeing all of my young black female and male peers with full, plump, soft, smooth big lips makes me feel insecure because my dermatologists, allergists, and general practitioners have neglected and dismissed my chronic dry, chapped, and cracked lips with nothing but bullshit Vaseline and Lanolin which DO NOT permanently smooth or often persistent chapped skin. These workers in the dermatology field are extremely incompetent and lazy while getting paid so much for doing the bare minimum with patients (Black patients) with dermatitis, eczema, chronic chapped, parched lips, and beyond.

[RockinHippy]

@wanderer I've now seen your photo & wanted to reply again as I recognise this as my DD had the same thing & it's different to how I understood your description.

It was caused by zinc deficiency & corrected quickly with a zinc supplements

[Wanderer21]

I went online and looked to see if there were any correlation between zinc deficiency and chapped lips and I honestly didn't find anything. Most results were shown for B vitamins. Its funny how a lot of people are claiming it could be an internal issue but 5 different dermatologists I've been to in the past 2 years have said there's no cure for scaly, dry, chapped lips and no vitamin can cure it. The dermatology department is starting to feel like a scam. I guzzle down glasses of water daily and still nothing.

[30birthdayholiday]

I used to be the same, and I've found the blue tub of Nivea original white cream the best, and lime you id tried everything.

I layer it thick on at night and just apply a think layer during the day and it's made a massive improvement to my lips.

Also, random, but would you say you eat a lot of chocolate? Chocolate kills my lips, big time. Try cutting that back and see if you notice a difference.

[RockinHippy]

Wanderer unless they have a special interest doctors only get a few hours' training in all vits & minerals, so no real surprise they miss signs of deficiencies. They missed B12 deficiency in me for over a decade even when I asked & that's more common than it is not. Lots of things can disrupt absorption too, so it's not uncommon even with an excellent diet

& I'm surprised you didn't find anything relating to Zinc when searching though, the information is there. Though a naturopath friend pointed it out to me originally & it worked like a dream. If you're prone to blistering at all, that might be another clue

[Supercalifragi]

I get this too. Try canesten cream. It cures the AC very quickly for me. I use hydromol on my lips daily. It works better if you really rub it in well. Good luck!

[Wanderer21]

Yeah, my best bet would be to schedule with a registered dietician because I consume A LOT of fruits, vegetables, fish, chicken, and nuts and my lips are still dry, chapped, and cracked. Dermatologists solely focus on external treatments and solutions and most of them have never worked. I'm extremely resentful towards this specialty in healthcare because every single dermatologist I've had my entire life have been so pompous, egotistical, and rude.

[RockinHippy]

I'm extremely resentful towards this specialty in healthcare because every single dermatologist I've had my entire life have been so pompous, egotistical, and rude.

Switch dietician for consultants & boy can I relate to that. Unfortunately my experience has been that they don't like difficult cases & faced with it, they too often start to blame the patient & talk to you like an idiot & that's even at my age.

My DB was accused of alcoholism, I was accused of munchausen by proxy for chasing diagnosis & treatment for my then 12 yo who was gravely ill & written off to a wheelchair with an additional diagnosis that pointed to it being psychological & due to having an overbearing mother myself diagnosed with fibromyalgia & told it was a MH problem . I had to pay for private blood tests to show we actually had an advanced B12 deficiency as we have a genetic defect that means we can't process it properly which is serious if left untreated & needs B12 injections. Those injections got my daughter out of a wheelchair & walking again in under 2 weeks, but did any of us get any apologies for shitty treatment

Given your diet is so good I'd still see your GP & ask about testing for B12, folate & vitamin D as these are test a GP can run & might be relevant, plus everyone in the uK is deficient in vit D as it's the sunlight vitamin & we don't get enough sun. The others can be due to absorption problems which can have a host of causes, some of which such as celiac can cause problems absorbing all vitamins. So celiac screening would be a good idea too.

I'm not sure an nhs dietitian would be much help as they literally advise on diet. We saw one with my daughter & she gave no advice we didn't already know & then wrote in her report all of the things I'd told her as if she'd advised us of those things 🙄 complete waste of time bar her agreeing with chemical sensitivity causing eczema/urticaria

Thinking on it, do you eat or use creams with chemical additives?? Azo dyes & benzoate preservatives are the main culprits & in so many things, including the creams & lotions prescribed for skin conditions. So made things worse. So look at your face wash, moisturiser, any processed food, drinks etc for culprits. We found avoiding these cured my DDs eczema which was really misdiagnosed urticaria.

All her sensitivities are much improved since starting on B12 injections with Solgar high strength B vits & folate.

Are you hyper mobiles all?? Might seem an odd question but it can indicate a medical condition that is often missed & can affect absorption of food too. Look at "The Beighton Score" to see if you are hyper mobile. I had no clue I was as it wasn't extreme & is normal in my family

It must be soul destroying for you, but you will get there, looking at the bigger picture is the way to go though as dermatologist have ruled out it been your actual skin, so it's something internal. Your diet sounds excellent. So it's either your digestive tract not working properly or something alien you can't tolerate such as chemical additives

Some such as zinc you could try & self treat, others such as B12 needs testing as you might need injections if you can't absorb B12

[RockinHippy]

Just a thought. You can buy a cheap old fashioned cream called Zinc & Castor oil cream in an old style chemist or maybe even Boots. That might be worth a try

[RockCrushesLizard]

I've had chronic dry lips in the past. Iron & B vitamins helped (lots of marmite!) Most balms etc lock in moisture, but that doesn't help if they're dry, because they don't add moisture. I find that using a face moisturiser, letting it soak in for a minute, then putting a balm over it helps.

I also wanted to say I understand it feels awful when your lips are uncomfortable and sore, and when we are aware of a problem we tend to zoom in on it, but from an outsiders perspective, visually yours don't look at all unappealing, certainly not unkissable.

I hope you feel more comfortable soon.

[Wanderer21]

@RockCrushesLizard Can Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin) supplements help??? Overwhelming majority of the research I've done has stated that riboflavin supplements can help with crusty, dry and chronic chapped lips. I've been taking it for 3 weeks and still, I haven't noticed any difference but I'll keep trying. I want my lips to become fuller, softer, plump, and smooth again. NO LIP BALM CAN DO THAT BECAUSE THEY DON'T MOISTURIZE.

[sherbetstraws]

Need tested for B vitamins and Pernicious Anaemia.

[Ellieboolou27]

Iron deficiency- you need prescription strength iron, you can get them behind the counter at chemist, none of that floradix shit. and vit B12 - best you can afford, my lips were so cracked they bled when I spoke.