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]

I scheduled an appointment with a general practitioner this Thursday and I just wanted to ask for some tips or suggestions on what I should mention during the appointment. Example: what specialty, vitamin supplement can be considered for lip health. I assume he is already going to ask abw my previous and useless experience with dermatology so I'll just tell him that Vaseline, Aquaphor, ALL LIP BALMS/high-end & drugstore have not had any positive and successful impact on my severe and persistent chapped, cracked, wrinkled, shrinking lips.
•I'm only 20 and my lips look so disgusting and wrinkled, while other young women my age have full, plump, supple healthy lips, especially as a black woman that has big lips naturally. This chronic skin condition has caused low self-esteem and sometimes suicidal ideation.

[Wanderer21]

??????

[SophiaLarsen]

Hi OP, others have suggested a vit B12 deficiency be investigated and one was a doctor so I strongly recommend you ask about that.

I had the same problem at the same age as you. I found vit b 12 DID help.

Also, I became a veteran of lip care remedies, trying so many. Elizabeth Arden did a lip cream which was amazing and I topped it with their 8 hour cream. I strongly recommend this. One tube lasts ages.

Vaseline is known to worsen the problem as you become reliant on constant application.

Try also, a thick layer at night time of baby zinc and castor oil cream. Traditionally used for sore baby bums; it works a treat on lips too. My nephew had awful chapped lips with the classic above top lip redness from over licking and the zinc and castor oil sorted it overnight. Not saying this will be an overnight fix for you but it may work in time and it's cheap as chips too. Go down the baby aisle at Boots or equivalent.

[Wanderer21]

Hi again. Someone here previously reported that zinc supplements could help with cracked, rough lips so I'm wonder if that should be the last solution. I've heard that vitamin b12 can trigger acne with those that are already prone like myself so I'm going to disregi vitamin b12 supplements. I'm still having trouble finding a link between zinc supplementation and severe dry, chapped lips. Does any of these supplements also increase collagen naturally?? The cracking of my top and bottom lip has decreased my lip fullness and volume.

[BusterGonad]

Cracked corners of lips can be a sign of autoimmune diseases likes crohns.

[Sengah]

Agree w RavenLG lip balm can make things worse, Vaseline included. There is a brand in the US called Mongo Kiss which I have found doesn’t make my lips drier.

[ourkidmolly]

Your lips look chapped but no where near as badly as you're describing them. Perhaps,and this is meant kindly, your previous body image problems are leading you to body dysmorphia. I think this is something you might raise with your GP.
Good luck.

[BusterGonad]

Agreed ourkid

[Wanderer21]

With all due respect @ourkidmolly, I don't have body dysmorphia. I'm not going to delude myself into thinking my lips look healthy and normal for a young woman in her 20s when it absolutely isn't. My lips have been severely wrinkled, dry, chapped, and dehydrated despite guzzling down bottles of water, eating an abundance amount of hydrating fruits and vegetables, and protein rich foods. What am I supposed to do??? Live the rest of my life with painful and uncomfortable dry, aching lips that deserve to be permanently smooth, supple, soft, and moist?

Dermatology isn't the right specialty for severe dry, wrinkles lips because they solely rely on vaseline and aquaphor. They could care less if an internal component is triggering my lips. Those two ingredients just coat the top layer of my lips instead of deeply penetrating and moisturizing the skin.

I sound like a broken record.

[Wanderer21]

@BusterGonad No one should agree with that font because she didn't contribute anything important but try to give me a
false diagnosis on something that isn't accurate. Objectively, yes, my lips look disgusting, unhealthy, and unattractive for a young person and no amount of sugar-coating is going to help the issue.

[Wanderer21]

Are you absolutely positive that zinc supplements can smoothen, soften, plump, and hydrate my cracked, dry severe lips???

My dermatologist is still insisting that I use vaseline but my lips look and feel horrible. They're painful to eat and touch.
I wasn't born with chronic persistent chapped lips but it's getting much worse😭😭😭

[BusterGonad]

Change your dermatologist. They sound like an idiot.
Take the zinc, what have you got to lose? Surely they're not too expensive!

[Wanderer21]

@RockinHippy The zinc supplements are going to be my last resort to this. Is there any specific dosage to take? Ideally, I'm only hoping to take them for a week or two depending on if my lips become smoother, supple, plump, and moisturized.

[BusterGonad]

Could it be your tooth paste?

[Wanderer21]

@BusterGonad No, it's not my toothpaste. I'm currently using a sulfate free toothpaste and I've been using one for over 2 years now. The chapped lips began after I recovered from anorexia at age 16. That's when my lips started to crack, shrink in size, and wrinkle.

[YesQueen]

Blistex lip serum
Lanolips
Hurraw moon balm

[BusterGonad]

Could it be this
Actinic cheilitis occurs when these abnormalities cause dry, scaly patches to form on the border of the lip. Listed below are some of the known causes of actinic cheilitis and risk factors for the condition: Chronic sun exposure: The more often the lips are exposed to sunlight, the more likely damage is to occur.

[BusterGonad]

Sorry this

Cheilitis is inflammation of the lips. This inflammation may include the perioral skin (the skin around the mouth), the vermilion border, or the labial mucosa. The skin and the vermilion border are more commonly involved, as the mucosa is less affected by inflammatory and allergic reactions.

[JustHereforHarriet]

I use an anti-fungal cream like the sort for athletes foot and it works! I’ve always had the cracked in corners lips etc - assumed it was cold sores until I read that it’s most likely fungal.

[Wanderer21]

My question and comment was intended for @RockinHippy to answer. She mentioned oral supplementation of zinc reversed her severe chapped/dehydrated wrinkled lips.

I've disregarded any replies related to topical treatments (i.e., lip balms, ointments, creams, oils, butters) because I've tried every one in the market. My toothpaste, water intake, diet, and oral hygiene are NOT the issue. Mind you, I've been suffering with this chronic case of cracked, chapped, wrinkled painful lips since age 16 (possible symptom of Anorexia Nervosa) and I'm almost 21 years old. 4 years. Before I went through the eating disorder, my lips never looked like this. I have never seen anyone from ages 16-21 with lips this severely wrinkled, dry, loss of plumpness and dehydrated unless something wrong was going on inside of their body.

My medical insurance is absolutely despicable because my General Practioner, 4 different dermatologists, & allergists have denied, disregarded, and neglected my lip issue and brushed it off with "Just use Vaseline, Aquaphor, or Lanolin and your lips will be back to normal". They never requested, suggested, or addressed internal possibilities that could be causing the persistent chapping, cracking, loss of plumpness, and lack of smooth/supple texture despite continuous application of Vaseline.

Sorry for the long, over-emotional post.

[Wanderer21]

I hope @RockinHippy replies

[Wanderer21]

I highl doubt RockinHippy will ever reply at this point. I already sent her a pm and it's been over 4 weeks.

[Wanderer21]

Time for plan B: this is what my lips STILL look like, even after adequate amount of water and intake of protein, fruits, and vegetables

Does anyone know if hyaluronic acid supplements will help smooth, soften, moisturize, and replump my lips fromthe inside-out???
I'm only 20 years old and naturally, my lips have ALWAYS been smooth, soft, supple and hydrated on their own and the anorexia nervosa at age 16 DEFINITELY dehydrated and dried my lips out. Mind you, the e.d. started in the winter back then so the weather was also extremely cold while I wasn't eating. Im conclusion, this had a very negative effect on my lips for some reason.
I've been doing sooo much research and it seems like hyaluronic acid can peehaps moisturize, smoothen, and hydrate the driest skin that lip balm and vaseline couldn't do.

I consume A LOT of fruits and vegetables, wat fish, eggs, and chicken, brown rice, vegetable soup, and nuts and my lips are still parched, chapped, and wrinkled. My self-esteem is dwindling and I'm fed up with all of my incompetent dermatologists.

[Wanderer21]

Has anyone on here took hyaluronic acud supplements and do you know if it helps with dehydrated, parched skin????

[BusterGonad]

Op, last week I put on by mistake an out of date, gone off lipstick, the next day my lips completely dried out, to the point where any other lip product stung. This went in for 5 days. I couldn't even eat an orange as it hurt my lips so much. After a bit of research I purchased Bepanthen nappy rash cream which contains vitamin B5 and unlike Vaseline allows your skin to breath. After 3 days my lips are almost back to normal, dry but not cracked or flaky.