My lips and around my mouth are all cracked and very sore sinc before xmas - any suggestions?

[Aero]

It's refusing to heal and is getting me down a bit as is so frustrating. 'Tis very sore. I'm run down a bit, so taking extra vitamin supplements, but my mouth is my weak area, so when I'm not 100%, I often get ulcers and coldsores, but this is neither. It's red, angry, and I look like I've had a bad collagen implant. Suggestions appreciated. TIA

bump - they really hurt!

You may have thrush-is it cracked in the corners?

vit b (dont know which one) deficiency causes some lip problems.

Blisteze for the lips. Badger balm or similar for the surrounding skin. Keep it moisturised all day to prevent cold & wind making it drier.

Are you taking an iron supplement too? I always know when I'm anaemic because it takes forever for things to heal up.

And bumping for someone with better ideas...!

Ah, the people with better ideas were already here...!

I always suffer from very dry , cracked skin around my mouth in the winter and it is a pain in the ass to shift.

I tried loads of creams but eventually brought www.boots.com/shop/product_details.jsp?productid=1040988&classificationid=1023464 and it is great, not cheap but then I only use a very tiny amount every day.

It was cracked in the corners snice, but they've finally closed over (after about three weeks). Never thought of thrush. I have eucerin (I think, or something beginning with 'e') cream in the house. Think it's an anti-fungal steroid. Wonder if it'd help. Seems to have happened with th drop in temperature though and then the 'stress' of xmas etc didn't help with the healing process.

I know the general rule is not to use hydrocortisone on the face, but would it hurt to use it for a day or two just to clear this up? I put a little on today just to see if it'd help, and it felt better for a few hours (less angry), but I'm concious of the 'skin thinning' thing, so don't want to over do it.

You could buy one of the over the counter oral thrush treatments and give it a go - but if the corners have healed up it probably isnt it.

Thanks nutty - btw - I had a look in mountain warehouse for that coat, but nothing under £30. Think bubblerock (queen of bargainhunting)'s additions sale one was the best of the lot for what you were after. Just to hyjack my own thread.

If you're prone to mouth ulcers, you might need to check your diet. Often bacterial imbalance in the digestive tract manifests as ulcers, among other symptoms. Less wheat, cheese, sugar, more fibre and wholefoods perhaps?

Which would also help any thrush infection.

The corners of my mouth used to crack badly, and it was soooo painful. For some reason, it would go away rather quickly if I ate alot of yoghurt (perhaps links in with the dietary point made by Triathlete?). Might be worth a go??

Miracle in a tube: Elizabeth Arden eight hour cream
It's been around for decades.

It's a thick vaseline type oitment packed full of healing plant extacts.
Pricey but lasts years and works wonders on burns, rashes and to heal scars. Also very good as a shock therapy mask on the face or hands for old, tired or dehydrated skin.
Great on cracked heals.

(PS: I don't work for them, just love the stuff)

Miracle in a tube: Elizabeth Arden eight hour cream
It's been around for decades.

It's a thick vaseline type ointment packed full of healing plant extacts.You only need a tiny amount.
Pricey but lasts years and works wonders on burns, rashes, sensitive skin and to heal scars. Also very good as a shock therapy mask on the face or hands for old, tired or dehydrated skin.
Great on cracked heels.

If you should have only one thing this is it.

(PS: I don't work for them, just love the stuff)

oops

My DS gets this nearly every winter and I found nothing from the chemists helped. The GP prescribed fucidinH, cream morning and night,with a layer of vaseline on top and it cleared it up in two days. He also said told DS to avoid licking his lips if poss. because the bacteria in saliva stop dry cracked lips from healing.

I have found that simple vaseline usually does the trick if either I or one of the DSs gets soreness around the lips or mouth.

Thanks for looking Aero

Just to add that I tried vasaline and it did work until I stepped out of the front door and into the cold and then it would come back.

Have also tried cream prescribed by gp, sudocrem, several dry skin creams, but the one I linked to is the only one that has worked.

Thanks everyone. I'll probably try th oilatum cream first.

The ulcers are a definite result of stress or lack of sleep in my case triathlete as this is when thy appar and have done pretty much my whole life, although my diet could probably do with some improvement. I don't have much bread/wheat or cheese, but could do with less sugar I'm sure and more fibre is never a bad thing although I eat plenty of fresh fruit and veg.