HomeAnswersDermatologychapped lipsSuffering from severely chapped lips. Please help.

How to manage severely chapped lips?

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The following is an actual conversation between an iCliniq user and a doctor that has been reviewed and published as a Premium Q&A.

Medically reviewed by

iCliniq medical review team

Published At May 14, 2017
Reviewed AtJuly 7, 2023

Patient's Query

Hi doctor,

I am a 27-year-old, 5 foot, and relatively an athletic female. I have been suffering from some pretty severe chapped lips. I realized this was common because of the cold weather and dry heat from the furnace, so I was treating them with a two-step process with intensive lip moistener. About a month ago, I realized my lips started to feel different. It feels like there is just a very thin layer of skin on them. They feel odd or numb when I touch them, and they are extremely chapped. After looking online, I put Aquaphor during the day and Hydrocortisone cream at night. I stopped that last week because my lips seem worse. They are not peeling at all, but they look cracked and get very dry. They also throb throughout the entire day and are swollen. Nothing has helped, and I am starting to get concerned. I worry that I possibly over-treated and burnt the first layer of skin of my lips (if that is possible). I started running around the time my lips got chapped but I have taken a week off, and nothing changed with my lips. My diet has not changed. I try to stay hydrated (I drink around 50-60 ounces per day). I am on 10 mg Adderal once daily. Please help.

Hi,

Welcome to icliniq.com.

Chapped or cracked lips is usually a common complaint in winters.

From your clinical image (attachment removed to protect patient identity), your lip cracking does appear significant. Applying Vaseline and moisturizer are good remedy options. But given recurrences, you need to consider food allergies and repeated lip licking. Kindly mention if you have a habit repeated lip licking, have been noting an exacerbation following intake of certain foods, and if you have been applying any other creams.

Treatment plan

Continue Vaseline and intensive moisturiser as previous.

Patient's Query

Hi doctor,

Thank you for your quick response. I do not bite or lick my lips, and I am not aware of any food allergies. My lips are continuously throbbing, tight, and chapped. Nothing makes it worse or better. I do not need a lot of acidic foods either. I just started to apply coconut oil. Is that possible I over-treated them a couple of months ago, and that is why they are swollen and throbbing?

Hi,

Welcome back to icliniq.com.

From your history, please stop all unnecessary treatments. Let us keep it simple and use either coconut oil or Vaseline twice daily.

I would suggest even to add Riboflavin and Zinc supplements. Do not repeatedly lick the lips and avoid all lipsticks for two weeks. You can even try home remedies such as applying butter or cream.

Same symptoms don't mean you have the same problem. Consult a doctor now!

Dr. Rakesh Kumar Bahunuthula
Dr. Rakesh Kumar Bahunuthula

Dermatology

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