Peeling lip problem

Gear Girl

I have had a strange problem with my lips recently where my lips will get incredibly dry and build up a hard shell. If I then apply any sort of lip balm or chap stick the top layers of skin will soften and start to peel off leaving the raw skin underneath. The lips will then build layers and harden again. This just endlessly repeats in this cycle and is getting annoying. I believe I compounded the problem at first by constantly picking off the moistened peeling skin but I am fighting this urge tooth and nail now. This problem may have been initiated at first by me picking at dry chapped segmented lips but I honestly can't even remember how it started.

I have no idea how to fix this without just having the skin peel off again while softened and repeat the cycle. Maybe I should not apply any lip balm at all and see what happens to the hard skin naturally. Has anyone experienced anything similar or have any solutions to this? Thanks.

meeker

Carmax 3 times a day for 2 weeks. Do not pick. Drink more water, you are dehydrated.

AyeJaye

This might be caused by a seemingly unrelated medical condition. Any of those we should know about?

ilmmad

What you need to do is apply chapstick or lip balm much more frequently. Do not allow your lips to become chapped and stay like that, either. Carry chapstick around, and apply is every time your lips begin to dry out. Do not lick your lips.

If it is still a major problem, talk to your doctor.

Improvolone

Medicated chapstick and vitamin E pills

Gear Girl

AyeJaye wrote: »

This might be caused by a seemingly unrelated medical condition. Any of those we should know about?

The only thing diagnosed recently was low iron but I just finished my pill taking regiment for that.

Gear Girl

meeker wrote: »

Carmax 3 times a day for 2 weeks. Do not pick. Drink more water, you are dehydrated.

Hmm I suppose dehydration may be a possibility. I drink a lot of milk and occasional juice but very little water.

Figgy

I doubt you are dehydrated. Unless you're living on a diet of sodium crackers and dried out birch wood, you're likely getting enough water---it's in absolutely everything you eat and drink.

Like everyone said, just get a really good high quality, medicated, lip balm. Carry it around with you and apply it constantly.

It sounds like you're putting on some chapstick.. maybe licking your lips or breathing through your mouth alot, and you lose the benefit.

Bartholamue

Also, petroleum jelly does wonders for your lips too.

Nappuccino

Figgy wrote: »

maybe licking your lips or breathing through your mouth alot, and you lose the benefit.

This would be my guess.

tsmvengy

Keep chapstick in your pocket, apply it all the time. I am a fan of the blue moisturizer one.

Become a chapstick addict is what I'm saying.

But yeah the reason that is happening is because your lips are getting a little bit chapped and then you are probably licking them, which is not a good idea.

DusT_HounD

In fairness, some chapsticks and the like can actually cause this problem; i normally use Lipsyl, but one time tried Carmex, which weirdly gave me the same symptoms. I'd suggest trying a plain one, or vaseline.

On the other hand, you may have picked up a mild bacterial infection, in which case, i'd try somthing like Blistex Healing, which is medicated, works for me.

Sarcastro

Lots of sun can burn your lips, and they peel like any other place...

Platy

I agree with Dust_hounD. You should try different kinds of chapstick and preferably stick to the ones which don't "seal the lips off", but instead moisturize them.

You could also try to go some days without applying chapstick and see if your lips heal on their own (also no licking and so on).

Otherwise, go see a doctor.

korriander

Having used chap stick and lip balms my entire life, the best thing I have ever found for dry lips is Burt's Bees. Its the only thing that works consistently, actually helps my lips stay moisturized, and doesn't feel like caking wax on my lips. Try it, put it on as often as you need, every couple hours if you have to. It takes a while for lips to heal, but even then keep using it so they don't get dry again.

If this doesn't help, you need a dermatologist.

Casual

I have this it isnt a medical problem. This skin is growing back fast and hard because you bite it off so much. It's like hair the faster you cut it the faster it grows. Use chapsticks a lot and stop biting your lips.

RandomEngy

Try pre-emptive chapstick. Kind of a guess, but I don't think it will peel off if you never let it harden.

Trinis

Like DusT_HounD mentioned above, excessive use of chapstick can give you the opposite of what you need.

You know how your balls will shrink if you take steroids because your body realizes it doesn't need any more of those hormones? The same thing can happen with your lips naturally moisturizing themselves.

AresProphet

Figgy wrote: »

I doubt you are dehydrated. Unless you're living on a diet of sodium crackers and dried out birch wood, you're likely getting enough water---it's in absolutely everything you eat and drink.

This is bullshit.

When people say "you are dehydrated dehydrated" they don't mean "you are as desiccated as Death Valley." "Enough water to stay alive" and "enough water to stay healthy" are very different things.

You can't drink too much water (hydrotoxicity or whatever its called is irrelevant to the discussion unless you're a complete dumbass in which case your loss will not be mourned) you'll just pee out the excess. So drink more water.

If your pee isn't crystal clear every time you're going, you're dehydrated. Low-grade dehydration won't kill you, might not even do you any lasting harm over a prolonged period, but being properly hydrated = better than not. If nothing else you'll feel better. I know I do, whenever I stay properly hydrated (which isn't often enough).

Furthermore, just about everything else people drink when thirsty has sugar in one form or another. Which is not good for your teeth and not good for your weight.

It might not solve your peeling lips problem, but it can't hurt you to try drinking more water for a few weeks (and stop picking/chewing on them, which I know is goddamn hard as someone who does it) and see what happens. You can always go back to your bad habits once you've broken them, if you're stubborn.

Aoi Tsuki

Use Neutrogena. It's thick and smells a little unpleasant, but regular applications of that shit will moisturize all the way down.

DarwinsFavoriteTortoise

Casual wrote: »

I have this it isnt a medical problem. This skin is growing back fast and hard because you bite it off so much. It's like hair the faster you cut it the faster it grows. Use chapsticks a lot and stop biting your lips.

This is really stupid of me to point out, but I just can't let it go for some reason. :P

The "faster you cut your hair the faster it grows" statement is a myth.

Its late so I just typed it into google and came up with this to back me up on that, but I can get some more evidence tomorrow if you question the article.

On topic: Yeah, just drink more water and carry around chapstick at all times. That should do the trick!

the wook

AresProphet wrote: »

Figgy wrote: »

I doubt you are dehydrated. Unless you're living on a diet of sodium crackers and dried out birch wood, you're likely getting enough water---it's in absolutely everything you eat and drink.

This is bullshit.

When people say "you are dehydrated dehydrated" they don't mean "you are as desiccated as Death Valley." "Enough water to stay alive" and "enough water to stay healthy" are very different things.

You can't drink too much water (hydrotoxicity or whatever its called is irrelevant to the discussion unless you're a complete dumbass in which case your loss will not be mourned) you'll just pee out the excess. So drink more water.

If your pee isn't crystal clear every time you're going, you're dehydrated. Low-grade dehydration won't kill you, might not even do you any lasting harm over a prolonged period, but being properly hydrated = better than not. If nothing else you'll feel better. I know I do, whenever I stay properly hydrated (which isn't often enough).

Furthermore, just about everything else people drink when thirsty has sugar in one form or another. Which is not good for your teeth and not good for your weight.

It might not solve your peeling lips problem, but it can't hurt you to try drinking more water for a few weeks (and stop picking/chewing on them, which I know is goddamn hard as someone who does it) and see what happens. You can always go back to your bad habits once you've broken them, if you're stubborn.

okay

almost everybody is slightly dehydrated. but your urine doesn't need to be crystal clear for you to be hydrated. if your urine is a golden wheat or lighter, you're probably fine. if your urine is amber or darker, you're almost certainly dehydrated. and if your urine is pungent, you're definitely dehydrated.

that said, the OP probably is dehydrated. they should make a point to try to consume 2-3 quarts of water per day, and should apply Vaseline to their lips every 4 hours or so until such time that this condition clears up.

Becclescake

I'm having this problem at the moment actually. So annoying! What I find kinda helps is (this is probably going to sound weird) if you brush your lips with your toothbrush every so often (toothpaste not required).

And drink water / apply chapstick, as everyone else has been saying.

Seattle Thread

Forgo the chap stick. Drink more water. You'll see an improvement within a week.

Diomedes240z

Give your lips a bit of a scrub in the shower after your skin has softened. Fixed my problems instantly.

Ripsteel

If your lips are excessively dry, it could be a result of dehydration. Maybe you aren't drinking enough water.
After a shower, rub your lips with the towel...it helps to remove dry skin...
And then, petroleum jelly (vaseline) or even a chapstick should do the trick in a week's time..

isalbeeno

I know this is way old, but this is EXACTLY what I’m experiencing. Did you figure anything out to fix this. Thank you in advance!!