Hot redness in corners of mouth

I have hot redness in the corners of my mouth.
My GP calls it Angular Chelitis.  However, she was not all that confident.

I have tried Vitamin E oil and Mycostatin Cream, but the condition has not gone.

My son aged 28 also gets this on a regular basis.

Any suggestions?

[Bhupinder Kaur, MD]

Hello,
The condition sounds like angular cheilitis only. It is an inflammatory lesion at the corner of the mouth and manifests as deep cracks or splits. More commonly it is caused by a fungal infection.

Dry out the lesions completely by patting and air drying after washing with a mild soap and use petroleum jelly to lock out moisture. It is vital that the affected areas be clean and completely dry before application of the jelly. You can also apply small amounts of athlete’s foot cream which is available over the counter.

If the symptoms persist then please consult a dermatologist as oral antimicrobials may be needed.
I hope it helps. Take care and please do keep me posted on how you are doing or if you have any additional doubts. Kind regards.

[niecy1]

Thanks for your advice.

However, the corners of my mouth are not split or cracked, just red and hot.

Isn't Mycostatin cream an anti fungal?  This cream did not work.  So am not sure that it is purely fungal.  

Someone else has suggested Bauer nappy rash cream and also Hydrozole cream.  Will perhaps try them one at a time.

Thanks again