chronic dry lips

[neha15]

hi,
m lips stays dry all the time and since its winter time almost the whole time I feel a kind of dry lip sensation.i have to keep applying lip balm every few hours. currently I am using nivea lip balm.
just to mention i have a chronic dry mouth problem.
is something wong like I have lips exzema or liptick dermatitis etc or it just dry lips . there are o crack or something in the lips.i feel like putting the lip balm a little utside the lip edge also as the edges feels more dry.
is anything wrong with me

[neha15]

hi, thanks for your advice.
i have been doing things like multivitamin, humidifier, water.
my lips are not cracked they are just dry. i ll try the home remedies and the over the cointer one.thanks

[Bhupinder Kaur, MD]

Hello,

From the description of symptoms it sounds like cheilitis. Chronic chapped lips can result from nutritional deficiencies(vitamin B)and dehydration, or over exposure to sun or cold and windy conditions.

Avoid licking the lips as saliva evaporates quickly resulting in them being drier than before. Drink plenty of water and take multivitamin supplements and do not apply lipstick or other cosmetic products for some days. Use a humidifier to moisturize the air in your home and apply shea butter or Vaseline on your lips.You can also use a homemade ointment mixed from 1 tsp glycerine, 1 tsp lemon juice and 1 tsp castor oil. Spread on lips overnight, refrigerating the leftovers for future use. Eat foods high in calcium, magnesium and flaxseed oil. If a week of compresses and emollients don't do the trick, you can add over-the-counter 1 percent hydrocortisone ointment to your regimen.

If the condition still persists or there is deep cracking in the region of your mouth,then pls consult your doctor as it can be due to infection(Angular Cheilitis).Antibiotics are needed in such cases.

Hope it helps.Take care and pls do keep me posted if you have any additional queries.Kind regards.