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dry patch on lip

hi, i have a dry patch on the top of my lip. it started off about 2 months ago as a small discolored dot, then progressed into a darker patch bigger patch (<1cm wide). Now, it looks dry and and slightly flaky, and feels weird when i touch it with my tongue, but i can't really pick at the dry skin. it also feels sort of heavy, not numb or slightly tingling (not like pins and needles) but like i can feel something there. also when i stretch the skin i can see white spots behind it.
what is it, and what can i do to treat it, tried moisturizing with Vaseline constantly, but doesn't help. Could this be a sign of lip cancer?

any advice would help. thanks.
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Avatar universal
I have this hard like patch almost feels like extra skin and kind of heavy on my lip it&#39;s small but looks like a small dent.. I Peel it until hurts and then the very next day it&#39;s back! I had this maybe 5 yrs ago and at that time I was a smoker but had stop... I will admit I&#39;ve started back smoking and the lip patch is back!!  Some please help what can I do... This patch sometimes feels like it has it&#39;s own heart beat.. Very irritating!
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Avatar universal
Just put a HUGE glob of Vaseline on the dry area overnight. Keep doing it for 2 - 3 days. Worked like a charm for me. The dry skin peeled off the morning after.
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I have it too, I’m also a smoker and I guess it makes sense it comes from that. It doesn’t itch but just a dry rough patch on my upper lip. I’ve had cold sores before but this isn’t itchy or tingly, just stiff. And I can’t see any blisters forming. However I’m still a little anxious to what it is! I’m scared t a cold corebin disguise  so I’m tempted to put lysine oitment on it. But I did that once to a non cold sore spot and it made it worse so I’m scared to put any on now! So far I’ve just been putting on paw paw to moisturize it. I’ve had this for a while but only got more stiff since yesterday. If anyone has any response to this please comment! I hope it’s just dry skin from smoking...
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Avatar universal
I have this lip problem thingy about a year ago, it comes and goes and it almost feels like extra skin on my lips. I can clearly feel the rough texture when I touch it when my hands, there are no blisters or whatsoever, just skin I think. When I exfoliate it it does come off. I'm not sure if this applies to you but I have a similar problem, not sure if this patch means anything, any ideas?
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Avatar universal
I am very surprised to see that so many others have been afflicted by this annoying problem. I've had it twice now and both times we have been in a very dry climate (airline travel and Arizona). Here's what I did.....wash hands, apply tea tree oil to area and cover with lip balm (be sure to clean all lipsticks  and lip balms with alcohol first and then again after your liesion heals). Go to local health food store, purchase Vitmin A gel capsules. Vitamin A helps to heal skin tissue. Break open capsule and squeeze out oil and apply to the area frequently throughout the day. Apply tea tree oil again with lip balm before you go to bed. A couple of days should do it.
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Avatar universal
I have exactly the same thing.. Almost to a tee... the sneezing too.. I have been battling candida for a few months so I hope that is just because of too much yeast in my body.. I don't know how it could be herpes, since I haven't been sexually active in the last 11 months and the last time I kissed anybody was more than 7 months ago.
If you figure out what it is, please post it so we can see too. Thank you
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Avatar universal
I have the exact same thing and the only thing that I&#x27;ve done different is I used the same electric clippers to shave my upper lip mustache that I used to shave my butthole. I did also have sex with (3) chicks last week but surely that couldn&#x27;t be it???
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Avatar universal
I read through this entire thread. Even though our symptoms are the same, I don't believe all of our root causes are the same. I had the dry rough patches and tried castor oil, coconut oil, jojoba oil, and vitamin e oil, none of which worked. I also tried scrubbing it off with a toothbrush and then applying tea tree oil, which very mildly worked a little, but did not make it go away.

I believe my symptoms were caused by overactive yeast in the body, as well as being much more acid than alkaline. As a last ditch effort, I tried Carmex as a few posters have suggested. It totally worked, and in one day! After a few weeks of frustration and intensifying dryness, my lips were back to their normal softness within a couple hours. The discoloration is rapidly fading on the second day. Try it, all you have to lose is $1.99.
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This comment helped me so I wanted to confirm that mine was almost certainly yeast. I used w soap called Defense and it cleared up over night.
Avatar universal
yes! i am on antidepressants! oh my gosh! this thing has been annoying me for ages, and it feels exactly like tape as one user said! i hope its the antidepressants because at least then i'll know. i'm on fluoxetine
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
Hi everyone,
I've read this whole thread. There seems to be three main causes.
1). Pre-cancer
2). An overgrowth of yeast
3). Acid.
I think my problem is caused by a recent increase in the amount of lemons and tomatoes I have been eating. I see that others who have done a cleanse diet also reported symptoms. Cleanse diets usually include lots of juice, in particular, LEMONS. I think this may be what's causing my lip patch. I have been consuming the juice of about three lemons a day for a couple of weeks, I love the flavor in my morning smoothies. Unfortunately, it looks like I will have to stop for a while. I'll let you know what happens.
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
I am male, 30, and noticed this a few weeks ago. It was very, very strange. A small area, about a centimeter wide, was just slightly chapped and wouldn't go away. It was barely visible. But I did have the "piece of tape on lip" sensation. The strangest thing was how subtle it was, and how contained it was. It didn't seem to spread or anything. It was just there.

I never found out what it was, but I did find a way to "cure" it. I suspect it was some kind of cellular damage, because it kept coming back no matter what I treated it with in terms of lotions. I even tried clotrimazole, thinking it was some kind of fungus akin to ringworm, but that didn't do much. To be fair, I only tried it for two days before deciding to get rid of this.

I ended up just burning it off with 50% lactic acid. You can use this to get rid of just about any topical skin condition, such as sun spots. You can buy it at most pharmacies next to the chemical peels. Just use a q-tip to clean the area with hydrogen peroxide first, then smear a tiny dab of lactic acid over the area with another q-tip. Count to ten, then wash it off immediately. Wash with water thoroughly. If you leave it on for too long it will cause a more damage than is necessary. 10-30 seconds is enough. The area will peel a little over the next few days. Just make sure you apply a lip balm with adequate sun protection. If you left the lactic acid on for too long it will scab a little, but it won't scar so don't freak out.

After it's done peeling the skin returned to normal. Coloration seems normal. The only side effect is that the area is now slightly smoother than the rest of my lip. Just slightly. That's pretty typical after lactic acid though. Over the next few months I suspect it will return to 100% normal as the cells turn over. Such has been my experience with lactic acid in the past anyway. The skin always appears just barely noticeably smoother if you look very close in the mirror, but it does return to 100% "normal" after a few months time.
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Avatar universal
I am a male and I too have the same problem on my lower lip.  It appeared about two months ago.   It is a dry patch that feels like tape on the lip.   It seemed to be deeply embedded which prevented peeling off completely.  
Worried that it may be cancerous, I showed my MD who examined it under a light.  He told me we should watch the area and if it formed an outer ring he would take further action.  He said it was inflamed and told me he was going to give me an injection to treat my sinus infection and that might clear up the patch on my lip.  About two days after the injection the dry patch peeled off and my lip was normal.  About a week later the dry patch returned.
After reading all of these comments, which I am thankful, I remembered some ear drops that my doctor had prescribed me for an ear infection.  I remembered he said it had a steroid in it to reduce the swelled areas.  The prescription was Otomar HC.   It is made up of Chloroxylenol, Hydrocortisone and Pramoxine.  Chloroxylenol is an antibiotic that is used for treating infections caused by bacteria or fungus.  Hydrocortisone is a steroid used to reduce inflammation.  Pramoxine is a topical anesthetic.  
It states that this medicine is to be used only in the ears and avoid contact with eyes, mouth, nose or lips. Rinse with water if contact is made in or on those areas.
I applied a little amount on my fingertip, (a very small amount) and dabbed it exactly on the dry patch.  It seemed to absorb the oil immediately.  I did not touch the area with my tongue or close my lips for 10 minutes then I dabbed the area with a wet napkin.  I repeated eight hours later.  The next morning the area had peeled off and my lip is normal again.
I realize what I did was contrary to instructions concerning the use of the product and I’m not suggesting this action be repeated by others.  A person should always read and follow instructions, when using a product or trying to put together children toys.  When the GPS is broken, a man should stop and ask for directions……the children of Israel wandered around the desert for 40 years.  Even in biblical times, men wouldn’t ask for directions.
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Avatar universal
I am so glad I found this thread!! I have the same problem and I suspected it was a reaction a lipstick or gloss. After 9108 mentioned Keratosis, the light bulb went on. I have Keratosis Pilaris on my arms that I have been able to mange to 99.9% elimination by going gluten free (which also stopped my eczema flairs). I researched the lipstick and it has gluten in it! No wonder my tummy has been a bit unhappy and my lip has the 'tape' feeling. I am just using Aquaphor until my body eliminates it. Thank you again!!
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
I am thankful to have found this thread. Like everyone else I had the same dry patch that felt like tape stuck to my lip. I struggled with this for over a month and used several types of lip balm to no avail. After reading all comments here  I was able to narrow it down to either a lip fungus or Actinic Keratosis. I then did research on organic apple cider vinegar treatments for both and found that neither type of cell/growth is compatible with vinegar.  I applied Bragg's Organic apple cider vinegar ( "with the mother"...  I don't know why this is important but it is) with a Q-tip and the cells immediately turned white. I should warn you that this stings A LOT.  I applied  the vinegar 4 times more that day and each time it stung less. The next morning it was completely scabbed over. I applied the vinegar several times more the next day just to be safe. During this time I did not use any type of lip balm or lip stick.  The scab came off after a few day and the dry patch was 100% gone. Thanks to everyone who has posted here. Had I not found this thread I would not have figured this out and would have gone to the dermatologist and probably fought with this thing for months in total frustration.
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
I am thankful to have found this thread. Like everyone else I had the same dry patch that felt like tape stuck to my lip. I struggled with this for over a month and used several types of lip balm to no avail. After reading all comments here  I was able to narrow it down to either a lip fungus or Actinic Keratosis. I then did research on organic apple cider vinegar treatments for both and found that neither type of cell/growth is compatible with vinegar.  I applied Bragg's Organic apple cider vinegar ( "with the mother"...  I don't know why this is important but it is) with a Q-tip and the cells immediately turned white. I should warn you that this stings A LOT.  I applied  the vinegar 4 times more that day and each time it stung less. The next morning it was completely scabbed over. I applied the vinegar several times more the next day just to be safe. During this time I did not use any type of lip balm or lip stick.  The scab came off after a few day and the dry patch was 100% gone. Thanks to everyone who has posted here. Had I not found this thread I would not have figured this out and would have gone to the dermatologist and probably fought with this thing for months in total frustration.
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
I love this forum it was so helpful. I have the exact same condition as everyone else who has posted on here.

Tried the Clotrimazole 1% antifungal cream 1st because I already had some in my medicine drawer. Used it one evening & applied before bed. In the morning condition was the same.

Went a bought, HerpecinL at walmart ($5) and within 2 hours of applying it religiously my dry patch separated from my lip and peeled off. Lip feels completely smooth and normal again. Hopefully it stays that way! I am going to keep applying the HerpecinL just in case for the rest of today.

My only confusion is that I have had cold sores before (never on my lip) and they were angry mean sores... and this patch didn't hurt or get aggravated with my constant rubbing/biting... so I am surprised it reacted to the herpecinL? Weird. Maybe it was just a more friendly cold sore than my others.
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Avatar universal
I just developed a dry spot on my upper lip on the left side. It came around a few days ago, I attributed it to stress, but after reading some of your posts I'll keep an eye on it and if it doesn't go away I'll see a dermatologists. I've been applying EOS and another lip balm that I can't think of the name right now. It does have that same type of tight feeling, but I don't think anyone else has noticed it. Hopefully it will go away soon.
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Avatar universal
I think you and others who say this is caused by fungus have made the correct diagnosis for many of us posting here.  Obviously something that doesn't clear up should be looked at by a dermatologist to rule out a precancerous condition.

I have just developed the problem described in these posts.  At first I thought of cold sores but I have never had a cold sore previously and this is not painful, just annoying.
  
For the past couple of months I've been fighting raging athlete's foot.  I have had mild athlete's foot a couple times before but this is much worse.  After reading your post I think it is no coincidence that I developed this new lip problem for the first time.  I will look for a fungal treatment remedy that is safe for the mouth.  
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Avatar universal
Don't understand why my FYI advice was censored...
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Avatar universal
From what I have read and talked to my Doctor about, this lip condition that I also have can be related to sensitivity to acidic foods, allergies and autoimmune diseases (or even the onset of them- where a test would unfortunately not indicate that you have them yet - they think this is my situation). What I have, as some of you have mentioned, comes and goes with what seems to be no rhyme or reason - with autoimmune diseases flair ups happen in this same way.  It is not always known what causes them.

Mine is bothered and made worse by acidic foods - if I eat citrus fruits or tomatoes or sour candy (citric acid).  

FYI... You can cure auto immune diseases with ****** therapy.  Working on that myself.  Google it!
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Avatar universal
Hello all.  I just went through this and I am now on the other side of it... I believe.. I read through this forum as I started dealing with it and I felt that it helped.  

Back in Feb of 2014 I started to notice a dry, circular patch on the right side of my lower lip and it was dry and slightly abrasive. I started to put basic moisturizing lotion on it and it would suppress it but it would just keep surfacing.  If I didn't moisturize it would just reappear and it would flake a bit.  The skin flakes were white.  I went until about 3 months into May of this year and it still was there and not going away.  I had already tried some topical cold sore medication, went through the whole small tube and nothing....  This is when I knew I was dealing with something else.  Straight-up I am a married guy who has never been adventurous sexually outside of my marriage, never really was before I got married so I really didn't believe it was anything related to that type of activity.  I read through this column and others and noticed comments about other finding out it was "pre-cancerous".  I booked an appointment in early June to see a dermatologist.  In my family I do have a little bit of a history of skin cancer.  No one has ever died from it but they do keep an eye on it and numerous family members have had the derm folks cut pieces away from their body.  They did a biopsy on it... nothing complicated... a quick little needle which froze the area and then basically cut the top of that area off my lip... didn't feel a thing after that... they used liquid nitrogen to burn the area afterwards - could smell the burned skin - essentially it blistered and healed and all I was directed to do was keep it clean and put some polysporin on it as it healed.  I went to my 2 week results appointment today.  It is fact was pre-cancerous.  It hadn't gone cancer at this point but was in a pre-stage and the doctor praised me for taking action to come in early.  They burned the area again today and I have another 3 month check-up but all seems like its going to be fine.  I am just really encouraging you folks that if it doesn't go away and you have the means GO and see a dermatologist.  We never know when something like this COULD go nasty.  It is not a big deal at all IF you go early.  I am not a doctor and can't say that all of these are pre-cancerous but others have gone through this and I just did.  I can honestly say that I am not sure I would have gone in when I did had I not read this forum.  I am thankful for that.  Back in 2008 I had a 30 year old step- brother - not blood related -  die within a year and a half from oral cancer.  Was the peak of health and in just under 2 years was gone. Hope this helps guys.  I have appreciated this forum.  God bless. John 14:6
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Avatar universal
I had the same issue for over 3 months (dry lips, peeling, pussing, back to dry, peeling, so on and so forth); sometimes it felt like I had a piece of tape over my lip.  I finally decided to visit a clinic and they prescribed a corticosteroid (eg. Prednisone).  It prevents the release of substances in the body that cause inflammation.  It's basically a steroid.  I took one at night and saw immediate results the next morning!  I just finished my prescription (twice/day for 5 days) and my lips are 99% healed.  I highly recommend asking your doctors/physicians if they could prescribe it.  
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Avatar universal

Has anyone thought the culprit might be their old lipsitcks/lipbalms or lippencil liners?  I think that is what causes the infection in the first place!

Either clean your lipsticks or throw away after a certain time... As we use these items we introduce bacteria/fungus which eventually multiply enough to cause problems when we use the stuff on our lips! Since the problems happens on the lips only - which is a very sensitive area, it makes sense that its something we use on our lips!!!!
I had this issue too and am checking all my lip make up to make sure I am not using old and contaminated stuff.  Just a thought.  
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
Has anyone thought the culprit might be their old lipsitcks/lipbalms or lippencil liners?  I think that is what causes the infection in the first place!

Either clean your lipsticks or throw away after a certain time... As we use these items we introduce bacteria/fungus which eventually multiply enough to cause problems when we use the stuff on our lips! Since the problems happens on the lips only - which is a very sensitive area, it makes sense that its something we use on our lips!!!!
I had this issue too and am checking all my lip make up to make sure I am not using old and contaminated stuff.  Just a thought.  
Helpful - 0
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