Looking for help with chronic chapped lips

[Phoenix242]

Hello,

I have had chapped lips continuously for almost 20 years.  And I do mean continuous.  I have use chapstick everyday, and have tried various brands throughout the years.  It seems that no matter what I try, my lips continue to be chapped.  As soon as the chapstick wears off, they dry out and begin to peel.  I have been to a couple of dermatologists before, and they suggested that my lips are always chapped because I lick them.  I could see this being true, as I do bite at the affected areas, which I'm sure perpetuates the problem.  I was prescribed Elidel (sp?) to protect my lips, but this seemed to work no better than chapstick.

I have been focusing lately on not licking my lips, but my condition has not improved.  Now the skin just peels off on larger chunks as I'm not constantly messing with it.  I read that fungal infections can cause chapped lips, but I used an over-the-counter antifungal medication for a couple weeks to no avail.  Plus it seems strange that I would have an infection lasting 20 years.  

I also read that a high body acidity could cause chapped lips.  If this is true, would taking antacids possibly help?
Another possibility is that I lick my lips while I sleep, but I don't know what I could do to prevent that.  My bottom lip is larger than my top, and it is the one that is always chapped. I don't normally notice any problems with my top lip.  There are times it burns and turns a slightly reddish color, and other times it will start bleeding if the drying is too severe.  

Any advice you can offer would be appreciated.

Thank you,

John

[loiloi]

Hi. I had extremely dry lips due to Accutane therapy. The best remedy I found was Elizabeth Arden 8 hour cream. It's a bit expensive but is very concentrated and a small amount goes a long way.
Eloise.

[Alan Rockoff, MD]

After 20 years, a fungus or yeast infection seems most unlikely.  Some people just lick their lips constantly.  The more you think about your lips, the more you can't help licking them.  Perhaps a topical steroid might hep--they work better than Elidel, in my experience and mild ones are quite safe, certainly enough to be worth a try for a couple of weeks.  You should talk to your doctor about that.  But after all this time, you may just have to love with it, as you have been doing.

Best.

Dr. Rockoff