lips

[marie678]

For about 3 months my lips have been flakey around the outer edges into the corners. It's only my upper lip that seems to have the problem. It is sometimes numb, especially in the mornings. It is very dry, like no moisture is getting to it. I keep it caked with moisturizer, like carmex, but it only helps temporarily. The upper lip is also swollen at times. My husband can see that there's a problem, but only when I get right in his face. HELP!!

[baggio10]

Does this apply to the corner of the lips as well?  I was recently diagnosed with eczema by my doctor a couple of months ago, and last month I had a case of what appeared to be Angular Cheilitis on the corner of my lip.  Can this be related?

[Dr_Aparna]

Hi,
This could be an eczema of the lips.The form of eczema that affects the lips is known as cheilitis. This causes roughness to the lips and can make them very sensitive, causing them to itch.
This eczema starts off with just a few rough patches on both of their lips, sometimes they are difficult to see, however  they are painful to the touch.

These rough patches are not normally located inside the mouth, normally they are located where the lip joins onto the normal skin of the face. The swollen lips sometimes come hand in hand with red patches and dryness of other parts of skin.

The cause could be chemicals contained in toothpaste or mouthwash or any other personal care product you are using on the lips.

The affected areas should be moisturized on a frequent basis with Vaseline or Lip balms containing help oils like shea butter lip balms.
If it is unresponsive to this, then you should consider the use of steroid creams like Desonide, a low potency steroid medication that is approved for use on the lips and face.

ref:http://ezinearticles.com/?Eczema-Can-Cause-Your-Lips-To-Swell&id=550170