Question: Hi,

My lips are constantly going thru peeling cycles, once or twice a week. I am 26 and have had this problem for about 10 years now. My lower lip is fine around the perimeter, but the inside of the lip will be more of a red colour than pink. It is also soft, has no creases like normal lip skin, and then becomes a thin hard sheet of skin. If I use Chapstick regularly, the dry hard skin layer becomes soft and white and peels off leaving the same red skin underneath. If I just let them dry out, they crack and peel off in sections of skin and the skin is still not normal underneath. I used to lick my lips a lot and peel them prematurely when they got dry, now I do my best to leave them alone with no success after letting them pretty much fall off on their own. My saliva seems more viscous than in my childhood and when I open my mouth after having it closed during a conversation it doesn't not feel natural the way my mouth moves. I have started to deduce that my lip issue may be from dry mouth at night and the area on my lower lip that is more raw seems to exactly mirror the outline of my upper lip. Therefore, I am starting to think where my lips press together at night, the saliva is breaking down that part of my lower lip. I have tried sleeping on my back to avoiding my lips being pressed together, but then my mouth just tends to open and it still dries out that part of my lip. My mouth is not super dry like sjorgens disease or anything, I still have saliva, it just seems extra sticky. I take allergy meds which could contribute to dry mouth, but I did a trial where I cut out everything from my lifestyle that causes dry mouth without any noticeable changes in saliva viscosity or my lower lip healing. It is really affected the way I speak to people at work and with friends and family. I used to be very outgoing and confident, however, whenever I am talking to people I see them staring at my lips and then start licking theirs. It is awkward and makes me avoid social activities when they are really bad. Solving this would truly change my life. Thanks.

I will attach 3 pictures, the first will show the line essentially that divides the normal skin on the perimeter of the lower lip from the more raw skin ob the inner of the lowwr lip. The second will show progress as the skin around the dividing line on the lower lip becomes a bit dryer and these large "craters" form where the dry skin will begin first, although eventually everything above the line will get dry and begin peeling. The last photo will show the inner part of my lower lip when it has fully dried into a thin hard sheet above the line separating the normal skin from the problematic skin. When the dry skin gets to this stage I have been patient enough to let it fully fall off by its own will without picking or peeling at them, however, the skin that shows up underneath is still not the same colour and texture of the normal skin around the perimeter, that line separating the two still is visible, especially when i smile with my mouth closed, and within a couple days it is getting dry again and the cycle begins.

Okay, would he need to give me a prescription for these or are they simply available at say Shoppers Drug Mart (I live in Ontario). And do I use any lip balms for dryness im addition to the triamcinolone cream? If so, what lip balms do you suggest and what are the best to use for regular moisturization assuming i get my lips back to a normal state? Lastly, I use Biotene or Mouth Kote sprays for my dry mouth feeling generally in the morning or before bed, I dont find much relief from them, are these the best out there or do you know of better products? Thanks again.

It is prescription, not over the counter, according to the pharmacist, so I guess I will go to my doctor for it.

Lastly, what percentage strength triamcinolone do you recommend?

Thanks for all your help!