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What Causes Red Spots Along With Irritation And Peeling Of Skin On Lips?
Question: Hello,
I have had a chronic lip problem for almost 2 years now. It started off with a bad sunburn. After that, I kept getting red spots on my lips any time I would go out in the heat or sun. I used a couple different steroids, which gave me a bad case of periroal dermatitis. I've used Vaseline on my lips for over 10 years. Ever since this happened, my lips have stayed in a constant reactive state. Even eating has flared them up! I used protopic once weekly for 1 year but then it stopped working. Finally I stopped using Vaseline thinking that was the only common denominator and my lips dried up horribly. They peeled completely off revealing red raw skin underneath. The red spots no longer come up which makes me think Vaseline was really irritating them. I have even tried going back on Vaseline once since stopping 6 months ago and the red spots came back almost instantly. Now I am using honey at night and coconut oil throughout the day. The spots are gone but I am now in a continual cycle of peeling, ever 2-3 days. Both lips are affected. I honestly can't even smile they are so dry and tight. Another note - I was diagnosed via biopsy with Celiac disease about 6 months ago. I have been on a GF diet ever since. Have you ever heard of anything like this? I have no other skin issues, eczema, etc anywhere on my body. My two theories are that long term use of Vaseline caused my lips to be extremely dry and dependent on a topical. The other theory is Celiac disease but I am not sure when I will start seeing improvements from the GF diet.
Any help/advice is greatly appreciated! I've seen several dermatologists and really don't want to keep treating the symptoms only, I want to get to the bottom of this!
Thanks,
XXXX
I have had a chronic lip problem for almost 2 years now. It started off with a bad sunburn. After that, I kept getting red spots on my lips any time I would go out in the heat or sun. I used a couple different steroids, which gave me a bad case of periroal dermatitis. I've used Vaseline on my lips for over 10 years. Ever since this happened, my lips have stayed in a constant reactive state. Even eating has flared them up! I used protopic once weekly for 1 year but then it stopped working. Finally I stopped using Vaseline thinking that was the only common denominator and my lips dried up horribly. They peeled completely off revealing red raw skin underneath. The red spots no longer come up which makes me think Vaseline was really irritating them. I have even tried going back on Vaseline once since stopping 6 months ago and the red spots came back almost instantly. Now I am using honey at night and coconut oil throughout the day. The spots are gone but I am now in a continual cycle of peeling, ever 2-3 days. Both lips are affected. I honestly can't even smile they are so dry and tight. Another note - I was diagnosed via biopsy with Celiac disease about 6 months ago. I have been on a GF diet ever since. Have you ever heard of anything like this? I have no other skin issues, eczema, etc anywhere on my body. My two theories are that long term use of Vaseline caused my lips to be extremely dry and dependent on a topical. The other theory is Celiac disease but I am not sure when I will start seeing improvements from the GF diet.
Any help/advice is greatly appreciated! I've seen several dermatologists and really don't want to keep treating the symptoms only, I want to get to the bottom of this!
Thanks,
XXXX
Brief Answer:
Cause is clear according to me; a little more info needed ma'am
Detailed Answer:
Hello ma'am and welcome.
Thank you for writing to us.
I have gone through your query with diligence and would like you to know that I am here to help. You may not believe me, but as soon as I read the mention of vaseline in the 3rd line of your query I knew the cause was the vaseline.
I need not go far away to mention why, many patients of mine and even my wife has experienced the same issue with vaseline. Vaseline causes the sun and heat to get enhanced when the suns rays pass through the vaseline layer, they cause an intensified effect resulting in the darkening of the layer of skin below the vaseline and various other reactions like the red spots described by you.
My wife too experienced, and still experiences a darkening of her lips every time she applies vaseline on her lips and goes out in the sun.
As for the drying and peeling and chapping of your lips, this is a natural process of healing of your lips; but along with this I would like to ask you:
+What your intake of fluids is on a daily basis? How many litres do you drink in a day according to you?
+Do you suffer from diarrhoea frequently?
I look forward to hearing from you in order to help you further.
Best wishes.
Cause is clear according to me; a little more info needed ma'am
Detailed Answer:
Hello ma'am and welcome.
Thank you for writing to us.
I have gone through your query with diligence and would like you to know that I am here to help. You may not believe me, but as soon as I read the mention of vaseline in the 3rd line of your query I knew the cause was the vaseline.
I need not go far away to mention why, many patients of mine and even my wife has experienced the same issue with vaseline. Vaseline causes the sun and heat to get enhanced when the suns rays pass through the vaseline layer, they cause an intensified effect resulting in the darkening of the layer of skin below the vaseline and various other reactions like the red spots described by you.
My wife too experienced, and still experiences a darkening of her lips every time she applies vaseline on her lips and goes out in the sun.
As for the drying and peeling and chapping of your lips, this is a natural process of healing of your lips; but along with this I would like to ask you:
+What your intake of fluids is on a daily basis? How many litres do you drink in a day according to you?
+Do you suffer from diarrhoea frequently?
I look forward to hearing from you in order to help you further.
Best wishes.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
Thank you for your response! Yes I too suspicioned Vaseline because, eventually I even started reacting to it even staying out of the heat/sun. When the bumps would come up on my lips, they felt like a diaper rash almost, very irritating. Most dermatologists thought I was crazy because Vaseline is the "safest" thing to put on your lips but I honestly feel as though my lips started to reject it after years of chronic use. I mean, I was putting on Vaseline 10-15 times a day. Do you think that the chronic use of Vaseline could have caused some temporary damage to my lip skin (i.e. dependency) and that is now why I am going through this continual dryness & peeling stage? I am determined to stay on a more natural path (honey and coconut oil) but it is slow going, still very hard to smile and it's been a few months since I started this whole process.
As for your questions - I drink tons of water. I drink between 6-8 bottles (16 oz) of water a day. I have random bouts of diarrhea but maybe just once a month.
I know this may sound petty, but, being a girl this is especially been difficult for me. It has become a major insecurity to me as I don't know why the one area of my body that has a skin issue is my lips, ugh! Do you have any suggestions other than what I have tried? Or, is time simply the answer and I will just have to go through this cycle until it finally heals? I guess my main concern is, will my lips eventually heal themselves without medical intervention? Steroids and Protopic are just temporary fixes and, honestly, I don't think my lips would be in this bad of shape if I had steered clear of them the first time.
Last question - I have read several places where people have linked Celiac Disease to chapped lips/lip issues due to the nutritional deficiencies the disease causes. Is there any medical truth to that?
Again, thank you so much!
As for your questions - I drink tons of water. I drink between 6-8 bottles (16 oz) of water a day. I have random bouts of diarrhea but maybe just once a month.
I know this may sound petty, but, being a girl this is especially been difficult for me. It has become a major insecurity to me as I don't know why the one area of my body that has a skin issue is my lips, ugh! Do you have any suggestions other than what I have tried? Or, is time simply the answer and I will just have to go through this cycle until it finally heals? I guess my main concern is, will my lips eventually heal themselves without medical intervention? Steroids and Protopic are just temporary fixes and, honestly, I don't think my lips would be in this bad of shape if I had steered clear of them the first time.
Last question - I have read several places where people have linked Celiac Disease to chapped lips/lip issues due to the nutritional deficiencies the disease causes. Is there any medical truth to that?
Again, thank you so much!
Brief Answer:
Yes, you are a girl and need to look as pretty as you already are
Detailed Answer:
Hi XXXXXXX
No, the vaseline cannot cause any such serious issue or damage to your lips. As the saying goes, anything in moderation is good, when you overdo something is when it becomes bad/harmful for you.
Yes, take the natural path, but be patient and do not keep something on your lips at all times. Try to get your lips used to a more natural environment. Just leave it dry and uncovered for most of the time during the day. Could you also attach clear images of your lips, without anything applied, thanks.
You can try a cold cream, and also just keep dabbing your lips with cold water, but best to avoid the application of any medications. Yes, time should be the best medicine, but please do not obsess over your lips and allow them to breather (i.e. avoid the application of stuff).
Yes, your body itself has the ability to self heal, and so will your lips. Just try your best to stop applying things on it, and keeping them covered with something or the other at all times. Avoid steroids at all costs.
Yes, celiac disease especially can result in various nutritional deficiencies (E.g. vitamin B12, iron deficiency, etc.), and this can easily result in various issues. Why don't you initiate a multi-vitamin supplement as well as a B-complex supplement.
Speak to your pharmacist and write back to me with the names of the supplements you got your hands on so I can recommend a dosage.
Best wishes.
Yes, you are a girl and need to look as pretty as you already are
Detailed Answer:
Hi XXXXXXX
No, the vaseline cannot cause any such serious issue or damage to your lips. As the saying goes, anything in moderation is good, when you overdo something is when it becomes bad/harmful for you.
Yes, take the natural path, but be patient and do not keep something on your lips at all times. Try to get your lips used to a more natural environment. Just leave it dry and uncovered for most of the time during the day. Could you also attach clear images of your lips, without anything applied, thanks.
You can try a cold cream, and also just keep dabbing your lips with cold water, but best to avoid the application of any medications. Yes, time should be the best medicine, but please do not obsess over your lips and allow them to breather (i.e. avoid the application of stuff).
Yes, your body itself has the ability to self heal, and so will your lips. Just try your best to stop applying things on it, and keeping them covered with something or the other at all times. Avoid steroids at all costs.
Yes, celiac disease especially can result in various nutritional deficiencies (E.g. vitamin B12, iron deficiency, etc.), and this can easily result in various issues. Why don't you initiate a multi-vitamin supplement as well as a B-complex supplement.
Speak to your pharmacist and write back to me with the names of the supplements you got your hands on so I can recommend a dosage.
Best wishes.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
I have uploaded two different pictures in the reports. The first one was taken before a peeling cycle, when the lips have developed scabby crusts on top. The second picture was actually taken this morning after the lips peeled off in the shower/after getting wet. It's as if the lips will not form a substantial barrier and just peel off. You say that this is a natural part of healing though? One note - of all the years I've been on Vaseline, I can honestly say I have never so much as had a visible flake on my lips. I can't help but wonder if that was due to the occlusive nature of constantly coating my lips with ointment. Could that be a reason why my lips are freaking out like this and peeling every few days? I will take your advice and keep on the natural route - Thank you, it is so nice to have a medical doctor actually agree with and promote natural healing rather than harsh medications - esp on the lips!
My Dr. has put on various supplements as I was very deficient in Vitamin D and some other nutrients. I am currently on:
Fish Oil
Pre-Natal Vitamins
Zinc
Coconut oil supplement
Biotin
Thank you!
My Dr. has put on various supplements as I was very deficient in Vitamin D and some other nutrients. I am currently on:
Fish Oil
Pre-Natal Vitamins
Zinc
Coconut oil supplement
Biotin
Thank you!
Brief Answer:
Always here to help
Detailed Answer:
Hi XXXXXXX
Oh yes, our lips are accustomed to facing the harsh climate whether extreme heat or cold; and that is how it is supposed to be. Uncoated, dry and exposed. But we substitute the exposure every now and them by protecting them to prevent any reactions. And your habit of keeping them coated and covered all the time has certainly had an effect on them.
Take an animal for example; animals are to be left in the wild, but if we take one as a pet since birth and then decide to release it in the wild, it will most certainly take some amount of time to get used to the new environment. Similarly, your lips will take some time to get used to not being coated with anything.
Looking at both images, my first observation is that you are such a beautiful young women and you should not be obsessing about anything at all, you are so naturally beautiful. Secondly, the second image attached shows a substantial improvement and I think you should continue to keep your lips uncoated. Leave them the way the are, apart for the natural remedy which you can apply once a day and leave it on for about 20-30 minutes or so, not longer.
I believe in advising only whats best for the patient, not just right now but even in the long-run. I advise most of my patients to keep away from steroids, and so you can go ahead with the natural remedy as well, but please do consider leaving your lips uncoated for most of the day. Apply the natural mixture once a day, for 20-30 minutes, not longer.
+Fish oil is great, and so I would even advise you to eat fish at least once or twice a week
+Pre-natal vitamins have a lot of good nutrients in them, but can also take things slightly overboard, so do not take this for a long duration of time (unless of course you are planning on conceiving soon, are you?)
+Zinc is good
+Coconut oil supplement is fine
+Biotin is great
Keep me in the loop and well updated on your progress. You can also add me on Facebook if you wish to do so.
Best wishes.
Always here to help
Detailed Answer:
Hi XXXXXXX
Oh yes, our lips are accustomed to facing the harsh climate whether extreme heat or cold; and that is how it is supposed to be. Uncoated, dry and exposed. But we substitute the exposure every now and them by protecting them to prevent any reactions. And your habit of keeping them coated and covered all the time has certainly had an effect on them.
Take an animal for example; animals are to be left in the wild, but if we take one as a pet since birth and then decide to release it in the wild, it will most certainly take some amount of time to get used to the new environment. Similarly, your lips will take some time to get used to not being coated with anything.
Looking at both images, my first observation is that you are such a beautiful young women and you should not be obsessing about anything at all, you are so naturally beautiful. Secondly, the second image attached shows a substantial improvement and I think you should continue to keep your lips uncoated. Leave them the way the are, apart for the natural remedy which you can apply once a day and leave it on for about 20-30 minutes or so, not longer.
I believe in advising only whats best for the patient, not just right now but even in the long-run. I advise most of my patients to keep away from steroids, and so you can go ahead with the natural remedy as well, but please do consider leaving your lips uncoated for most of the day. Apply the natural mixture once a day, for 20-30 minutes, not longer.
+Fish oil is great, and so I would even advise you to eat fish at least once or twice a week
+Pre-natal vitamins have a lot of good nutrients in them, but can also take things slightly overboard, so do not take this for a long duration of time (unless of course you are planning on conceiving soon, are you?)
+Zinc is good
+Coconut oil supplement is fine
+Biotin is great
Keep me in the loop and well updated on your progress. You can also add me on Facebook if you wish to do so.
Best wishes.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
Thank you so much for your kind words - I certainly don't feel very attractive these days so it was nice to hear! I have attached one more picture here that I felt you needed to see. This was taken last spring and shows my lip state when I was using the Vaseline and Protopic. As you can see, my lips were swollen and very pale with the red spots. Even though my lips are chronically dry and constantly flaking now, I suppose they sill look better than white lips with red spots! I will follow all of your instructions. I only use the natural honey/coconut products right now to keep the dry/scabby skin from building up. Not to sound repetitive, but, you really don't think I should be concerned that they go through this same cycle every 3-4 days? For example, that picture that I took this morning (the second picture in my last response) was fresh red skin. My lips have already started forming a layer of protective skin over that but it doesn't seem to stick to the healthy part of my skin, sort of a bubble effect if you will. Again, I know you said time is key but I just want to be certain whether or not you believe that they will eventually form a substantial layer and start behaving normally. As you can see in this last picture I attached, they have been put through the ringer for sure!
Brief Answer:
Yes, I do believe they should recover once they start living a natural life
Detailed Answer:
Hi XXXXXXX
The latest picture attached shows slight depigmentation, which shows that your lips were being deprived from sunlight, from natural oxygen exposure, and so on. This was indeed unhealthy and should have been a clear enough sign for you to understand that there was something you weren't doing right.
I understand your cause for concern, and for now I still stand by my advise. Your lips may be undergoing a repetitive cycle lasting 3-4 days most probably due to the various applications. Leaving them exposed to the natural environment, including the sun may do it some good. Also increase your intake of fruits, which will provide you with some amount of vitamin C which could be deficient (from the white patches seen).
Try initiating a good multivitamin along with vitamin C supplements. I do believe that in due time your lips shall return to normal, but it will require careful monitoring and also reporting back to me every now and then with pictures of your beautiful self.
Yes they certainly have faced a lot, or rather been deprived of that. Let us do exactly what you have not been doing for quite some time now, along with the other instructions and see how good we can get them to look to get you the lost confidence you most definitely deserve being the gorgeous woman that you are.
Keep me updated, and try your best to keep yourself from applying anything to your lips other than the discussed honey and coconut oil application (for 20-30 minutes a day).
Take care beautiful.
Yes, I do believe they should recover once they start living a natural life
Detailed Answer:
Hi XXXXXXX
The latest picture attached shows slight depigmentation, which shows that your lips were being deprived from sunlight, from natural oxygen exposure, and so on. This was indeed unhealthy and should have been a clear enough sign for you to understand that there was something you weren't doing right.
I understand your cause for concern, and for now I still stand by my advise. Your lips may be undergoing a repetitive cycle lasting 3-4 days most probably due to the various applications. Leaving them exposed to the natural environment, including the sun may do it some good. Also increase your intake of fruits, which will provide you with some amount of vitamin C which could be deficient (from the white patches seen).
Try initiating a good multivitamin along with vitamin C supplements. I do believe that in due time your lips shall return to normal, but it will require careful monitoring and also reporting back to me every now and then with pictures of your beautiful self.
Yes they certainly have faced a lot, or rather been deprived of that. Let us do exactly what you have not been doing for quite some time now, along with the other instructions and see how good we can get them to look to get you the lost confidence you most definitely deserve being the gorgeous woman that you are.
Keep me updated, and try your best to keep yourself from applying anything to your lips other than the discussed honey and coconut oil application (for 20-30 minutes a day).
Take care beautiful.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
Your explanation about the depigmentation makes so much sense as I was avoiding the sun like the plague during that time. The lack of oxygen makes sense as well since I was keeping them covered in vaseline 24/7, I guess that doesn't leave any room for them to breathe huh? :/ It's strange how most dermatologists recommend vaseline as a "safe" treatment. I guess it is safe if not used long term like I did though. You had mentioned your wife and some patients had issues with vaseline too. Did she/they ever experience red spots or irritation even out of the sun? It's as though my lips where finally saying "I've had enough let me breathe." Lol. Last question - you had mentioned cold cream in one of your earlier posts. Were you referring to cold cream like the Pond's brand carries? Would you still recommend that or should I stick with what I've been doing for now? Thank you again for all of your advice and help!
Brief Answer:
Avoid the cold cream for now ma'am
Detailed Answer:
Hi ma'am.
All those who I confronted with overuse of vaseline still used it for a maximum of 6-12 hours a day, and not 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. So your response cannot be compared to theirs, but they did experience darkening of their lips and a few other symptoms that soon disappeared after discontinuation of vaseline.
Vaseline is good, along with many other things that are really beneficial if used in moderation. I think you can wait for a while, avoiding the cold cream. Lets observe how your lips do without the coating, allowing them to breathe. After a few days, if we observe some drying or chapping then we can start off with a cold cream, but only for a few hours a day, nothing more. But that is a discussion for another day.
I am always here to help, so keep me in the loop and best of luck.
Avoid the cold cream for now ma'am
Detailed Answer:
Hi ma'am.
All those who I confronted with overuse of vaseline still used it for a maximum of 6-12 hours a day, and not 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. So your response cannot be compared to theirs, but they did experience darkening of their lips and a few other symptoms that soon disappeared after discontinuation of vaseline.
Vaseline is good, along with many other things that are really beneficial if used in moderation. I think you can wait for a while, avoiding the cold cream. Lets observe how your lips do without the coating, allowing them to breathe. After a few days, if we observe some drying or chapping then we can start off with a cold cream, but only for a few hours a day, nothing more. But that is a discussion for another day.
I am always here to help, so keep me in the loop and best of luck.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
Ok thanks. I will continue to take your advice on allowing them to breathe. Just to follow up - You had mentioned observing drying and chapping. Well, with this continuous cycle of healing/drying/peeling. I have dryness and chapping every day. I just want to double check with you that this is normal? When the lips peel, they will not form a substantial layer. It builds up a protective layer within a day and then hardens and peels off a couple of days later. You had mentioned early on that this was all part of the normal healing cycle but your last e-mail mentioned that I should tell you if I observe dryness and chapping, which I continuously do. I've attached a picture taken this morning (today 6.29). As you can see, I didn't have any peels or dryness on the picture I sent you Friday and this is how they look today. I also get dryness and peeling around my mouth a little (which I'm guessing is from the lips chapping). I've made the mistake of reading horror stories on the internet where people have claimed they have had this cycle of peeling lips for years - Some have even said they thought it was due to the overuse of chapstick. Sorry if I sound crazy, they are just my lips and I want to be sure I am doing the right thing here & just wanted to share the picture from today.
Thanks again for all of your help!
Thanks again for all of your help!
Brief Answer:
Thanks for checking in
Detailed Answer:
Hi XXXXXXX
Thank you for checking back with me.
Yes it does seem like there is some amount of crusting.
+What have you been applying?
+How many times a day?
+And for how long do you leave it?
+Are you sexually active? If yes, do you know your partner?
+Have you ever gone for an STD-panel?
I look forward to hearing from you in order to help you further.
Best wishes.
Thanks for checking in
Detailed Answer:
Hi XXXXXXX
Thank you for checking back with me.
Yes it does seem like there is some amount of crusting.
+What have you been applying?
+How many times a day?
+And for how long do you leave it?
+Are you sexually active? If yes, do you know your partner?
+Have you ever gone for an STD-panel?
I look forward to hearing from you in order to help you further.
Best wishes.
Note: Hope the answers resolves your concerns, however for further guidance of skin related queries consult our Dermatologist.Click here to book a consultation
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
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