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What Causes Severely Chapped Lips, Swelling And Redness?
Question: Hi,
For the past 3 weeks I've had very chapped lips. It started out with them just being chapped, semi peeling. I was using various lip balms but to no avail, I felt no relief. Then, over the past week the chapped lip problem seemed to get worse. There was some swelling of my bottom lip to touch, and my bottom lip is red, especially under the vermillion border. Lips are still dry but no peeling. I decided to then try abreva but that only dried my lips out more and did not take the redness away. I have iced them to reduce swelling, and also thought it could be an allergic reaction so started taking benadryl. No luck. I recently tried some otc lotrimin thinking this might be some sort of fungal thing but no help there either. I have no bumps/pimples/sores or cracks in the corners of my mouth so I am baffled by what this could be. I'm at a loss, I have never had this before. I have had chapped lips in the past but I usually just use a lip moisturizer and it goes away in several days. Can you please help me with some advice? Thanks.
For the past 3 weeks I've had very chapped lips. It started out with them just being chapped, semi peeling. I was using various lip balms but to no avail, I felt no relief. Then, over the past week the chapped lip problem seemed to get worse. There was some swelling of my bottom lip to touch, and my bottom lip is red, especially under the vermillion border. Lips are still dry but no peeling. I decided to then try abreva but that only dried my lips out more and did not take the redness away. I have iced them to reduce swelling, and also thought it could be an allergic reaction so started taking benadryl. No luck. I recently tried some otc lotrimin thinking this might be some sort of fungal thing but no help there either. I have no bumps/pimples/sores or cracks in the corners of my mouth so I am baffled by what this could be. I'm at a loss, I have never had this before. I have had chapped lips in the past but I usually just use a lip moisturizer and it goes away in several days. Can you please help me with some advice? Thanks.
Brief Answer:
?allergy/vitamin deficiency
Detailed Answer:
Hi there.
Thanks for writing in.
I have seen the image you have sent. It seems like an allergic reaction .
Try to recollect what made your symptoms worse. Could it be a new face wash, toothpaste, detergents on the face towel not rinsed thoroughly, lipstick etc.
Avoid numerous lip balms... most of the commercial lip balms contain colours, fragrance and preservatives which could cause or worsen allergies.
Avoid licking your lips.
Avoid salty or spicy food, alcohol ,hot beverages.
Drink enough liquids, juices, water, tender coconut water.
I would advise you to apply pure petroleum jelly on your lips 3 to 5 times a day.
I know you have tried Benadryl, however, did you try it for a couple of days or just one dose? If it was just a single dose, you might want to try a tablet of levocetirizine at night for a couple of days. If it does not get better in 2 or 3 days , please consult your physician.
It could also be a symptom of an underlying vitamin deficiency/systemic disorder. Please visit a doctor and get the relevant investigations done.
Hope this information was helpful to you.
Hope you feel better soon :)
Take care.
Regards,
Dr. Divya Kuttikrishnan
?allergy/vitamin deficiency
Detailed Answer:
Hi there.
Thanks for writing in.
I have seen the image you have sent. It seems like an allergic reaction .
Try to recollect what made your symptoms worse. Could it be a new face wash, toothpaste, detergents on the face towel not rinsed thoroughly, lipstick etc.
Avoid numerous lip balms... most of the commercial lip balms contain colours, fragrance and preservatives which could cause or worsen allergies.
Avoid licking your lips.
Avoid salty or spicy food, alcohol ,hot beverages.
Drink enough liquids, juices, water, tender coconut water.
I would advise you to apply pure petroleum jelly on your lips 3 to 5 times a day.
I know you have tried Benadryl, however, did you try it for a couple of days or just one dose? If it was just a single dose, you might want to try a tablet of levocetirizine at night for a couple of days. If it does not get better in 2 or 3 days , please consult your physician.
It could also be a symptom of an underlying vitamin deficiency/systemic disorder. Please visit a doctor and get the relevant investigations done.
Hope this information was helpful to you.
Hope you feel better soon :)
Take care.
Regards,
Dr. Divya Kuttikrishnan
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. Shanthi.E
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