Dry Lips : Causes, Types, Treatment and Symptoms

Dry lips, also known as chapped lips or cheilitis, cause lips to feel dry, tight, and unpleasant, with symptoms including flaking, peeling, redness, and even bleeding or breaking. Environmental factors, such as dry or cold weather and sun exposure, are prevalent causes, as are habits that include frequent lip licking and underlying conditions, such as dehydration, allergies, or vitamin deficiencies.

Most common Dry Lips symptoms:

• Dryness and flakiness
• Cracking and peeling
• Redness and irritation
• Soreness and burning
• Itching or tingling
• Sore or ulcers
• Bleeding and swelling
• Tightness when moving the lips

Common, Uncommon or Underlying Causes of Dry Lips

Dry lips can result from various causes, including common environmental factors and less frequent medical disorders. The skin on the lips is oversensitive to both internal and external changes in the body, as it is thin and lacks oil glands.

1. Common Causes:

• Dehydration
• Mouth breathing
• Habitual lip licking
• Poor oral hygiene
• Irritation from lip balm, toothpaste, cosmetics, or food allergies
• Environmental factors, such as cold or dry and windy weather

2. Nutritional Deficiencies:

• Iron and zinc deficiency cause peeling of the lips and inflammation
• Vitamin B (B2, B3, B6, B9 & B12) causes skin inflammation, cracked lips and sores

3. Medical Conditions:

• Diabetes
• Skin conditions like eczema or psoriasis
• Certain thyroid problems and digestive issues
• Infections like oral candidiasis or herpes simplex virus (HSV)
• Autoimmune conditions, such as Crohn’s disease, lupus, or Sjögren’s syndrome

4. Certain Medications:

• Medications that may cause dry lips as a side effect

5. Stress-induced:

• Impaired barrier function due to elevated stress and cortisol levels
• Reduced saliva production (xerostomia)

6. Anatomical Vulnerability:

• Including the absence of an oil gland and thinner skin

When to Seek a Specialist for Your Dry Lips?

It is advisable to seek the advice of a specialist, such as a dermatologist, allergist, or general practitioner, if your dry lips do not go away with simple treatment or if they are accompanied by additional symptoms. They can assist in determining the underlying reason and recommending a treatment strategy, particularly if the problem is tied to an internal health issue or requires specialist care.

• If your lips experience swelling and itching after using a new lip balm, toothpaste or mouthwash, and new foods and drinks.
• Any spores that do not heal after a few weeks.
• If the affected site shows severe pain, pus formation, profuse bleeding and immense swelling.
• If your lips are dry consistently for 2-3 weeks.
• In the cases of serious yeast infection (angular or actinic cheilitis).
• Uncontrolled side effects from medications

Don’t wait for signs to grow severe. Consult our Dermatologists today

Diagnostic Approach for Dry Lips

Diagnosing dry lips starts with a detailed medical history and physical exam by a general practitioner or dermatologist, and if common causes are ruled out, specialized tests may be needed to uncover underlying conditions. The process includes discussing symptoms, visually inspecting your lips, and conducting tests if necessary. Because dry lips can be a symptom of various illnesses, a proper diagnosis may require a coordinated approach with other experts, such as a dentist and rheumatologist.

• How long has dry lips been a problem.
• Have you recently changed your skincare or everyday habits, such as balms, creams, toothpaste, food, lip licking, or mouth breathing.
• Consider your exposure to the sun or wind, as well as any drugs you’re taking.
• If you have other symptoms, like dry eyes or joint pain.
• Allergies or skin diseases like eczema or psoriasis are present.
• Look for signs of specific cheilitis types, such as angular cheilitis (cracks at the corners) or actinic cheilitis (scaly patches), as well as any fungal or bacterial infections, signs of inflammation, and consider the overall health of your mouth.
• Perform specialized diagnostic tests like allergy patch testing, biopsy or other lab testing

Types of Dry Lips

Dry lips, also known as cheilitis, can range from common, transitory varieties caused by environmental or lifestyle causes to more complex, long-term forms that may necessitate a dermatologist’s diagnosis. The last scenario could imply a more significant underlying condition.

• Temporary types:
  – Cheilitis simplex – Chapped lower lip from dry weather, dehydration, or prolonged lip licking causes dry, cracked, and peeling skin.
  – Irritant contact cheilitis – Caused by substances like cosmetics, spicy foods, or mouth breathing, causes scaling of the lips.
  – Drug-induced cheilitis – Discontinuation of certain medications like antidepressants, diuretics, and chemotherapy drugs.
  Nutritional cheilitis – Dry, cracked lips often indicate nutritional deficiencies
• Persistent type:
  – Angular cheilitis – Inflammation and cracking at the corners of the mouth, often caused by fungal or bacterial infections and worsens with drooling and ill-fitting dentures.
  – Allergic contact cheilitis – An allergic reaction that leads to all the signs of inflammation caused by lip cosmetics, fragrances, flavoring products and toothpaste.
  – Actinic cheilitis – A precancerous condition caused by chronic sun exposure, typically seen on the lower lip.
  – Exfoliative cheilitis – A chronic condition showcasing prolonged peeling and flaking of the lips, often linked to compulsive lip-licking and psychological stress.
  – Glandular cheilitis – A rare, chronic inflammatory condition of the minor salivary glands, commonly seen in older males, causing tenderness and crusting.
  – Granulomatous cheilitis – It can occur separately or in conjunction with a systemic inflammatory disease (Crohn’s disease).

How to Treat Dry Lips Symptoms?

Dry lip symptoms can be alleviated with a mix of lifestyle changes, home treatments, and over-the-counter medicines. The ideal method is to treat the existing dryness while also protecting your lips from future discomfort.

For underlying causes, treatments & management strategies include:

• Apply a thick ointment regularly, either petroleum jelly or shea/cacao butter.
• Use a lip balm with broad-spectrum sun protection.
• Avoid licking or biting your lips to prevent protective moisture
• Avoid picking at flaky skin to prevent further damage, bleeding, and promote healing
• Avoid irritating ingredients like menthol, fragrances, and eucalyptus; flavored lip products; and also physical face scrubbing.
• Application of anti-fungal or anti-antibiotic creams for angular cheilitis
• Analyze and avoid the allergen through patch tests for allergic contact cheilitis
• Surgical intervention from a dermatologist for actinic cheilitis

What if Dry Lips is Left Untreated?

Untreated dry lips, particularly those that are persistent, can result in a number of problems, ranging from worsening pain and infection to more significant underlying medical issues. Persistent dryness can get worse over time, but occasional chapping from environmental factors is usually innocuous and goes away on its own.

• Continued cycles of dryness that worsen over time
• Deep cracks or fissures with pronounced peeling
• Bleeding of the lips with delayed healing
• Increased pain and sensitivity
• Leading to bacterial or fungal infections
• Recurring conditions transforming into a chronic problem
• Watch for the symptoms and signs of dry lips to address the risk of skin cancer.

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