Lip Dermatitis

What does inflammation of the lips look like?

Many people have dry, chapped lips that require daily lip balm. However, if your lips stay chapped despite the frequent use of lip balms, you may have more than just chapped lips. You may be experiencing inflammation (or dermatitis/cheilitis) of the lips.

Inflammation may result in redness of the lips or on the skin around the lips. It may also result in a very dry, flaky appearance. When severe, it can cause cracking. Some people feel itchy, while others feel pain or burning of the lips.

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This inflammation may be caused by irritant or allergic reactions.

Irritant Dermatitis:

One of the most common causes of irritation is licking the lips. Patients don't even realize that they lick their lips in many cases. It may be parents, spouses, or friends who note the habit. This can start with dry lips, which people may try to wet with their tongue either on purpose or unconsciously. This wetting of the lips, followed by air drying, can set up a wetting/drying cycle that progresses to inflammation.

Making a conscious effort to stop licking the lips can help, although this can be difficult for children [just as it's hard to stop nail biting].

Allergic Dermatitis:

Other patients develop inflamed lips due to allergic reactions. There are two main types of allergic reactions. One type is a classic food allergy. The other type is allergic contact dermatitis (ACD).

With this type of irritation, the reaction classically takes 48 hours to occur, although it can appear less than a day following exposure or as long as a week following exposure.

What substances trigger dermatitis or cheilitis of the lips? How can I avoid these?

• The most common allergens are certain fragrance additives. These additives also serve as flavourings. These flavourings can be found in chapsticks, lip balms, toothpaste, mouthwash, chewing gum, makeup, and other products.
• Some allergenic flavourings are naturally found in certain foods, such as cinnamon, vanilla, tomatoes, and citrus fruits
• Other preservatives and additives in skincare products and makeup can be a trigger.
• Metals and certain chemicals used in dental procedures can also trigger reactions.
• Skincare ingredients such as lanolin, a moisturizing ingredient found in Aquaphor, can also trigger allergic reactions.

How can I avoid these? What products should I use?

1. Stop all chapsticks, Burt's Bees products, and lip balms such as Carmex, Blistex, or EOS. All of these can contain allergy-causing flavourings.

2. Use only pure Vaseline petroleum jelly for lips (no fragrance or flavouring)

3. Stop chewing gum, mints, and mouthwash for eight weeks.

4. Change your toothpaste to one with minimal flavouring such as Biotene PBF Toothpaste, Boiron Homeodent Natural Toothpaste, Tom's of Maine Natural Anticavity Toothpaste for Children: Strawberry

​5. Stop wearing lip makeup.

Note that every product must contain additives, and some people are allergic to less common substances. Therefore, if these recommendations do not help, you may require further testing.

It can take up to 8 weeks of allergen avoidance for your skin to recover.

Your skin specialist often will recommend or prescribe a medicated ointment to use on your lips during this time to help with the inflammation.