Sore, Chapped, Bleeding Lips, any advice?

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#1 Post by **Phil098342wq** » Wed Oct 24, 2007 7:26 pm

I am having some problems with chapped lips, my ortho called it by some med term. The corners of my mouth are SORE, CHAPPED, Bleeding and SORE, SORE. I have tried carmex and now Herpecin L. Did I mention, its sore. Both he and my dentist have no real suggestions. PLEASE CAN ANYONE HELP??? IT HURTS! And worse yet, if I do hook up with a girl, what will I say? Oh thatâ€™s nothing, I had an allergic reaction to the metal?

#2 Post by **Kat** » Thu Oct 25, 2007 4:48 am

Hammer the water. Call your ortho for a quick question and they will have the answer for you.

#3 Post by **Betty Bat** » Thu Oct 25, 2007 3:05 pm

Did your ortho call it "chelitis" or "angular chelitis"? Here's an interesting link (well, at least I thought it was interesting!) on some causes of and remedies for chelitis: http://www.dermadoctor.com/pages/newsletter185.asp

It talks about possible allergies, ingredients in toothpaste, and so on that could be causing the problems.

Thu Oct 25, 2007 5:16 pm

You could possibly be allergic to whatever medicine/salve you are putting on your chapped lips. I had a problem once where my lips just kept getting more and more chapped, the more Blistex I put on them the worse they got. Then I finally realized I was allergic to Blistex. I think Carmex has the same stuff in it as Blistex.

Now I use chapstick or vaseline. I would experiment with different stuff. But not at the same time of course.

#5 Post by **cybersiren** » Thu Oct 25, 2007 8:23 pm

Are you wearing elastics? I had the exact same thing happen to me. Sore, severely chapped, bloody, crusty lips in the corners for about 6 months. Nothing I tried seemed to help. When my ortho couldn't figure it out, my dentist suggested not wearing my elastics for a couple days and voila! The problem dissapeared over night. I was allegic to the latex in the elastics! Now I wear non-latex elastics and my lips have never had a problem since. Try asking your ortho if he can switch you over to non-latex.

#6 Post by **Apple** » Sat Oct 27, 2007 12:45 pm

I had similar problems. I'm not certain what the cause was, but I switched to latex-free elastics and I use vasoline for my lips. I can't even use the vasoline for lips.... just plain vasoline. I think there is something in chapsticks that can hurt chap lips. Using the plain vasoline, my lips still dry out a bit, but I reapply often and drink water throughout the day.
Hope this helps.

#7 Post by **Miss Smiley** » Sat Oct 27, 2007 9:04 pm

OH Blistex makes my lips really dry and nasty, they get all white like I have been frothing at the mouth like a rabid beast. I stopped using it and have had better luck not using the lip balm and just drinking tons of water.

#8 Post by **TigerLily** » Sun Oct 28, 2007 10:55 am

Well, I'm a braces newbie..but I do know a little bit about lip balms

First of all, I'd avoid anything with petrolatum, so that's Vaseline and most drugstore stuff. Whilst it's great as a barrier, it stops skin renewing itself.

Look for something that is based on beeswax, shea or cocoa butter.
These are my absolute fave lip balms which are ultra nourishing. I'm afraid I'm in the UK so the shops might seem a bit UK centric but assuming you are in the States and may have access to a WholeFoods.
REN acacia honey (also my hubby's favourite) - Space NK, WholeFoods, the ManKind website
Nuxe (the one in the pot, the wand one is more a sun protection one) - Boots the chemist or in French pharmacies where it's cheaper
Shea butter - in a small tin from L'Occitane or get it online in the US from Canadian-based http://www.essentialdayspa.com/
Jurlique - advantage in a tube so more hygienic than a pot but pricy. This one's also at http://www.essentialdayspa.com

You might also be interested in checking out lanolin. I have never tried it myself but have read good things about it sorting issues like yours. Make sure to get the spreadable kind though.

Once your lips are not bleeding so much, try brushing them one night with a soft toothbrush and then apply extra lip balm.

Hope that helps.

#9 Post by **KikiloSugilo** » Sun Oct 28, 2007 5:26 pm

Hi Phil098342wq, I've had minor problems with chapped lips off and on, and one of the best things to do (as many have already stated) is to drink water. A self-proclaimed chapstick junkie, I'd advise against using anything with petroleum in it, including Vaseline and Aquaphor because your skin does not absorb petroleum, therefore rendering them useless. However, what I have found that works are, Burt's Bees beeswax lip balm, shea butter, and the 100% natural version of chapstick that is a combination of various butters.