Why are my lips always dry and cracked?
Answered by the AskDoc Medical Team · Medically reviewed under our Medical Director, MBBS
Lip licking is the engine of most chronic chapping: saliva evaporates and takes moisture with it, prompting more licking. Weather, mouth breathing, dehydration and some toothpastes and balms with flavoring or menthol contribute, ironically including the balms bought to fix it.
Use a bland ointment, plain petrolatum or lanolin, many times daily, and drop flavored products for two weeks.
Cracks at the corners suggest a yeast overgrowth or iron and B vitamin deficits, both checkable and fixable. A single scaly patch on the lower lip that never heals, especially in sun-exposed adults, needs a professional look.
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Health education, not personal medical advice. In an emergency, contact your local emergency service now.