09/10/2026
Chapped lips that will not heal might not be chapped lips at all.
Cheilitis is inflammation of the lips and the skin around the mouth. Lips have no sebaceous glands of their own, so they depend entirely on saliva and outside products to stay hydrated. That built in vulnerability is why lips crack and peel more persistently than almost any other skin.
THE MAIN TYPES
Angular cheilitis shows up as cracking and redness at the corners of the mouth, usually driven by Candida or Staph feeding on trapped saliva. Ill fitting dentures, deep folds at the mouth corners, and habitual lip licking all create that moist reservoir.
Actinic cheilitis affects the lower lip after years of sun exposure. It causes persistent dryness, scaling, and a blurred lip border, and it is considered precancerous.
Contact cheilitis is an allergic or irritant reaction, often to fragrance, flavoring, or a preservative in lip balm, lipstick, or toothpaste.
Nutritional cheilitis can point to low iron, B2, or B12.
Exfoliative cheilitis is chronic peeling, frequently tied to habitual picking.
WHO IS MOST AT RISK
Denture wearers, chronic lip lickers and mouth breathers, outdoor workers, and anyone with atopic dermatitis or an iron deficiency.
WHAT ACTUALLY WORKS
Treatment depends on the cause. Angular cheilitis responds to a topical antifungal or antibacterial plus a barrier ointment. Actinic cheilitis needs daily lip specific SPF and sometimes a biopsy to rule out early skin cancer. Contact cheilitis improves once the trigger product is identified through patch testing and removed. Nutritional cases resolve once the deficiency is corrected.
SEE A DERMATOLOGIST if cracking persists past two weeks of consistent moisturizing, if you notice scaling or a rough patch that will not resolve, especially with years of sun exposure, or if a sore does not heal.
Link in bio to schedule with Mid-County Dermatology.