Lip-licking dermatitis is a chronic irritant contact dermatitis caused by repeated exposure of saliva to the upper and lower cutaneous lip. Note also deep fissures on lips. One way to keep the lips moist is by licking them. Making a purchase through our links may earn Well+Good a commission. It can be particularly irritating due to the resulting pain and appearance, but also because it might be quite difficult to figure out its cause. Although chapsticks and lip balms are often used on dry, chapped lips, they may actually trigger allergic reactions on the lips, known as allergic contact dermatitis or cheilitis. Shop now: Vaseline Lip Therapy Advanced Formula, $6, Petroleum and dimethicone serve as moisturizing barriers in this ointment. The condition is an irritant contact dermatitis caused by saliva. “ [Vaseline] contains petrolatum which … In contrast to allergic contact dermatitis, itching is usually modest or … The rash may extend as far as the tongue can reach and frequently spares the angle of the mouth. “When we lick our lips it makes things worse.”. Then we keep licking and on and on.” She says lip licker’s dermatitis is the medical terminology for what is typically happening with dry lips. Tips for treating Lip Licker’s Dermatits: 1. Lip Lick Dermatitis – Childrens Faces This month I am showing you a very common problem which often causes a lot of confusion and concern. Lip balms or ointment Seal in moisture with a lip balm or ointment. The rash may extend as far as the tongue can reach and frequently spares the angle of the mouth. Read our Privacy Policy and Terms and Conditions. CA Do Not Sell My Personal Information     Sitemap redirect. And then another reason for lip licking that involves the mouth can be lip fold dermatitis or lip fold pyoderma. “When we lick our lips it makes things worse.” … Dry lips may crack, become scaly and even bleed. [4] Breaking the cycle (dryness, then licking, followed by more dryness) is key to treatment. [10], The diagnosis of lip licker's dermatitis is from the history and inspection of the rash. 1 The erythematous rash involves the perioral area and characteristically includes the vermilion border of the lips. “When our lips are dry, we tend to lick our lips, which creates a vicious cycle,” says Dr. Campbell. These signs are important in helping you identify it. Lip Licker’s Dermatitis. Lip-licking is a compensatory measure that perpetuates the condition and often leads to lip-licking dermatitis. This is associated with cracked and chapped lips. When the lips get dried your child will more likely moisten the lips by saliva. If You’re Not a Straight, White Man, Medical Research Might Be Overlooking You—but Here’s How to Change That. The problem is exaggerated and often entirely confined to the skin immediately adjacent to the lips or extending to a distance of about 1.5 cm. “Dry lips happen just like dry skin due to the lack of humidity in the air due to the season change and use of heaters that further dry out the air,” she says. Barrier ointments keep moisture in and keep dry air out. A few symptoms may accompany eczema. Patiënten gaan met de tong langs de lippen omdat de lippen droog zijn. Lip licker’s dermatitis is marked by chapped lips that extend over the lip borders and onto the adjacent skin. Common symptoms of lip dermatitis include: redness or a rash on or surrounding the lips dryness and flakiness of the skin around the lips itching scaling splitting of the lips [3][5] Chapping may also occur, especially in cold weather. Note also deep fissures on lips. Oh hi! Licking chapped lips doesn’t help; on the other hand it makes the lips drier by scraping off the oil surrounding the lips causing a red ring around your lips. [11][3], Generous application of bland emollients can improve the rash. Lip licker's dermatitis, also called irritant contact cheilitis, is a type of skin inflammation around the lips due to saliva from repetitive lip licking. Eczema on the lips, also called lip dermatitis or eczematous cheilitis, causes a characteristic redness, drying, and scaling of the lips. One way to keep the lips moist is by licking them. You look like someone who loves free workouts, discounts for cult-fave wellness brands, and exclusive Well+Good content. © 2021 Well+Good LLC. Vaseline is known as the “Swiss Army Knife” of beauty products because it has so many different uses. Eczema on the lips is also known as lip dermatitis and eczematous cheilitis. Irritant dermatitis may also be seen in adults, especially those whose occupations or personal behaviors cause them to over-wash their hands. Lip lickers dermatitis is a form of irritant contact dermatitis. When shopping for a barrier ointment, Dr. Campbell says to look for something that’s free of propolis, a common contact allergen that is commonly found in products made with beeswax. “Dry lips happen just like dry skin due to the lack of humidity in the air due to the season change and use of heaters that further dry out the air,” she says. [8], Compulsive licking of lips causing lip licker's dermatitis is also seen as psychological disorder. Irritant contact cheilitis – lip-licking is the major cause of this type of eczematous cheilitis. It is more noticeable in people with fair skin or complexion. As the skin around the mouth gets irritated, many will begin to lick at it, which makes it even more red and irritated. Basically, lip licking dermatitis is aggravated by licking the lips since the moisture from the saliva dries out the lips even further which ones virtually thinks is a moistening act. [4] It can also occur with lip chewing, thumb sucking, or excessive drooling. “So best to just reapply the vaseline or ointment every time you lick. Well+Good decodes and demystifies what it means to live a well life, inside and out. is known as the “Swiss Army Knife” of beauty products. Especially when not a single lip balm seems to fix the issue. Shop three of Dr. Campbell’s favorite barrier ointments to heal lips experiencing lip-lickers dermatitis below. “Lastly, hyaluronic acid in the healing ointment is one of the most moisturizing ingredients that can be applied to the skin.”. Other common causes of irritant cheilitis include cosmetics, foods and environmental factors. This is lip licker’s dermatitis, caused by habitual licking of the lips and the skin around the mouth. [9], Persistent and continuous breathing from the mouth can cause dry lips and result in the temptation to repeatedly lick the lips with the aim to keep them moist. All rights reserved. [1][2][3] It is different to perioral dermatitis, which spares the vermillion border and is worsened by topical steroids. Lip Licker’s Dermatitis is characterized by a red-brown scaling patch around the mouth with mild to major lip dryness that is, at a minimum, annoying, and, at worst, painful. [6], Repeated licking resulting in a cycle of wetting and drying causes the redness, fissuring, and scale. Vaseline Lip Therapy Advanced Formula, $6 Lip-lickers dermatitis likely gets worse as the temperatures drop. 1. On the skin, this condition is known as dermatitis. Products with glycerin, hyaluronic acid, or sodium PCA also have been shown to help. Maar hierdoor droogt de lippenhuid en de huid daar omheen alleen nog maar meer uit. As things become less dry you’re less likely to lick again and can break the cycle.”. Your saliva contains digestive enzymes to start the … Lip licker's dermatitismay also be a manifestation of underlyingstress.Lip licker's dermatitis should be distinguished fromperioral dermatitis. TBH, I Always Thought Fiber Was Just for Digestion—but It’s the Beauty Benefits That Hooked Me, We Asked a Dermatologist to Answer the Most-Googled Skin-Care Questions of 2020. “Another product that is great for really chapped lips is Dr. Dan’s Cortibalm, which contains hydrocortisone which can help calm the inflammation from severely chapped lips,” says Dr. Campbell. You may be experiencing inflammation of the lips. It is caused when chemicals in our saliva come in contact with our lips and surrounding skin. “Ceramides in CeraVe Healing Ointment also restore the skin’s own barrier as they are the lipids in our skin that serve as the normal barrier,” says Dr. Campbell. Also called lip dermatitis or eczematous cheilitis, it’s an inflammatory skin condition that flares up and can lead to itchy rashes or painful blisters on or around the lips. Stop licking your lips at the first place. Sometimes, unlike in perioral dermatitis, topical steroids may be used for few days only. However, if your lips stay chapped despite frequent use of lip balms, you may have more than just chapped lips. However, it can show up to anyone. The rash can sometimes require an antifungal medication because it can become infected with yeast. Contact Dermatitis. The lip licker's dermatitis caused by habitual licking of the lips and the skin around the mouth. Muttardi K, White IR, Banerjee P. The burden of allergic contact dermatitis caused by acrylates. “[Vaseline] contains petrolatum which is a barrier that locks moisture in and keeps the outside environment out,” says Dr. Campbell. Liberal use of a mild, alcohol-free emollient around the mouth and on the lips is the best way to get the rash under control. You may notice redness, drying, and scaling on your lips. [7], Wind instrument players may also experience lip licker's dermatitis. Lip licker’s dermatitis or lick eczema is quite common among the children during winter season. It can help with everything from soothing chapped lips to protecting your eyebrow tint. The constant moisture from continued licking aggravates the damaged skin and a tender reddened rash appears. Liu T, Wan J, McKenna RA, Jackson OA, Treat JR. Allergic contact dermatitis caused by Dermabond in a paediatric patient undergoing skin surgery. “Contact allergy presents as itching, burning, red and scaly lips that can seem like continued dry lips, but actually be from the thing you were hoping would help,” says Dr. Campbell. Our editors independently select these products. 2016 Sep. 75 (3):157-64. . [1] It is important to distinguish it from allergic contact dermatitis and perioral dermatitis which are characterised by papules in the perioral area and sparing of the vermillion border, and worsened by topical steroids. Easier said than done, right? This is caused by habitual licking of the lips and the skin around the mouth. Brands such as Burt's Bees, EOS, Blistex, and Carmex may all trigger reactions in some people due to the flavorings and fragrance additives. Lip licker’s dermatitis is a self-explanatory term; it is obvious that it is the kind of skin allergy that is caused by the habit of licking your lips. Ingredients such as shea butter, lanolin, petrolatum, sunflower seed oil, squalane, and vitamin E are common. Inflammation may result in redness of the lips or on the skin around the lips. This problem is often identified as an inflammatory skin condition. So this is more common in breeds like the Cocker Spaniel, Bloodhound, Saint Bernard, Sharpays, Neapolitan Mastiffs, Bulldogs. And this condition ultimately leads to further dryness, chapping, and scaling which can widen outside the lip area too. Lip-lickers dermatitis likely gets worse as the temperatures drop. On the lips, it is known as cheilitis. Contact dermatitis in children …plantar dermatosis), or to the lips and perioral area (lip-licking dermatitis) Symptoms include burning, stinging, or discomfort. It’s a rash that occurs around the lips in response to chronic licking around the mouth with saliva. Contrary to POD, lip licker's dermatitis presents as a confluent erythema, scale and crust in a contiguous distribution without papules or pustules, and acne vulgaris can present with comedones affecting the cheeks, forehead, back, shoulders and chest areas and not only the perioral skin as in POD. Find information about its symptoms, causes, and Prevention. Lip-licker’s dermatitis is caused by licking chapped lips. Medical data might seem skewed toward one type of person. If you’ve got chronically dry lips, Caren Campbell, MD, a California-based board-certified dermatologist, says you may be suffering from lip licker’s dermatitis. Likewise, “lip-licker’s” dermatitis is an irritant contact dermatitis resulting from the chronic wet-to-dry cycle caused by lip licking . Lip dryness is, at a minimum annoying, and, at worst, painful. Causes Of Lip Licking Dermatitis Lips have almost no moisture glands in the dermis, causing them to be quite sensitive especially as noted above with climate changes. Stop lip biting and sucking too. This problem is common in arid winter climates, such as Minnesota. Lip licker's dermatitis, also called irritant contact cheilitis, is a type of skin inflammation around the lips due to saliva from repetitive lip licking. Vaseline: You may try vaseline or aquaphor, and apply after every time you lick your lips (and, of course, try to stop licking the lips). The condition is an irritant contact dermatitis caused by saliva. Allergic contact cheilitis – a relevant allergic reaction is identified in at least one-quarter of cases of eczematous cheilitis. “Especially with the rise in anxiety and lack of distractions, [lip-licking] can become a vicious cycle,” says Dr. Campbell. Redness around the lips in circumoral distribution with dryness and scale is typical. 2016 Sep. 75 (3):180-4. . Lip licking dermatitis is een orthoergisch eczeem van de lip dat ontstaat door het voortdurend aflikken van de lippen met de tong. The ICD-10-CM code L71.0 might also be used to specify conditions or terms like chronic lip fold dermatitis, inflammation of perioral skin fold, irritant contact dermatitis due to dribbling and/or teething, lip-licking eczema, perioral dermatitis , perioral dermatitis, etc. Redness Redness is a common sign. Get it daily. Counterintuitively, constant licking of the lips causes drying and irritation, and eventually the mucosa splits or cracks. Dry lips may crack, become scaly and even bleed. The best way to break this cycle is to avoid licking your lips. The erythematous rash involves the perioral area and characteristically includes the vermilion border of the lips. This condition is common among young children, but it can present in adolescents and adults. Sign up for Well+, our online community of wellness insiders, and unlock your rewards instantly. She also says to avoid products with cinnamon and mint, which could also trigger an allergic reaction. However, complete resolution will not occur until the lip licking stops. The resulting scaling, redness, chapping and crusting make a well-defined ring around the lips. There’s nothing fun about having dry lips. It is treated with simple moisturisers, emollients, and sometimes topical steroids. The resulting scaling, redness, chapping and crusting make a well-defined ring around the lips. Dr. Campbell says the best way to avoid the continued evaporation of water from lip-licking is to keep a barrier ointment on your lips. [4][3] Children are affected more often than adults. This lip licking leads to an augmentation of the condition and results in a state known as lip licking dermatitis, lip licker’s dermatitis or factitious dermatitis. Contact Dermatitis. This could be anything from licking your lips to … [12], "EK02.21 Irritant contact dermatitis due to saliva", "Environmental and Sports-Related Skin Diseases", "Periorbital Dermatitis: It's Not Every Rash That Occurs Around the Mouth", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Lip_licker%27s_dermatitis&oldid=998708319, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, Irritant contact cheilitis, perioral irritant contact dermatitis, perioral dermatitis, Lip licker's dermatitis from a child repeatedly licking lips, This page was last edited on 6 January 2021, at 17:38. Licker’s lip dermatitis Signs and Symptoms. That's because it is. Those dogs that have those folds, it's often in that bottom lip kind of on the side of their mouth. The word Dermatitis means skin inflammation. “When we lick our lips that moisture evaporates, further contributing to the dryness and irritation of the lips. 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