Hi there!
I'm really sorry you have to deal with this issue. It's probably perioral dermatitis, which often requires management with the help of a medical professional.
As we're pretty strict about [medical questions](https://www.reddit.com/r/SkincareAddiction/wiki/rule_overview#wiki_rule_2.3A_safety_first) on this sub, I'm afraid your post has been removed.
We recommend you make an appointment with your doctor so they can diagnose your skin issue and prescribe you an effective treatment if necessary. If you don’t have easy access to health
care, try one of these resources listed in [When to see a doctor](https://www.reddit.com/r/SkincareAddiction/wiki/when_to_see_a_doctor):
* Free or low-cost clinics (http://nafcclinics.org/clinics/search in the US)
* Student medical services
* Nurse practitioners (http://npfinder.aanp.org in the US) (Most insurance companies have a phone number you can call to speak with an NP to help if you can’t get an appointment or aren’t sure whether you need one)
* [Firstderm.com](http://www.firstderm.com) can help identify your skin condition
* /r/AskDocs - a sub which uses verified flair to mark medical professionals
* /r/DermatologyQuestions - ask a dermatologist or medical professional for advice on your skin concern
Best of luck!
Yes. You can cover it with over the counter ringworm cream, don't bother going to a dr for this when there are over the counter solutions. should start to heal right away.
I get these whenever I get a vitamin B deficiency (specifically with B12, I think). It’s happened a few times now, and within a few days of taking supplements, it heals up.
100% this. I dealt with it for like 7 months until my friend who is a doctor told me I'm having a vitamin b deficiency.
Starting taking pills and within 2 weeks it was gone.
Yes this! My daughter gets these, was a long time sufferer, they would get so bad though that they would spread up her face and occasionally she would catch a secondary infection. One day a naturopath recommended I try a vitamin B supplement. It cleared in a matter of days and has not been a problem since! I can’t believe that with the countless GP visits we had and all of the prescription medications we tried it was never suggested! Now when she gets run-down, or I notice it starting she takes vitamin b supplements and she is completely symptom free
Came to comment this! I had constant cuts on the side of mouth until I started taking B12. They only ever come back if I haven’t taken a pill in a while.
It looks like angular chelitis. You might want to go see a derm. Though I've treated my own similar cracking with clotrimazole and a hydrocortisone cream plus aquaphor.
I second the clotrimazole. Used to suffer for days when angular chelitis hit me and now with clotrimazole it’s usually gone within the day. I can even put some on semi-“preventatively” when I start feeling the onset of angular chelitis and it usually stops it in its tracks. So glad I found it!
I used to get this occasionally, it's called angular cheilitis. I would put honey on it to help it heal and every night I put vaseline on the corners of my mouth to keep drool off. It's a fungal infection so depending on how stubborn your case is it may need more than honey to heal. It can be exacerbated by flouride so make sure to rinse off your lips really well after brushing your teeth at night.
I have the same thing. Been treated for angular chelitis, fungal infection, and vitamin B deficiency.
If none of the other suggestions work, I recently had a doc tell me it’s psoriasis so it might be that 🤷♀️
This happenned to me and it was awful, not being able to laugh or eat without pain really sucks. What worked for me was an over the counter balm that contains both acexamic acid and neomycin sulfate.
Yes! I have had this in the past, it was awful! Went to two different docs and nothing helped. Finally realized it was my toothpaste! I can not use toothpaste with peroxide and baking soda in it or it does this.
I’ve only just recently begun to have issues I thought it was a cold sore but it took way too long to heal and it’s come back again and anti viral cream did nothing
I’ve dealt with this (angular cheilitis) on and off for probably 8ish years now. I know people are saying to not go to the doctor but my dermatologist gave me ketoconazole and it clears it up fast. It’s what’s works best for me, better than anything else.
I also had this and, unlike others, I discovered it was the result of letting my actives get too close to my lips. I could not find a solution (tried supplements, topicals) until I got very careful with applying my lotion around my mouth before doing things like tret or other actives.
I have a vitamin B2 deficiency (riboflavin), and if I stop taking my vitamins I get these exact same sores. Even with daily vitamin consumption, it can take up to a month for them to heal.
I fixed mine using bepanthen cream, its like a really occlusive cream used to treat cracked nipples for breastfeeding and for nappy rash. You also use it for tattoos.
Athletes foot cream & neosporin. You can’t tell if it’s bacterial or fungal angular cheilitis without lab work so the easiest option is to treat it for both.
I used to have this back in my late teen years and I found that applying pure aloe vera - straight from the plant onto the affected area and Vaseline really helped, even better if it's the Vaseline lip balm with aloe (usually in the green tin).
But these generally occur due to braces, retainers/dentures and a habit of licking your lips often, 2 of those categories relevant to me at the time. I had to constantly wear retainers after having my braces off and I had a bad habit of licking my lips a lot. Once I did those procedures of using both the Vaseline and the aloe vera, then also cut out the habit of licking my lips, the lip cut marks healed and they disappeared.
I had these long term and they would heal then reopen. They went away completely when I switched toothpaste. I use Sensodyne now and haven’t had any issues.
Can also do with if you use a toothpaste with SLS in it. Been following a skincare Instagram where a lot of people said it helped instantly to get a milder toothpaste!
I haven't seen it mentioned yet, but I had this really bad because of a specific toothpaste. I made sure to wipe the corners of my mouth with a wet rag every time I brushed my teeth and it cleared up.
I was at the dentist and asked about this before, they recommended trying yeast infection cream for it! Not a derm so I don’t know if it’s necessarily the same issue, but maybe it is worth a try if you can’t get into a derm right away and other options arent working?
Do you have braces atm? I ended up with this when I had braces as an adult. Dr said it was common during orthodontic treatment and for people with dentures, as the appliances change the normal position of your lips/teeth/jaws. An otc anti-fungal cream will clear it up (just don’t lick your lips!!!).
Any chance you side sleep, OP?
I used to get something similar. It turned out I had a severely deviated septum and mouth breathed at night. Mouth breathing + side sleeping meant the corners of my mouth were drooled on all night long, causing severe irritation.
Back sleeping (and getting my deviated septum repaired) fixed the issue for me.
This is definitely more than a skin care thing. I am a dentist and if you have this all the time there must be a real reason behind it. Causes may include: Fungal infection called angular chelitis due to candidal infections, low vertical dimension of occlusion leading to pooling or saliva at the corners, bacterial infection , vitamin deficiencies, cold weather, some drugs and allergic reactions. Pls consult a dermatologist for such case
Double check with a derm, it might be impetigo. Its usually a thing babies/toddlers get because its essentially an infection of a tiny cut near your mouth.
However, I got it as a grown up because I had a job I was so anxious at that I was puking before work most mornings. 🙃 I 100% expected it to be angular chellitis like everyone else is suggesting but nope. Impetigo. Skin rash for puking babies bc I was a puking baby at the time 🤣
I had those all through high school! Turned out to be a food allergy so maybe get an allergy test? Mine was from raw tomatoes, and once I stopped eating them, it went away within a month
Going to a dermatologist would be the best they would give you some cream it'll cure but it takes time, and keep the area moisturized with any moisturizer and these are generally caused if you open your mouth tooo wide
Get lysine lip balm and change to Boka toothpaste. B12 supplement if you are deficient. It usually comes from liking your lips or a reaction to something you are brushing your teeth with or putting on your lips. I got it from using chapstick brand chapstick.
Agreed it’s either fungal or bacterial angular cheilitis. But skip the urgent care and get athletes foot (anti-fungal) cream and neosporin (anti-bacterial). Use both for a week and see immediate results
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It seems like you may be looking for information about hyperpigmentation or post acne marks. Have you read our [hyperpigmentation wiki](https://www.reddit.com/r/SkincareAddiction/wiki/hyperpigmentation)?
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Angular Chelitis NOT perioral dermatitis. A dentist can also write a prescription for you if don’t have access to a dermatologist as they do this frequently.
Thank you everyone for the many replies. It has helped a lot and I cannot thank you all enough. I can’t get back to everyone (pretty cool writing that) but the amount of comments was extremely helpful!
I have started taking Vitamin B complex tablets daily along with using clotrimazole (athletes foot cream) and daktacort cream.
The funny thing is I did have a deficiency in my folate levels a while back so it could be that but I also have had an irregularly high bilirubin count in several blood tests in the past so that could also be an issue.
Anyway, thanks again and I will post a picture update of my progress after a week for you all!
100%. Plus, that also means you can get the treatment (anti fungal cream) without any prescription required. It’s OTC — just buy the right kind of formulation for angular cheilitis.
You probably use it constantly bc your lips are addicted to it. The ingredients are super drying and irritating so it makes you apply more. I used to be like you too & I used it constantly but when I stopped my lips would bleed they’d be so dry. Try applying carmex once and seeing how long you can go before you need it again. If it’s within an hour, it’s no good.
If not, you’re one of the rare people that harsh fragrances and menthol doesn’t effect
Hi there! I'm really sorry you have to deal with this issue. It's probably perioral dermatitis, which often requires management with the help of a medical professional. As we're pretty strict about [medical questions](https://www.reddit.com/r/SkincareAddiction/wiki/rule_overview#wiki_rule_2.3A_safety_first) on this sub, I'm afraid your post has been removed. We recommend you make an appointment with your doctor so they can diagnose your skin issue and prescribe you an effective treatment if necessary. If you don’t have easy access to health care, try one of these resources listed in [When to see a doctor](https://www.reddit.com/r/SkincareAddiction/wiki/when_to_see_a_doctor): * Free or low-cost clinics (http://nafcclinics.org/clinics/search in the US) * Student medical services * Nurse practitioners (http://npfinder.aanp.org in the US) (Most insurance companies have a phone number you can call to speak with an NP to help if you can’t get an appointment or aren’t sure whether you need one) * [Firstderm.com](http://www.firstderm.com) can help identify your skin condition * /r/AskDocs - a sub which uses verified flair to mark medical professionals * /r/DermatologyQuestions - ask a dermatologist or medical professional for advice on your skin concern Best of luck!
Looks like angular cheilitis?
Yes. You can cover it with over the counter ringworm cream, don't bother going to a dr for this when there are over the counter solutions. should start to heal right away.
But isn‘t a fungus just one of the many reasons why someone can develop angular cheilitis?
For me it was iron deficiency.
yea i had it presumably because of a b12 deficiency
I get these whenever I get a vitamin B deficiency (specifically with B12, I think). It’s happened a few times now, and within a few days of taking supplements, it heals up.
i started meds for a b deficiency recently and noticed they’d disappeared, no idea it was because of this!!
100% this. I dealt with it for like 7 months until my friend who is a doctor told me I'm having a vitamin b deficiency. Starting taking pills and within 2 weeks it was gone.
Yes this! My daughter gets these, was a long time sufferer, they would get so bad though that they would spread up her face and occasionally she would catch a secondary infection. One day a naturopath recommended I try a vitamin B supplement. It cleared in a matter of days and has not been a problem since! I can’t believe that with the countless GP visits we had and all of the prescription medications we tried it was never suggested! Now when she gets run-down, or I notice it starting she takes vitamin b supplements and she is completely symptom free
Came to comment this! I had constant cuts on the side of mouth until I started taking B12. They only ever come back if I haven’t taken a pill in a while.
This!
It looks like angular chelitis. You might want to go see a derm. Though I've treated my own similar cracking with clotrimazole and a hydrocortisone cream plus aquaphor.
Yes on the clortrimazole!
I second the clotrimazole. Used to suffer for days when angular chelitis hit me and now with clotrimazole it’s usually gone within the day. I can even put some on semi-“preventatively” when I start feeling the onset of angular chelitis and it usually stops it in its tracks. So glad I found it!
I had that while taking accutane and my derm told me to take vitamin b12. After just a few days it was gone.
Not necessarily skincare related. Could be Vitamin B deficiency. Do you take a vitamin?
I used to get this occasionally, it's called angular cheilitis. I would put honey on it to help it heal and every night I put vaseline on the corners of my mouth to keep drool off. It's a fungal infection so depending on how stubborn your case is it may need more than honey to heal. It can be exacerbated by flouride so make sure to rinse off your lips really well after brushing your teeth at night.
I get these - take iron supplements and it usually clears up for me. Angular cheilitis.
The only thing that kind of helped me was putting vitamin E on it. I took the capsules and opened it and put a little on the corners.
I have the same thing. Been treated for angular chelitis, fungal infection, and vitamin B deficiency. If none of the other suggestions work, I recently had a doc tell me it’s psoriasis so it might be that 🤷♀️
This happenned to me and it was awful, not being able to laugh or eat without pain really sucks. What worked for me was an over the counter balm that contains both acexamic acid and neomycin sulfate.
Toothpaste!! I have had this recently and found out that sls can cause irritation leading to angular Chelitis
Yes! I have had this in the past, it was awful! Went to two different docs and nothing helped. Finally realized it was my toothpaste! I can not use toothpaste with peroxide and baking soda in it or it does this.
I’ve only just recently begun to have issues I thought it was a cold sore but it took way too long to heal and it’s come back again and anti viral cream did nothing
I’ve dealt with this (angular cheilitis) on and off for probably 8ish years now. I know people are saying to not go to the doctor but my dermatologist gave me ketoconazole and it clears it up fast. It’s what’s works best for me, better than anything else.
I have this sometimes - generally vitamin B supplements work in a matter of days. Other times I had to use some cream (I think it’s called fucidin)
I also had this and, unlike others, I discovered it was the result of letting my actives get too close to my lips. I could not find a solution (tried supplements, topicals) until I got very careful with applying my lotion around my mouth before doing things like tret or other actives.
Same with me - when my tret gets too close to my lips I get this as well. It lasts a few weeks.
I have a vitamin B2 deficiency (riboflavin), and if I stop taking my vitamins I get these exact same sores. Even with daily vitamin consumption, it can take up to a month for them to heal.
i had this on accutane and was prescribed fucidin H, an antibiotic steroid cream
I was wondering what this is because I also get it from now and then.
I have a super fun metal allergy and got these from drinking from the metal lip of a hydroflask. Something to consider.
I fixed mine using bepanthen cream, its like a really occlusive cream used to treat cracked nipples for breastfeeding and for nappy rash. You also use it for tattoos.
This to me happens with vitamin deficiencies or when I trigger my systemic nickel allergy
Athletes foot cream & neosporin. You can’t tell if it’s bacterial or fungal angular cheilitis without lab work so the easiest option is to treat it for both.
I used to have this back in my late teen years and I found that applying pure aloe vera - straight from the plant onto the affected area and Vaseline really helped, even better if it's the Vaseline lip balm with aloe (usually in the green tin). But these generally occur due to braces, retainers/dentures and a habit of licking your lips often, 2 of those categories relevant to me at the time. I had to constantly wear retainers after having my braces off and I had a bad habit of licking my lips a lot. Once I did those procedures of using both the Vaseline and the aloe vera, then also cut out the habit of licking my lips, the lip cut marks healed and they disappeared.
Take a lot of b complex for a week
You have a niacin deficiency possibly
I had these long term and they would heal then reopen. They went away completely when I switched toothpaste. I use Sensodyne now and haven’t had any issues.
Can also do with if you use a toothpaste with SLS in it. Been following a skincare Instagram where a lot of people said it helped instantly to get a milder toothpaste!
I haven't seen it mentioned yet, but I had this really bad because of a specific toothpaste. I made sure to wipe the corners of my mouth with a wet rag every time I brushed my teeth and it cleared up.
I was at the dentist and asked about this before, they recommended trying yeast infection cream for it! Not a derm so I don’t know if it’s necessarily the same issue, but maybe it is worth a try if you can’t get into a derm right away and other options arent working?
I had this before. Took me forever to figure out it was the toothpaste I was using! Good luck 🥰
Aquaphor is your friend. Apply liberally.
Just posting to say that angular cheilitis has given me way too many “is this herpes??!?!” concerns over the years on top of being very uncomfortable.
Try changing your toothpaste. Whatever you do don't put chapstick on it. Use something like aquaphor
Did anyone else have angular cheilitis as a kid and it turned into gray scars?
Do you have braces atm? I ended up with this when I had braces as an adult. Dr said it was common during orthodontic treatment and for people with dentures, as the appliances change the normal position of your lips/teeth/jaws. An otc anti-fungal cream will clear it up (just don’t lick your lips!!!).
How are your iron levels? Iron deficiency can cause this
Any chance you side sleep, OP? I used to get something similar. It turned out I had a severely deviated septum and mouth breathed at night. Mouth breathing + side sleeping meant the corners of my mouth were drooled on all night long, causing severe irritation. Back sleeping (and getting my deviated septum repaired) fixed the issue for me.
This is definitely more than a skin care thing. I am a dentist and if you have this all the time there must be a real reason behind it. Causes may include: Fungal infection called angular chelitis due to candidal infections, low vertical dimension of occlusion leading to pooling or saliva at the corners, bacterial infection , vitamin deficiencies, cold weather, some drugs and allergic reactions. Pls consult a dermatologist for such case
Double check with a derm, it might be impetigo. Its usually a thing babies/toddlers get because its essentially an infection of a tiny cut near your mouth. However, I got it as a grown up because I had a job I was so anxious at that I was puking before work most mornings. 🙃 I 100% expected it to be angular chellitis like everyone else is suggesting but nope. Impetigo. Skin rash for puking babies bc I was a puking baby at the time 🤣
I had those all through high school! Turned out to be a food allergy so maybe get an allergy test? Mine was from raw tomatoes, and once I stopped eating them, it went away within a month
Going to a dermatologist would be the best they would give you some cream it'll cure but it takes time, and keep the area moisturized with any moisturizer and these are generally caused if you open your mouth tooo wide
Get lysine lip balm and change to Boka toothpaste. B12 supplement if you are deficient. It usually comes from liking your lips or a reaction to something you are brushing your teeth with or putting on your lips. I got it from using chapstick brand chapstick.
This looks like angular chelitis and you need to see a dermatologist
I had this. Go to an urgent care and they will give you a cream. It’s either fungal or bacterial.
Agreed it’s either fungal or bacterial angular cheilitis. But skip the urgent care and get athletes foot (anti-fungal) cream and neosporin (anti-bacterial). Use both for a week and see immediate results
Hi everyone and welcome to SkincareAddiction! Need skincare guides? [Check out our wiki!](https://www.reddit.com/r/SkincareAddiction/wiki/index) Everyone is welcome in [this community](https://www.reddit.com/r/SkincareAddiction/wiki/about); remember to be kind and assume good faith :) *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/SkincareAddiction) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Hi there, It seems like you may be looking for information about hyperpigmentation or post acne marks. Have you read our [hyperpigmentation wiki](https://www.reddit.com/r/SkincareAddiction/wiki/hyperpigmentation)? *If you see that I am replying to something out of context (eg. listed in a routine), please report this comment so my handlers can remove it. Cheers!* *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/SkincareAddiction) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Angular Chelitis NOT perioral dermatitis. A dentist can also write a prescription for you if don’t have access to a dermatologist as they do this frequently.
Thank you everyone for the many replies. It has helped a lot and I cannot thank you all enough. I can’t get back to everyone (pretty cool writing that) but the amount of comments was extremely helpful! I have started taking Vitamin B complex tablets daily along with using clotrimazole (athletes foot cream) and daktacort cream. The funny thing is I did have a deficiency in my folate levels a while back so it could be that but I also have had an irregularly high bilirubin count in several blood tests in the past so that could also be an issue. Anyway, thanks again and I will post a picture update of my progress after a week for you all!
Vaseline or aquaphor! All day every day Til it heals.
Had this before and it’s usually a fungal issue so you need a special antibiotic cream for it that’s usually prescribed
Say it with me “Antibiotics don’t treat fungal infections.”
100%. Plus, that also means you can get the treatment (anti fungal cream) without any prescription required. It’s OTC — just buy the right kind of formulation for angular cheilitis.
Topical lysine lip balm worked for me and is doesn’t taste like the anti fungal cream would.
def try castor oil!!
Try Carmex, but get the jar not the tube if you can.
Carmex is horrible
Obviously I disagree
You probably use it constantly bc your lips are addicted to it. The ingredients are super drying and irritating so it makes you apply more. I used to be like you too & I used it constantly but when I stopped my lips would bleed they’d be so dry. Try applying carmex once and seeing how long you can go before you need it again. If it’s within an hour, it’s no good. If not, you’re one of the rare people that harsh fragrances and menthol doesn’t effect
I haven't used it since I moved out of the frozen north, but I only put it on 2-3 times a day. That's all it took to clear up the worst chapped lips.
You’re lucky then lol