HELP: cracks/blisters @ corners of mouth
EDS Skin Care Forums Forum Index » Skin Care and Makeup Forum

Thu Aug 13, 2009 11:17 pm

For all of you out there with this symptom, Carmex Lip Balm, only $1.68 at Walgreens, is the one that can cure this symptom. I've tried Neosporin, Camphor-Phenique and Petroleum Jelly, etc. but nothing worked until my Mom told me of this inexpensive medication, I used it and it worked like a champ. Just like it said on the label: it soothes, it heals and it protects. If you want a pleasant taste, they also have the Cherry flavored kind. Good luck!

free skin care · Thu Aug 13, 2009 11:29 pm

omg.... i hv like a pimple right beside my lip and the scar would not go away even aft several mths...

i tried vaseline but stil did not work. the area is too delicate for strong pdts as it wil cause dryness and will look worst!!

Mon Mar 28, 2011 4:25 am

carekate wrote:

Alright, I’m in need of some fresh ideas and input here....

I’ve had one of these blister/crack thingys on the right-hand corner of my mouth for nearly two weeks now and it’s not getting any better. I’ve been taking my vitamins regularly so I shouldn’t have any deficiencies there. I’ve been religiously applying my Tea Tree Oil+Vit-E oil every 30-60 minutes, which was the only thing that worked for me when I was plagued by one of these blister/cracks last summer. I’ve tried a cold sore topical ointment (“Abreva”) and another one that contained “lysine” or something (one of the ointments that was previously recommended in this thread). I’ve tried a hydrocortisone cream, I even tried a product containing a coal-tar extract, something for athlete’s foot (in case it was fungus-based) and something for yeast infections and I’m running out of ideas! Not only does it look hideous, but it actually hurts a bit if I open my mouth wide, like the blister is being torn open by the stretching motion.

I *think* this blister-thing might have been caused by using a new product (new Sally Hansen plumping lip gloss that contains peppermint essential oil) because I remember that the last time I got one, it was right around the time when I was using the Smashbox Emulsion Lip Scrub. I compared the ingredients to the SH lip gloss and the Smashbox lip scrub and the only thing they have in common is peppermint EO. I hope this isn’t the case, because I adore that SH plumping gloss but I’ve been afraid to use it for the past few days for fear that it was making the problem worse. While the blister-crack hasn’t gotten worse, it hasn’t really improved at all, either.

Please help!!

That toothpaste your using could be your culprit. Almost all Toothpaste contain SODIUM LAUREL SULFATE. Unless you buy one that does not contain it.

Because of Sodium Laurel Sulfate and normal eating I suffered mostly from Cancer sores. Never really put the 2 & 2 together.

Sodium Laurel Sulfate causes alot of people alot of trouble/problems with their mnouth. Alot of ulcerations. For a % of the population we suffer. A few years back I read somthing about Floride being a problem. But summer 2010 I saw a short thing about the histoey of cosmetics. What an eye opener. Talked about how toxic Sodium Laurel Sulfate is to humans. The FDA does not stop them. Charge you double to have a toothpaste without it.

My point, stop using the toothpaste with Sodium Laurel Sulfate. In fact after I saw the little video I researched it out. Saw there was a study done, but the big manufactures want to deny it, proving that the sodium laurel sulfate does cause mouth ulcers/canker sores etc... Always verify. Check it for your self. research Sodium Laurel Sulfate.

Toothpaste with out the Sodium Laurel Sulfate will stop causing that problem. Spend the extra money find it on sale. I just found it at Rite Aid buy one get one free.

Good Luck to all let me know if this helped.

Sat Dec 31, 2011 7:59 am

I have had this problem for 15 years. It comes and goes. It took me until this past year to figure out what starts it and what I can do to clear it up.

I went to numerous doctors. Some wanted to say it was my toothpaste or my makeup, but I was also getting cracks at the base of my nose and inside.

What I have is not cold sores. They are small cracks that scale. Only one of the doctors suggested it was fungal (the first one). He gave me some antibiotics and it cleared up, but then came back months later.

Last year, I went in for something random and pressed her to help me with my mouth. I told her how bad it hurt, and how unsightly it was. She was the first doctor to say 'Well let me swab it, and see what is in there'.
Turns out there was staph in it. So she put me on 2 strong antibiotics and prescribed me Aloquin and gave me samples of it. I thought it was a little pricey, and decided not to buy it because I was convinced that the antibiotics would do the job. Well they did, however, after 10 months of being free of cracks...they came back.

I was so upset, but I had hope. That was the longest that I had ever gone without getting cracks. Almost a whole year! So I had to start thinking of why this was happening....what was triggering the cracks. For me this is what causes them--Citrus. It took me a VERY long time to put the two and two together, but I remember eating a whole pineapple whenever I was 15 and that was the first time the cracks happened. Then last summer I was free and clear of cracks until I ate some pineapple at a baby shower. WHAM. The cracks came back. Got it to clear up, then ate some satsumas and WHAM cracks again.

So for whatever reason, my mouth is super sensitive to citrus. By touching and picking at the cracks, I then get bacteria in it causing the cracks to stay and fester.

I tried the sample of Aloquin, and it worked like a charm! Stung like hell, but it worked within a day or two.

I currently have a crack on my left side because I stupidly tried to eat some oranges. I thought if I tried not to getting any juice on my mouth that I could handle it, but apparently not.

So I am trying to clear it up without having to go back to the doctor to get a prescription for Aloquin. My time to get it ran out so I would need to go back.
I am cleaning it out with a wound cleaner, and putting Lotrimin cream on it to see if that will work (that is all I have on hand).

It already looks much better, and it's barely scaling. I will give it another day or two, and if it is not completely gone I will either suck it up and go back to the doctors to get Aloquin or try another over the counter fungal cream.

I will write back in a couple of days to let you know. Hope this helps someone!

*keep your hands clean, your cracks clean, and stop touching the cracks!*

My doctor told me that staph originates in your nose. There is a small percentage of people that can actually infect themselves. I believe that I am on of those people. Hence why I had staph in my cracks last year. So any time you stick your finger up your nose, you should clean your hands! =)

free skin care · Sat Dec 31, 2011 12:18 pm

I used to get these, not anymore. Things that fixed it (they aren't cold sores)-
-new toothpaste
-absolutely NO sulfates including shampoo
-rosebud salve(try aquaphor if you don't care for rosebud, I'm probably the only major fan here)
-don't rule out a food sensitivity, mine was peanuts

Sat Dec 31, 2011 12:59 pm

Ava with wings wrote:

I used to get these, not anymore. Things that fixed it (they aren't cold sores)-
-new toothpaste
-absolutely NO sulfates including shampoo
-rosebud salve(try aquaphor if you don't care for rosebud, I'm probably the only major fan here)
-don't rule out a food sensitivity, mine was peanuts

For all of those years, I never thought it was something that I was eating so I never payed attention to what I consumed whenever I had an outbreak. Now that I know, I will be keeping a close eye on what triggers it for me. So far the citrus is what triggered it the last 3 times. Curious to see whenever this crack clears up, how long it will be till the next one comes out and what it was that triggered it since I will definitely never be eating citrus related products ever again. It's just way too damn painful to deal with. Sometimes I would get them on both sides, and they would bleed every time I opened my mouth. Very embarrassing, and made my life miserable.
The longest it has been clear was for 10 months so I have a lot of hope that I can keep it clear by avoiding what triggers it.
I also use aquaphor every single day to make sure the corners don't get dry. I feel the corners are more vulnerable when they are dry. They lead to picking/scratching which can cause a crack to open and bacteria to get in.

Someone else mentioned about saliva if you drool at night will get into the cracks. That is something else my doctor told me so make sure you seal it up before you go to bed, and if you wear a retainer make sure you clean it often to help reduce bacteria in your mouth.
I think that was another reason why I would have prolonged cracks. I just wasn't taking care of them properly. Slapping chapstick on it won't help. You need to get it cleaned out, and then put some medicine on it.

Tue Feb 21, 2012 2:30 pm

I had reoccurring cracked lips every month right before my period.

After doing much research, I swore if I found an answer I would take the time to come back and share it.

This had been happening over a 6 month period of time. I tried upping my B Complex but got no results.

Not only were my lips cracked and bleeding, my tongue was burning all the time. It was painful to speak or swallow anything.

During this time I was visiting my dentist to have a tooth extraction and was put on an antibiotic. After the first day on the antibiotic my mouth cleared up. By the 2nd day it was gone.

So, I figured it must be an infection. Originally I thought it might be hormones or a vitamin deficiency. I knew I couldn't just take the antibiotics forever, so I decided to treat the problem like an infection.

I alternated between hydrogen-peroxide and tea tree oil. This helped, but when my pms came back it was still an issue.

A friend said that one of her medications causes her to have the same problem. She purchased a bottle of folic acid for me.

I doubled up on the suggested dose, within a few days the problem had cleared again.

I also quit taking one of my medications that I thought was aiding to the problem. (a muscle relaxer).

Recently I ran out of the folic acid, but wasnt taking the muscle relaxer anymore and the problem is still 80% cleared up.

I got through my last period with no cracked lips. But am experiencing a little bit of discomfort in my mouth this time.

My plan is to stick with the folic acid and
keep medications as minimal as possible.

Also, I have increased how much herbal tea I drink. Any detox tea is good. Also a friend said that drinking lemon water is good for keeping your system flushed of toxin build up. I also started taking a probiotic supplement. I have stayed on the B-Complex and some of my other regular vitamins.

I would like to thank all the individuals who have taken the time to write answers. You have helped me immensely!

I hope this helps someone out there from suffering!

free skin care · Tue Feb 21, 2012 2:59 pm

Try paw paw balm, or Dermalogica Renewal Lip Complex. I use either of them when i had blisters at my mouth area last year, and it started to heal upon usage.

Thu Feb 23, 2012 1:21 pm

Since my last post, I have not had another episode. I use aquaphor every day to protect my lips, and I stay away from all citrus fruit. I am very happy that I now know what causes it for me, and what I can do to prevent it.

Hope you guys can find some relief!

Wed Feb 29, 2012 8:18 am

I've been going crazy for months because of the corners of my lips. If I had health insurance, I would have gone to a physician or dermatologist by now. Instead, I've been applying various ointments and gels in an effort to heal them. Today a little light bulb went off in my head and I googled "cracked lip corners" and wow!! Guess it's not just me after all lol!

Anyway, I almost paid $67 to that supposed Angular Chelitis Foundation for "the cure" out of desperation, but googled a little further and discovered a good Samaritan who had paid the $67 and posted "the cure" for others like himself. I wanted to "pay it forward" and post this here to let other folks know that the information is available for free....I'm not allowed to post links to websites since I'm a new member, so I'll space it out and hopefully it will go through: jeffmay. hubpages .com /hub /Angular-Angst

I, for one, plan to follow the steps of "the cure" this evening and, in addition, will be stopping at Walgreen's tonight for some athlete's foot cream to apply to my lips lol! Here's to pretty, pain-free lips for all! Smile

Sun Mar 25, 2012 7:00 pm

I have had these cuts on the corner of my mouth for years. They got worse over time. I have tried all the creams and vitamins. I was told that I was having problems absorbing nutrients from my food and I had a lack of vitamins etc. This was causing the cuts. The only thing that worked was to stop eating gluten. When I ate gluten it stopped me from absorbing nutrients from my food and I became malnourished and got the cuts on the corner of my mouth.

Hope this helps

free skin care · Mon Mar 26, 2012 7:52 am

I have suffered from this, cracks in the corners of the mouth. It can be really sore. I don't really know what causes it, but have noticed every time I eat pineapple I get it?

The doctor did perscribe a cream which works great, but the last time I had no cream left and just tried Pawpaw cream and it worked well.

Mon Mar 04, 2013 6:36 am

[b]i have had these cracks in the corner of my mouth for over a week now and have tried everything....I have tried carmex, blistex medicated lip balm, neosporin, aquaphor, basically anything I can find around the house. I need immediate relief and healing as to I am getting married in two weeks. PLEASE HELP ME ASAP!!!!!

free skin care · Mon Mar 04, 2013 8:44 am

Mega B viatmins.

Mon Mar 04, 2013 6:54 pm

Hi,
I struggle with this problem also. It is called cheliosis and it is caused by a lack of Riboflavin in your diet. The only thing that helps this, for me anyway, is Listerine. Rinse with Listerine and make sure to dab it on the cracks during the day as well. I added a super b vitamin complex to my diet and it has helped a lot. I also notice that stress makes the mouth cracks worse, but stress makes everything worse Sad

. I really hope this helps you. I know how annoying mouth cracks are!

Mon Mar 04, 2013 6:58 pm

Since you are getting married in 2 weeks this is an emergency. I just want to make sure you notice my post so I am going to post two. [b]Listerine will kill the bacteria, period! NO lip balms of any kind will solve this problem.

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