I have suffered for almost 4 years with peeling lips. I have been to every doc imaginable (including the entire Mayo Clinic Dermatolgy Dept.) , alternate med, acupuncture. NO ONE could put a name to what I was suffering from. Finally, I found this forum..amazing. Mine was initiated by a reaction to a prescribed overdose of Aldara, a skin pre-cancer med. I peel or scrape my lips every morning...sometimes more than once a day. I, too, drink through a straw and cut my food small enough so that it doesn't touch my lips. I do use a steroid ointment 2x/day and my thick awful scabs are now thinner. The only thing I can use on them (I don't like petroleum products) is Badger's Organic Highland Mint Lip Balm. This has been a life saver for me. They have many flavors but this worked best for me. I like the tins rather than a stick...it is softer and easier to apply. I'll continue to monitor this site and try some of the suggestions. At least I finally have a name for my condition. Now to find a cure.......oh, I failed to mention how much my lips and the tip of my tongue burn...a side effect for which I take Neurontin which help a bit.