Thanks for sharing this is one of the most important post i've seen here

Thank you for updating these reported cases. This post is of course all my personal view.

Lets start with the majority of the cases reported stated that the true diagnosis/cause of EC is UKNOWN. Which i believe is true. I might also state that a lot of these case reports seem poor and are done in minimal group testings i presume which is due to the rareness of the condition which is understandable.

I strongly disagree with a lot of the statements regarding the cause is physiological or due to the manual irritation of habitual lip picking or lip sucking/picking. For me personally i have never ever had any physcological conditions and have never been a obsessive lip licker/sucker. Previously to this condition i never even thought of my lips let alone pay any attention to them. I 100% understand why some doctors see a connection between stress/deppression and EC BUT any GOOD/SMART dermatologist/speacialist knows that chronic skin conditions such as eczema and Psoriasis and dermatitis knows that patients suffer from these issues due to their skin conditions and knows that these are SECONDARY symptoms. Most patients who suffer chronic skin condition and then finally get relief from their symptoms say the huge burden of their life is finally gone and report massive relief from these issue's such as anxiety/stress because they get their lives back and aren't in pain.

Another thing which is worth stating which is obviously already known is that the majority of cases stated an inflammatory condition which is clearly obvious. Ec is some form of a inflammatory process which is why most cases reported seeing a range of improvements with topical and oral anti-inflammatories especially the case where the lady who was prescribed tacromulious saw complete clearance of symptoms. These topical anti-inflammatory agents are basic standard first line treatments for a wide variety of skin conditions.

I also strongly disagree with how a few state that ec is more seen in females i personally think its is the opposite and most would agree especially on this forum that most are indeed male.

I have learnt to manage my symptoms the best i can. I think its best when seeking help with doctors to either leave your symptoms alone so they can see with their own eyes the severity of the condition or to take a few photos in of your lips when they are bad and flaring so they can also get a good visual of the condition. I don't think its much use to freshly peel your lips and then go into the doctors office because your lips will look okay and only slightly irritated and the doctor won't see the seriousness in your condition.

This is my last point its crucial to learn a good management/treatment protocol to control and relieve your symptoms. Most people find good relief through constant moisture method, others it may be through manually and gently removing excess crust. what ever it is its important to do this so you can still enjoy the small things in life like walking down the street or into the park without being so conscious of your lips due to the appearance.

Through the years of suffering with this conditions iv matured and learnt thats its crucial to find a smart doctor that is willing to work with you in finding a source to reduce symptoms. With medical advances in technology and treatments its important to continue to see professional opinions and treatments.

I hope this post helps someone. I don't come on much anymore but hope soon there will be answers and good treatment protocols for this condition. Be strong and be smart and know that there are also many people through out the world who suffer from skin conditions who also feel your emotions that you suffer from due to the condition. I know its frustrating but try to stay positive get out see the sun talk to your family and friends. Ill check back tonight for any replies if not I'm sure ill be back in a few months to post and say hello!

good day everybody!

Thank you very much for sharing. I read all 33 journals (took me a while I must admit). It’s amazing seeing some of these articles over 100yrs ago! One dated in 1911.

There were one or two of them I’ve come across before while I use to search EC on google. This one I’ve seen before and I remember reading it as it encouraged me to buy an organic toothpaste (which I haven’t used yet).

**“A patch test was done and the results were positive to toothpaste containing sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS). Subsequently, the patient changed her tooth- paste and started using the toothpaste without SLS. Her scaly lesions were cleaned with hydrogen peroxide mouthwash 1% and glycerin borax was topically applied to the lesions three times a day. After three weeks of treatment, the lesions showed marked improvement (Figure 2). During one year of follow-up and treatment, her lesions gradually improved until her lips returned to a normal appearance (Figure 3). Thus, glycerin borax was proved to be effective in the treatment of EC without any side effects. Glycerin borax is safe, low cost, and simple to use in the treatment of refractory EC. Patients with a positive patch test reaction to this agent should avoid using SLS containing toothpaste. Treatment success depends on the successful management of refractory EC by eliminating the aforementioned contributing factors. It also depends on conservative treatment”**


Never heard of glycerine borax but I might look into it.