Longterm is spot on, at least in my case. At first the top lip didn't peel at all. Then it spread -- infection? excessive lip balms? Then it almost got completely better, before a visit to the dentist, who used petroleum jelly, and a couple months with Aquaphor (and possibly major stress/ Depression and binge drinking?) sent both lips off the deep end. That was over 4 years ago. They only gradually improved since then, since I stopped using chemical creams and letting this condition drive me insane.