Re: Long time Ec sufferers

6 years now, and yes there's improvement. I think it was worst at the two year mark, coinciding with using Aquaphor while heavily depressed, eating a shitty diet, and drinking a fair amount of beer. At this point, the crusts are pretty much the color of the healthy portion of my lips, unless I let food get on them.

A girl in a class I was teaching interrupted me reading a story to ask why it looked like I had coffee on my lips (I had discoloration due to turmeric in my food and being around smoke last weekend). I ignored her question and didn't feel that embarrassed. I think it's not so bad if a 10 year old is the only one who mentions it all week.

Having tried to start a twitter page @peelinglips for the condition, and just doing a search for "peeling lips," I noticed there seems to be a big stigma in the young African-American community about having crusty, peeling lips. I worry that the stigma causes kids to peel their lips repeatedly, or constantly apply Carmex, out of fear of not being accepted, and then dropping out of school to avoid being seen when things get worse. Probably thousands of people out there think they're the only one who has the condition, don't have money or insurance to see doctors, and don't even think to look for support from fellow sufferers.

Thinking long-term, more than just healing our own conditions, getting information out there that this is a real condition shared by others and you can prevent the severe form of the condition by simply not obsessively picking at it and causing trauma and chronic inflammation, might be a really good service for posterity.

Peace,
C.S. Tweet