I live in Canada, so luckily I can see a doctor but the wait times are very long...And now it's summer and I'd like to go outside, hang with friends.. I called in sick to work today because my lips looked like this. My lips don't get hard and peel like some others I've seen, but maybe that's because I used Protopic? I agree with you that it's most likely autoimmune, but I hope it isn't, so that I can find a way to heal them.
Also, I have a permanent dental retainer behind my top and bottom teeth, which contains nickel. I wonder if that is playing a factor...