Re: Exfoliative Chelitis Characteristic Peeling Pattern?

Hi there, what is the texture of your EC, like ? It seems to me that EC is by definition about having dry, crusty and or scaly lip skin. Is the texture of the peeling parts not dry?

I think EC is likely multifactorial and of course I can't say what causes it exactly in all cases. However, from my academic research, from my self-observation, and from reading posts people made on this board about their symptoms, it seems to me that xerostomia (lack of saliva production) is a significant contributory factor . What I can conclude with certainty is that EC is *Correlated* with xerostomia .

I can't conclude definitively it cause it without doing controlled studies.

I also think that EC is complicated by secondary infection (fungal or bacterial) in most cases. I think potentially EC can be caused by self injury in some people as well (like lip biting) but when people say they used to bite their lips and then stopped and still have EC after a significant length of time, then the EC is not caused by self injury but another factor.


As I say, maybe there are other factors involved (like autoimmune reaction or allergy in some cases). However, that doesn't mean that xerostomia is not a significant contibutory factor in a high number of cases.

Apparently., you wouldn't even notice you had dry mouth until salvia production dropped below 50% its normal rate, so not feeling like you don't have a dry moth doesn't necessarily mean you don't have xerostomia. Of course, you may not have it. Tweet