Re: Do i have EC? need help/ advice please

Look for an oral medicine aka oral & maxillofacial pathologist doctor & they can diagnose you correctly with exfoliative cheilitis if you indeed have it. these doctors are like doctor+dentists. dermatologists are a waste of time dont bother, virtually all dont know what exfoliative cheilitis is.

i recommend trying tacrolimus ointment. exfoliative cheilitis could also start occuring on your top lip so hurry in trying to find an oral pathologist dentist (/doctor).

also candida could be a culprit but a lot of people come positive with yeast & it's unrelated to exfoliative cheilitis. however in some & it's documented - relieving yeast/candida with medications & even some foods like sauerkraut yogurt, can relieve exfoliative cheilitis but again that had only been documented in some people & ive seen their exfoliative cheilitis is always somewhat mild in nature & does not reach as far out to the outside of the lips as others who's exfoliative cheilitis is more severe/far reaching/long term.

Steroids were a waste of time. If a doctor recommends it I advise you ask to try tacrolimus first & try it for a few months 2x daily - 1x after breakfast & 1x before bed.

I was told by a doctor do not use humidifiers & do not try to lather as much thick ointments as your lips can hold as that breeds bacteria; moisture breeds bacteria. Also your lip dryness is really keratin overload if you have exfoliative cheilitis so while it seems obvious to keep your lips "wet/watered" keratin buildup dysfunction is a bit different.

Get tested for skin allergies, try to remember what happened around when your exfoliative cheilitis (if you have that) first popped up like new toothpaste, surgeries, vaccinations, moving with new house; mold,
mice, roaches, air conditioner. the reason why is that in a small % of people allergies cause pretty mild exfoliative cheilitis & stopping those things fixes it in their cases. for virtually all others exfoliative cheilitis is incurable, chronic, highly treatment resistant...sorry to say but dont get excited looking for a cure & dont get excited for a good treatment because with this evil condition it's very very unlikely. ;( Tweet