There seems to be different kinds of EC. Mine probably isn't the worst on here. My bottom lip doesn't really peel at all and looks normal 90% of the time. I occassionally have some peeling after a big weekend on the drink. It's my top lip that is affected. In, or above, the affected areas I have loads of white spots which are visible up close, particularly when the skin is stretched. The bottom portion of the centre of the lip is the worst affected and breaks into 4 squares of dry skin which doesn't stretch and turns white when in contact with water. This part annoys me the most. I then have the line (where the inside of the mouth meets the outside) of affected skin running across this lip where it can turn into that white slime.
My top lip looks similar to this but worse at times with more visible fordyce's spots:
You can make out the area on the top lip in the middle where he peels in the picture. My area is slightly bigger than that and has to be peeled every 2-4 days.
Since getting EC about two or three years ago I'd avoided getting with girls. All my mates joked that they thought I'd turned gay and when I started back at Uni (to do my teaching course) I was so desperate to avoid getting with a really attractive girl who asked me out that she told me she thought I was a virgin!
I am a decent looking lad though and the fact that a few girls on my course found me attractive regardless of this condition boosted my confidence.
Just thinking about this now, I had a couple of sessions on confidence with a hypnotherapist a few of months ago. I stopped because I didn't think they were doing anything for me - but since then, I've been on a real run with girls. Pulled one off my course, went on a few dates and then got with this new one. Another girl was flirting ridiculously at work as well until she found out I had a girlfriend.
I'm rambling after a few cans here but in terms of kissing I haven't had any complaints at all. I actually think kissing feels quite normal. I don't know whether it's because my bottom lip is pretty normal or what. But she really didn't notice. She saw me touching my lips a few times one morning and asked what was up.
What I will say to all the people who may have had this condition a few months. DO NOT let it put you off going out, getting with girls etc. For the first year I missed out on so much because of this. Find a moisturiser that works, get a good lip balm etc. and live life. I think the mental connection to this condition probably does have some credence to it. I know I was very obsessive about my appearance before I got this condition. It can be unpleasant to look at but having it isn't the end of the world. A few of my mates are proper ugly lads but they always seem to have good looking girls with them. This is down to confidence. It's not the EC that's preventing you from doing what you want. It's the worrying about it.
Chin up people. I'm off out now. Me bottom lip might well be peeling slightly by Sunday. At least that'll mean I've had a good weekend...
Juno.