Date:   11/9/2013 5:03:29 PM ( 11 y ago)
Hits:   3,047
URL:   https://www.curezone.org/forums/fm.asp?i=2122548

Well not sure where to begin, there's a lot of information. I guess I'm not really a newcomer as I looked at these forums for a bit like around 2 years ago. Decided that it's time for me the try the method going around: leaving the lips the hell alone!
Easier said than done...Anyway, I should start by saying that I developed a lip-biting habit around high school, for a number of reasons:
-Slight OCD personality - I had developed other habits like nail biting and trich.
Lips were just next on the list because my mouth doesn't close naturally (always hangs open, I have an overbite) and I used to play clarinet a lot in junior high, which probably caused irritation around the top lip area.
I took Accutane around 16-17, but it's not like I noticed chapped lips because I was always using chapstick since I was a child (MN winters were brutal) and using Aquaphor helped...still bit the top lip though, religiously.
How I got EC: A couple years after Tane, which gave me some nasty hypersensitivity side-effects (like constant rashes, mostly on my face), I decided I wanted to stop lip biting altogether. Pretty harmless, right?
Very soon after I completely stopped the habit - like maybe around three days later - huge, and I mean HUGE skin chunks began to form not only on the upper, middle part of my top lip, but just all around the upper (in tinier pieces) and lastly, the bottom peeled. All off.
I found it really weird, because I had never licked or touched the bottom part of my lip. Perhaps it was because I was unconsciously rubbing it with the top lip as well as biting? I am not sure. But it's been going on for about 3-4 years since.

I also have mild dandruff, super oily skin in the T-zone (still get acne); diagnosed with seb derm, although it doesn't get red or whatever, just flakes a bit if I rub my nail along my nose and stuff. It's not noticeable, so I don't put any anti-fungals on it. It's sometimes funny when I come out of the shower, because when the skin on my lips turn white, I get like skin on my face that I can rub off as well. Not sure if they are connected in any way.

I'm going to see another derm on Monday one last time to rule out fungal infection. I do NOT have a white tongue, not really, so I think it's mostly a hyperactive, auto-immune response to trauma. If that's the case, though, it's going to be one hell of a bitch to wait this out...I tried going cold turkey this past almost-week, and damn...my lips would get sooo tight, and swell, not like painful, but soooo uncomfortable; last night after my shower the white skin just came off. I am not sure if I saw much improvement, to my dismay, but I think something (especially on my top lip) is going on. Makes sense, since that was the area affected by my teeth the most.

A few things to note about my case: No thyroid problems, might check for any vitamin deficiencies; had blood tests done before but the doc said there wasn't anything wrong. I had a bad reaction to A&D Ointment (figured it was because of the Accutane?), allergic reaction to Lanolin, so now I just use Shea Butter I got from GNC, and virgin coconut oil from the grocery store.

Otherwise I'm a pretty healthy kid...I think, slightly underweight, but barely.

Supplements I take: Probiotics with enzymes that I got at GNC, I am going to start taking a multi-vit that my mom uses (I was taking B, D, and zinc but now I'll just take the multi, sooo much easier lol). And L-Lysine, 2x a day, because I would get crazy Herpes on my lips as well (HSV1, mind you) and it works on those buggers like a charm. Just started taking Borage oil, and the most important - Ginseng, which I think has actually been helping my acne, reducing the rashes, and giving me vivid dreams at night (which is strange, because it's said to cause insomnia in some people). I have also been eating more veges and less sugars which seems to help. Just not sure I can go on an extreme gluten-free/candida diet. Might go see a nutritionist in a couple weeks. *shrug*

But yeah, this EC, or peeling lips, or whatever you call it...it sucks, bad. I get depressed a lot, was never social to begin with, but now have no incentive to be anyway. Get stressed easily...I'm always just afraid I might have to live with this the rest of my life, or whatever, but I think it's only a stage, and that...if I can leave the skin on my lips alone long enough, my body will get the message that there's no more trauma.

I don't think the skin chunks are scabs either...I think it's just simply an auto-immune reaction gone haywire, and now the body needs to refigure things out.

There is one thing I have to ask though; for those who have this condition, is the bottom of your lip like, different in color than the part that peels off? (like, is it lighter?) Because I notice that the edge of my bottom lip is very light pink, my natural lip color, but the part that peels is dark pink in color underneath; totally doesn't match. (Yes, I do get raw lips, but as the skin grows back it still never matches the edge of my bottom lip)...because I don't know, it seems like people have one shade, but the inner part just gets covered in yellow crusts...
For me, the crusts don't get that bad (I have small lips). In fact, the crusts thinned out for me after a year or so of peeling them, but now they are pretty consistent. It's only a top crust layer that turns yellow after 4-5 days of staying on (as I tried this past week). I get these two terrible cracks that will open up and actually bleed a bit, but they are slowly healing.
So yeah, for me, leaving the skin on is going to be the hardest thing ever, as I'm still going to college and everything. Oh man, this past week was just hell. It's like every day is a challenge...now that it has peeled off, I get a bit of relief, but I'm apprehensive of what is to come.

Also, how can I even manage leaving the skin on? How do I take showers? Brush my teeth? Eat? Drink? I let my lips touch my cup when I drink water (I drink 50-90 ounces a day). Is that OK? Anyone got product recommendations for toothpaste? Someone suggested to use baby toothpaste, so yeah, wasn't sure if there was something better...But I know I can't go without any moisturizer...it's just not possible for me.
 

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