After 8-9 months.
If the after pic looks a little red to you, it is because I put on a pink chapstick before this pic. But it is clear the difference shows how much my lips healed. If you have any questions leave comments below.
Sunday, June 18, 2017
Before and After Pictures of Exfoliative Cheilitis Healed
This is a before and after of my chelitis. This was very hard for me to post. I still feel insecure about posting it, but I want to encourage those who are on their healing journey not to give up. No negative comments, please.
Friday, November 27, 2015
Major Do's in Treating Exfoliative Cheilitis.
To all of you who are silently suffering from this annoying, mysterious condition, do not give up. You probably ended up here after many hours of scrounging the internet. Keep looking. Keep learning. The more you know, the better you will understand your condition, and heal yourself. I hope this list helps you out.
-Do use a mild steriod (preferablly once in three weeks or so) , especially if you know that you are going to see a dentist or know that you will be moving your lips alot (speeches, presentations etc).
-Why? The steriod will prevent the crusts from forming, and is a relief sometimes. I do not recommend the use of it everyday or every week though, because it is a temporary solution. The minute you stop using it, your cheilitis will be back even stronger. I say to use it once every three weeks or even month because it prevents your lips from reacting too aggressively to moving your lips. In case of a dentist appointment where you will be opening your mouth moderately widely or doing a speech or presentation where you will be moving your lips for longer than you would prefer with exfoliative cheilitis. Also, the steriod helps with morale. It reminds you that you are still you, that you look the same. It is like a cheat day on a diet lol.
-Do continue to clean your teeth, but limit it to once a day.
-Why? The reason is that you do not want to reek havoc on your lips more than once a day by disturbing the lip skin. Plus, there is the added ingredient in most or all tooth paste, sodium lauryl sulfate. This substance creates the froth in tooth paste and some other cleaning ingredients. I have found that this substance is quite harsh on lips with exfoliative cheilitis. Applying a Very thin layer of olive oil or even Vaseline (be very short handed with the Vaseline because you do not want it to stay on your lips after brushing). Apply these ingridents before you brush so that if you are using a tooth paste containing Sodium lauryl Sulfate, if wont really land directly on your lips.
-Do try really hard to improve your diet.
-Why? This is not exactly for internal health as you might expect, but for having to avoid to brush or clean your teeth that often. The health aspect is also a bonus. If you eat clean, and avoid sugar and other wheat related foods, the less you have to spend time cleaning your teeth. Clean food does not really give you cavities. I should mention though that this was a tough one. I really tried to eat clean for two weeks and then would reward myself with a big cup of ice-cream. If you think you have better self control, do try this. It helps. Daniel Miller mentioned this on his blog also.
Do consider using oils extracted from animals.
Why?- I know this might sound gross, as a previous vegetarian, I was reluctant to use it. Lanolin, for instance, has been known to penetrate deep within the skin and provide relief. This substance made out of wool wax has water proof properties.
On my next post, I will write an in depth look at animal fats or extracts and why I believe it a miracle substance in the treatment of cheilitis.
Remember this list is what worked for Me. There are going to be many of you with different degrees of cheilitis or on different stages that this might not really work for you. I am willing to offer any kind of help by drawing on my own experience. Please message me or leave a comment if you have specific questions about this condition.
-Do use a mild steriod (preferablly once in three weeks or so) , especially if you know that you are going to see a dentist or know that you will be moving your lips alot (speeches, presentations etc).
-Why? The steriod will prevent the crusts from forming, and is a relief sometimes. I do not recommend the use of it everyday or every week though, because it is a temporary solution. The minute you stop using it, your cheilitis will be back even stronger. I say to use it once every three weeks or even month because it prevents your lips from reacting too aggressively to moving your lips. In case of a dentist appointment where you will be opening your mouth moderately widely or doing a speech or presentation where you will be moving your lips for longer than you would prefer with exfoliative cheilitis. Also, the steriod helps with morale. It reminds you that you are still you, that you look the same. It is like a cheat day on a diet lol.
-Do continue to clean your teeth, but limit it to once a day.
-Why? The reason is that you do not want to reek havoc on your lips more than once a day by disturbing the lip skin. Plus, there is the added ingredient in most or all tooth paste, sodium lauryl sulfate. This substance creates the froth in tooth paste and some other cleaning ingredients. I have found that this substance is quite harsh on lips with exfoliative cheilitis. Applying a Very thin layer of olive oil or even Vaseline (be very short handed with the Vaseline because you do not want it to stay on your lips after brushing). Apply these ingridents before you brush so that if you are using a tooth paste containing Sodium lauryl Sulfate, if wont really land directly on your lips.
-Do try really hard to improve your diet.
-Why? This is not exactly for internal health as you might expect, but for having to avoid to brush or clean your teeth that often. The health aspect is also a bonus. If you eat clean, and avoid sugar and other wheat related foods, the less you have to spend time cleaning your teeth. Clean food does not really give you cavities. I should mention though that this was a tough one. I really tried to eat clean for two weeks and then would reward myself with a big cup of ice-cream. If you think you have better self control, do try this. It helps. Daniel Miller mentioned this on his blog also.
Do consider using oils extracted from animals.
Why?- I know this might sound gross, as a previous vegetarian, I was reluctant to use it. Lanolin, for instance, has been known to penetrate deep within the skin and provide relief. This substance made out of wool wax has water proof properties.
On my next post, I will write an in depth look at animal fats or extracts and why I believe it a miracle substance in the treatment of cheilitis.
Remember this list is what worked for Me. There are going to be many of you with different degrees of cheilitis or on different stages that this might not really work for you. I am willing to offer any kind of help by drawing on my own experience. Please message me or leave a comment if you have specific questions about this condition.
Thursday, September 10, 2015
Major Don't and Do's in Treating Exfoliative Cheilitis
I know it has been months since I updated this blog, but I would like to announce that I am now 100% cured. It took about 11 months to completely cure it. I will not lie, the first 6 months were the hardest and then it started getting better and better. I had an effective routine in place and I became less self-conscious as time went along. To those of you who are still at the beginning, surfing the web every chance you get just to get an answer, I want to tell you that it CAN be done. I wont lie, it will test you, but you will persevere.
I have had a couple of requests to post pics. I am sure this will happen soon. I just have to get over my insecurity, i guess. The pics are really intense and I am not sure I am ready to share. Thank you for your understanding.
The following is major Do's and Don'ts that I feel will really help some of you out there.
Don't
1. Overdo any healing ointment, chapstick or cream. Remember your skin needs to heal and in order to do that you must sometimes be cautious about the frequency of your applications. Once or twice a day is enough moisture.
2. Always moisten your lips using water or any other liquids. The white gunk appears when your lips are wet or moist, making it prone to removal or wear and tear. Remember the white gunk is actually skin that needs to stay on your lips. When your lips are wet the skin becomes more fragile, so try to keep your lip skin dry as much as possible. This does not mean that you can't get water on your lips at all: brushing your teeth will make that happen anyway. Wash your hair in the sink to avoid getting your lips wet, especially if you suffer from dandruff from time to time. This will cut the risk of infecting your lips. In addition, follow the tips I mentioned on my previous entries.
3. Take pictures everyday. Although I recommend taking pictures to keep you motivated, taking pictures everyday can discourage you from continuing to heal yourself. You are healing even if you can't see it and taking pics everyday can get you easily frustrated. I recommend taking pics weekly to keep you motivated. Remember there are good days for your lips and really, really awful ones. You have to be prepared to not notice significant changes until 4-5 months onto your healing journey. This doesn't mean that some people wont witness something different, but prepare yourself for this fact. This is not to say that you lips will not start to feel better, but it will be a while for you to notice significant changes.
4. This is obvious, but do not continue to peel your lips. This will only prolong your EC journey. If you are reading this, it means that you know better. It is up to you to start making changes to heal yourself. Peeling is easy because it makes it less obvious for other people to notice your lips, but you are suffering inside. Your lips are on fire. Start living for you. Let people know about your condition and continue this journey. People will forget you had EC after you heal it, trust me. I sometimes forget I ever had it ( a blessing).
5. Be hard on yourself. It is OK that you sometimes are so frustrated that you decide to peel. Forgive yourself! It is understandable. Just make sure to try and put your best foot forward for the days to come. I know it is hard, but this chunk of your life with EC has an expiration date, which means that you will one day forget this was ever bothering you!
On my next post I will include some DO's that will help in healing exfoliative chelities. I hope this helps someone. Dont forget to post a comment if you have any questions. You can also e-mail me if you have some more personal testimonies, questions or if you need advice.
I have had a couple of requests to post pics. I am sure this will happen soon. I just have to get over my insecurity, i guess. The pics are really intense and I am not sure I am ready to share. Thank you for your understanding.
The following is major Do's and Don'ts that I feel will really help some of you out there.
Don't
1. Overdo any healing ointment, chapstick or cream. Remember your skin needs to heal and in order to do that you must sometimes be cautious about the frequency of your applications. Once or twice a day is enough moisture.
2. Always moisten your lips using water or any other liquids. The white gunk appears when your lips are wet or moist, making it prone to removal or wear and tear. Remember the white gunk is actually skin that needs to stay on your lips. When your lips are wet the skin becomes more fragile, so try to keep your lip skin dry as much as possible. This does not mean that you can't get water on your lips at all: brushing your teeth will make that happen anyway. Wash your hair in the sink to avoid getting your lips wet, especially if you suffer from dandruff from time to time. This will cut the risk of infecting your lips. In addition, follow the tips I mentioned on my previous entries.
3. Take pictures everyday. Although I recommend taking pictures to keep you motivated, taking pictures everyday can discourage you from continuing to heal yourself. You are healing even if you can't see it and taking pics everyday can get you easily frustrated. I recommend taking pics weekly to keep you motivated. Remember there are good days for your lips and really, really awful ones. You have to be prepared to not notice significant changes until 4-5 months onto your healing journey. This doesn't mean that some people wont witness something different, but prepare yourself for this fact. This is not to say that you lips will not start to feel better, but it will be a while for you to notice significant changes.
4. This is obvious, but do not continue to peel your lips. This will only prolong your EC journey. If you are reading this, it means that you know better. It is up to you to start making changes to heal yourself. Peeling is easy because it makes it less obvious for other people to notice your lips, but you are suffering inside. Your lips are on fire. Start living for you. Let people know about your condition and continue this journey. People will forget you had EC after you heal it, trust me. I sometimes forget I ever had it ( a blessing).
5. Be hard on yourself. It is OK that you sometimes are so frustrated that you decide to peel. Forgive yourself! It is understandable. Just make sure to try and put your best foot forward for the days to come. I know it is hard, but this chunk of your life with EC has an expiration date, which means that you will one day forget this was ever bothering you!
On my next post I will include some DO's that will help in healing exfoliative chelities. I hope this helps someone. Dont forget to post a comment if you have any questions. You can also e-mail me if you have some more personal testimonies, questions or if you need advice.
Monday, June 1, 2015
Lip care routine with exfoliative cheilitis
My lip care routine has progressed over time since getting exfoliative cheilitis. This was some of the things I did.
1) Purchase new, small nail clippers
Peeling your lips with your hand aggressively will only stop your healing process. You should try to clip the hanging skin in an effort to try not to damage the skin still attached. I found that nail clippers are a great tool to help with that. You should disinfect your nail clippers before use with rubbing alcohol and let it dry for about a minute before using on your lips. This should happen every time! This will decrease the chance of infection on very sensitive lips. Also, make sure that you do not cut off skin that is still attached to your lips! You should only clip it if it is clearly detached. I found that clipping dead detached skin made it not only okay to look at my lips aesthetically, but it also decreased the pressure on the skin still alive by the dead skin.
2) Use Straws for drinking
I found that every time my lips got in contact with water, they turned white and it was so obvious and just made me insecure, so I decided to use straws every time I consumed a liquid substance. It is safe to say I used straws for the first five months. I also ate food using a fork or a spoon. Like instead of spaghetti, I would make macaroni etc. I found that the less disturbed my lips were the faster they healed.
3) Used Lansinoh lanolin nipple cream
Like I mentioned before, this was by far my favorite product, I used it just once a day but my lips would be moisturized the whole day. After using this product, I no longer felt the burning sensation that you feel from the inflammation. I can only say that my lips felt really really good. I believe that the body usually tells us what it needs or what it causing damage, and the lanolin was definitely such a relief for my lips. It is so much easier to apply after your lips have dried though, So make sure you wait like 15-20 minutes after you have brushed your teeth.
4) Saline solution
Like I mentioned before, I basically avoided anything getting on my lips. This made it easier to clean or to keep the lanolin that I would apply in the morning, However, I sometimes would have some food stuck on my lips and it would be difficult to remove. I started using saline solution because it was gentle enough on the lips but also an effective cleaner. I would dip a clean cotton ball into saline solution and dab onto my lips to get any food debris out of the lips skin.
5) Toms all natural toothpaste
One thing I discovered was that my lips could not handle whitening toothpastes as it did before. I started using an all natural toothpaste and my lips were less irritated as a result. I got this toothpaste delivered to me online, but I would recommend any natural toothpaste that you can get in your country. The main goal is to create less irritation, so any natural toothpaste could work.
These are some of the things I incorporated into my routine that really helped me heal and stopped my urge to just peel the whole thing off. Please do not hesitate to leave a comment, if you have a question. Also, try to share this info with as much people as you can. I do not really know how blogs are supposed to work, but I just want people to take something from this.
1) Purchase new, small nail clippers
Peeling your lips with your hand aggressively will only stop your healing process. You should try to clip the hanging skin in an effort to try not to damage the skin still attached. I found that nail clippers are a great tool to help with that. You should disinfect your nail clippers before use with rubbing alcohol and let it dry for about a minute before using on your lips. This should happen every time! This will decrease the chance of infection on very sensitive lips. Also, make sure that you do not cut off skin that is still attached to your lips! You should only clip it if it is clearly detached. I found that clipping dead detached skin made it not only okay to look at my lips aesthetically, but it also decreased the pressure on the skin still alive by the dead skin.
2) Use Straws for drinking
I found that every time my lips got in contact with water, they turned white and it was so obvious and just made me insecure, so I decided to use straws every time I consumed a liquid substance. It is safe to say I used straws for the first five months. I also ate food using a fork or a spoon. Like instead of spaghetti, I would make macaroni etc. I found that the less disturbed my lips were the faster they healed.
3) Used Lansinoh lanolin nipple cream
Like I mentioned before, this was by far my favorite product, I used it just once a day but my lips would be moisturized the whole day. After using this product, I no longer felt the burning sensation that you feel from the inflammation. I can only say that my lips felt really really good. I believe that the body usually tells us what it needs or what it causing damage, and the lanolin was definitely such a relief for my lips. It is so much easier to apply after your lips have dried though, So make sure you wait like 15-20 minutes after you have brushed your teeth.
4) Saline solution
Like I mentioned before, I basically avoided anything getting on my lips. This made it easier to clean or to keep the lanolin that I would apply in the morning, However, I sometimes would have some food stuck on my lips and it would be difficult to remove. I started using saline solution because it was gentle enough on the lips but also an effective cleaner. I would dip a clean cotton ball into saline solution and dab onto my lips to get any food debris out of the lips skin.
5) Toms all natural toothpaste
One thing I discovered was that my lips could not handle whitening toothpastes as it did before. I started using an all natural toothpaste and my lips were less irritated as a result. I got this toothpaste delivered to me online, but I would recommend any natural toothpaste that you can get in your country. The main goal is to create less irritation, so any natural toothpaste could work.
These are some of the things I incorporated into my routine that really helped me heal and stopped my urge to just peel the whole thing off. Please do not hesitate to leave a comment, if you have a question. Also, try to share this info with as much people as you can. I do not really know how blogs are supposed to work, but I just want people to take something from this.
Tuesday, April 28, 2015
I just noticed that 4 and 5 are missing from my post on March 9th. Sorry guys! I must have posted the draft by accident. Anyway, here it is.
4) Sunlight
I got this idea from Daniel Miller and what I did was basically expose my lips to direct sunlight between 10am-4pm ( when the sun's UV rays are at their strongest). I would expose my lips (and my face) to direct sunlight for about 30 minutes a day. I did this for about a month and I made sure not to apply anything on my lips before I went out on the sun. One thing I noticed was that the inflammation and discomfort decreased the next day after sun exposure. I did not continue to do this because the pros did not outweigh the cons. The very small comfort I felt the next day was not worth risking skin cancer and being burnt. Again, I did not follow through with this, so I can't say that long time exposure wont heal it, but to me personally, it isn't safe. Perhaps UV exposure in a doctor's office would help.
5) Betametasone steriod cream (diprosone steriod cream)
I decided to visit a doctor and get a steriod cream because I had a trip planned for a few weeks. I did not want to be consumed with how my lips were looking or if there is a loose skin hanging, I just wanted to enjoy this time and really be in the moment and have memorable conversations. The doctor prescribed betametasone steriod cream (I dont know what percent or concentration it was) in vaseline (as in vaseline was the base to the product). I used it for those weeks and I completely forgot that I even had cheilitis. It was great and I felt normal again. The thing with steriods, however, is that you cannot use it as a long term treatment. I read that this steriod in particular is very strong and should not be used on the face for more than five consecutive days. I was using it every other day and sometimes, every other day. What to expect when using strong steriod creams on your lips is that it wont completely eliminate your crusts. Expect some VERY THIN loose skin present, something that a person with normal, chapped lips might have (I dont know if that was because I used it every other day but i didn't mind the thin skin, it was not abnormal at all). Another thing to expect with using the steriod is that your lips might look a little discolored. This was not noticeable at all, I was just super examining my lips closely. What I did to combat the discoloration was use Lanolin ointment. Almost immediately, the color of my lips changed back to normal. I did not continue to use the steriod for more than three weeks( I should mention that I would sometimes use it everyday or everyother day, depending on how my lip was doing) and I did because I wanted my body to heal my lips and not just forget that my lips were damaged and stop forming skin at all. One thing I would recommend while on this steriod is disinfecting your lips with a gentle cleanser like saline solution. This is great because you don't want your lips to harbor any bacteria during its vulnearable state of steriod application. The other thing I would like to mention is that I was told by my doctor not to apply anything else on my lips while on the steriod. I did not adhere to his advice because I found that sometimes the steriod would be too much for my lips (I noticed my lips were extremely soft to the touch), so I would apply lanolin ointment to it. I applied my steriod mostly during the day because I did not want to risk getting the steriod cream on other parts of my face at night or when I was sleeping. Also, it is important to mention that you get so much more out of your steriod if you apply it while your lip is semi-wet. I think it abosrbs into the skin when the lip skin is damp, but make sure it is not dripping wet and water is not on your lips. It is also important to note that you should apply just a thin amount of steriod on THE AFFECTED AREA. Dont put the steriod on your whole lips, just the parts affected by chelitis. I noticed that parts of my lips that were healthy looked dry and peely after continual steriod application, but was back to normal after I stopped using the steriod.
I got this idea from Daniel Miller and what I did was basically expose my lips to direct sunlight between 10am-4pm ( when the sun's UV rays are at their strongest). I would expose my lips (and my face) to direct sunlight for about 30 minutes a day. I did this for about a month and I made sure not to apply anything on my lips before I went out on the sun. One thing I noticed was that the inflammation and discomfort decreased the next day after sun exposure. I did not continue to do this because the pros did not outweigh the cons. The very small comfort I felt the next day was not worth risking skin cancer and being burnt. Again, I did not follow through with this, so I can't say that long time exposure wont heal it, but to me personally, it isn't safe. Perhaps UV exposure in a doctor's office would help.
5) Betametasone steriod cream (diprosone steriod cream)
I decided to visit a doctor and get a steriod cream because I had a trip planned for a few weeks. I did not want to be consumed with how my lips were looking or if there is a loose skin hanging, I just wanted to enjoy this time and really be in the moment and have memorable conversations. The doctor prescribed betametasone steriod cream (I dont know what percent or concentration it was) in vaseline (as in vaseline was the base to the product). I used it for those weeks and I completely forgot that I even had cheilitis. It was great and I felt normal again. The thing with steriods, however, is that you cannot use it as a long term treatment. I read that this steriod in particular is very strong and should not be used on the face for more than five consecutive days. I was using it every other day and sometimes, every other day. What to expect when using strong steriod creams on your lips is that it wont completely eliminate your crusts. Expect some VERY THIN loose skin present, something that a person with normal, chapped lips might have (I dont know if that was because I used it every other day but i didn't mind the thin skin, it was not abnormal at all). Another thing to expect with using the steriod is that your lips might look a little discolored. This was not noticeable at all, I was just super examining my lips closely. What I did to combat the discoloration was use Lanolin ointment. Almost immediately, the color of my lips changed back to normal. I did not continue to use the steriod for more than three weeks( I should mention that I would sometimes use it everyday or everyother day, depending on how my lip was doing) and I did because I wanted my body to heal my lips and not just forget that my lips were damaged and stop forming skin at all. One thing I would recommend while on this steriod is disinfecting your lips with a gentle cleanser like saline solution. This is great because you don't want your lips to harbor any bacteria during its vulnearable state of steriod application. The other thing I would like to mention is that I was told by my doctor not to apply anything else on my lips while on the steriod. I did not adhere to his advice because I found that sometimes the steriod would be too much for my lips (I noticed my lips were extremely soft to the touch), so I would apply lanolin ointment to it. I applied my steriod mostly during the day because I did not want to risk getting the steriod cream on other parts of my face at night or when I was sleeping. Also, it is important to mention that you get so much more out of your steriod if you apply it while your lip is semi-wet. I think it abosrbs into the skin when the lip skin is damp, but make sure it is not dripping wet and water is not on your lips. It is also important to note that you should apply just a thin amount of steriod on THE AFFECTED AREA. Dont put the steriod on your whole lips, just the parts affected by chelitis. I noticed that parts of my lips that were healthy looked dry and peely after continual steriod application, but was back to normal after I stopped using the steriod.
Tuesday, March 10, 2015
My Journey Towards Treating Exfoliative Cheilitis- Continued
5) Dr. Dans 1% Hydrocortisone lip balm
Since I knew that using a strong steroid on my lips is not something I can do on a regular basis, I wanted a mild steriod chapstick that I could use on the go. A friend recommended Dr. Dans hydrocortisone chapstick, so I decided to try it. Besides the very mild steroid, the inactive trident is beeswax. It helped with the inflammation just a little but the chapstick itself was pretty hard to apply on your lips. I tried to run it under hot water for a few minutes just to get it into a workable consistency before I put it on, Other than that, it worked pretty well.
6) Lansinoh Lanolin HPA Grade (It is basically nipple cream)
Of all the products that I used on my cheilitis, this is by far what has helped me the most. I read online about "moist healing", which is basically treating a wound in a moist yet clean environment. Lanolin is a product extracted from wool. YES, WOOL! It is this yellowy greasy substance that is used in many products such as lotion and cosmetics. What makes lanolin super amazing is that its smoothing and soothing effect lasts SO MUCH MORE LONGER than your regular lip balm. Like seriously, one application a day is enough. It can penetrate through several layers of skin maximizing the moisturizing effect (again, amazing for moisture reaching the lip skin beneath the yellow crusty barrier). It also acts as a waterproof agent, so drinking a glass of water or brushing your teeth wont be as bothersome as before. I have been using Lansinoh Lanolin which is, in my opinion, the best and purest kind of lanolin on the market. The product is actually made for breast feeding mothers to be used on very irritated nipples. I thought that it made sense that a product used for nipples could work on lips, since they seem like they are made up of the same kind of skin. Plus, the product is exposed to the lips of feeding infants, so it is pretty safe for us. This product has been a Godsend for me. I still use it till this day. I remember the first time I used it, I immediately felt my inflammation go away. Mind you this does not completely get rid of your crusts. What it does is make it bearable to leave the buildup on, I believe it is the best to use on your inflamed lips because it soaks deep into the lip skin and makes it very easy to clip off.
On my next post, I will go into detail about my routine and I will share some tips I have about exfioliative cheilitis.
Since I knew that using a strong steroid on my lips is not something I can do on a regular basis, I wanted a mild steriod chapstick that I could use on the go. A friend recommended Dr. Dans hydrocortisone chapstick, so I decided to try it. Besides the very mild steroid, the inactive trident is beeswax. It helped with the inflammation just a little but the chapstick itself was pretty hard to apply on your lips. I tried to run it under hot water for a few minutes just to get it into a workable consistency before I put it on, Other than that, it worked pretty well.
6) Lansinoh Lanolin HPA Grade (It is basically nipple cream)
Of all the products that I used on my cheilitis, this is by far what has helped me the most. I read online about "moist healing", which is basically treating a wound in a moist yet clean environment. Lanolin is a product extracted from wool. YES, WOOL! It is this yellowy greasy substance that is used in many products such as lotion and cosmetics. What makes lanolin super amazing is that its smoothing and soothing effect lasts SO MUCH MORE LONGER than your regular lip balm. Like seriously, one application a day is enough. It can penetrate through several layers of skin maximizing the moisturizing effect (again, amazing for moisture reaching the lip skin beneath the yellow crusty barrier). It also acts as a waterproof agent, so drinking a glass of water or brushing your teeth wont be as bothersome as before. I have been using Lansinoh Lanolin which is, in my opinion, the best and purest kind of lanolin on the market. The product is actually made for breast feeding mothers to be used on very irritated nipples. I thought that it made sense that a product used for nipples could work on lips, since they seem like they are made up of the same kind of skin. Plus, the product is exposed to the lips of feeding infants, so it is pretty safe for us. This product has been a Godsend for me. I still use it till this day. I remember the first time I used it, I immediately felt my inflammation go away. Mind you this does not completely get rid of your crusts. What it does is make it bearable to leave the buildup on, I believe it is the best to use on your inflamed lips because it soaks deep into the lip skin and makes it very easy to clip off.
On my next post, I will go into detail about my routine and I will share some tips I have about exfioliative cheilitis.
Monday, March 9, 2015
My Journey Towards Treating Exfoliative Cheilitis
One of the really hard parts about having exfoliative cheilitis is the inflammation. I couldn't stand it. It would burn when I ate, when I would brush my teeth, and when I slept. I refused to apply anything on my lips at that time and it was not only making it dry, but it also didn't help with the inflammation. This is what I knew: I had to start curing myself as soon as possible. That meant having to be extra cautions about what to put on my lips, and at that time, I didn't trust any product fully. This fueled me to do the necessary research on everything that I decided to put on my very sensitive lips.
Here is a list of all the things I decided to put on my lips.
1) Aloe Vera Gel.
As I mentioned earlier, the inflammation was unbearable at first, which prompted me to seek a natural anti-inflammatory product. I heard Aloe Vera gel being used for sunburns before, so I decided to give it a try. I used the real aloe gel straight from the leaves of the plant. Sometimes I would store the leaves in the fridge to increase the cooling effect it had. It did help with the anti-inflammatory effect and it was really soothing besides the very bitter taste. One thing I didn't really like about it was the fact that it would get really gooey when I would try and wash it off; the gel didn't absorb onto my lip skin very well. I did not continue to use this as much as I wanted to because I ran out ( I used it for about a month tops). I really do not know what would have happened had I continued to use it, maybe I would have gotten better faster. I really don't know. Maybe someone can use it and stick with it and find out the real effects of aloe vera.
2) Vitamin E Oil
I think I got this idea from curezone. I bought a bottle of Vitamin E pills and started applying it on my lips, this was around the same time I started using the aloe gel. One thing I will say about this product is that it is extremely sticky. If you are prone to acne, I would probably stay away from it. What it did do was kind of disguise the yellow crust on my lips. I think it was because the gel was really shiny and
Here is a list of all the things I decided to put on my lips.
1) Aloe Vera Gel.
As I mentioned earlier, the inflammation was unbearable at first, which prompted me to seek a natural anti-inflammatory product. I heard Aloe Vera gel being used for sunburns before, so I decided to give it a try. I used the real aloe gel straight from the leaves of the plant. Sometimes I would store the leaves in the fridge to increase the cooling effect it had. It did help with the anti-inflammatory effect and it was really soothing besides the very bitter taste. One thing I didn't really like about it was the fact that it would get really gooey when I would try and wash it off; the gel didn't absorb onto my lip skin very well. I did not continue to use this as much as I wanted to because I ran out ( I used it for about a month tops). I really do not know what would have happened had I continued to use it, maybe I would have gotten better faster. I really don't know. Maybe someone can use it and stick with it and find out the real effects of aloe vera.
2) Vitamin E Oil
I think I got this idea from curezone. I bought a bottle of Vitamin E pills and started applying it on my lips, this was around the same time I started using the aloe gel. One thing I will say about this product is that it is extremely sticky. If you are prone to acne, I would probably stay away from it. What it did do was kind of disguise the yellow crust on my lips. I think it was because the gel was really shiny and
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