that’s just because there were like 2 cases out of thousands upon thousands where people who used Protopic just so happened to get cancer. Correlation is not causation, but the FDA has to put that warning on there. It’s perfectly safe.   [End]
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Hey JSL, the only real answer I can give you as to why I stopped is just that I felt as though I had achieved as much as I could with Protopic. I think I stated it in a previous post, but in case I didn’t, my doctor pretty much wanted me to use it for six months. At that point, the tube was almost empty anyway and I didn’t feel as though the pro topic was reducing the inflammation anymore than it already had. Also, and this may just be me, I found that my lips felt a bit more sore on days I used the Protopic, Maybe my lips were still sore anyway, but they seemed to be less sore on days I d ...
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Hey JSL, sorry to hear you’re still suffering so much from this. By chance, do you have a beard? I recently decided to go clean shaven after my deem decided, considering my previous history of failed treatments, this may actually be a case of Seborrheic Dermatitis. It’s basically dandruff caused by a reaction to a usually ”normal” fungus that lives on the skin. Anyway, she gave me Nizoral 2% shampoo so I’ve been using that 3-4 times a week, once a day, along with shaving more often (every other day). Other than that, I moisturize with whatever and follow the standard moist healing procedur ...
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Man, I can’t really remember but I wouldn’t be too worried about it as you’re still in the early stages. I do recall that protopic seemed to make my lips a little sore though oddly enough. Not sure if this was caused by the continuous peeling I endured before protopic or the actual drug, but they were sore. I could taste that they were sore too if that makes sense. It was like a metallic taste on my lips. This seemed to dissipate after I got off pro topic. Again, no idea if protopic was responsible.   [End]
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hmm...Well I’m thinking whatever triggered this condition has caused the the outter most layer to dry up for some reason, be it an allergy, trauma, etc. You should ask your doctor if he/she thinks that the inflammation is solely responsible for this or if some kind of serious, irreparable damage could be done to the lips from the aforementioned factors. I was experimenting with hydrocortisone along with the most healing method after my Protopic trial which I resolved to stop after my results seemed to plateau. Anyway, I noticed that the hydrocortisone did seem to make it more manageable ...
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pretty sure that’s normal. It will dissipate with time. I was on it for six months. I think it helped me and I don’t peel anymore per say, but I still experience the tightness/”plastic”/irregular feeling I guess you’d call it. Let me ask you this: When you feel the dry tight feeling, do you find that your teeth kind of get caught on them if you run them across. I know it sounds weird, but I just thought I’d see if someone else experiences this. Like, my bottom lip dries up and for a while, if my top teeth run over it for some reason, the lip gets caught in it. Anyway, hope you see some r ...
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Yes, good point. We shouldn’t discard that this condition’s resolve could be as swift as it’s onset. Especially if it’s stress induced. I believe it’s trauma/an allergy but I couldn’t confirm it and few have identified a certain trigger. False attribution could lead to a lot of different ”cures. We should be careful.   [End]
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I know you tried protopic already but you should consider it for a longer period just in case this doesn’t work out. It’s mentioned fairly often in cure articles and is not a steroid.   [End]
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Daniel, this looks pretty good to me! It looks like you’re getting to where I’m at now (admittedly, it seemed your EC is/was a bit more advanced). I have an area that mildly dries up and gets a bit tight/dry but doesn’t peel like it used to. I think healing time may very well depend on how long you’ve had EC or perhaps how long you allowed them to build and peel. Just thought I’d give you another perspective. good luck   [End]
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Long story short: I ended up going off Protopic for a month in March. Then I went on a steroid for a week that I’d previously used to target the ”trouble area” which, for me, is an area on the outter part of my lower lip. This area is a bit discolored and hypopigmented?(lighter in color) . It gets tight and dry but I moisturize with vaseline, aquaphor, or anything else that has a moist consistency(Sticks just don’t work for me). I don’t peel anymore I guess and the lip did get smaller. So, my opinion is, it will heal but it may take a while. I used a product I was supposedly allergic to ...
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Nicely put, Daniel! and Brad, this condition has gotten the best of me more times than I’d like to admit man but we feel your pain. We bicker on this forum and sometimes some pretty nasty things get said unfortunately, but we share a common struggle. We SHOULD support each other on here but that doesn’t always come to fruition. Find someone to talk to, man. This condition hurts sometimes, but your attitude is everything. There’s a book I read recently called ”man’s search for meaning” by viktor Frankl. It’s about how people were able to find meaning in their lives even when subjected to th ...
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I know what you mean when you mention the resilience this condition seems to show toward moisturizers. A big part of this could be inflammation. Try something to take care of that if you haven’t. Also, if you ever see the neosporin overnight renewal therapy, give it a shot. I’ve found it lasts longer and is more penetrating than aquaphor. It’s more like a cream. I use aquaphor/vaseline sometimes too. Good luck   [End]
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hey JSL, hope all is well. I’ve just about used up the whole tube of protopic (it’s a small tube but you only apply a thin layer so it’s lasted a while). I only have some slight build up in the morning but that also seems to be going back to a more normal state (I never have crust or peels anymore). To answer your question, I’m not entirely sure how long it will take to ween myself off of it. My plan was to attack the inflammation for a good amount of time because I had a strong feeling it was causing the peeling. Anyway, with a little patience, that theory seemed to check out. Protopic ...
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sounds like a good plan. I just finished up six months on protopic twice a day and I’m pretty much healed. I apply lib balm a few times a day and theres no crusting, build up or anything. My lower lip is notably smaller and I’m planning on weening myself off of it. Protopic only at night then every other night until its done. You guys should get cured if you follow a similar path but I wonder if the steroid will be effective enough because you can only use it for a couple weeks I thought. Anyway, keep goin guys, I’ve seen fantastic results!   [End]
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Good info. My doctor prescribed me protopic because I’d used steroids before. I’ve been using it twice a day for 5 months and have seen a good deal of improvement. Doctor’s mainly advise vaseline for its hypoallergenic properties I think. Anyway, what I’ve found over the course of the last few weeks is, assuming your not allergic to it, you can pretty much use whatever product you want. I’m not one of those people who thinks medicated balms are bad for you and that’s what works best for me. The key should be to focus on not rubbing them together too much and ignoring them honestly, bu ...
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Hey, MikePylon, This is pretty much what my doctor told me. One question I have for you (or maybe your doctor rather the next time you see him) is why does he think it’s likely to start in the upper middle of the lip? I ask because That’s EXACTLY where mine started before it ”spread” (you can look through my posts for pics/ treatments). I don’t blame people for thinking it’s a fungus because it does appear to spread, but after a few rounds of heavy anti-fungals, I ruled that out. I’m almost positive mine was caused by a chemical irritant/allergy from a mouthwash/toothpaste (it’s so hard ...
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Hey JSL, sorry for not updating. I just had finals at school and have been quite busy. I’m probably not going to make a big post about it, but since there’s been some inquiry, I’ll briefly update you. basically I’ve been improving very slowly (I think regardless of whatever the ”right” method is for treating this is, progress should be expected to be slow). I still apply protopic twice day and as of a few weeks ago I switched from Vaseline to Palmer’s cocoa butter lip balm (not the tub of it but the stick). My lips absorb it nicely unlike before and I think that may be due to the protop ...
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Perhaps it is a wound for you. I think we can at least agree that we both believe that there are more than one cause for what’s going on here. Many different conditions have the same or similar symptoms so I think we can say that’s probably true. You said yours was caused by biting your lip during a stressful period in your life, right? I can relate to the stress from school, but I was never a biter, licker, or anything like that, so I think mine is an allergy. We’re probably just two people with similar symptoms and different causes. This is what I think makes general progress so diffi ...
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You may not have treated it long enough or eliminated the cause. Aren’t you on a treatment that works on inflammation currently? It’s my understanding that this kind of behavior is very common for conditions like eczema, allergic dermatitis etc. I’m not saying for sure this is the case because it’s hard to be 100% certain about anything with EC, but I’m not seeing any better theories out there and doctors seem to be pretty sure about it. Also, if you look through the image gallery I think saying that MOST of these peoples’ lips are inflamed would be more than fair. I can’t say that ever ...
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JSL I will 100% let you know how this turns out. It seems to be getting better and better everyday. As healing said, Protopic actually isn’t a steroid which is why I think it is most likely much safer for long term use. I did change to a natural tooth paste while doing the leave it alone method, but I didn’t switch out my mouth wash (it’s Dr, Katz Therabreath) which I am evidently allergic too, so I may have done even more damage! I never patch tested for the ingredients, but it doesn’t really seem necessary at this point. Anyway, I don’t think I would have improved much had I used any ...
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I may drop in in a few months. I only had to wipe off skin in the beginning of the treatment. As the treatment progressed, the skin shedding lessened. I was applying vaseline almost every hour in the beginning, but now it’s much less. I try to cause as little trauma as possible (biting, picking, rubbing, etc.). Pretending I have normal lips seemed to help me do that haha. Good luck sir.   [End]
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If it comes back, I’ll update. My doctor said it’s safe.   [End]
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I attribute it to both cutting out the allergen and treating it. I never switched them at the same time.   [End]
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Hey guys, thought I’d update you. As you may or may not know, for the last three months I’ve changed my tooth paste and mouth wash to avoid an allergen (sodium benzoate) which my doctor attributed to my peeling lips. I’m using Tom’s of Maine clean and gentle if anyones curious and no mouthwash at all. Well, I’m happy to say I haven’t peeled or had ANY build up of dead skin in ten days! My lips feel amazing and I’m positive that they are getting back to normal. I’ve been using protopic twice a day religiously and vaseline (mainly the lip therapy in the tub and the tube) in between uses ... [Image Embedded Here]
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I tried this. Unfortunately It didn’t work. Try it if you haven’t just for the hell of it, but for me I didn’t find cocoa butter that great for maintaining this. I think it’s because it doesn’t do much for the inflammation. Are there posts on here with cocoa butter in the past?   [End]
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This is very interesting Seb. Thank you for sharing and I truly hope you get cured. Although I don’t think Staph is the cause of this (for me anyway), I find it very interesting that your patch testing confirmed an allergy to benzoates because sodium benzoate was the ingredient my derm linked to my oral care products and told me to avoid. As of now, I’ve been avoiding them for just over two months while applying protopic twice a day and vaseline and have been seeing a reduction in inflammation (which is what would cause your lip to look everted). It will be very interesting to see if you ...
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Good to see someone trying something different! I’ll be on Protopic for probably another month. That’s three total and I use Vaseline too. With that, JSL,you, and Daniel, we should be getting a better picture here. I’m still kind of stuck on the idea that there is probably more than one cause for ALL of us, but I think if the majority of us seek good help, we can uncover something in common and I think THAT needs to be the goal! Good luck man!   [End]
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Sorry for all this nonsense Daniel, I think you’re a great person and I wish you the best, but some people on here need to learn to be more respectful. It’s hard enough to live with this   [End]
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The symptoms aren’t rare. and yes, I have no grasp of common sense (must be how I got a full ride to a well respected University). You’re not any more qualified to give medical advice than anyone else on here just because your daddy’s a surgeon. Anyone willing to look through what I’ve posted on this forum vs, what you have might have a qualm with calling you a ”mature” person or me a ”sensitive” one. Take a look int he mirror   [End]
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And you’re wrong because if you are CONTINUALLY exposing yourself to an allergen or have done so for a prolonged period of time you won’t be cured. The longer you’ve exposed yourself, the more time it can take for the skin to heal.   [End]
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No one’s misconstruing anything...You genuinely come off as an a**ho**...No offense! Have a nice life.   [End]
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Healing, I’m not about to start an argument with someone on some forum on the internet, but your post says it all. ” RARE lichen planus is a GREAT possibility” How could something RARE be a great possibility? And Lilo CLEARLY said she had cold sores, a rather obvious manifestation of HPV. Furthermore, you can’t justify that this kind of medication, one which clearly has strong side effects, is worth the risk just because it worked for one person...I have nothing against you personally and I truly hope you get cured, but your posts do have the tendency to come off pretty condescending. I ...
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I’m basing the statement off of the fact that this doesn’t look like HPV of the mouth...The odds that we all have HPV are very slim. Healing, why don’t you go get tested for HPV? If you’re thinking about using a cream for HPV on your lips without testing for HPV you’re nuts...oh no offense   [End]
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Daniel, PLEASE ask your doctor about oral care products and allergic dermatitis. Even if you aren’t allergic to something initially, you can still develop an allergy my doctor assured me (he’s a top specialist in one of the best hospitals in my city). I’ve been seeing a reduction in inflammation, pain, and overall peeling since I eliminated the products about a month ago and started using Protopic twice a day with vaseline in between when I need it. I think in our case the most obvious answer might actually be the truth. I really don’t think this is HPV. You can test for it, but if you ...
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You’re right, when the allergen is eliminated the turn around is supposed to be pretty quick. I have seen improvement. It used to be that whenever I applied something the peeling would just sort of push through whatever I applied. It has become more manageable and also less inflamed, but my doctor advised me that with something I’ve exposed myself to for two years, it may take a little more time. I’ll post pics if and when I get healed 100% without a doubt   [End]
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Hey healing, I have stopped the allergen all together for about 4 weeks. Also, I did not do patch testing as my doctor was pretty convinced that this was a result of an oral care product so he decided to try that first. If I had not seen improvement, then the patch testing would’ve begun. I initially got EC, I believe, by exposing myself to an allergen in my toothpaste/mouthwash. I was never a biter or lip licker at all.   [End]
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Hi guys, sorry I lost contact with everyone, but I had a plethora of other problems arise recently and, to be honest, these forums aren’t always the most cheerful. Anyway, I thought I’d come back and update you guys just because I think you deserve to know and then probably disappear again for a while with school starting soon. About a week after posting the pics, my EC returned! I was less than happy about it, but I didn’t want to give up on my nearly 9 month treatment! I stuck it out while I went on vacation to Mexico, where I thought the heat, humidity, and relaxation would be the en ...
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Sorry but you’re bringing nothing to the table at this point. My EC was caused by an allergy to my toothpaste. If allergies are in fact a cause, then eliminating the allergen for an extended period of time would be a viable solution, and it is in cases of contact dermatitis like mine. You discredit one theory which actually has evidence to support it just to pitch some broad idea that you can’t give any specifics about. I don’t think saying it’s an internal problem that only affects the lips which doctors can’t even diagnose is gonna cut it.   [End]
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I see it as contact dermatitis. Here’s a link http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedhealth/PMH0001872/ Note that the symptoms match EC and one of the treatments options is to ”do nothing to the area”   [End]
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I wasn’t deficient in anything so why would I supplement? Also, I wouldn’t doubt that people who went on this diet and got CURED (not just saw small improvement) also probably left them alone.   [End]
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I didn’t have something different than other people on this forum. It’s clearly EC from the pictures (what else would it be?). and my peeling cycle changed constantly as they healed. Never did I leave the skin on for a few weeks nor did I state that anywhere in my post. the cycle increases as I went along because the peeling gets thinner. At the end, my lips would peel off every day. If it’s internal, go to the doctor! Surely, they’d be able to find SOMETHING right? Again, to anyone who left them alone and it didn’t work, you probably didn’t do it long enough.   [End]
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Hey Daniel, feel free to link me on your page and to answer your question it kind of just healed one day...In fact, that part was the first to heal (after the top lip of course). I know you’re really stressing the keep them dry, don’t laugh, sneeze with your mouth closed thing and I think that’s great (maybe it will speed up your healing) but I just carried on normally while leaving them alone. Good luck and I hope you keep it up! And I’d encourage you to laugh...it’s good for you   [End]
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Good question. From what I understand, people who have been healed also left their lips. Honestly, there might be one or two people out there who will claim that strictly changing their diet cured them, so I don’t know how valid that approach really is. Like I said in my post, I don’t think diet plays into it, and if it does, it’s very minimal. You should practice a healthy lifestyle regardless, but there are many people on here I’m sure with amazing diets and they still got this. It’s not internal and I haven’t seen any REAL evidence to suggest otherwise.   [End]
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both peeled. no spots   [End]
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Hello everyone, I promised I would make a post with pictures to prove that this condition can be cured and now is the time! I developed EC in October 2010 from using a toothpaste called Rembrandt for Canker sores. No, my EC was NOT caused by chapstick, blistex, vaseline, or anything like that. However, I do believe that some of you may have triggered your EC with such products if you are either A. allergic to them or B. addicted to using them (like Dr. Oz said in the recent post). When I developed this condition I didn’t automatically connect it to the toothpaste I was using. I did, howev ... [Image Embedded Here]
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JSL, this might sound like a cop out, but I don’t want to give you any false information or deter you from the right path you’re currently on. The truth is it really varies from person to person. I suffered from this for a total of 20 months and it took 7 months (meaning after 14 I decided to leave them alone) to heal. It starts to feel better before it looks better. Progress is slow and it often seems inconsistent or even regressive at times, but one thing I can say is that bad looking peels are usually followed by good results. Good luck and I wish you all the success you deserve   [End]
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Thank you! and you have to leave them along long enough. Thats the mistake people keep making. It took me SEVEN MONTHS to get to this point. Yes, it gets thinner. I know you’ve probably got more questions and I totally understand anyone being skeptical, but I’ll probably make a post tomorrow or the day after and try to address everything I can and answer some questions too for a few days before I finally leave this forum for GOOD   [End]
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The diet isn’t necessary for healing. Can’t say if it speeds up the process or not, but it’s not necessary. I firmly believe this is not an internal problem and until I see any evidence that says otherwise, I’ll stand my ground on that one.   [End]
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You’re right healer. I’ve been absent from the forums for a while, but I recently had another huge breakthrough and it’s very possible that I’m officially cured. Spoiler alert: I LEFT THEM ALONE FOR A LONG TIME! anyway, I’m waiting a few days just to be make SURE that everything is okay and not jump the gun. I’m hoping that my case will silence the skeptics and yes I do have During and after pictures over the course of five months to back it up. LEAVE THEM ALONE PEOPLE. I’ll be addressing questions when I make my official post (hopefully very soon). Best of Luck everyone   [End]
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JDUBBS, it’s good to hear you’re healed and thank you for coming back and letting people know what’s working (I hope to do the same shortly). I won’t pester you for pics but if you DO have ”during and after” EC pics I think it might help more people. I think a lot of people who have had this for a long time are unwilling to endure this treatment(who can blame them?) and maybe that would help. I’m considering it also as I’m very close to being healed I believe. I’ve had this for 18 months and been leaving them alone for close to 7   [End]
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I’m gonna make a pretty extensive post when I’m completely healed. Yes, I’ve noticed A LOT of improvement   [End]
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Yes, plenty of times if I had to go socialize. Leave it on if you can though. Leave it alone as much as possible is the best advice anyone can give you. It’s a long road ahead of you. I’ve doubted it was working many times, but look for slow (and I mean SLOW) progress to keep you going. You’re lips basically have to completely rebuild themselves it seems.   [End]
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Getting them wet seems to be a hotly contested issue. I think it’s OKAY for the most part, but leaving them dry gives you a better chance to heal faster. The thing is, when you get them wet, the dead skin is more likely to fall off. Sometimes, that’s okay because the skins ready to fall off, but you might be doing more harm than good. It’s hard to say. Anyway, my peeling cycle started at ten days and has gradually gotten shorter (about a day or two max now). As you continue on, you should notice the cycles getting shorter because the accepted theory is that the layers of dead skin are get ...
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I’ve had it for about 18 months and I’ve been leaving it alone for about 6 and 1/2 months. The grooves are very important in my opinion, but probably more noticeable on the bottom lip (I think it takes longer to heal). When the dead skin comes off (either on its own or if you take it off for whatever reason) you’ll probably initially notice that the skin under it is RED and doesn’t really have grooves. Of course, you’ll always have the grooves at the bottom of the lip which are prominent when you curl your lips, but What you WANT is for your lips to go back to their natural color (a palish ...
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hey twoploarbears, my advice would be not to worry too much over things like brushing your teeth or getting them wet in the shower and other things like that. I’ve been doing the natural treatment for just over six months. I shower and brush my teeth everyday and I’ve been progressing just fine. Maybe it does speed up the process to keep them completely dry, but I’d rather keep my hygiene in order. Go about your routine normally and don’t apply anything to your lips especially not soap of any kind!   [End]
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probably the most logical thing I’ve EVER read on this forum. Thank God (Or whatever you do or don’t believe in). This info should be your bible if you have EC!   [End]
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Oh, almost forgot to mention that there was a user years back who also cured themselves. I think his username was cure4curezone. Actually, He was the first person on here I believe who cured it. He TOO left them alone and would often drop in saying ”I’m years passed having EC”. So there you have it! Good luck everyone   [End]
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I’ve left them alone for six months and am 100% sure that I’ve made significant progress. I’m very close to being cured and will definitely make a big post about it when they’re completely healed. It’s just my bottom lip now (the top healed) and its slowly getting better. Good luck.   [End]
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he does say in the video that his lips are feeling better. That’s a sign of healing. As time passes, the lips regain their elasticity and start feeling normal again. The burning subsides for the most part and then the lips start looking normal as well. I think any one contributing a cure solely to dietary changes or detox methods is giving out false information. Whether or not changing your diet, exercising more, or using steam speeds up healing remains to be seen because it’s very hard to prove. I had blood work done, my hormone levels checked, used steroid cream/ointment, used anti-fun ...
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Hey Daniel, let me start by saying I admire your bravery in putting yourself out there in order to help others heal from this condition. I’ve had it for about a year and a half, but I’m almost healed. I’ve been leaving them alone for the most part (except I do get them wet ) for six months. My peeling was not as severe as yours, but still considered to be quite severe by most doctors I saw. Anyways, I just wanted to tell you that you are on the right path and that it is a very SLOW process. If I’m correct, you’re on week ten now, so I think you’ve got a good chunk of time ahead of you, but ...
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JSL, keep doing what you’re doing. This is definitely the right route (I’m not positive of the effects of getting them wet really but I guess it couldn’t hurt to leave them dry). I’m going to make a post as soon as I’m fully healed and I think I’m getting very close. It’s all just a matter of time. because it’s a slow healing process. Thanks for staying positive.   [End]
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If it’s any condolence, I think this treatment is quite brilliant. It’s obvious that it’s the outer-most layer that is damaged and steam has been said to moisturize the outer layer of skin and, assuming this is a wound of some sort, the heat increases circulation to promote healing. I’m closing in on a week and I think I’m going to continue for a while longer and see where it takes me because it does seem to prevent the peeling in a pretty natural way. I strongly believe we will beat this. It’s not always easy to, but I SAW my top lip heal, so I know it’s not out of the question. Good ...
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Vaseline and mouthwash? No offense, but I’m sure vaseline, aquaphor, carmex, etc. were EVERYONE’s first choice when they got this. I used aquaphor (basically vaseline but better) for a straight year and while it alleviated the symptoms, it never ridded me of EC entirely. What you’re describing as healing sounds like treating the symptoms. Of course when you constantly smother your lips with an ointment the crusts won’t form, but the condition probably won’t go away entirely either. More power to you if it works, but I think you’ll find yourself at a standstill like the millions of othe ...
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If you don’t mind me asking, how often are you doing the steam treatment? Vanuk said he was doing it 8 times a day and I’m curious to see what he says after he comes being seeing as he started before any of us. I probably get in 5 or 6 maximum but, being a full time student, it’s not always possible.   [End]
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hey drylips, thanks for the insight. How’ s the steam treatment working for you? I’ve been on it for 5 days now and what I’ve noticed is that the crust really has no time to form (which may or may not be a good thing). I’ve let the crust form a million times and it always returns, so maybe a different route could be better. I’m also now using a humidifier which seems to help my lips not dry out during the night. My point is, the blow dryer thing, while providing heat, lacks humidity, It’s very dry air and, like the indoor heating many of us use during the winter months, it can really d ...
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hey healer, glad to see you’re on the right path! First, I’d like to address your questions about showers. I think it’s become the consensus that getting the lips wet isn’t all that bad (pretty much inevitable when you shower) and also the steam and humidity seem to be beneficial to healing. I’ve got a couple questions for you if you don’t mind. First, what exactly are you doing? Are you applying any ointments, lip balm, chapstick, etc.? There seems to be a lot of debate over whether or not these things help or hinder EC. Second, are you ABSOLUTELY sure that you have EC? It’s pretty obv ...
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I decided to give this a try today because it’s so easy. I did it 3 times and what I noticed is the effect is VERY similar to what happens when you take a shower. The white patch is exposed and more easily visible (kind of like when it gets wet in the shower). What I’m wondering, Vanuk, is how is this different from taking a shower aside from the frequency? do you think it’s just because they don’t get wet that this would constitute efficient healing? I’m totally with you on the heat and humidity thing because it makes sense on the surface. I consider this a ”wound” of sorts and I thin ...
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Vanuk, read my post more carefully next time. It clearly says I haven’t been using anything for quite some time, but your reply is about nothing but why creams and ointments don’t work. I know you’re not from the states, but please read more carefully.   [End]
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it’s been about 3 months since I started, however, I started applying ointments and what not for a while in January because a doctor suggested it. My opinion is that topicals and ointments won’t necessarily set your healing back, they just kind of halt it. Your progress is more or less at standstill, but the symptoms are alleviated. Perhaps it would eventually heal on its own the same way if you use topicals, but I tend to think you make more progress buy just letting it run its course. My top lip is completely healed and I can use ointments and balms without consequences so, for me, t ...
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Vanuk, you’re right on most accounts, and leaving the dead skin on is generally a good idea, but when you reach what appears to be the end of healing there is simply nothing to trim. When I first started the ”apply nothing” treatment, my peeling cycle was 10 days! I WAS trimming then, but now the cycle is more like every 10-12 hours before it starts coming off on its own (much less ugly then in the beginning of course), and it pretty much comes off naturally while looking better each time and feeling better each time. Leaving it on as long as possible is the right idea, but it becomes le ...
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hmm that’s a tough one to answer really. It seems what’s happening for me is the cycle is quickening. I get the white patch of dry skin that encompasses the middle portion of my bottom lip (closer to the opening of the mouth but there is healthy skin above it). The white patch eventually turns a yellowish color if I leave it alone and then I’ll usually take it off in the shower (at that point it turns gooey and comes off when I rub my lips together). I don’t think it will become ”waterproof” until the white patch of ”dry skin”, which acts as a scab of sorts I believe, stops forming comp ...
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Drylips, I think you make a lot of solid points. My condition was caused by a toothpaste that I used for a year which triggered the whole thing. My progress sounds almost identical to yours because, when the condition was at full force, my lips were a much darker red and I have noticed as progress continued that they got progressively lighter and feel more normal. It seems now when the bottom lip peels (the top stopped when I removed the toothpaste) that it’s more pink and feels more normal as opposed to red and raw. It’s good to see that two people who are progressing are seeing very s ...
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I know exactly what you mean and I think you’re dead on, especially about the sections becoming progressively more sensitive. One thing that hasn’t really been covered though is the SPEED of the cycle. I’ve noticed that the peeling has sped up in terms of how long it takes to reach the end of the cycle as I’ve progressed. This seems contrary to some of what other people have posted (then again, I don’t know if any of them were actually cured), but I think it may all be related to what triggered it on a person to person basis.   [End]
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We all feel your pain, but two weeks is not enough time to be ”cured” of this. I’d suggest you go to a dermatologist first, regardless of what any one on here says about doctors, and see if they can treat you. Most likely, they’ll give you hydrocortisone or a topical steroid. Maybe you’’ll get lucky and it’ll work for you. It’s certainly not outside the realm of possibility. Otherwise, take it from someone who’s had this for over a year, doing nothing has been the ONLY way I saw improvement (top lip no longer peels and bottom is slowly improving). You need to find the cause (could b ...
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Totally agree with you. What I don’t understand is why things like aquaphor, blistex, etc. don’t speed up the process. They all mask the symptoms but never seem to heal it completely. I’m only afflicted on my bottom lip and, as I’ve progressed, the cycle sped up a lot. I now go through a full peel (from white dry skin to yellow crust peeling off on its own) in one day. As you said it comes off in the shower and, if I leave it alone, it feels slightly better each time. Hopefully it stops completely soon. Leaving it alone is the ONLY way.   [End]
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it only took me about a week to START seeing improvements. The thing is, if your condition is caused by contact dermatitis, you’ll not only have the peeling, but I’m pretty sure you’ll have a burning/itching as well as inflammation as those are signs of an allergy. If, like OP said, the burning stops then you are on the right path. After my lips stopped burning, the swelling went away. I can only speak from personal experience of course.   [End]
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Good to hear someone else is also healing! I too figured out that it was an oral hygiene product that triggered all this mess (for me it was toothpaste). I think more people need to take this issue into account. I see a lot of posts where people are saying ”well, I cut it out for three weeks and it didn’t change”, but people need to realize that if you used the product for an EXTENDED length of time (for me it was close to a year) your recovery will reflect that. I totally agree with your doctor in saying that it could take 5-6 months. I know it’s often hard for people on here to trust ...
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goodcalluk, definitely listen to your doctor’s advice. It took me a year to figure out that it was SOLELY the toothpaste I’d been using that was causing this (it was actually SLS free) I suspected fluoride, but it could be anything as some of the ingredients aren’t listed (like bonding agents). Needless to say I’m still healing from the condition. It’s been a little over a month and the progress has been slow but promising. I left my lips alone completely aside from occasional olive oil. After 10 days, the dead skin was ready to come off my lips. My top lip is completely healed (no peeling ...
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Hi Sillylips, sorry to hear the toothpaste didn’t work out for you, but what you said about the cinnamon is definitely a step in the right direction in my opinion. My lips continue to improve and are almost normal since I removed the irritant/allergen. It’s been said on here numerous times that the ”cause” of all this is inflammation. SOMETHING causes the inflammation and then that triggers the peeling. I firmly believe that the majority of people exhibiting these kind of symptoms are having some kind of allergic reaction. I DONT think it’s a fungus as anti-fungals usually prove ineffectiv ...
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Hello all, this is my first AND last post on this forum. I feel obligated to share this information with anyone who is struggling with ”peeling lips”. Mine started about a year ago. It was hard to pinpoint the cause as I switched toothpastes from Colgate total to rembrandt for canker sores, started using a variety of acne products (some prescribed and some not) and also introduced a weight gain shake into my diet. Anyway, my issue started in the winter of last year. I’m prone to chapped lips, but usually applying aquaphor at night solves the problem. This time, however, it did not. I noti ...
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