Dry and cracked lips
The skin of the lips is thinner than elsewhere and has no oil glands, so it is the first to react to cold, wind, dry air and dehydration.
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Medicines commonly prescribed for Dry and cracked lips
For informational purposes only. Always consult a doctor before taking any medication.
Dosage form: CREAM, 2%Active substance: fusidic acidManufacturer: Isdin S.A.Prescription requiredDosage form: CREAM, 2 %Active substance: fusidic acidManufacturer: Laboratorios Leo Pharma S.A.Prescription requiredDosage form: CREAM, 20 mg/gActive substance: fusidic acidManufacturer: Redox Farma S.L.U.Prescription required
Dry and cracked lips
The skin of the lips is thinner than elsewhere and has no oil glands, so it is the first to react to cold, wind, dry air and dehydration. In most cases dryness and cracking settle on their own within a few days. But if lips stubbornly refuse to heal, flake for months, or become inflamed at the corners, there is usually an underlying cause worth finding.
What helps
- a balm based on petroleum jelly, lanolin or beeswax — these hold moisture better than products with menthol and fragrance;
- applying it often, including overnight;
- outdoors during the day, use something with SPF 15 or higher: lips burn easily and rarely get any sun protection;
- in cold and wind, cover your face with a scarf;
- humidify the air indoors, particularly during the heating season;
- drink enough water.
What is better avoided
- do not lick your lips — saliva evaporates and dries them further, which becomes a loop;
- do not pick or bite off flaking skin: it opens up sores and slows healing;
- do not use lip scrubs on cracked lips;
- do not share balm with other people;
- if a balm stings, or dryness increases while you use it, switch products: there may be a reaction to a fragrance or dye.
When to see a clinician
- your lips have not healed in two to three weeks despite good care;
- they are swollen, hot and painful — infection is possible;
- painful cracks, crusting or redness have appeared at the corners of the mouth;
- a firm patch that will not heal, an ulcer, or a persistent white area has formed on the lip;
- dry lips come together with dry eyes and a dry mouth;
- the cracking started after beginning a new medicine.
A separate note on firm non-healing lesions and ulcers, especially on the lower lip: these need showing to a clinician, because that is how a pre-cancerous change or a lip cancer can look.
Common causes
- Weather and indoor climate — cold, wind, dry air, air conditioning;
- dehydration and the habit of licking the lips;
- sun damage — actinic cheilitis, in which the lip flakes for years;
- allergic or contact cheilitis — a reaction to ingredients in lipsticks, toothpaste, mouthwash or orthodontic appliances;
- cracks at the corners of the mouth — a fungal or bacterial infection, often linked to excess saliva, ill-fitting dentures, or a shortage of iron or B vitamins;
- cold sores — starting with tingling and burning before the blisters appear;
- medication — retinoids for acne, some blood pressure drugs, chemotherapy;
- general conditions — anaemia, vitamin and zinc deficiency, thyroid disease, dry-mouth syndromes.
Treatment
This depends on the cause. Cracks at the corners are treated with an antifungal or antibacterial cream, and where inflammation is marked, a short course of a topical anti-inflammatory. Cold sores are treated with antivirals, and these work better the earlier they are started — ideally at the first tingle. Where allergy is suspected, contact with the likely culprit is withdrawn. And if the problem is a shortage of iron or vitamins, blood tests are done and the deficiency corrected.
Common questions
Is it true that lip balm is addictive? There is no physical dependence. But some products with menthol and camphor relieve only briefly and increase dryness, which creates the sense of being worse off without them.
Does drinking more water help? It helps if you are dehydrated. If the cause is an allergy or an infection, water alone is not enough.
Are cracks at the corners contagious? The crack itself is not, but the fungi or bacteria behind it can pass on through shared crockery and towels.
Online consultation
In an online appointment a doctor can work through what is happening to your lips, review photographs, help distinguish simple dryness from an infection or an allergy, prescribe treatment and advise which blood tests are worth doing if the problem drags on.
This article is for general information and does not replace a consultation with a doctor.
Medically reviewed by
Reviewed on Jul 19, 2026
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