This excessive salivary flow eventually dries out, leading to the development of yellowish plaques (or crusts) that cover the labial mucosa surface. These plaques are easily removed but form again, mainly during sleep.
What does it look like? Solar cheilitis predominantly affects the lower lip because it tends to be more prominent. The homogenous pink color of the healthy lip (Figure A) is replaced with non-homogenous white/gray, pink, red, or brown areas and the normally sharp vermillion/skin border becomes less distinct (Figure B).
An infected lip may be red, warm to the touch, draining pus, or becoming more swollen. In this case, it is also important to see a doctor.
A yeast infection on your face or lips is a common fungal infection caused by a yeast called Candida. Symptoms include a red, itchy rash on your face or white patches on your lips. Treatment includes antifungal creams, lotions or ointments.
Bacterial Infections
Angular cheilitis caused by a bacterial infection is usually treated with antibiotics—either oral (by mouth) or topical (on the skin). Common angular cheilitis medications that are antibiotics include Bactroban (mupirocin) and Fucidin (fusidic acid).
Early stage lip cancer may look like a flat or slightly raised patch of discoloration. Other lip cancer symptoms include: A sore, lump, blister or ulcer that won't go away.
Lip eczema appears as redness, dryness, scaling and fissuring. The angle of the mouth is often also involved. The most commonly affected parts of the lips are the perioral skin and vermilion margin. It is important to note your skin and mucosal lesions elsewhere as these may give a clue about the main cause.
Yellowish crusting can form on a scab when pus builds up. Pus is usually a sign of infection, and it can indicate either a bacterial infection, such as impetigo, or a viral infection, such as herpes. Sometimes, the scab can crack, and a small amount of clear yellow or pink fluid can ooze out.
Wound bed. Healthy granulation tissue is pink in colour and is an indicator of healing. Unhealthy granulation is dark red in colour, often bleeds on contact, and may indicate the presence of wound infection.
Occasionally, the scab on your lip is not a cold sore and can be a sign of something more serious. The Mayo Clinic notes that if you see a flat, raised, whitish patch on your lip, it could be a sign of lip cancer.
Gentle exfoliation is the best way to remove dead skin from your lips. Exfoliating the lips will make them soft and smooth and allow your lip care products to penetrate the lip better. The lips can be exfoliated with a lip scrub as needed, but most people find that two or three times a week is enough.
Factitial cheilitis stands out as a distinct subtype of contact cheilitis, usually triggered by a stressful event (possible self-damaging behavior). Use of the patch test is important to determine these cheilitis causing allergens and to identify the etiologic allergen (7).
Any of the following conditions can contribute to chapped lips. Dehydration – When you're dehydrated, your lips are more prone to dryness. Drink about eight glasses of water per day to stay properly hydrated. Malnutrition – Improper diet and nutrient deficiencies can make skin and lips drier than usual.
Allergic contact cheilitis usually presents as eczema-like changes on the vermilion margin or skin around the mouth. One or both lips may be red with dryness, scaling and cracking. The changes may be quite localised or affect the whole lip. Involvement of the angles of the mouth may also be seen (angular-cheilitis).
Eczema on the lips — also known as lip dermatitis or eczematous cheilitis — causes redness, drying, and scaling of the lips. Common triggers include stress and the use of certain cosmetics. Home remedies and medical treatments can help.
Lip melanoma is a type of oral skin cancer. One in five Americans will develop some form of skin cancer in their lifetime. If caught early, it can be treated and removed. So it's essential to know the different signs and symptoms, how lip cancer differs from other types of cancer, and what treatment is available.
A staph infection of the lip can start as a small, red bump. Once the body's immune system recognizes the bacteria as foreign, it sends white blood cells to the area to fight the infection. This immune response causes the bump to become inflamed, tender, and filled with pus.
Whether you call it a cold sore or a fever blister, oral herpes is a common infection of the mouth area that is caused by herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1). Fifty percent to 80 percent of U.S. adults have oral herpes.
What does a fungal infection look like? Fungal infections on or in your skin can look red, swollen or bumpy. They can look like a rash or you might be able to see a lump under your skin. Fungal infections in your nails can make them discolored (yellow, brown or white), thick or cracked.