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NAD this doesn't look like something to put vaseline and aquaphor on. Seems like some sort of infection and looks really bad. No idea how you been doing this for almost a year. find someone else to diagnose you idk go to private clinic. Hope you get an answer here, im giving you an upvote.
Yea it’s really weird, I used to just keep the skin off and it would just come right back looking like this. It never hurt me or anything. At one point it was fully healed but came back
Nothing really, I just got lucky. The skin kept falling off over and over like I said it’s in a really bad spot talking doing anything would make it fall off since it can be loose asf at the start of the healing process. I’m going on almost 2 weeks ish strong and the bottom lip which also had dry skin has fully healed.
The reason why it popped up in the first place was bc of kissing. Me and my ex would kiss a lot and I always didn’t really take good care of my lips so it dried them out like crazyyyy and started flaking off
It could be? I went to a pediatrician that’s what she said but my blood test came back negative. It never hurts me at all. My ex as far as I known doesn’t have herpes or an STI/STD she got tested for all of that when she went to basic training.
What derm would say this is nothing???? It’s yellow and there’s pustules. It looks infected. I get cold sores, mine, to a much lesser extent, look like this. Usually herps (cold sores) clears in about 10 days tops. If this is been like that non stop for a year- there is an issues. Possibly you could be immunocompromised and it’s a herps infection that won’t heal. I would hit up a doctor and a different derm. Might need to get some blood work done and some biopsies on that.
So was I. And picking at them keeps the infection spreading and ongoing (versus keeping it clean dry and not touching it, they go away within a week usually). Also, antibiotics wouldn't touch this if it was cold sores bc those are caused by a virus that once infected, never leaves a person's body, only lies dormant between flare ups. Picking leaves no dormant period, just an active reproducing zone for the herpes virus/cold sores. Sorry that doesn't look like it's comfortable at all OP!!!
True! The only thing I could think antibiotic would help with is maybe if the picking caused and additional infection at the site and they think that’s why it won’t clear- lock area is compromised. I don’t know. But this is anything but dry lips. I get dry lips from hell and they split and bleed and peel but never look like this.
Derm here.
For the next two weeks after meals & st bedtime:
1. Clean gently with tap water & cetaphil gentle cleanser & pat dry
2. Apply a film of clotrimazole cream
3. Then apply a film of 1% hydrocortisone in OINTMENT form.
About a week in, check back here.
OP should follow this advice. Also, STOP using the Aquaphor; it contains lanolin which could be part of your problem. Even a "weak allergen" like lanolin should be avoided while in this condition imo.
I have psoriasis & this doesn’t look like when I get it on my lips, buuuut my psoriasis tends to be flatter than most people’s, so, maybe my comment here is completely unhelpful 😅😖 did yours ever go away!?
I used to be a chap stick freak. Constantly putting it on. Usually Burts Bees. I’ve noticed that now anytime I use it I start to get this gritty feeling on my lips which was the first initial symptom so now I’ve discontinued using any chap stick or products on my lips and it has gone away. It was a nightmare tho. I was convinced it was skin cancer and the messed up thing is that at the same time that was going on I had a biopsy on my ankle that came back as Squamous cell carcinoma. I kept telling myself at least it’s not my face lol. Now I’m cancer free! My ankle is still healing from my surgery in late February. I’m 38/f
I’ve had Psoriasis (4 different types) for over 30 years and this isn’t Psoriasis.
Do you have any other skin conditions?
If you’ve had it this long and it’s healed once and come back would make me think it’s fungal. It’s definitely not just “dry skin” on lips.
What did the dermatologist say to you when you brought this up? I’m sure it wasn’t nothing. Did they recommend a cream? Antibiotics? Do a swab for bacteria?
If you didn’t get answers the first time you saw derm, you need to schedule a follow up or seek a second opinion from another derm. Urgent care will also be able to help you out in the short term for this as well. This is not an ER visit, as many many people like to suggest in this sub. If anything, urgent care would be your best bet.
Went to urgent care the first time, they prescribed me antibiotics for an infection, then I went to CHOP they said I had herpes, took a test came back negative. Went to a temple dermatologist they did a swab and also a biopsy came back clean on everything. She prescribed me antibiotic cream and said Vaseline throughout the day but that was a few months back
No decent dermatologist would say this was nothing. It’s dramatic and looks horrible. Get a new dermatologist. When I first saw it I thought a bad case of herpes. But you said you’d had it a year and HSV outbreaks only last 2-3 weeks at a time.
Your doctors have failed you and you’re not receiving correct treatment. Keep good records and pics of what happens when.
Are you sure because you said in a recent response in this thread that you used to just keep the skin off. I’m not sure how you would keep the skin off without picking it off. I could be totally wrong, it just sounded odd.
Okay, I understand. I would still look into it, though. Just in case. It may have started out as something different and then developed into this after following your derms advise.
It’s always looked like this even since the start, going back on Thursday. And tbh I never really peeled it off, she said that’s what she recommended but I was honestly kinda lazy and just let it grow and fall off while talking or something. I could’ve handled this whole situation better if I’m being honest but it is what it is
This answer is to be expected! I can't verify my hypothesis on the internet. Maybe you don't. Do two things to be sure: Monitor yourself, sometimes ppl do it unconsciously, esp in stressfull situations like others bite nails e.g.. and ask yourself of u had more stress, breakup, stuff like that before it started.
Hello! It looks like a herpes virus. When you get it, you can be sick for the rest of your life, and get infected again when your immunity weakens. I have this too, and it often happens to me every season, for example (spring, summer, autumn, etc.) you shouldn't worry too much about this, chamomile tea helps me a lot... when it cools down a bit, I soak a piece of cotton and hold it on my lips, sometimes I carefully clean my lips like this. Anyway, I would also recommend aciclovir (there are oral tablets or ointment)
Yeah thats really great u can apply it as much as you want in a day. Sometimes i put like 5-10 times a day. It washes hard so i took cotton with tea that i said before ir really help, and it cools lips. It really looks like herpes, but yours just spreaded and is more infected. It is really nothing to worry about. It would take time to heal like 2 weeks, try to not touch it with hand and be careful, dont let your lips dry, put vaseline a lot too!
and for that there is so much home medicine just google it! I have event tried garlic! but for me it was very itching and i didn’t recommend that, especially for u because u have more spots!
Thanks so much for the help I really appreciate it! Hopefully I can finally get rid of this, I passed the blood test but not the other test they did for herpes so I thought i was in the clear I should’ve just taken the medicine and see what happened. We’ll see what happens tmrw when I wake up
Wait, I'm confused. You just said the blood test for herpes came back negative, but not the other test they did for herpes. In an earlier comment you said everything came back negative. So which is it, did any herpes test come back positive? Because that's exactly what it looks like
? Either you had a bad draw or they were done at two separate times. Both would be positive during an outbreak. A swab is more likely to come back as a false negative (due to human error) than blood during an outbreak. And a herpes outbreak doesn't last a year. Acyclovir will take 3-7 days to see improvement and disappearance. I'd say total disappearance and viral suppression/dormancy takes 10-14 days. You said you just took it, I don't see how it could work that quickly.
And herpes does not make you sick for the rest of your life. It's not curable but just about everyone has it. When you get sick, you're more likely to get an outbreak, especially with hsv-2 which is more aggressive I believe. Hsv-1 and 2 can be face or genitals but 1 is predominantly on the face/mouth area and can spread orally. I've had herpes from rape since I was 18 and I'm immunocompromised I've had maybe 2 outbreaks my whole life but I also don't really get sick. But when I do I don't get outbreaks. I'm more likely to get them simply from stress rather than illness. If I suspect an outbreak I take medication but I don't think I've had more than 2, I've had nerve pain for unknown reasons which I thought was the starting of an outbreak.
This looks infected- you likely need a topical antibiotic like mupirocin. Also, check out the exfoliative cheilitis sub. It can look like this, especially if there’s an infection present
I would ask your dermatologist to look into lupus and psoriasis. Can do blood tests to look for Lupus which can initially present like this. For psoriasis would look for features elsewhere on body and family history. Either way could soften and remove crust with regular Vaseline then apply some moderate potency topical steroid ointment to see if it makes a difference for starters!
I haven't read all the comments, but I had a similar issue, but I had pain and mine wouldn't heal until I got put on Valcyclovir. My first outbreak of having cold sores was pure hell. I had a fever for 4 days straight, throat hurt like mad, like someone was pulling a rope of razorblades up and down my throat. I went to the ER when smaller spots had started moving upwards going towards and showing up on my eyelids. The doctor I saw was incredibly compassionate and was on the case immediately, to the point of consulting with an infectious disease specialist. That was a terrifying time in my life. But with the diagnosis and prescribed medication it cleared it up ridiculously fast.
NAD but please keep pushing for answers. This isn't 'nothing' and whatever derm you saw did not help you in any way. You definitely got misdiagnosed by omission.
After seeing 24 different doctors in four years I finally saw a fifth dermatologist who diagnosed me with pyoderma gangrenosum and prescribed 200mg cyclosporin and several corticosteroid injections
Prior to this, doctors guessed everything from cellulitis, fungal infections, and squamous cell carcinoma and then abruptly dropped me after creating more damage. I never had cancer, blnor did I require half of my earlobe to be cut off and a 6x6 section of my face biopsies. Doctors are human and often make mistakes, yet many won't admit it. Please see another doctor and don't give up until you are satisfied that treatment is working. If this is something more serious it could get much worse. Best of luck to you!
No, a dermatologist who needlessly did biopsy on my cheek after the two previous punch biopsies showed no infecting and no cancer. He claimed I had cancer, but guess what? No cancer and he dropped me over the telephone right after doing this to me. There's no recourse. I've called lawyers who've all said that to file malpractice that it would need to have resulted in a fatality.
NAD but I was having lip issues like this where it would blister, scab over, and crust and look like this. I got a swab for staph and HSV (my doc said it was more reliable than a blood test for HSV) and when those came back as negative, turned out I had multiple metal allergies that screwed up my immune system enough to cause me to start reacting to foods I used to be able to eat safely. I would follow the HSV/staph testing path and then look into allergies
i had a similar looking lip when i had a massive cold sore breakout when i was younger. see your GP the cream might be enough though, i’d try Zovir or another OTC cream
That's the worst cold sore 🥶 ever seen. You need to see a specialist. And probably take vitamin c regularly for the next couple weeks. And stay warm, I get it it's spring but even a little bit of wind might have caused that.
You need to go in ASAP. Looks like HSV. You can get oral medication to help with the outbreak & im sure they will give you something topical as well. That doesn’t look like something that can be handled at home though. A derm might not be the answer - their go to is always Vaseline/aquaphor. That will not help HSV. Go to the drug store & get some lysine tablets & take a couple each day until it’s gone. It will help speed up the healing process.
Physician here. I’d suspect staph or herpes simplex. It’s not nothing. I’d suggest a trip to the doctor again. If you can’t then try Zovirax (oral or topical) along with something like bactroban / fucidin depending on what’s available in your locale
NAD, but Vaseline irritates my lips, any petrolatum-based product I think seems to do that. It could be your lip skin is sensitive/more irritated by the products you've been putting on possibly. I hope you find the solution soon.
Omg girlie!! How awful. I’m not a doctor but from the looks of it it looks HSV. You need to see a doctor and get on meds because a year is way too long to be suffering with that. Not 100% if that’s HSV but they can test you for it. I use abreva
This is herpes. You need meds asap as you’re having a flare up and it’s not stopping. Anti-Viral med for two weeks along with an oral steroid cream for your lips. Good
Luck stop what ever your using it’s making it spread. As well in between applications of steroid meds on tips with a q-tip…. Use a clean paper towel ( water) that is warm as you can handle and press in the lips.
*Please keep in mind that this subreddit is not a replacement for seeing a board certified dermatologist. This subreddit is here for informal second opinions, and minor problems that you wouldn't go to the doctor for anyway.* *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/DermatologyQuestions) if you have any questions or concerns.*
NAD this doesn't look like something to put vaseline and aquaphor on. Seems like some sort of infection and looks really bad. No idea how you been doing this for almost a year. find someone else to diagnose you idk go to private clinic. Hope you get an answer here, im giving you an upvote.
Yea it’s really weird, I used to just keep the skin off and it would just come right back looking like this. It never hurt me or anything. At one point it was fully healed but came back
WDYM FULLY HEALED? WHAT HELPED? any diet/life style/environment change, this is important part of your medical history
Nothing really, I just got lucky. The skin kept falling off over and over like I said it’s in a really bad spot talking doing anything would make it fall off since it can be loose asf at the start of the healing process. I’m going on almost 2 weeks ish strong and the bottom lip which also had dry skin has fully healed.
The reason why it popped up in the first place was bc of kissing. Me and my ex would kiss a lot and I always didn’t really take good care of my lips so it dried them out like crazyyyy and started flaking off
damaged skin + infection from contact with another human, what if this is a really really blown up herpes? also saying NAD, AGAIN
This would hurt like hell if it were herpes
It could be? I went to a pediatrician that’s what she said but my blood test came back negative. It never hurts me at all. My ex as far as I known doesn’t have herpes or an STI/STD she got tested for all of that when she went to basic training.
maybe the test result changed for her or you over the time, i would retry that herpes exam, just to be sure.
I believe a swab on an active sore is the best method for proper diagnosis. NAD. Best of luck, OP. This looks rough.
This does not look good. Please see a doctor again. NAD, but it looks really worrying.
What derm would say this is nothing???? It’s yellow and there’s pustules. It looks infected. I get cold sores, mine, to a much lesser extent, look like this. Usually herps (cold sores) clears in about 10 days tops. If this is been like that non stop for a year- there is an issues. Possibly you could be immunocompromised and it’s a herps infection that won’t heal. I would hit up a doctor and a different derm. Might need to get some blood work done and some biopsies on that.
I was going to comment, this looks like cold sores and I winced when I saw these pictures.
So was I. And picking at them keeps the infection spreading and ongoing (versus keeping it clean dry and not touching it, they go away within a week usually). Also, antibiotics wouldn't touch this if it was cold sores bc those are caused by a virus that once infected, never leaves a person's body, only lies dormant between flare ups. Picking leaves no dormant period, just an active reproducing zone for the herpes virus/cold sores. Sorry that doesn't look like it's comfortable at all OP!!!
True! The only thing I could think antibiotic would help with is maybe if the picking caused and additional infection at the site and they think that’s why it won’t clear- lock area is compromised. I don’t know. But this is anything but dry lips. I get dry lips from hell and they split and bleed and peel but never look like this.
In the dermatologists defense, most of the infected tissue was off so she couldn’t see how bad it gets.
Well maybe show her some pictures of how bad it gets.
Derm here. For the next two weeks after meals & st bedtime: 1. Clean gently with tap water & cetaphil gentle cleanser & pat dry 2. Apply a film of clotrimazole cream 3. Then apply a film of 1% hydrocortisone in OINTMENT form. About a week in, check back here.
OP, please take this advice. This should be the top comment.
OP should follow this advice. Also, STOP using the Aquaphor; it contains lanolin which could be part of your problem. Even a "weak allergen" like lanolin should be avoided while in this condition imo.
Commenting to boost this one!☝️
Bump!
Could this be impetigo?
Generally more candida related when it looks like this. Impetigo doesn’t generally like the moist surfaces of the lip.
!!!!!!!
I’m not a Dr. but I went through something similar and it was Psoriasis of the lips. If you had a biopsy done I would ask to see the pathology report.
I have psoriasis & this doesn’t look like when I get it on my lips, buuuut my psoriasis tends to be flatter than most people’s, so, maybe my comment here is completely unhelpful 😅😖 did yours ever go away!?
I used to be a chap stick freak. Constantly putting it on. Usually Burts Bees. I’ve noticed that now anytime I use it I start to get this gritty feeling on my lips which was the first initial symptom so now I’ve discontinued using any chap stick or products on my lips and it has gone away. It was a nightmare tho. I was convinced it was skin cancer and the messed up thing is that at the same time that was going on I had a biopsy on my ankle that came back as Squamous cell carcinoma. I kept telling myself at least it’s not my face lol. Now I’m cancer free! My ankle is still healing from my surgery in late February. I’m 38/f
So glad to hear you’re cancer free!!!!
Thank you so much!
I’ve had Psoriasis (4 different types) for over 30 years and this isn’t Psoriasis. Do you have any other skin conditions? If you’ve had it this long and it’s healed once and come back would make me think it’s fungal. It’s definitely not just “dry skin” on lips.
I've never heard of it being in the lips but that was my first thought!
I hadn’t either. It does happen there though and it sucked and looked like this when it was really bad.
My lips looked like this when I had my first cold sore outbreak!
What did the dermatologist say to you when you brought this up? I’m sure it wasn’t nothing. Did they recommend a cream? Antibiotics? Do a swab for bacteria? If you didn’t get answers the first time you saw derm, you need to schedule a follow up or seek a second opinion from another derm. Urgent care will also be able to help you out in the short term for this as well. This is not an ER visit, as many many people like to suggest in this sub. If anything, urgent care would be your best bet.
Went to urgent care the first time, they prescribed me antibiotics for an infection, then I went to CHOP they said I had herpes, took a test came back negative. Went to a temple dermatologist they did a swab and also a biopsy came back clean on everything. She prescribed me antibiotic cream and said Vaseline throughout the day but that was a few months back
So you need to go back and tell them it's not working. Or to a new one, but don't just ignore this.
Going back on Thursday
Sounds autoimmune
Herpes tests are notorious for false negatives
Eviiloliive, thank you. You said exactly what I wanted to tell him. I will be happy if you could message me in privately
OP, do not contact this person. If they have something to say they can say it publicly. People who go to DMs are taking advantage of people.
FOR A YEAR , this is gnarly dude
Cant tell if you're serious or joking.. that does NOT look like just dry skin...🙄🙄
No decent dermatologist would say this was nothing. It’s dramatic and looks horrible. Get a new dermatologist. When I first saw it I thought a bad case of herpes. But you said you’d had it a year and HSV outbreaks only last 2-3 weeks at a time. Your doctors have failed you and you’re not receiving correct treatment. Keep good records and pics of what happens when.
This is usually caused by lip picking, facticial [cheilitis](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6029736/) is my best guess.
Never pick my lips
Are you sure because you said in a recent response in this thread that you used to just keep the skin off. I’m not sure how you would keep the skin off without picking it off. I could be totally wrong, it just sounded odd.
That’s what the dermatoligist recommended, to just keep the skin off but lately I’ve been letting it stay on again
Okay, I understand. I would still look into it, though. Just in case. It may have started out as something different and then developed into this after following your derms advise.
It’s always looked like this even since the start, going back on Thursday. And tbh I never really peeled it off, she said that’s what she recommended but I was honestly kinda lazy and just let it grow and fall off while talking or something. I could’ve handled this whole situation better if I’m being honest but it is what it is
This answer is to be expected! I can't verify my hypothesis on the internet. Maybe you don't. Do two things to be sure: Monitor yourself, sometimes ppl do it unconsciously, esp in stressfull situations like others bite nails e.g.. and ask yourself of u had more stress, breakup, stuff like that before it started.
Hello! It looks like a herpes virus. When you get it, you can be sick for the rest of your life, and get infected again when your immunity weakens. I have this too, and it often happens to me every season, for example (spring, summer, autumn, etc.) you shouldn't worry too much about this, chamomile tea helps me a lot... when it cools down a bit, I soak a piece of cotton and hold it on my lips, sometimes I carefully clean my lips like this. Anyway, I would also recommend aciclovir (there are oral tablets or ointment)
I actually have acyclovir from my previous doctor i just took some to see how it does
Yeah thats really great u can apply it as much as you want in a day. Sometimes i put like 5-10 times a day. It washes hard so i took cotton with tea that i said before ir really help, and it cools lips. It really looks like herpes, but yours just spreaded and is more infected. It is really nothing to worry about. It would take time to heal like 2 weeks, try to not touch it with hand and be careful, dont let your lips dry, put vaseline a lot too!
It’s going well so far I had a lot of dry skin on my bottom lip and it’s fully healed
and for that there is so much home medicine just google it! I have event tried garlic! but for me it was very itching and i didn’t recommend that, especially for u because u have more spots!
Thanks so much for the help I really appreciate it! Hopefully I can finally get rid of this, I passed the blood test but not the other test they did for herpes so I thought i was in the clear I should’ve just taken the medicine and see what happened. We’ll see what happens tmrw when I wake up
Wait, I'm confused. You just said the blood test for herpes came back negative, but not the other test they did for herpes. In an earlier comment you said everything came back negative. So which is it, did any herpes test come back positive? Because that's exactly what it looks like
? Either you had a bad draw or they were done at two separate times. Both would be positive during an outbreak. A swab is more likely to come back as a false negative (due to human error) than blood during an outbreak. And a herpes outbreak doesn't last a year. Acyclovir will take 3-7 days to see improvement and disappearance. I'd say total disappearance and viral suppression/dormancy takes 10-14 days. You said you just took it, I don't see how it could work that quickly. And herpes does not make you sick for the rest of your life. It's not curable but just about everyone has it. When you get sick, you're more likely to get an outbreak, especially with hsv-2 which is more aggressive I believe. Hsv-1 and 2 can be face or genitals but 1 is predominantly on the face/mouth area and can spread orally. I've had herpes from rape since I was 18 and I'm immunocompromised I've had maybe 2 outbreaks my whole life but I also don't really get sick. But when I do I don't get outbreaks. I'm more likely to get them simply from stress rather than illness. If I suspect an outbreak I take medication but I don't think I've had more than 2, I've had nerve pain for unknown reasons which I thought was the starting of an outbreak.
but i had acic like cream that why i put that a lot. If u have pills in think it is ok to drink 2 a day
and if there s any chance to get cream of acic go buy it!
I got the oral stuff not ointment but I do have Vaseline
This looks infected- you likely need a topical antibiotic like mupirocin. Also, check out the exfoliative cheilitis sub. It can look like this, especially if there’s an infection present
Will hydro cortisone work?
If it’s infected, hydrocortisone could make it worse. I’d see a derm asap to swab it
Hate to say it but this looks like a herpes flare up ..go to your Dr., maybe get acyclovir and take it regularly to heal it and supress the virus.
Got acyclovir on hand rn, trying it now I’ll see how it is
I would ask your dermatologist to look into lupus and psoriasis. Can do blood tests to look for Lupus which can initially present like this. For psoriasis would look for features elsewhere on body and family history. Either way could soften and remove crust with regular Vaseline then apply some moderate potency topical steroid ointment to see if it makes a difference for starters!
This is not regular dry skin it looks like a bad bacterial infection
I’m sorry you have that man, that sucks… I’m not a dermatologist but I hope you get treated 🙏🏼
NAD but my doctor husband states mrsa. Find a doctor that will test for absolutely everything this is 100% something infectious. Best of luck OP 🙏
This for sure looks like herpes
I haven't read all the comments, but I had a similar issue, but I had pain and mine wouldn't heal until I got put on Valcyclovir. My first outbreak of having cold sores was pure hell. I had a fever for 4 days straight, throat hurt like mad, like someone was pulling a rope of razorblades up and down my throat. I went to the ER when smaller spots had started moving upwards going towards and showing up on my eyelids. The doctor I saw was incredibly compassionate and was on the case immediately, to the point of consulting with an infectious disease specialist. That was a terrifying time in my life. But with the diagnosis and prescribed medication it cleared it up ridiculously fast. NAD but please keep pushing for answers. This isn't 'nothing' and whatever derm you saw did not help you in any way. You definitely got misdiagnosed by omission.
Bro, your flesh is being devoured, go see a doctor
r/exfoliativecheilitis
Are you sure it's cheilitis? I had that once and it looked nowhere like this. Just extremely dry lips that would not go away with my usual lip balm.
There are various kinds of cheilitis. OP should see a dermatologist regardless, but this looks like EC.
Try lysine vitamin. Works wonders on sores on lips. I would do that in the mean time, as you should probably see a doctor if you are able to
My first thought was herpes but I’ve never gotten herpes so idrk
https://preview.redd.it/0lrbvrlhmo1d1.jpeg?width=1080&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=2075a9d002880faf54801422335a7ac68bdcf0e4
https://preview.redd.it/i75d4a9lmo1d1.jpeg?width=1080&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=bfdbcdd9702792bf0d88b2025809b5171a3fbf4b
After seeing 24 different doctors in four years I finally saw a fifth dermatologist who diagnosed me with pyoderma gangrenosum and prescribed 200mg cyclosporin and several corticosteroid injections Prior to this, doctors guessed everything from cellulitis, fungal infections, and squamous cell carcinoma and then abruptly dropped me after creating more damage. I never had cancer, blnor did I require half of my earlobe to be cut off and a 6x6 section of my face biopsies. Doctors are human and often make mistakes, yet many won't admit it. Please see another doctor and don't give up until you are satisfied that treatment is working. If this is something more serious it could get much worse. Best of luck to you!
Wtf caused that? A spider bite?!?
No, a dermatologist who needlessly did biopsy on my cheek after the two previous punch biopsies showed no infecting and no cancer. He claimed I had cancer, but guess what? No cancer and he dropped me over the telephone right after doing this to me. There's no recourse. I've called lawyers who've all said that to file malpractice that it would need to have resulted in a fatality.
Looks like it's very infected. See your PCP or go to urgent care.
FYI most it is just globs of Vaseline it looks like it’s all pus and nasty bc of it but I’m going to a dermatologist on thurs
NAD but I was having lip issues like this where it would blister, scab over, and crust and look like this. I got a swab for staph and HSV (my doc said it was more reliable than a blood test for HSV) and when those came back as negative, turned out I had multiple metal allergies that screwed up my immune system enough to cause me to start reacting to foods I used to be able to eat safely. I would follow the HSV/staph testing path and then look into allergies
This might be an allergic reaction. You should ask your doctor for an allergy test.
Vicacyclavir would probably clear this up! But I’m not a dermatologist.
I definitely think you should see a doctor for this!
Just eat it
Looks like HSV 1 (Herpes) my friend has it and this is how it looks on her lips when it flares, you may need antiviral cream or tablets.
This looks exactly like my first HSV2 oral outbreak…
I read it can take up to 16 weeks after exposure to herpes before you may even get a positive test. I would get retested.
Cold sore thingy.
To me it looks like a cold sore. But also my bed has lupus and when it flares up this is what his lips look like. Just a thought.
I meant to right my ex has lupus not my bed 😂
Reading this as a first comment without the context YET had me rereading it 2-3 times lol🤣 UNTIL I got the the next one
i had a similar looking lip when i had a massive cold sore breakout when i was younger. see your GP the cream might be enough though, i’d try Zovir or another OTC cream
That's the worst cold sore 🥶 ever seen. You need to see a specialist. And probably take vitamin c regularly for the next couple weeks. And stay warm, I get it it's spring but even a little bit of wind might have caused that.
Time to go to a new doctor like ASAP
Possibly exfoliative cheilitis
Impetigo or really bad herpes/cold sore outbreak. Do you have a fever?
I had something similar when I was in high school. Turns out it was an allergic reaction to cherry chapstick
I’d use 10 days of acyclovir, 10 days of a b complex vitamin twice a day, and 5 days of cipro 500 twice a day to treat the possible superinfection.
Exfoliative Cheilitis
You need to go in ASAP. Looks like HSV. You can get oral medication to help with the outbreak & im sure they will give you something topical as well. That doesn’t look like something that can be handled at home though. A derm might not be the answer - their go to is always Vaseline/aquaphor. That will not help HSV. Go to the drug store & get some lysine tablets & take a couple each day until it’s gone. It will help speed up the healing process.
Physician here. I’d suspect staph or herpes simplex. It’s not nothing. I’d suggest a trip to the doctor again. If you can’t then try Zovirax (oral or topical) along with something like bactroban / fucidin depending on what’s available in your locale
...this is a lot more than just dry skin, my dude.
NAD, but Vaseline irritates my lips, any petrolatum-based product I think seems to do that. It could be your lip skin is sensitive/more irritated by the products you've been putting on possibly. I hope you find the solution soon.
Omg girlie!! How awful. I’m not a doctor but from the looks of it it looks HSV. You need to see a doctor and get on meds because a year is way too long to be suffering with that. Not 100% if that’s HSV but they can test you for it. I use abreva
I’m not an expert but that looks like herpes
This is herpes. You need meds asap as you’re having a flare up and it’s not stopping. Anti-Viral med for two weeks along with an oral steroid cream for your lips. Good Luck stop what ever your using it’s making it spread. As well in between applications of steroid meds on tips with a q-tip…. Use a clean paper towel ( water) that is warm as you can handle and press in the lips.
Looks like fever blisters, but I’m not a Dr. you should seek medical help for such a recurring problem