I am looking for advise for my 1-1/2 yr old son. About every month he gets these red spots on his lips and then they crack & open and are so painful looking. I am wondering if this is normal? I am putting aquaphor on his lips & now neosporin. It is something that seems to have to run its course and then goes away after a while and his lips look fine. But it always comes back frequently & worse & usually in the same spots. I am very frustrated because I am not sure why his lips are like this and its not like he's in bad weather conditions for them to get chapped. I was concerned that it might have been oral herpes but all his blood work & cultures came back fine. I just dont know what to do for him. Any advise would be appreciated.
Hi Nichole,
Anything different about what he eats around that time before the break-outs? If so, try eliminating that and see if that helps--could be an allergy maybe?
K. Z.
Hi! I have this same problem with my now eight year old, but it has been like this her whole life. We were always using blistex and carmex. Well, this year, it got much worse to the point that her lips were swelled up. So, I contacted the doctor. They advised me not to use the carmex or blixtex as that just pulls more of the acids out of her lips and makes it worse. The aquaphor is a great idea. They also recommeded using vaseline. I actually ended up going to the pharmacist and asked them as well. They said its partly due to a lack of fruit and veggies in her diet. She is a very picky eater and we're working on it(that's another issue). Anyways, they recommended herpicin(in the chapstick form.) Its more expensive than regular chapstick. But I tried it and put neosporin on the bumps below and above her lips and it cleared up within two to three days.
I used neosporin on my child's chapped lips and every time - he wakes up with a worse cold sore. I think he has a reaction even worse to the neosporin. I use the "UNpetrolium jelly" on his mouth at night and he is better in the morning.
Is he chewing on a toy or using a pacifier. It most likely is herpes. My neice used to get this all the time because she kept reinfecting herself with her pacifiers. The only way to stop it was to get rid of the binkies.
Hi Nichole~
I'm a SAHM of 4 and I work from home with a wellness company. My 8 yr old son has been having lip trouble as well, partially due to winter weather here in OH I think. They get sores that also split and then scab and bleed. His do the same in that I think they're better and then it flares up again. I've been using a product from the company I work with and they are looking better than they have in months. If you would, go to my website: www.KidsNeedMomHome.com and fill out the "get info" form (it will be emailed directly to me ONLY). I'd love to share the info with you. No pressure, just free info and you can then decide if you'd like to shop for safer/healthier products. Best of luck. I know it's heart wrenching to see your kid like that and not know what to do for him. Hope I can help ~ C.
I am a dental hygienist and a consultant for BeautiControl skincare so I have two suggestions. First is to check with your dentist. Have him see the child at the initial onset of sore to make a diagnosis of herpes simplex or not. If sores are reacurring in same location each time it most likely is that. It is a virus that needs to run it's coarse however if caught at early onset there is medication to lessen length of time lesion is there. Second, as a consultant for BeautiControl I have learned of some great products for the skin. Specifically for the lips BeautiControl offers a lip balm, great for the whole family. It is rich in Vit. C and wheat germ oil which is very healing. It does not contain alcohol like many OTC chapsticks do. These products that contain alcohol are actually addicting in that you have to reaply often through the day because they are drying your skin. Let me know if interested in more info. and pricing on lip balm. Good luck!
I believe in Vicks Vapor Rub. Lightly glide your pinky finger over the rub and gently apply to upper and lower lips. Ask him to look and she how mommy rubs her lips together and have him do the same. You don't want to use a lot because it will not taste good and also will make his eyes water. A tiny bit goes a long way. I would apply twice a day to non-moist (dabbed dry)lips.
Hope it helps...if it doesn't I would get a second opinion.
Nichole,
My son has a habit of licking his lips and it gets SO sore in this cold dry weather. Since he was a little 1yr old, I would slather on the chapstick~the non-flavored kind of course. This kept the area free of wettness so that his lips and surrounding skin would not get chapped. It works wonders! He is now old enough that he can understand what he is doing, so I can remind him not to lick! I keep it on the counter, one in the car and one in my purse! You are right though...they can be REALLY painful looking! The chapstick prevents it before it gets out of hand and WAY painful!
Same thing with my girls. I use Burts Bees lip balm on not only their lips, but also around thier mouth and sometimes on their cheeks. It works very well and since it's all natural I don't have to worry about it. Someone mentioned Vicks and i think that might be too harsh and i wouldn't want that egtting into the mouth... even in small amounts. Another mentioned tea trea oil mixed with lotion. Tea tree oil is strong and can sting! Lavendar works the same as tea tree oil but is less of an irritant. Again, Burts Bees works for me. I put it on several times a day and right before bed. Aslo use a humidifier to put more moisture into the air. That will help the skin and the while family will enjoy the benefits from that.
Good Luck.
you might also want to try using a humidifier while he's sleeping too
It might just be something as simple as needing more water. It's easy to get dehydrated in the winter because of the dry air. My kids drink tons of water and if they don't their lips get chapped. As soon as I notice some chapped lips, I hand 'em water and it soon disappears. If they get dry, he's more likely to lick them and that leads to chapping and that can lead to it getting worse and end up bleeding/cracked.
I don't know what the recommended amount of fluids is for a 18 month old. My 18 month old nurses 3 times a day, has a cup of milk for breakfast, cup of water for lunch and dinner (maybe 3-4 oz? - small plastic cups) and I refill her sippy cup (9oz) of water 3-4 times throughout the day. It's always near her when she's playing so she can take a drink whenever she wants. My 3 and 7 year old drink water/milk at meals and drink 6-8 cups of water a day and there are still times I need to nag my older one to drink more because he's been sweating and exercising and getting dehydrated. I noticed a difference in behavior and also sickness when they don't drink as much as they should.
Most kids, and adults, in this country are chronically dehydrated and don't know it. The old '8 cups a day' simply isn't enough for most people to function at their best.
I would NOT use aquaphor. I think that stuff actually pulls the moisture out of their lips and makes it worse. My son gets the same thing and crazy as it sounds, Cortizone 10 works the best. Make sure you get the ointment (not the creme)...it looks like Neosporin when you put it on. Good Luck
I have some extra lanolin left over from when I was breast feeding. It works great on chapped lips too. It is thick and keeps the moisture from the drool out but the natural oils in. And since it is ok to use on your nipples while BF, I figure it is fine on the lips of a baby.
If it is not cold sores, it is probably dry skin. I'm surprised the doctor didn't advise you what to do. I would apply Chapstick Naturals lip balm every AM and every PM. Make sure his lips are dry when you apply it so it will stick.
Does he use a pacifier? My daughter develops a rash be cause of her pacifier, it traps moisture.
Do you get cold sores? It's possible that that's what it is.
Just some ideas.
How's ur son's water intake? My son's lips get dry (when he doesn't have enough water) which makes him lick his lips which in turn makes them red, bothersome & chapped to the point that i have to lather vasoline on them.. maybe it's just that your son needs more water in his diet. My 2 kids drink at least 9-18 oz a day (2 sippy cups). I notice when they need it especially if we're traveling away from home or having company and i'm not up to par on what they are consuming. Try uping his intake. maybe that's all he needs! Good Luck!
M.
Is he licking his lips alot or drools alot? My older boy has the same kind of issue caused by him doing that. Keep a look out and see if that is it. I hope i helped.
Is he maybe sucking his lips in or biting/licking his lips? My friend's son used to do that and he would have not only cracked lips but also that skin around his upper lip would be red and cracked. She had to teach him not to suck/bite/lick his lips anymore. It took a while but he stopped doing it and his lips were able to heal.
Naturalists may tell you that dry lips indicate you are dehydrated. Try giving him water in between meals and see if that helps to hydrate his system.
I tend to have dry lips all the time. My doctor has told me that my system is naturally dehydrated, so I need more fluids than other people.
I have used a lip balm with tea tree oil, and that fixes the problem within a day or two. As long as I use it daily, I do not have dry lips. The one I really liked was at a the Health Food Shoppe, but I'm sure you can find it other places. I've tried Aveeno and other brands, but they've never worked as well.
