Lip licker's irritant contact dermatitis

A dry, windy or cold climate tends to dry everyone's lips. The dryness gets worse during mouth breathing because of rhinitis, sinusitis or upper respiratory tract infection. When soothed by saliva, dryness soon progresses to contact irritant dermatitis that extends onto surrounding skin. The patient often denies licking their lips – they may wet them unconsciously, or repeatedly touch, roll and squeeze them. Resultant fissures may take weeks to heal and are prone to secondary infection. Stinging and irritation may also arise from contact with citrus fruit (acidic) or spicy foods (chilli).