5Yo Keeps Licking Lips and Are Badly Chapped! Any Suggestions, Besides Chapstick

my 5 yo has the same problem. I just put a lot of vasoline when she goes to sleep that way she cannot lick or rub it off completley .

Hi J.,

I would suggest using Aquaphor. It looks like vaseline, but it isn't. It is less greasy. My daughter uses it for her eczema and it does wonders! You can put it on his face and around his mouth and even on his lips. And put it on frequently, esp when he looks like he's done some licking. :)

Try it, you can get it at any Drug store, it comes in a tub, get the original one.
Hope that helps.

My grandson does the same thing put chapstick on his lips in the morning it will get better it is said it is nearves.

Hi J. -
I use a product by Epicuren that I bought in a spa. It is WONDERFUL for chapped lips (I've tried all other brands) and has a tea tree oil blend so your little one won't be so eager to lick his lips. You may have to order it online because I've never seen it in stores. It comes in a little black jar. Your son is probably also a bit dehydrated...very understandable in Vegas. Avoid any caffeinated drinks (sodas, etc) and have him drink more water. Good luck to you!!!

- L.

Hi -

Constant licking of the lips that causes there to be a red "chapped" area around the mouth is regularly seen in children your son's age - it is not a rash, but a habit. In many children, the habit is formed in response to something that makes your child anxious, like a nervous tick. I am a child psychologist and special education teacher, and have come across this behavior in many children - and it IS a behavior, not a medical issue.
The key to making it go away is ignoring it. Honestly. The more attention you pay to the habit, the more you make him put chapstick, the more you call attention to what he is doing will cause him to feel more anxious, and he will repeat the behavior more often. He is probably not concious of this habit when he does it - and treat it that way. Don't talk about it, or mention it - at your sons age, he can easily become embarrased by it. Try to reduce and particular stresses in his life if you can, and if you continue to ignore it, the habit should go away on its own. It might take a few weeks, or a few months, but it should go away as long as there is any constant, long term stressors such as a long and complicated divorce, death in the family, high anxiety at home, moving etc.
If you are concerned, call your pediatirician and see what he says.

young childern coming off the bottle may not get the liquids needed. the adult must give access to water. the kids cant reach the faucet. belive it or not people usally eat instead of drink when thirsty. its easy to get dehydrated in the winter months, i catch myself not drinking enough water in the winter months. you have to think for the kids. it may take a couple days to get the water needed back in the system.

Dear J.,

My son used to do that too. I just made sure that I had a bit of vasoline on that part of his mouth and chin, and it eventually cleared up. You have to put a dab on it several times a day. Do it matter of factly, without comment about why you are doing it or asking him why he is doing it.
Kids are neurotic !! They are just learning how to be thinking human beings. Let him be. He may complain about the vasoline, but just shrug your shoulders and tell him that you are keeping him healthy. Love, love, love and don't talk about the redness. He will be fine. C. N.

my son does the same thing! then to make matters worse, he picks at his lips till they bleed. i have threatened hot sauce on the lips and that no bite nail stuff. it scares him into stopping. so maybe just the scare tactic would work, because i would never really put either of those things on his lips!

encourage more water drinking. maybe a sippy cup would help

I have found that lip balms can prevent, but not heal. I would use antibiotic ointment like Neosporin. It works great, and it tasts aweful. Give him a tube so he can apply it himself whenever he as urge to lick.

J.,
i have very dry skin and lips. i use a mary kay product that is especially for dry cracked skin. you could put it on him when hes asleep and wont lick it it off. its called extra emollient night cream. i sometimes use it in the winter on my cracked heels at night. its only about $11 for a 2.1 oz tube. i you need a mary kay consultant, email me and id be happy to give you mine. hope this helps. my name is D. and my email is ____@____.com

OH J., my daughter who is 7 does the same thing. We have come to the conclusion that she does this when she is very nervous. It would usually be worse on the day she had her spelling test or during her softball games. She just does it out of habit & we have tried to break it but just telling her to stop hasn't worked. We have started having her chew gum when she is playing softball so that she can't lick her lips & it has worked but at school she can't chew gum so we just tell her on the days she has test or something that might make her nervous the she has nothing to worry about. It works most of the time & I think just giving her more positive feedback on the days that she might "worry" about something but overall I think it is just similar to biting her nails (which I use to do as a child & she doesn't). Hope this kinda helps.

J.,

My son does this too. He is so bad that he can get them to bleed. The only thing I use is an aloe lotion that I sell. It helps heal it and it's dosen't taste the best so it stops him from licking his lips after I put it on. You can order it at www.herbalmom.com. It's great for cuts too.

Not much else you can do. Just stay ontop of it.

Hope this helps.

L. C
Personal Nutritionist
www.herbalmom.com

i always used vaseline. it's thicker so it stays on longer and protects better than chapstick. My five year old used to do this all the time too.

My son sometimes does this, too. It hurts him when he gets chapped & when he complains, I tell him to stop licking & it will stop hurting. That usually works for a few months, and then he forgets & starts licking again. To heal the redness, my Dr. recommended "Carmex", which is a lipgloss type cream for cold sores. It works very well. I got it over-the-counter in the Dr's pharmacy, but I would think they would carry it in any drug store.

Poor little guy! If you are sure it is just chapped skin and he is not allergic to wool. You might try some lansinoh. It is a purple tube and is used to treat sore nipples. It is medical grade purified lanolin and is safe to eat. It is much thicker and lasts longer than chapstick.

There are some other skin conditions that look like simple chapped skin but are actually more serious- so if you are unsure a trip to the doctor might be in order.

Hope he has some relief soon. It sounds miserable.

I have the same problem with my 3 yr old. If you have any suggestions received that works, please let me know. Sorry could not have been more help.

My daughter does it to. She will do it so bad that it turns into sores. I have tried several things but what I have found to work the best is Vaseline.

I know this one, that's for sure. I have a 6 yr old daughter who gets chapped above her lip terribly sometimes and she does lick them. I tell her she needs to try to stop, that it's making it worse, but it's hard for them to break a habit sometimes. I don't make a big deal about it though. So anyway, I use Aquaphor on it. She doesn't like me putting it on while she's awake, so I go in at night (she knows I do this) while she's sleeping and put a little over the chapped area. It seems to help heal it. She also has eczema flare ups on her upper thigh/bottom and shins, and I use the Aquaphor at night on that too.

Try putting a little Aveeno Skin Relief Moisturizer under the chapstick (though Vaseline or Aquaphor is MUCH better in place of chapstick). My son has the same thing. I'd SKIP putting hydrocortisone (it's a steroid for one, it thins the skin with continued use and you don't want your baby to ingest it) and I'd avoid lanolin (which can trigger an allergic reaction).

I have hers that A&D ointment works well, although I haven't tried it!

Hi J.,
My son did this too. I make sure he always has a bottle of water that he can access at any time and I did find a great lip balm without methol and camfer(both dry out lips and skin)that I could put under, over and on his lips. Let me know if you want to try it. my email is ____@____.com I think my son was licking his lips because he had dry mouth and was thrisy. I know that sounds weird, but it has helped. I put a bottle of water on his headboard too so when he wakes up thirsty he can open the bottle and get a drink.
I hope this helps, good luck,
C. B

Is he plenty hydrated? Does he drink lots of water? I have had dry tight lips as far back as I can remember (now 33). I used to put vaseline on my lips. Be careful what other products go on his lips, chapstick, blistex, etc. Some contain ingrediants that can provide temp relief but actually cause long term dryness from the menthal etc. ingrediants that are in it. I agree with the first post, that he should prob see the peditrician just to rule out any conditions.

Hi, Try Resinol (get it at Long's or Walgreens) or hydrocortisone before bed. You could try a layer of hydrocortisone and then a moisturizer. Burt's Bees makes a chapstick too. I use Resinol when my daughter gets chapped from a runny nose, etc. The Resinol works on almost any skin irritation. Good luck!

Hi J. , from experience my son does the same thing whether it be from stress ,or just this horrible hot, dry, cold weather were having , im a CNA and we use A&D ointment for everything even my dry hands that crack. I use it on my sons lips and all around too.Its cheap to buy and it really works,dont use chapstick, vasiline,or lotion, it burns.

Hi J.,

Has your stepson been seen by a pediatrician? This might possibly be a form of exzema and may require medication (same if it is a skin fungus that has developed in all the moisture). Whether that is the case or not, it sounds like he has developed a habit so it may take some time for it to subside - and he may lick more now that his skin is chapped because of the different texture of the skin (kind of like picking at it).

The compulsive licking could be from anxiety (many kids also bite their nails for that reason - I did that myself as a child). Again, a pediatrician or even a therapist might be of help if he seems anxious or troubled - at least they could give you some input and suggestions for helping you and his father help him cope with his feelings. Divorce (or death of a parent) can cause a child to have long-lasting anxieties and questions, so that's why I mention it here (since he is your stepson I am guessing there was either a divorce or his mother died). I have a stepson myself, plus my parents divorced when I was 13 after a very troubled marriage, so I do have experience in this area.

As far as a home remedy for the chapped skin, Aquaphor is very good for that and has more staying power than chapstick. I'd just keep reapplying it as needed - hopefully the texture will be unappealing to your stepson's tongue when he licks there. My daughter is younger and still sucks on her fingers occasionally, and she gets a bit of rash at the corner of her mouth or under the edge of her lip at times due to the excess saliva - our pediatrician recommended Aquaphor for that, and it does seem to help (it protects and soothes the skin).

Hope this helps,

S. M.

Hi there!
I have a 4year old that does the same. His lips are lacking moisture that's why he can't stop. I tried everything even vaseline. I tried using Mary Kay's lip balm and it worked. The balm is very hydrating and have helped healed his lips! Look for a Mary Kay consultant in your area. I am located in Chino area, if you can't find one, I am a consultant and would be happy to get together with you to have your son try it on his lips. You can contact me @ ###-###-####. Thanks and Good Luck!
N. R