I usually write about light-hearted, fun subjects, but one of the advantages of having a social platform is to educate and help others. If my story helps just one other person, my heart is happy.

The story I am about to share with you started about six months ago, during my vacation in Mammoth Lakes. After several days of hiking, kayaking, and playing in the sun, I noticed my lips were getting super chapped and were burning. At first, I thought it was just from the dry heat we were experiencing, so I kept applying lip balm to ease the discomfort.

But after two months my lips were still severely chapped and painful, so I finally scheduled an appointment with my dermatologist. She took a look and diagnosed me with Actinic Cheilitis. According to www.WebMD.com, AC is a type of precancerous skin change caused by damage from sun exposure or tanning beds and if untreated, it can develop into a skin cancer called Squamous Cell Carcinoma.

The first treatment my doctor recommended was Cryosurgery which is freezing the lips with liquid nitrogen. A very uncomfortable procedure may I add. Your lips will blister and peel for about 1-2 weeks after the procedure and new cells should grow in. Unfortunately, this procedure didn’t work for me and my dry, flaky, burning lips came back just a few weeks later.

Next, the doctor decided to put me on a topical chemotherapy cream called Fluorouracil 5%. This cream is a type of anti-metabolite that blocks the production of abnormal cells and destroys the top layer of your skin.  

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After applying the topical cream for about five days, I started feeling the reaction. My lips were red and swollen and about eight days after the first application they started to blister, crack, and peel. I never thought I would say this but thank goodness for masks! Eating, drinking, laughing, and even talking were very painful. What helped was Tylenol and a lot of Vaseline. 

It was a painful process, but I had the end in sight and if this is what it took to get me the result of no AC, I was willing to go the route. I am on day 15 as I am writing this, and it feels like I am finally making a turn for the better. Thankfully lips heal quickly, so my blisters are almost gone, the pain is manageable and I can finally open my mouth and speak without pain (no belly laughing yet at this point but very soon). The next step for me is to go for a checkup in February and then wait and see if my symptoms return. 

If you are currently feeling something is off with your lips (they have been chapped for too long, they have lesions, spots, or anything out of ordinary), please don’t wait to make an appointment with your board-certified dermatologist right away. If you are in your 20’s, 30’s, 40’s, and so on, stay out of the sun as much as possible, don’t use tanning booths, and use proper sun protection (if it contains Zinc, even better). I never thought of using sun protection on my lips, but now I won’t leave the house without it. Here is one inexpensive lip balm recommended to me by my dermatologist. It is called eltaMDand it is a UV lip balm with broad-spectrum SPF 36. Another inexpensive option is Vanicream with SPF 30.  

Here’s a quick overview of signs and ways to prevent Actinic Cheilitis according to WebMD.com.

Signs of Actinic Cheilitis 

• Changes in lip color
• A feeling of chopped lips
• Rough textured lips
• Cracked skin on your lips
• Dry, flaky skin on your lips

How to prevent Actinic Cheilitis

• Use sun protection on your lips (Broad Spectrum SPF lip balm with Zinc)
• Use wide brim hats
• Avoid smoking or chewing tobacco
• Avoid tanning beds
• Limit sun exposure (if you must be in the sun reapply sun protection often)

I know all this might sound scary, but knowledge is power and early detection is the key. I am now making sure my kids, friends, and you, my readers, know how to prevent this from happening, and what to do if it does. And for those of you about to embark on this journey, I am hoping this post will better prepare you for what’s to come.

Below are my favorite skin protection products: