Perleche – An Ugly Skin Condition

By Julie S. Stricker 1 year ago

Perleche, also called angular cheilitis is an annoying and unattractive dry skin condition that occurs around the lips. Have you ever seen someone who is constantly licking their lips because they are ridiculously dry? Chapstick doesn’t work. Nothing seems to work. If you look are little more closely, you might see little dry patches that appear pretty permanent. This condition is called perleche or angular cheilitis. Very few people know the medical term, but most of us have either experienced this or know someone who is suffering with it.

What causes Perleche?

Perleche is mostly caused by vitamin deficiencies including, vitamin B-2, B12 and iron. As a result of vitamin deficiency, the lips and corners of the mouth can become cracked and swollen leading to other medical problems, as if the dried and itchy patches weren’t enough. Cracked, open sores can lead to thrush infections, which can produce pus and pain. No one wants to walk around with a pus-filled face. Some people also develop perleche as an allergic reaction to the toothpaste they are using.

Treatment for Perleche

  • Vitamins-The first course of treatment should be to up the vitamin intake. Foods that are high in B-2 include cereals, liver and yeast extract, milk and eggs. Foods high in vitamin B12 include fish, shellfish and meat. Foods that are high in iron include meat and whole grains
  • Ointment- Some doctors prescribe an ointment called Bactroban also called Mupirocin, which is an antibiotic. As a last resort some may prescribe oral antibiotics.
  • Natural remedies – There are natural remedies that some people swear by including Vaseline, Blistex, soap and water and an assortment of foods. When it comes to natural remedies, everything doesn’t work for everyone, so it’s important to try different methods until one finds something that works for them.

Perleche is a condition that attacks the self esteem. We all want to look good when we go out. Sometimes it feels that nothing works. Sometimes a method works for a while but the stops working. The key is not to give up but to do as much research as possible until one finds a cure and a healthy mouth.