How many tubs and tubes of lip balm did you get through in 2025?
If the answer is ‘too many to count’, yet your lips are still constantly cracked and dry, there may be something else at play.
In a recent TikTok, a creator known as Pumpkin Head shared how she received a message from a dental hygienist who’d watched her videos and noticed how chronically cracked her lips were.
The follower didn’t get in touch to be rude though; she was trying to warn Pumpkin about a ‘kind of fungus’ that might be ‘growing on [her] face’, and advise her to try an anti-fungal cream.
While the TikToker was initially affronted by this comment, she realised none of the hydration products she’d been using made a difference. In fact, despite forking out for all sorts of masks and oils, the problem was getting ‘worse and worse’.
Deciding to take the tip on board, she bought some athlete’s foot cream and slathered it on — and when the soreness and flakiness she’d been dealing with for months cleared straight up, she admitted the dental hygienist was ‘100% right’.
Pumpkin’s diagnosis was something called angular chelitis, an inflammatory condition she says in her case was exacerbated by smoking (as bacteria was more easily able to enter her system) but which can also be triggered by the likes of ill-fitting braces or vitamin B deficiency.
‘You might have it too,’ she told her 141,000 followers in the clip, claiming fungal infections were worth looking into ‘if your lips are never healing, like ever, or if you’re someone who’s more prone to having your lips be cracked or dry.’
According to Dr Conal Perrett, consultant dermatologist at The Devonshire Clinic, there is a slight grain of truth in this, but ‘social media has made fungal causes sound far more common than they are’, meaning in clinical practice, they’re ‘often over-suspected.’
‘In the vast majority of cases, cracked lips are due to irritation, frequent lip licking, allergic reactions, sun damage, or underlying skin condition, not fungus,’ he tells Metro.
When fungal infection is to blame, Dr Perrett says there’s usually other symptoms beyond dryness on its own.
He explains: ‘The most relevant fungal condition around the mouth is oral candidiasis, commonly known as thrush, but it rarely presents as isolated chapped lips. When Candida is involved, people usually notice white patches inside the mouth, redness at the corners of the lips, soreness, or a burning sensation, not just dry or flaky lips.
‘Another condition, angular cheilitis [the same one Pumpkin had] can involve yeast, but it typically causes painful cracks at the corners of the mouth and is often linked to moisture, dentures, or nutritional deficiencies.’
Signs your dry lips may be caused by a fungal infection
As Dr Perrett notes, dry lips alone rarely means a fungal infection. However, you’re also experiencing the following additional symptoms, it may be worth getting checked out:
- Associated redness
- Inflammation
- Soreness
- White plaques in the mouth
- Cracking at the corners of the lips
Just because they’re not quite as ubiquitous as some may suggest online though, doesn’t mean you should discount the possibility of a fungal infection.
On the contrary, Dr Perrett says these conditions are often misunderstood or ignored entirely due to the fact ‘they don’t always look dramatic.’
Athlete’s foot and fungal nail infections, for example, ‘can be very subtle at first, sometimes just mild scaling or discolouration’, while Tinea versicolor, a common yeast infection on the skin, can go unnoticed ‘because it’s not itchy, it just causes lighter or darker patches on the torso.’
The only way to know for sure if persistent issues are caused by a fungal issue is to see a healthcare professional for an official diagnosis.
Dr Perrett warns against DIY remedies based on advice from social media too – yes, even though it worked for Pumpkin – as ‘treating the wrong cause often makes symptoms linger.’
‘Using anti-fungal treatments without a clear diagnosis can delay proper treatment and worsen irritation, particularly if the underlying issue is inflammatory or allergic rather than infectious,’ he continues.
‘A clinician can usually tell the difference between fungal, inflammatory, and allergic causes with a simple examination, and in some cases a quick swab. That clarity allows treatment to be targeted, effective, and far less frustrating for patients.’
Dr Perrett’s tips for treating chapped or cracked lips
- Keep it simple: ‘Use a bland, fragrance-free emollient such as petroleum jelly regularly throughout the day to protect the lip barrier and lock in moisture.’
- Avoid ‘tingly’ lip products: ‘Flavoured, fragranced, mentholated or essential-oil lip balms can irritate the lips further and slow healing.’
- Don’t lick or pick: ‘Lip licking, biting or peeling dry skin worsens cracking, as saliva breaks down the delicate surface of the lips.’
- Protect from the elements: ‘Cold weather, wind and sun exposure all contribute to dryness, so a simple lip product with SPF can help prevent further damage.’
- Be patient with healing: ‘Once the irritation is removed, lips can take a couple of weeks to recover. Frequent reapplication of a gentle product is key.’
- Know when to seek advice: ‘If lips haven’t improved after two to three weeks, or if there’s pain, redness, swelling or cracking at the corners of the mouth, it’s important to seek medical advice to rule out eczema, allergy or infection.’
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