How can I heal persistent chapped lips?

Question: Hi doctor: I have a serious problem with my lips being chapped. Its an everyday thing. I use chapstick and lip glosses and even lip plumpers, but they all are temporary solutions. They don't solve the problem. What can I do? Can it be that my body is not producing a certain hormone? A hormone imbalance?

Dr. Schultz: For persistently chapped lips one can use vasoline, or even an antibiotic ointment like bacitracin alternating with (over the counter) 1% hydrocortisone ointment every couple of hours. In addition, if you are continually licking your (chapped) lips, you should stop; the saliva makes the problem much worse. In addition, you should not use limp plumpers as it can usually make the problem worst, and this most likely also isn't a hormone issue. If all of this doesn't help within a week, then one should see a dermatologist.