Help My Son Looks like a Clown!!

Updated on December 03, 2011
A.S. asks from Glendora, CA
21 answers

My son has been licking around the perimeter of his mouth because his lips were chapped and now he has a bright red ring around his lips that looks horrible! It is not the lips themselves, it is about a half a centimeter out from the lips. I have been putting vaseline on it but it is just getting worse... anyone's kiddos go through this? What did you put on it and how long until it goes away??

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☆.A.

answers from Pittsburgh on

Buy some Aquaphor right away!
Wait until he is sound asleep tonight.
SLATHER the Aquaphor all over his lips/mouth tonight.
It will look perfectly fine in the morning.
This has worked well with my clown.
;)

3 moms found this helpful

C.A.

answers from New York on

My daughter does this all the time. We use Aquafor or a medicated chapstick. I usually wait till she is asleep and put it on so that she doesn't lick it off. She is almost 4. She also puts the chapstick on herself. It is usually gone in a couple of days.

2 moms found this helpful

More Answers

☼.S.

answers from Los Angeles on

I remember doing that as a kid ... learned my lesson real fast! I swear by a product called Lansinoh. You'll find it in the baby/nursing section of target. A little pricey ($10 a tube) but it goes a long, long way. It's actually a thick emollient that I started using as a nursing mom (for nipples). But I and many other moms have discovered that it's great for lips, cuticles, dry skin, etc. I'm quite addicted to it now, actually. Anyway, it doesn't have petroleum (like vaseline does) in it and is much thicker than vaseline, as well, so it will stay put. I also use it on my daughter's chapped lips. Good luck!

http://www.amazon.com/Lansinoh-HPA-Lanolin-1-41-oz/dp/B00...

2 moms found this helpful
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S.C.

answers from Des Moines on

Lanolin like nursing moms use-- it's safe and natural if he licks it off!

2 moms found this helpful
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G.B.

answers from Oklahoma City on

They are dehydrated and need more water then keep the chap-stick on it. If it tastes nasty they will not keep doing it.

I remember when I would do this. My lips would hurt and when they were wet they didn't hurt anymore, licking them made them feel better so to get the to stop licking their lips you have to stop the lips from hurting. Getting enough fluids inside is important and having chap-stick to stop the dryness also helps.

1 mom found this helpful
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S.S.

answers from Los Angeles on

aquaphor like everyone said.. put it on at nighttime right before bed since he has less of a tendency to lick at night. keep putting vaseline on during the daytime on his lips since it's less sticky than aquaphor i think.. good luck1

1 mom found this helpful
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J.C.

answers from Anchorage on

This happens to my son all the time. The best thing I have found to treat it and clear it up fast is rose salve. Something pure is best, but they have one at bath and body works fine. Usually clears it up in a day, but than the trick is to keep him from licking it again!

1 mom found this helpful
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C.W.

answers from Indianapolis on

Looks like you got some good answers, but DO NOT USE VASELINE!!!!!! I say a news thing on it years ago that vaseline is actually the worse thing to use, it actually draws out the moisture. So try some of the others ideas you got but NOT VASELINE that is why it's getting worse.

1 mom found this helpful
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B.A.

answers from Tampa on

A natural and amazing product that I use for nearly everyth skin irritation, rash, chapping etc in my household is CJ's BUTTer. It's a natural cloth diaper safe diaper rash cream, but it is amazing on any kind of skin irritation, it doesn't stain fabrics, it comes in a TON of amazing scents (and unscented if your sensitive to frangrance) and it's all natural! I buy mine from CJ directly at http://www.cjsuniqueboutique.com/?p=327, but it's also so sold in a lot of cloth diapers shops online.

1 mom found this helpful
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E.L.

answers from Las Vegas on

How old is your son?
I did that to my lips at about 7 years old. I remember it being painful. Ultimately, it didn't go away until I stopped licking my lips. My mom gave me chapstick- she kept some by my bed, in my backpack for school, everywhere. When I had the urge to lick my lips the chapstick was there.
Hope that helps.

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J.K.

answers from Kansas City on

my son did this. I had him use chap stick at first, but we ended up using "soft lips" stick, you can get that anywhere. Then at night, I made him cake on Mary Kay night cream all over his lips and perimeter. He was OK in a day or so.

C.T.

answers from Santa Fe on

This happens to kids a lot here in dry NM. It becomes a habit they cannot break. And that red ring is a bit dry and sore feeling so licking it soothes it for a second and then makes it worse! I would put bag balm or vaseline on it every day. I would also talk to your son a LOT to remind him not to lick it and why.

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A.N.

answers from Las Vegas on

My son has the same thing under his bottom lip, it has been there on and off for the last month. No advice on how to get rid of it, but you aren't alone. I think the biggest thing is to keep reminding them not to do it when you see it happening. I will have to try some of the things mentioned here.

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S.Z.

answers from Reno on

My daughter used to do this repeatedly! It made me CRAZY! Get some Carmex or other medicated lip stuff, and smear it on many times a day. It helps if kids hate the taste or smell - it cuts down on the impulse to lick.

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Y.B.

answers from Seattle on

Make sure he is drinking lots and lots of water. Need to keep him hydrated. You can also try olive oil or grapeseed oil on the outside of his mouth.

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P.A.

answers from Los Angeles on

could be a little allergy I suggest you go to a homeopathic store and see what they suggest. First you have to clear it up and then keep the area with some chapstick

C.O.

answers from Washington DC on

I use the Mary Kay Night Time Emoilient cream - put it on at bed time and the red lips are gone the next day.

My boys have small travel tubes in their back packs for school. it takes a SMALL amount to keep their lips soft and non-cracked!!

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M.C.

answers from Washington DC on

Vaseline is not the best thing for this.
Use Aveeno, Neutragena, or a medicated chapstick. About 3x a day.

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C.B.

answers from Boston on

Both my girls did the same. Kids think that if your lips feel dry, you wet them to feel better. Not realizing that the evaporation of the wetness actually dries the skin more since it evaporates that last bit of skin oil with it. They also got chapped wrists from that open space between coat sleeves and gloves - it seems unless you wear a coat way too big, once you play in the snow that strip of skin is exposed.
My kids have a chapstick in their pencil pouch at school, as well as one of those tiny tubes of Aquafor (CVS has their own copy of the package of 3 tiny tubes of Aquafore-like cream). Good luck.

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T.H.

answers from Kansas City on

My daughter gets that a lot b/c she sucks her thumb. I use Vaseline but Aquaphor would work well too. I slather it on before bed and it looks better in the morning but usually we need a few days in a row to make it disappear.

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C.T.

answers from Phoenix on

Your son is dehydrated. Nothing will make it go away until he gets more water in his blood. Add vegetables and drink nothing but water.

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