https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/chapped-lips-vitamin-deficiency
Can Vitamin Deficiencies Cause Chapped Lips?
Vitamins & minerals
Other causes
Treatment
Bottom line
Chapped lips, also known as cheilitis, is a common condition marked by dryness, redness, and cracking of the lips (1Trusted Source).
Several factors may cause chapped lips, including cold weather, sun exposure, and dehydration.
However, chapped lips can also be a sign of something more serious, including certain nutritional deficiencies.
This article examines which vitamin and mineral deficiencies can cause chapped lips.
Specific nutrient deficiencies
Deficiencies in various vitamins and minerals may contribute to chapped lips.
Iron
Iron is necessary for several bodily processes, including oxygen transportation, DNA synthesis, and red blood cell production. This mineral also plays a key role in skin health, wound healing, and inflammation regulation (2Trusted Source, 3Trusted Source).
Iron deficiency anemia may cause angular cheilitis, which is characterized by inflammation and dryness on one or both sides of your mouth (4Trusted Source).
A deficiency in this mineral may also cause pale skin, brittle nails, and fatigue (5Trusted Source).
Zinc
Zinc is an essential mineral that’s vital to your health.
In fact, a deficiency in zinc may impair skin health, digestion, immune function, reproductive health, and growth and development (6Trusted Source).
It can also cause chapped lips, as well as dryness, irritation, and inflammation on the sides of your mouth (7Trusted Source).
Other symptoms of zinc deficiency include diarrhea, decreased immunity, skin ulcers, and hair loss (7Trusted Source).
B vitamins
B vitamins are a group of eight water-soluble vitamins involved in energy production and cell function. Animal and test-tube studies indicate that they also affect tissue repair and wound healing (8Trusted Source, 9Trusted Source, 10Trusted Source).
Chapped lips are a common symptom of deficiencies, especially in folate (vitamin B9), riboflavin (vitamin B2), and vitamins B6 and B12 (11Trusted Source, 12Trusted Source, 13Trusted Source, 14Trusted Source).
People with disorders that affect nutrient absorption — such as celiac disease, chronic gastritis, and Crohn’s disease — are especially susceptible to deficiencies (14Trusted Source).
Given that vitamin B12 is found primarily in animal products, vegans and vegetarians may also be at a higher risk of deficiency (15Trusted Source).
Furthermore, a deficiency in B vitamins may lead to dermatitis, depression, irritability, and fatigue (16Trusted Source).