When it comes to treating a fungal infection, Nystatin is a commonly prescribed option due to its effectiveness and relatively low risk of side effects, as noted on Medscape. However, I understand the desire to explore other treatments. Petroleum jelly, like Vaseline, can be a good preventative measure to keep the area moisturized and protected. To actively treat the infection, you could consider alternatives like a tiny dab of tea tree oil every few days, though it can sometimes be irritating to the skin. It’s important to do a patch test first to ensure there is no adverse reaction. Clotrimazole 1% is a proven antifungal treatment and could be effective as well. Using tea tree oil on one corner and Clotrimazole on another to compare their efficacy seems like a reasonable approach. This way, you can see which treatment works best for you without overloading your skin with multiple treatments at once.

@@drhannahkopelman Thanks for your reply. In the month since, I've done both, one on one side and one on the other. I did find a tea tree oil reaction on my lip, so I stopped. However, the Clotrimazole 1% seems to be slowly working, and I will continue with it, being careful not to get any in my mouth. After a traumatic break-up a few years ago I sadly neglected self-care for two years and didn’t go to a dentist or even floss seriously, and as a result had some expensive repairs and developed periodontal disease with recessive gums. So now at bedtime I use xylitol in the form of “XyliMelts” which keep my mouth moist to help prevent tooth decay (though I take no meds, my mouth runs dry). But this causes me to drool a bit (I wake up and find saliva at the corners of my mouth). I just looked at my tongue for the first time in a long time and it does have a coating of white on it. Nothing as bad as the photo you show, and it’s hard for me to ascertain if it could be Candida. I’m going to scrape and brush gently to see if that helps over time. Do you think that swishing with hot saline water daily would help tamp down the Candida (if that’s what it is) in my mouth at least? I know there's a lot of misinformation and fanaticism around Candida, and I suppose I need to carefully research what I can do about it. My diet is plant-based and clean, and I eat almost no sweets or junk (after being a typical sugar addict for decades), and I’m gradually weaning myself from all higher glycemic carbs. I don't know if you have a recommendation for good solid source of information on treatment (and prevention) of Candida?

A black dot on the corner of your lip, especially with a history of angular cheilitis, could be due to a few different factors, such as hyperpigmentation, a small scar, or a residual lesion from past inflammation. Good to keep in mind that Angular cheilitis can cause repeated irritation and damage to the skin, leading to changes in pigmentation and texture over time.

Also its not just the corner of my lip but skins near my lip..its spreading

Usually fungal would show a white pasty thrush in your mouth

I've been putting on Neosporin mostly and sometimes Bactin, but it hasn't seemed to help.

This definitely is possible and also you may have yeast in this area. I would try vaseline

I would stop these it might be causing more irritation and a dermatitis

@@drhannahkopelman Thanks. I ordered some after watching your vid.

@@drhannahkopelmando you how to get rid of it and its got a black mark of your mouth