Cracks at corners of lips - caused by stainless steel drip tips but not plastic

[jb0nez]

I started vaping over two years ago. After a while I'd collected an assortment of cool drip tips. Then I started waking up in the morning with cracks/slits in the corners of my mouth. Not always the same location but always the corner. The first time I opened my mouth they would open up further. No matter what I did they wouldn't heal -- use Biotene mouthwash, keep hydrated by carrying a giant "Hydro-flask", use chapstick constantly, taking fish oil and vitamin supplements. It was non-responsive to topical steroids, antifungals, and antibacterials.Then they'd disappear just as mysteriously.

So I finally figured it out and have spent the last 6 months testing my hypothesis and it's pretty conclusive - ANY stainless steel drip tip (plain steel or colored) will within about 2 days cause the little slits to appear. If I switch to plastic, within 2 days they disappear (the mouth heals quickly). Finally an answer to what was plaguing me. Why, I don't know. Doesn't make sense to me...

So, now that I know I have to use plastic, I've started testing aluminum and glass. My glass experiments have been stalled by getting a cheap-o chinese glass drip 0tip that the glass separated from the connector on. But the aluminum is holding up and so far seems ok. Will report back with my findings though.

Anyone else notice this correlation? If you're experiencing cracks, are you using SS drip tips and can you try with the (less cool looking) plastic ones you undoubtedly have around?
I want to get to the bottom of this, I know other people experience the cracking (based off lots of google searches).

 

[Lessifer]

Weird, I've been using SS tips pretty exclusively for about a year, never had that problem though I'm glad you figured out what's causing it for you. I have a delrin dt that I like, it's not cold and doesn't crack my teeth if I accidentally tap them, it just doesn't look as nice with my mod/atty combos.

 

[stevegmu]

Never had that happen, but my stainless steel drip tips are surgical grade stainless made in the US. I am guessing yours aren't? Some people are more sensitive to mystery metals than others...

 

[jdm1982]

my lips just recently dried and cracked as well, but i think its probably more to do with the changing of season then anything.interesting though.i use stainless steel drip tips as well.

 

[Robino1]

Yeah, I can't use anything but the delrin drip tips. Metal causes issues with me also. I noticed it first with the SS that is on the kayfun by Svoemesto which are true SS. Glass? No clue. I will stick to the delrin since I haven't had any issues with them.

Oh and I live in Florida, no cold weather to blame my issues on

 

[jdm1982]

Yeah, I can't use anything but the delrin drip tips. Metal causes issues with me also. I noticed it first with the SS that is on the kayfun by Svoemesto which are true SS. Glass? No clue. I will stick to the delrin since I haven't had any issues with them.

Oh and I live in Florida, no cold weather to blame my issues on

i wouldnt blame it on that either, only for i vaped 7 months with no issue but then this week it hit a cold snap here abit , got snow , etc and its only been since then ive noticed cracking.

 

[bullet08]

i started taking vitamin after vaping so i'll have enough c and e and others so my lips will not chap.

 

[Signmaker]

Are you kidding me? Someone else gets those?!? I thought I was the only one. I've gotten them for years though, even when on analogs. They seem to show up, last for a couple weeks, then go away for several weeks. They're like the chapped cracking you get with dry lips, but only in the corners, and they only hurt when I open my mouth wide or put pressure on them. Nothing topical works for me either, and I cant correlate them with any particular drip tip material.

I do have apnea and chronic dry mouth, and depending on which doctor I've asked, it's one of those causing it.

 

[Gowanus]

the kanger tanks I got about 2 months ago came with the stainless tips, and at first I thought it was cool, but after a week, I couldn't put my finger on why, but I just wanted something else. I knew the metal bumping my teeth when driving drove me nuts, but wasn't so sure why else. Looking back I think it was irritating my lips. I remember having irritation that reminded me of how paper cigarettes would sometimes stick to my lip in winter and cause the skin to crack later on, or get stuck and chap the spot. I didn't put it together with the stainless tip - I was new to vaping and just thought it was the pen. but now that I tried a bunch of things, you're thread makes sense. Maybe it's the cheap stainless. Or it could have been how I was cleaning the gear...

To try out, I got a pyrex/stainless combo one, a typical translucent black curvy tip, and a black delrin wide bore.

I love the way the glass one looks, but it always made the juices taste bitter. I'd clean it and clean it and clean it... bitter juice on the same tank. It also collects and shows gunk way more than any of my other tips.

I like the way the curvy standard one feels in my mouth, but hate the way it looks, and I don't like how much juice condenses inside the narrow bore.

The black delrin wide bore is awesome though. I wish it has a less square edged finish to the tip, a bevel on it would make it perfect, but everything else about it is great. The wide bore really lets the vapor flow and the delrin doesn't irritate my lips or teeth. Also doesn't seem to collect gunk, as nothing sticks to it.

So now I've got a bunch of delrin ones and just use those. I did realize I was making the glass one taste bitter by cleaning it with 80% rubbing alcohol... it has that bittering agent. Now I know.

How are you cleaning your stainless tips?

 

[ProjektMayhem]

I've never had that happen before with vaping. I have had cracks and slits in the corner of my lips other times though and I know it hurts when you open your mouth wide enough to tear them open again. I have all stainless steel drip tips. But I only use my Plume Veil drip tip now because it's wide bore.

 

[Bolivar]

It could be an allergy to chrome or nickle, either or both found in stainless. It's not an uncommon allergy, and oral tissue could be more sensitive to it than regular skin.

Glad you found the cause of your problem, and an easy fix. You could try clear coating a stainless tip with clear nail polish and see if that stops the problem.

 

[acrosstheveil]

i get a terrible allergic reaction to stainless steel. for some reason i can use copper rdas with a stainless steel deck which causes no problems. But i have a borderline anaphylactic shock type reaction from ALL SS, american, chinese, same reaction. I've tried boiling, boiling with vinegar, and cleaning with alcohol, and even dish soap so I know it's not an issue with cleanliness. WEIRD!

had to return my tugboat v2 and I just got another copper tugboat v1. nice to have two....especially since I drilled out my 1st one a little too much for flavor...good for clouds tho.

 

[Signmaker]

i get a terrible allergic reaction to stainless steel. for some reason i can use copper rdas with a stainless steel deck which causes no problems. But i have a borderline anaphylactic shock type reaction from ALL SS, american, chinese, same reaction. I've tried boiling, boiling with vinegar, and cleaning with alcohol, and even dish soap so I know it's not an issue with cleanliness. WEIRD!

FWIW, you most likely have an allergy to the nickel content in the SS, not the steel itself. If you want to use SS drip tips, look for ones reliably made of surgical grade or implant grade stainless. These do not contain nickel, and I know a few higher end drip tip makers are now offering the material. Also titanium can give a SS look, while being inert. Just options in case you really want the shiney.

 

[issy]

Just wanted to chime in and say that OUCH that sounds painful. Worse than getting a papercut between your fingers. Glad you figured it out, OP, and keep doing what works for you. I'm not particularly sensitive to metals...I can wear those cheap earrings from Claire's with no problem...LOL. I prefer non-metallic tips anyway...I bump my teeth occasionally and with metal, it makes me cringe. I need my teeth to last!

 

[edyle]

I started vaping over two years ago. After a while I'd collected an assortment of cool drip tips. Then I started waking up in the morning with cracks/slits in the corners of my mouth. Not always the same location but always the corner. The first time I opened my mouth they would open up further. No matter what I did they wouldn't heal -- use Biotene mouthwash, keep hydrated by carrying a giant "Hydro-flask", use chapstick constantly, taking fish oil and vitamin supplements. It was non-responsive to topical steroids, antifungals, and antibacterials.Then they'd disappear just as mysteriously.

So I finally figured it out and have spent the last 6 months testing my hypothesis and it's pretty conclusive - ANY stainless steel drip tip (plain steel or colored) will within about 2 days cause the little slits to appear. If I switch to plastic, within 2 days they disappear (the mouth heals quickly). Finally an answer to what was plaguing me. Why, I don't know. Doesn't make sense to me...

So, now that I know I have to use plastic, I've started testing aluminum and glass. My glass experiments have been stalled by getting a cheap-o chinese glass drip 0tip that the glass separated from the connector on. But the aluminum is holding up and so far seems ok. Will report back with my findings though.

Anyone else notice this correlation? If you're experiencing cracks, are you using SS drip tips and can you try with the (less cool looking) plastic ones you undoubtedly have around?
I want to get to the bottom of this, I know other people experience the cracking (based off lots of google searches).

I'm not surprised;
especially if alot of 'stainless steel' drip tips are actually chrome plated brass.

I use ceramic tips.
https://www.fasttech.com/p/1567903

I ordered glass ones too, but these shorty ceramic one snug in and don't rock/wobble.

I also use acrylic drip tip insulators to keep heat from my topper getting to my lips.

also recently ordered these angled drip tip adapters , to angle the drip tip:

Haven't ordered long glass tips yet, but they're on my radar:

those look wobbly to me

I like a cool vape

 

[AndriaD]

I use a "gun metal" drip tip constantly, which is actually chromed stainless. The only time I get those painful mouth-corner cracks is from a thrush (candida) infection; I use an anti-fungal cream and they go away, usually overnight, but I had a really nasty one a few weeks ago, while suffering a horrible head cold; the crack was very stubborn to heal, but finally did, thank goodness.

Andria

 

[wheelie]

My wife can not use metal drip tips or she gets sores in her mouth. metal drink cans give her the same sores. she uses Ceramic drip tips with out a problem.
https://fasttechcdn.com/products/173/1735105/1735105-3.jpg

 

[jb0nez]

Wow and I thought I was the only one this happened to! What a relief. So far the aluminum ones aren't causing it and the glass one broke off the adapter (cheap Chinese junk).
I need to get some of those ceramic ones! Too bad ft ships so slow. Anyone know a vendor in the USA, preferably free shipping, that has ceramic or glass tips?

 

[AndriaD]

Wow and I thought I was the only one this happened to! What a relief. So far the aluminum ones aren't causing it and the glass one broke off the adapter (cheap Chinese junk).
I need to get some of those ceramic ones! Too bad ft ships so slow. Anyone know a vendor in the USA, preferably free shipping, that has ceramic or glass tips?

desertvapes.com ... that's where I got my [late] ceramic... I dropped and broke it, alas. But desertvapes has an AMAZING collection of drip tips, for equally amazing prices.

Andria

 

[Gowanus]

I'd never use an aluminum anything for vaping... aluminum exposure is known to cause Alzheimers.

I mean, I guess you forget about after a while.