Chappage

Chappage (noun) Most often occurs in winter due to excessive dehydration of the skin. Frequently is seen around the mouth. (Source: Gidget's Dictionary)

Yes, I made it up (obviously). I haven't had a problem with chapped lips in a very long time, but apparently the universe felt it was my time and I woke up one day with chappage and splitting of the skin on my lips. My general solution is massive applications of chapstick to keep the skin soft and prevent further splitting. BAD IDEA, this time anyway. Who knew I'd have an allergic reaction to some chapstick and end up with red, swollen and ITCHY lines around my upper lip? I'm not a benedryl type person but I didn't hesitate to pop those pills for several days and I prayed for the swelling and color to go away. I had coworkers looking at me strangely and I knew it was because of the redness. What can a person do? Too bad my employer would frown upon using sick days due to chappage. lol.

To make matters worse, my driver's license expired last month so I had to get it renewed. I was cautiously optimistic that maybe I could use my previous photo on the new ID but was firmly told no. *sigh*. So now my chappage is memorialized on a 5-year driver's license. I cannot tell you how overjoyed I am. Fortunately the new style of Iowa IDs has a smaller photo and so the chappage isn't painfully apparent. But due to my photo being distorted to fit in the box, the resulting squishing along with the hit of redness on my upper lip makes me look like I had collagen injections.

I've decided the universe has a sick sense of humor...