Hi,
I get that happen to me many times. My lips get very dry, then crack, no matter what I put on them. Then the corners crack and bleed and yes, like you said, it's gross! They get so dry, my lips feel desperate for relief, kind of like when you are desperately thirsty. This can just happen out of the blue for me, then it just goes away eventually. But many times I also get dry mouth along with it. Now I wonder if I might have Sjogren's only because last summer I sudden eye problems and was diagnosed with dry eye syndrome. And my eye problems come in flares, like all my other problems. My opthalmologist did tell me that dry eye syndrome is commonly found in people with lupus.
Do you also get drying of your mouth or other skin or eyes, etc?