What to do if a pimple appears on your lip?

Pimples on the lips: causes

Acne on the lip may appear for the following reasons:

herpes virus;
blockage of the sebaceous glands;
stress, psycho-emotional disorders;
allergic reaction;
disruptions in the functioning of the facial nerves;
improper hygiene;
endocrine disorders;
eating large amounts of sweets and fatty foods.

Only a doctor can determine the exact cause of the appearance of a pimple on your lip, so before you run to the pharmacy for the ointment that you prescribed for yourself, it is better to first visit a specialist and entrust him with drawing up a treatment plan.

Suspect No. 1 – herpes

Cause. When pimples appear on the lips, the cause may be the activation of the herpes virus, which occurs under the influence of external factors, for example, hypothermia.
Emergence. Before the rash appears, swelling and pain occur, then severe itching appears, after which vesicular pimples on the lip “ripen.”
Localization. Most often, herpes is localized along the edges of the lips or in their corners.
Appearance. With herpes on the lip, pimples resemble vague blisters with liquid. They do not have a specific shape, they are more like spots.
Quantity. Multiple rashes.
Feel. Patients with herpes experience burning and itching.

If pimples on the lip turn out to be a manifestation of herpes, doctors prescribe antiviral drugs. This disease should not be left to chance, because after the bubbles burst, the virus spreads along with the leaked liquid, and a new rash appears.

What should you not do if you have a pimple on your lip?

When a pimple appears on your lip, the first thing that comes to mind is to squeeze it out, treat it with alcohol to dry it, or with a wound-healing ointment that you have lying around in your medicine cabinet. This is strictly forbidden. If the rash on your lips is herpes, squeezing it can only lead to more spread of the virus. Not every ointment (cream, gel or solution) is suitable for combating rashes. Here's what else you can't do if a purulent pimple appears on your lip:

Use lipstick or balm. It is recommended to change lip product every 2 months, as bacteria and other pathogenic microorganisms accumulate on it.
Use alcohol solutions if the rash is on the inside of the lip. Alcohol can burn the mucous membranes.
Use peelings. Wherever the rash appears, it should not be treated with abrasive particles. So, for acne, peelings are used only during remission of the disease.

Suspect No. 2 – acne

Cause. Acne is a multifactorial disease. The main links in its pathogenesis are hyperkeratosis, excessive sebum production, colonization of propionibacteria, and inflammation. For example, if a small whitehead appears on the lip, a blockage of the sebaceous gland could occur, leading to the formation of a closed comedon.
Emergence. Acne usually appears suddenly.
Localization. With acne, pimples rarely appear on the lip, since there are few sebaceous glands in this area. Most of them are in the so-called seborrheic zone - the nose, forehead, chin, this is where acne occurs most often.
Spring view. A slight swelling of red color; if a purulent pimple has formed on the lip, then a white head can be seen inside, the acne takes a cone-shaped shape.
Quantity. Most often they pop out one at a time. In severe cases of acne, they may merge.
Feel. Papules and pustules may be painful, especially when palpated.

After opening, the acne fades, so many people think that this is a great way to get rid of them, but this approach can lead to aggravation of the problem, an even greater spread of the rash.

When can you use Azelik®?

Acne rarely occurs on the edges of the lips, since the smallest number of sebaceous glands is located there. More often, acne affects the chin, forehead, cheeks, and spreads to the décolleté, shoulders, and back.

One of the medications indicated for mild to moderate acne is Azelik® gel. Its main active ingredient is azelaic acid. It has the following properties5:

helps normalize disrupted keratinization processes in the pilosebaceous follicle;
helps reduce the level of free fatty acids on the skin;
exhibits antibacterial activity against propionibacteria and Staphylococcus epidermidis;
has an anti-inflammatory effect due to its ability to reduce neutrophil metabolism and reduce the synthesis of free radical oxygen species.

Azelik® gel must be applied twice a day5. 2.5 g of preparations are enough to treat the entire face5. The gel is available in tubes of 5, 15, 30 g.

Causes and treatment of acne on the upper lip

There are many nerve endings concentrated in the lip area, so if any inflammation has formed on the skin in this area, then acne can be very painful. Pimples appear above the upper, lower lip and in the corners of the lips. They are not always pathological; more often they are simply a cosmetic defect.

It was never possible to establish a clear cause for the appearance of defects, and for each case the appropriate doctor selects individual treatment. If acne appears, you can contact a dermatologist, cosmetologist, gynecologist, endocrinologist and other doctors.

Causes

When acne appears once and in small quantities, most often the cause may be internal pathologies of the body. Despite the fact that a specific disease in which the skin above the lip and around the mouth “sprinkles” has not been identified, there are many factors that provoke the rash. Among them are:

Hormonal drugs and glucocorticosteroids. Most often, ointments and creams containing hormones are used to treat certain skin diseases. The use of drugs with prednisolone or hydrocortisone without prescription or after an incorrect diagnosis can aggravate the disease. Treatment with medications based on other hormones can worsen the rash. They may be found in skin care products.
External environmental conditions. Acne can appear when a person acclimatizes, when exposed to frost, sun, and wind.
Poor quality or incorrectly selected cosmetics. Inflammation on the skin occurs after the pores become clogged as a result of daily skin care. Acne can appear after any cosmetic product: lotion, skin cleansing milk and others that a person uses daily.
Microorganisms. On the surface of human skin and in hair follicles there are pathogenic microorganisms, which, when the body’s immune defense is reduced and multiply, provoke inflammation of the follicle and the appearance of purulent contents.
Toothpaste. Fluoride-containing toothpaste worsens the condition of the skin and provokes inflammation.
Hormonal imbalance. In women, pimples above the lip most often occur on certain days of the menstrual cycle. Taking oral hormonal contraceptives causes hormonal imbalance.
General decrease in immunity, stress and hypothermia. When the body's general defenses weaken, pathogenic agents begin to grow, so acne may appear during this period.
Various diseases. Pathologies of the nervous and endocrine systems, diseases of the gastrointestinal tract (gastrointestinal tract).
If skin problems are caused by a hereditary predisposition, then they appear after birth and are chronic throughout life.
Allergy. Allergic rashes occur after various irritants enter the body.

Rashes above the lip most often occur in women; in men they are less common. In representatives of the stronger sex, acne appears in 2 cases:

in case of disruption of the intestines, liver, stomach and pancreas;
with a lack or excess of hormones.

What kind of acne

Small rashes that do not have purulent content inside and are characterized by redness, itching and peeling are classified as simple dermatitis. Purulent acne is characteristic of an infectious lesion, which is accompanied by an increase in body temperature.

It is believed that pimples with a white purulent head provoke various pathologies of the pilosebaceous follicles. The rash can also be caused by perioral dermatitis or any other skin disease.

Diseases

With seborrheic dermatitis, acne occurs when the sebaceous glands become clogged with sebum and become inflamed. These rashes are accompanied by severe itching and upon detailed examination, yellow or white scales are found in the area of the hair shaft.

Demodex is a disease that appears when the subcutaneous mite becomes active. Impetigo occurs due to a staphylococcal or streptococcal infection. Herpes is most often localized directly on the lips and is characterized by severe pain.

Treatment with medications

In case of hormonal imbalance, you should contact an endocrinologist for treatment. The doctor will order a blood test for hormones and prescribe appropriate therapy. It is worth stopping taking hormonal medications for a while.

If the cause of the rash is hidden in unsuitable environmental conditions, then you should use products with UV protection; in winter, a cream with a greasy structure. The means should be selected according to the weather. Cosmetic products must be chosen carefully. Most often, pimples above the lip appear due to cosmetics that contain petroleum jelly, paraffin, and cinnamon flavoring. These components clog the skin.

To eliminate microorganisms on the surface of the skin, it is necessary to increase immunity and use drugs that contain imidazole, a substance that affects the vital activity of pathogens. If you have allergic acne, you should stop eating foods and using products with irritants. If inflammation is caused by toothpaste with fluoride, you should stop brushing your teeth with it.

You can get rid of acne of a viral nature of herpes if you cure it in a short time with the use of medications. You can buy Acyclovir or its more expensive analogue Zovirax at the pharmacy. Medications will speed up healing and get rid of the virus in a few days.

Acyclovir eliminates acne on the upper lip

The ointment is applied pointwise to the area of the rash every 4 hours.

Common dermatitis on the face should be treated with anti-inflammatory and emollient creams and powders. Seborrheic dermatitis requires treatment with antifungal drugs with miconazole and nizoral.

Demodex is treated with local medications to eliminate mites and systemic remedies for this pathology. Antiparasitic medications include Metronidazole and Ornidazole, and desensitizing medications include Suprastin, Tavegil and Diazolin. Impetigo is treated on an outpatient basis.

Diazolin eliminates acne on the upper lip

In cases where self-treatment does not bring results or the acne covers a large area, it is necessary to seek help from a doctor in order to identify the pathology and begin treatment as early as possible.

General treatment recommendations

If acne appears, you should consult a doctor and undergo examination. If the appearance of inflammation above the upper lip is caused by diseases, then there is no general treatment algorithm, and everything is decided individually together with a specialist.

General treatment recommendations:

Squeezing pimples above the lip is strictly prohibited; damage leads to the formation of a boil or the spread of infection.
Treating the inflamed tissue will help speed healing and prevent infection. Rubbing with alcohol will dry out the inflammation and stop the development and spread of infection.
Before applying a cosmetic product (cream, lipstick), you should spread a small amount of the product on the back of your hand.
To improve the condition of your skin, you need to eat well, give up coffee, hot, fatty, salty and spicy foods.
It is necessary to avoid stress and hypothermia.
You can take a vitamin complex; nicotinic and folic acid, riboflavin, ascorutin, and vitamin B6 are especially useful.

You can treat inflammation with folk remedies, but you need to wait longer for results. The following methods are used as auxiliary treatment:

You can lubricate the inflammation with garlic juice; this recipe is good for treating infectious rashes.
Rubbing with fir and tea tree essential oil helps. These substances dry out inflammation, accelerate maturation, and stimulate regeneration.

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What to do

For effective treatment it is necessary to diagnose the disease that causes this pathology and take timely preventive measures .

Treatment of acne with stomatitis

Exclusion from the diet of hot, sweet and spicy foods.
Rinsing the mouth with antiseptic drugs - Miramistin, Tantum Verde solution, Chlorhexidine.
Rinse with herbal mixture Stomatofit.
Application of gels – Cholisal, Metrogil-denta. These drugs have analgesic, anti-inflammatory, and antimicrobial effects.
Use of immunostimulating drugs .

Photo 2: To prevent stomatitis, you should rinse your mouth with a weak solution of potassium permanganate or calendula decoction. Source: flickr (Cyberchemist).

Treatment of acne that occurs after mechanical damage

Rinse with chamomile decoction to disinfect the mucous membrane.
Rinsing with oak bark decoction . This decoction has an astringent, which promotes rapid healing of wounds.
Rinse with Miramistin (shows antibacterial and antimicrobial effects).
The use of drugs that accelerate tissue regeneration. Such drugs include Solcoseryl dental adhesive paste.

Treatment of acne due to candidiasis

Use of local antifungal drugs . These include Candide solution.
The use of systemic antifungal drugs - Fluconazole, Pimafucin, Mycoflucan.
Rinse with a solution of chamomile and sage .
Use of immunomodulators .
The use of antihistamines - Tavegil, Suprastin.

Note! With oral candidiasis in children, body temperature may increase and swelling of the gums may appear.

Treatment of acne with herpes

The use of antiviral drugs specializing in the treatment of herpes - Acyclovir, Zovirax. You need to use both tablet forms and ointments.
To eliminate the possibility of relapse , therapy should be carried out with drugs containing interferon - Viferon, Interferon, Genferon.

Photo 3: Rinsing with sage decoction for herpes promotes rapid healing of pimples and has an antimicrobial effect. Source: flickr (Vitaly Giragosov).

Homeopathic treatment for acne of all types

Along with traditional medications, homeopathy is considered more effective and faster in the treatment of pimples on the mucous membranes of various etiologies. The exceptional advantage of homeopathic medicines is the complete absence of side reactions , which often occur when using chemical medicines.

Borax. Symptoms: burning pain, hot mouth, bleeding of the mucous membrane .
Kalium bichromicum. Symptoms: deep aphthae, inflammation of the oral mucosa .
Kalium muriaticum. Symptoms: acne, ulcers on the mucous membrane .
Arsenicum. Symptoms: pimples that cause pain and discomfort .
Apis mellifica. Symptoms: blistering acne .
Rhus toxicodendron or poison sumac. Symptoms: herpes, blistering rashes .
Thuja occidentalis or Western Thuja. Symptoms: herpes, white pimples .

When a symptom appears, you should not self-medicate , especially if it occurs frequently. For a complete cure, you should undergo a diagnosis and prescribe appropriate treatment .