If there's one thing I hate it's lip pimples.
Why?
Just think about this for a second.
The cute guy you exchanged numbers with last night at the bar gives you a call to meet up for coffee.
You text back immediately, walk in front of the mirror, all happy and jolly, only to freeze in your tracks.
You start to drown in a puddle of horror- just when you said yes to meeting him, you notice a fresh pimple on your lip.
Everything you dream of is now being sabotaged - by a freaking pimple on your lip.
Does this sound familiar? (It literally happened to me about 2 years ago)
But we’ve all been there.
So why am I saying all this?
Because I am about to let you in on a secret.
A secret that will change your day and probably your life.
But before I give you my golden egg, let's get started on exactly why you have this lip pimple to begin with.
Otherwise they'll just keep coming back.
What Exactly is a Pimple on Lip Line?
A pimple on the lip might be confused with a cold sore or a mouth blister.
Where cold sores and mouth blisters occur within the mouth, a pimple on lip skin is quite literally a pimple on your lip.
Basically it's just a regular pimple.
It probably has a whitehead on it also.
Luckily for you I'm an expert on whiteheads.
Here's a full post about them I helped write if you feel like reading it later.
Anyway,
Why Do I Have a Pimple on My Lip?
There could be a number of reasons why.
I've listed the most common ones below.
First you'll need to figure out what caused it so it won't happen again (pimples on lips aren't common).
Afterwards I'll explain how to get rid of them right now (no matter what caused them).
1. Low Quality Chapstick
A low quality chapstick uses lowly chemical ingredients.
These ingredients seep into the skin surrounding the lip and create room for bacterial infection to grow.
Note: Invest in high quality chap sticks even if you buy one of them.
The best chap sticks to buy are those with Vitamin E in them.
2. Allergic Reaction on Lips
Another one of the possibilities why you might develop a pimple on your lip line is because of allergic reactions.
The chemicals used in lip products such as lip balms, makeup, chap sticks, lipsticks, lip glosses and etc., don’t always suit everyone.
Your skin could be more sensitive than others peoples (which is very common I should add).
ALSO - you might develop a reaction even if you've been using it for months or years (and it's seemed to have no side effects until now).
Sometimes your body decides to react later rather than instantly.
Note: Try using skin sensitive lip products or ones with natural ingredients.
3. Heat (Humid Environment)
A lesser known allergic reaction is to heat.
Your skin is delicate, especially near your mouth.
By exposing your fragile skin to heat for unnecessarily long hours, you might unknowingly trigger an allergic reaction.
For example, by sunbathing by the beach or playing sports for too long, you could jeopardize your skin’s health.
This is because exposure to heat opens up the pores.
Opened pores are a free entry for dirt, pollution and bacteria to reside in the crannies of your skin and make a home out of it.
A good way to avoid triggering your own acne and sabotaging your own date night is by not sitting under the sun or in the steam bath for hours.
At least not a day or two before you have a big day coming up.
3. Hormonal Imbalance
A lip pimple might occur due to hormonal imbalance.
For instance, if you are going through puberty, you are more likely to experience them.
In addition, if you are pregnant, due to massive hormonal changes, you might experience pimples around lips or chin region.
Here's a full list of symptoms to see if you have a real issue with your hormones.
4. Herpes Infection
A pimple on the lip line could occur if you get herpes (almost definitely not what you have).
But it is possible.
Herpes is a sexually transmitted disease that might occur after oral sex or kissing someone who already has herpes.
Sometimes you could also get herpes by simply sharing a glass of water, utensils or food (so be careful in the future).
5. Poor Diet
A diet with high levels of grease and oil can easily trigger acne to form.
This is because your skin has excess oils that block the pores, trapping the bacteria inside.
Trapped bacterium results in pimples around lips without question.
In other cases, people who smoke are also prone to developing lip line pimples.
6. Bad Hygiene
If you fail to meet hygienic conditions, you are likely to develop zits on or around your lips.
This is because not exfoliating your lips on a regular basis results in the grease and oils to accumulate, blocking the pores around your lips.
While brushing your teeth you also splash lots of saliva and toothpaste around your mouth, which will clog your pores if it's not rinsed away thoroughly.
Note: Before going to bed, exfoliate your lips gently AFTER brushing your teeth. Use oil-free moisturizer and/or chap stick afterwards
7. Touching Your Lips
This one might be the most common.
Apparently we touch our faces over 2,000 times per day.
So it only takes a few touches to cause a pimple (if your hands aren't clean).
Treatments For Pimples Around Mouth And Lips
Well, looks like we’ve covered up a whole lot of scenarios.
But I still need to tell you how to clear it.
Well, that is exactly what I’m here for.
Want to know a secret?
You can immediately clear a lip pimple.
Alright, maybe not immediately vanish completely, like a magic trick.
But it will START clearing immediately, and will be all clear within 12-24 hours
You'll see a difference more each hour.
All you have to do is follow the process I’m about to walk you through.
How Can You Get Rid of a Pimple on Your Lip Line?
So let’s get started on how exactly you’re supposed to clear a pimple on your lip line.
How do you know this will work?
Because it worked for me, so it has some merit.
Note: Doesn't matter if it's a pimple on bottom lip or your top lip - I've done this for both.
Tip# 1
So let’s begin by simply taking out an ice cube from the freezer.
Wrap the ice cube in a soft, clean, thin cloth (optional)
This is particularly best if the pimple has a pus and hurts.
Ice is an ideal compressor and effectively numbs the hurtful sensation,
In addition, the cold compressor is effective in drying out the pimple.
Keep placing the ice cube every few minutes, moisturize and re-place the ice cube after a couple of minutes.
You will notice the results within 1-2 hours when it starts to shrink.
How Does Icing Get Rid of a Pimple on Lip Line?
Pimples around mouth skin or lips are usually a reaction of inflammation.
Just like any other part of your body, ice cools inflammation.
You would be shocked to learn that the way you exfoliate your skin sometimes could be the very reason why you have a lip line pimple.
Exerting too much pressure on your sensitive skin leads to inflamed pores.
Particularly before leading up to a date night, if you exfoliate your lips too roughly earlier in the week, you'll end up with an fresh zit within the next day or so.
When you damage your skin, it forms a redness that might become itchy.
This redness is a product of white and red blood cells racing to the injured area.
When there is excessive cell formation, it inflames the area.
Inflamed skin becomes swollen, which is painful in severe circumstances.
Now don’t get me wrong, I am not trying to scare you - but I am definitely trying to tell you to be gentler with your skin as it is super delicate.
Fine then, the damage has already been done.
How do we move forth with it?
We move forth by icing.
Now why exactly is icing such an amazing option?
And is it even quick enough?
Well, you would be shocked at how spontaneous the results are.
Alright, let’s dig in the details.
Whether it’s a small pimple or even serious cysts (like cystic acne), nodules or pustules beneath your skin, there is nothing a solid, effective compressor – aka, ice- cannot help with.
Here's something I would read if you need to get rid of your cystic acne.
Okay but one thing, highly essential to understand is that the pain (if you experience any) can occur because inflammation often compresses a nerve in your skin.
Why is Ice So Amazing For Pimples?
The real reason why icing is such a spectacular and effective remedy is because it immediately cools down the inflamed skin - especially around the lips because they are more sensitive and prone to inflammation
Have you felt that burning sensation when you get a lip pimple and try to pop it?
Well, icing effectively eliminates that to begin with (for the most part).
It also numbs the nerve (to an extent), and obviously makes it less noticeable.
So if you experience painful sensations, you know how to stop it now.
Now, another perk of icing is that it (sort of) slows down the blood flow.
Remember how injury causes the blood cells to rush to the impacted area which results in irritation and inflammation?
By slowing down the blood flow, icing effectively starts to rid your skin off the pimple (in time) since it blocks the path of blood to flow to the affected area.
What Else Does Icing Do?
This should not even come off as surprising but the way heat expands and opens up your pores, the ice’s cold sensation actually tightens the skin and blocks the pores, outwardly.
You can learn more reasons why icing helps from this article I found if you want.
Now, for example you have come back home after a long day at the beach or just outdoors and you fear your skin might be damaged.
What do you do?
You clean up nice and neat and then you ice your skin.
This is because the cold compresses your skin externally and reduces the size of the pores.
This prevents dirt, debris, pollutants, bacteria- basically anything that could potentially infect your skin and cause inflammation - from penetrating into your skin.
By simply icing your skin, you seal the pore’s opening and heal the inflammation problem that transforms into this big, fat zit within the blink of an eye.
Tip #2
You are what you eat.
Don’t even try to deny it.
If you gain too much weight by going out every other week, you low-key know it is because you’ve been feasting off carbs.
Similarly, if you experience weird acne sprouting up, you know it deep down that it is because of all the oily, greasy, fatty food that you have been consuming, or the stress you've been experiencing.
In a 2002 study that was published in the ‘Archives of Dermatology’, it was revealed that the food you consume can have an adverse affect on your skin.
The research revealed that people who consumed saturated fats, process foods and refined carbs experienced acne far more than those who did not.
So what should you do now?
You fix up your diet.
As cheesy as it may sound, give up that pizza.
It could be anything, to be very honest.
Burgers, pizzas, pastas, fried chicken, French fries, high fructose foods.
Anything that is rich in carbohydrates, bad sugars, and fats consumed in excess results in breakouts.
Even too much yeast (bread based foods) can cause major problems for your skin.
That's why a balanced diet is so important.
What Should You Eat for Lip Pimples?
Okay, I know what you’re thinking.
What on earth am I supposed to eat then?
First, you could looks up some lists, like this one about healthy skin foods.
Secondly, the planet is full of healthy, nutritious options such as vegetables and lean meat that can offer you more health benefits than you can imagine.
So your next step is clear.
How to Make it Fade Away Faster
Vitamin A and E are two of the most robust, powerful, fast-acting, and natural antioxidants.
The quickest way to clear a pimple on your lip is to consume Vitamin E and/or Vitamin A.
Possibly even more important than ice cubes.
Both of these vitamins are found in abundance in vegetables and fruits.
You can obtain vitamin A from carrots, and you can consume vitamin E from tomatoes, spinach, soybeans, corns, kiwi and etc.
You could also get them from an oral antioxidant treatment (if you really need it gone fast).
Vitamin A
Vitamin A strengthens the skin cells around your lips, preventing the accumulation of oily and greasy substances that block the pores.
In this manner, the toxic element cannot penetrate through the skin around your lip.
In addition, vitamin A also assists in quick skin cell reproduction, bringing about new skin faster than ever.
This automatically prevents the chances of a pimple on lip line skin (or borderline your whole mouth area).
Vitamin E
Vitamin E, on the other hand, is a strong antioxidant.
This vitamin naturally prevents the fat breakage in your body, keeping at bay the toxic elements that result in lip pimples.
Vitamin E also hydrates the lips, preventing acne around or on the lip.
Not to mention many other things like limit free radicals.
Note: The Mayo Clinic even says vitamin E is very effective in getting rid of pimples.
What Else Can You Do?
Basically, consuming any food that contains omega-3 fatty acids is beneficial for your skin.
This is because, according to Dr. Danby, omega-3 is a natural antioxidant which basically cleanses your skin within and also induces anti-inflammatory effects on your skin.
As discussed earlier, pimples around mouth skin or on your lips are a side effect of nerve inflammation.
By consuming anti-inflammatory diet, within a few days you can start to see a difference.
This is because foods with omega-3 such as fish supplements, salmon, citric fruits, etc.
Drinking green tea is also a great acne preventative as you can read here.
Also, avoid using low quality chap stick.
Keep to using chap sticks that carry vitamin E since its super healthy in nourishing and moisturizing your lips without the risks of causing whiteheads.
Remember to ice also.
By later today you'll see it begin to shrink, and by tomorrow or the next day it could be 80% - 90% gone if you continue.