I have a pimple on my lip

It can be difficult to ignore sudden changes on your lips, whether it’s while glancing at yourself in the mirror after waking up or as you apply your favorite lip balm. If there’s a bump on your lip, then you may wonder what it is and how it got there. There are a number of causes that could have triggered that sudden spot on or around your lips. We discuss the different causes of lip bumps to help you determine if the spot is reason for concern and the ways to treat the spot, if necessary.

Allergies Could Be Causing the Bumps on Your Lips

One of the reasons you may have a bump on your lip is due to an allergic reaction to things like pollen, pet dander, or particular types of food. 1 Allergic reactions occur when your immune system identifies a particular allergen as harmful, causing your skin and lips to become inflamed, or even more severe reactions like anaphylaxis. 2 Common allergy triggers range from particular foods such as peanuts, soy, and fish, as well as reactions to certain medications or airborne allergens such as pollen and dust mites.3

If you’ve noticed the lip bumps after eating certain foods, or if you know that you’ve come into contact with certain airborne allergens, then you may want to consult your healthcare provider. Your doctor may want to perform a few tests such as a skin or blood test to better evaluate whether you have an allergy.4

The White Bump on Your Lip Could Be a Canker Sore

If the bump on your lip is inside your mouth and comes with a burning or tingling sensation, then it may be a canker sore. 5 A canker sore, also known as an aphthous ulcer, is a small lesion that can develop on the soft tissues in your mouth or at the base of your gums. 6 Canker sores can be painful, especially when eating foods or talking as doing these activities can irritate the canker sore.7

You can develop different types of canker sores. For example, a minor canker sore is most common. These are usually small and oval-shaped, and can heal without scarring in just a few weeks. 8 Major canker sores are not as common, but can be extremely painful with a shape that has irregular edges, taking up to six weeks to heal and potentially leaving major scarring. 9 Canker sores can be triggered by minor injuries to your mouth like dental work or an accidental cheek bite, as well as food sensitivities and diet deficiencies that don’t have vitamin B-12, zinc, or iron. 10 Consult with your doctor if your canker sore is causing unmanageable pain, persistent sores, or sores that extend into the lips themselves, as you may need more immediate medical attention.11

The Lip Bump May Be a Cold Sore

That bump on your lip may, in fact, be a cold sore, especially if you notice these bumps or blisters grouped together in patches around your lips. 12 Cold sores are caused by certain strains of the herpes simplex virus (HSV). More specifically, HSV-1 usually causes cold sores, while HSV-2 causes genital herpes.13

There are various symptoms you can experience if you do have a cold sore. For example, you may feel an itching, burning or tingling around the lips for a day or so before a small, hard spot appears and then blisters out. 14 You may then notice small, fluid-filled blisters start to appear around the border of your lips, and eventually the blisters may merge and then burst.15

The signs and symptoms can vary, depending on if this your first outbreak of cold sores. If it’s your first outbreak, then you may also experience symptoms like fever, headache, muscle aches, and painful gums. 16 Various treatment options are available to you for cold sores. Your doctor may prescribe an antiviral medication that you can take on a consistent basis if you have a history of developing cold sores more than nine times a year. 17 You can also try the Abreva® Cold Sore Cream— Abreva contains the only non-prescription ingredient approved by the FDA to shorten cold sore healing time, in as few as 2 ½ days.*

A sudden bump on your lips can be alarming, but we hope that understanding the potential causes of lip bumps can help you take the necessary steps to get rid of the bumps. Learn more about how to manage lip health and what to do if you find yourself dealing with cold sores.

*Median healing time 4.1 days when used at the first sign. 25 percent of users healed within 2½ days.

Pimples can pop up seemingly anywhere, but certain areas are more frustrating (and more painful) than others. This is certainly the case for lip pimples — those pesky little (or big) pimples that pop up on the corners of our mouths or along our lip line are not only a nuisance but can downright hurt.

Every time you talk, smile, chew, yawn — you get the idea — it's an unfriendly reminder of the irritation and inflammation that's popped up out of nowhere, and just isn't going away fast enough.

To better understand these bothersome blemishes, we spoke with top New York City dermatologist Dr. Joshua Zeichner, Director of Cosmetic & Clinical Research in Dermatology at Mount Sinai Hospital. Below, he shares share his best tips for tackling lip pimples, and why you might keep getting them.

Meet the Expert

Dr. Joshua Zeichner is a dermatologist based in New York City, where he serves as the director of cosmetic & clinical research in dermatology at Mount Sinai Hospital.

What Are Lip Pimples? 

Essentially, lip pimples are like any other pimples —and form for the same reasons, too. In fact, Zeichner says, "pimples are common in this area because of the high concentration and large size of oil glands around the lips."

As with most pimples, "Oil gets trapped within the pores and promotes the overgrowth of acne-causing bacteria, which contribute to inflammation and lead to the red, painful bumps we are all used to." Only in this sensitive area, they tend to be more painful, likely because of the large amount of movement that our lips and mouth are constantly performing — talking, chewing, etc.

They appear along the lip line and corners of the mouth as red or pink bumps that may or may not have a white head. These are NOT to be confused with cold sores, as they are quite different in visual appearance and physical cause. (Though at first, they may have a similar sensation, it's usually pretty easy to differentiate between the two.)

To clear up any confusion, Zeichner explains, "Cold sores tend to start with a burning or stinging sensation followed by a clustered group of small blisters. In some cases, patients may develop pus bumps rather than clear blisters." Cold sores are caused by the herpes simplex virus, while pimples are caused by bacteria.

Lip pimples may also appear red and irritated but upon a closer look are "usually a solitary, red bump." Lip pimples may affect men and women equally.

Causes and Prevention of Lip Pimples

Most, if not all lip pimples are caused by the same pore-clogging bacteria as regular pimples that are found throughout the body and especially within the T-zone. There's no special or different type of pimple that is reserved for the lip area—they just look and feel a little different because they're in an area of constant use. (Rather than "resting" comfortably on your cheek or nose.)

Common Causes

• Eating Sugars and Starches: Because they're around the mouth, it's only natural to think that perhaps what we eat may be a contributing factor to our pimples. And in a way, it's true. But Zeichner clarifies, "Contrary to popular belief, [consuming] oily and greasy foods are not the cause of acne breakouts, it is really sugars and starches that have shown to be the culprits."
• Getting Grease and Oil From Food on Your Mouth: Eating greasy food might not cause breakouts internally (the way that sugars and starches do), but if oil and grease are coming into contact with your lips and the surrounding area, they could cause breakouts externally. However, in the case of lip pimples, it's a bit different. While sugars and starches can cause breakouts to form because of what they do internally, oily and greasy foods may very well be causing the pimples externally, because "the oily and greasy foods may physically block the pores and cause breakouts."
• Hair Removal: Hair removal is another common cause of lip pimples. According to Zeichner, whenever you pluck, wax or shave around the mouth, it can cause inflammation within the follicles which can then promote breakouts in the surrounding areas.
• The Products You're Using: Your skincare and cosmetic products may be contributing factors, too. If you tend to break out around the mouth, "be cautious about using [exclusive lip] products. While they may be effective in hydrating the lips, they may block the pores if they cross over to the skin."

How to Treat Lip Pimples

If you're tempted to pop your lip pimple, you're not alone. Some may very well be considered "pickable" according to Zeichner.

He says, "some are pickable and some are not. A red, painful bump without a head is not pickable, and attempting to pick it may cause more harm than good, leading to scabbing and potential scarring."

But, if you see pus or a blackhead on the surface, he says that you may carefully and gently apply even, downward pressure to express the contents of the pimple. Just be certain sure both your hands and skin are properly cleansed. 

If there isn't a visible whitehead or blackhead, then instead of taking matters into your own hands (literally) Zeichner suggests using a spot treatment. "For red, angry pimples, spot treat with a benzoyl peroxide acne treatment. It lowers levels of acne-causing bacteria, calms inflammation, and dries out the pimple itself."

Zeichner recommends Neutrogena spot treatment, with 2.5% benzoyl peroxide because it is "as effective in treating angry pimples as higher concentrations with 5 or even 10% and with less irritation."

Neutrogena On the Spot Acne Treatment $5.39

Face washes containing salicylic acid, which works to remove excess oil and dead cells from the skin's surface, are also helpful to treat and prevent lip breakouts. Zeichner suggests Aveeno Clear Complexion Foaming Cleanser, saying that it is effective without drying out your skin. It's easy to use, too. Simply "lather it while you sing the alphabet, then rinse off."

Aveeno Clear Complexion Foaming Cleanser $10.99

The Takeaway

At the end of the day, lip pimples can be a real pain — both literally and figuratively. Because of their less than ideal location, you're reminded of their presence every time you move your mouth, which only adds to the frustration of having them in the first place.

The good news is, with the right skincare ingredients and some TLC, they can be treated and prevented in many of the same ways as any other zit. So go ahead and smile, eat, yawn, and smooch.

FAQ

• Can oils cause pimples on lips?

  Yes, because oils can clog pores. One such example is coconut oil.
  

• Is the pimple on my lip an allergy?

  Yes. See a doctor if you are concerned about a pimple or breakout around your mouth area.

• Can I pop a pimple on my lip?

  It is not recommended to pop a pimple as it can cause scarring or even infection.

Beta-Glucan: A Little-Known Skincare Ingredient With Big Potential

Article Sources

Byrdie takes every opportunity to use high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial guidelines to learn more about how we keep our content accurate, reliable and trustworthy.

1. Cleveland Clinic. Cold sores. Updated September 12, 2019.

2. Decker A, Graber EM. Over-the-counter acne treatments: a review. J Clin Aesthet Dermatol. 2012;5(5):32-40.

   How do you get rid of lip pimple?

   How To Get Rid Of Pimples On Lip?.

   Warm Or Cold Compress. Cold compress is an effective way to relieve inflammation and pain from the pimple on lip. ... .

   Tea Tree Oil. ... .

   Toothpaste. ... .

   OTC Soaps And Creams. ... .

   Turmeric. ... .

   Castor Oil. ... .

   Benzoyl Peroxide. ... .

   Dermatologic Treatments..

   Should I pop a pimple on my lip?

   As with pimples on other parts of the body, people should refrain from popping a pimple on their lip because this may cause it to become infected or leave a scar.

   How long does a lip pimple last?

   These blisters on or around your lips will likely burst at some point and leave a scab that can last for many days and take anywhere from one to two weeks to heal completely.

   Will a lip pimple go away on its own?

   Most lip bumps are not a cause for concern, and many types go away on their own without treatment. However, a person should see a doctor if they have: lip bumps that persist for several weeks without healing.