Do you have Fordyce spots on your lips? This article contain insights on the causes of Fordyce spots on lips, cures, treatments and home remedies for this condition. You will also learn more about the Fordyce spots cream and white spots and bumps on the lips.
Fordyce Spots Causes
Fordyce spots are also known as Fordyce granules or sebaceous prominence, they are small and raised colored bumps or spots that appears on the skin. They may appear pale red in color or yellow white. They develop in different parts of the body, mainly on the lips, shaft of the penis, scrotum and the labia.
They usually develops on the vermillion border of the lips. Vermillion is the sharp demarcation that separates the color of the lips from the normal skin of you face. They affect both the male and female. They are believed to be caused by the following:
- Trapped sebum in the oil glands
This spots develops when the sebum is trapped in the sebaceous glands that does not have a hair. Sebum is a natural oil that keeps the skin supple. In the normal condition, the sebaceous glands opens into a hair follicle that allows the secretion of sebum to the skin surface via the hair shaft.
In this case, there is no hair on the sebaceous gland. This means that there is no way to allow the sebum out of the skin. Therefore it will accumulate and end up making a small bump on the affected skin surface.
The Fordyce spots on lips and other parts are different from a pimple. A pimple occurs in the sebaceous gland that has an opening that is blocked. The bacteria makes away into the pimple, feeds on the accumulated sebum, multiplies and produces toxins that causes inflammation on the affected area.
On our case, the sebaceous prominence are painless and does not produce any discharge since they have no any opening that will allow the bacteria to get in or cause infection. This is a natural occurrence that is harmless on the skin. Any Fordyce spots treatment given is for cosmetic purposes.
- Other optional causes
- Genetic factors. Some people believes that Fordyce spots are caused by certain genes that can be inherited from your family members. More research is needed to determine whether it is true or not.
- This is a transitional stage from childhood to adulthood. This spots usually develops during the puberty stage due to hormonal changes in the body.
Sebaceous prominence is not cancerous contagious as it was believed by some people in the past. You cannot therefore get infected through body contacts or sexual intercourse. It develops naturally on the skin.
Fordyce Spots Lips
Having some small bumps on the lips and around the genital areas can cause a panic. You may start thinking about sexual transmitted infections. When such painless bumps appears on the lip line, you don’t need to get worried. They may be natural and harmless Fordyce spots.
The Fordyce spots on lips are associated with sebaceous glands that are located in wrong places. They are not associated with any illness or infection. They only create a cosmetic concern. Some people may not be happy having small bumps on the lip line and that’s why they get the various treatments to get rid of these spots.
The oral Fordyce spots are commonly located on the line between the vermillion border and oral mucosa on the upper lip. They can also be found inside the check or buccal mucosa. The affected lip may have many granules or only two or three. The various symptoms that will occur includes:
- Small bumps or papules on the lips
- Red, white or pale in color
- Raised appearance
- Has a diameter of about 1-3 mm
- They are painless, non-itchy and has no discharge
If you are not happy with the appearance of these papules. You can use one of the various treatments to get rid of them. The common treatments includes the use of dermatological products such as tretinoin cream, exfoliation scrub, chemical peel or anti-sebum products. You may also try the Fordyce spots lips home treatments.
Fordyce Spots Cure
Fordyce spots are just like the other pimples only that, they develop in wrong places that has no pores to extract out the sebum from the bumps. You may develop a few or countable Fordyce spots on lips or they may appear in a cluster. They may give your lips an ugly look, the following cures may help to get rid of them:
- Apply tretinoin cream
This treatment is also used as a cure for acne. When applied on the affected lips, it causes drying that results to peeling. This helps to control the oil glands. After peeling, a new skin will develop that has less spots. This cure will make the spots invisible when used persistently for some time.
- use non-oil based lip balm
This treatment can alternate with the use of tretinoin cream. It also helps in preventing excessive dryness of the lips as a result of the tretinoin cream. Apply a thin layer on the affected lips, overuse of oil control moisturizers may cause stress to the oil glands which may make the spots bigger.
- Shave the facial hair on both the lower and upper lip
Shaving the facial hair may help to control the Fordyce spots. This place is where the sebaceous glands are located. Some of them may grow into the wrong places that has no pores to allow the sebum out of the skin.
- Improve the hygiene around the lips
Keeping your lips clean and hygienic helps to fade away the spots. Just like acne, if proper care is not taken, they are likely to come back even if they had gone. Wash your face 2-3 times a day using soap and warm water to get rid of excessive oil.
- Apply Accutane
This treatment can also help the Fordyce spots on lips to disappear. This treatment is used in curing acne by drying up the oil glands. When applied on the lips, it may cause cracking and bleeding but the end results will always be good. This treatment has side effects, consult your doctor before taking.
Fordyce Spots on Lips Treatment
As you read earlier, the Fordyce spots are harmless and may not require any treatment. However, some people may not be comfortable with their appearance and they may seek for a cosmetic treatment that includes the following:
- Tretinoin cream or gel
This is one of the most common Fordyce lips treatment. It causes drying, peeling and exfoliation on the dead skin of lips. When applied severally, the spots will diminish and eventually becomes invisible to the eyes.
For best results, you are supposed to apply the cream at least 2-3 times a day until you get the positive result. This treatment can also be used in treating other skin blemishes such as acne. It helps in drying off the oil glands that causes acne. Although it may cause some skin irritations and other but it has the best results.
- Laser treatment
This is also known as cryosurgery. It is the removal of the Fordyce spots on the lips under very low temperatures. Many people opt for this treatment since it does not cause pain or leave the scars on the affected areas after treatment.
There is also other types of laser that can do Fordyce spots go away. They includes vaporization laser treatment and pulse dye laser treatment among other medications. Your doctor or surgeon will help you in choosing the best treatment.
- Chemical peels
Chemical peel can also be used in treating the Fordyce spots on lips. This may involve the use of Trichloroacetic acid in peeling off the skin. In this case, it only requires a superficial peel to remove the epidermis layer of the skin. The oil will be drained and allow the affected area to heal naturally.
The above treatments may leave the affected areas excessively dry. Application of non-oil base lip moisturizers may help to keep them cool. Use the moisturizers in small quantities.
Fordyce Spots Home Treatment
Some of the home remedies to get rid of Fordyce spots have shown positive results. Although they may take longer time to show the results, but they are the safest. You are supposed to try the various remedies until you find the one that works best for these spots. They include the following:
- Coconut oil
This is one of the best remedy for treatment of Fordyce granules. Coconut oil is a good natural moisturizer. Dehydration or excessive dryness may cause the spots to appear bigger and more visible. After the application of this natural oil, they cool and become visibly reduced. You simply apply 3 times a day until the spots diminishes.
- Apple cider vinegar
Apple cider vinegar is known in treating the various skin conditions. When it comes to sebaceous prominence, it always give the expected positive results. It may cause some irritation to the lips when applied directly. It is therefore diluted with some water before the application.
For this case, you mix 3 tablespoon of apple cider vinegar with a glass of water. Use a cotton swab or ball to apply the solution on the affected lips. Allow it to penetrate the lips for 20 minutes before rinsing it off with warm water. This should be done for at least twice a week.
- Apply essential oils
The essentials oils are effective on how to remove Fordyce spots on lips. There are different types of essential oil that includes tea tree oil, jojoba oil, bezoin, pine palamarosa, frankincense, cabreuva, and galbanum oil among others.
The jojoba oil helps in preventing the development of bumps on the lips and other areas of the skin. The essential oils can also be combined to give out the best result. It can be applied on the lips 2-3 times a day.
- Use a mixture of jojoba oil and argania
A mixture of jojoba oil and argania contains Tocopherol extracts that is effective in eliminating the Fordyce spots. This combination helps in exfoliating the dead cells faster and give rise to new skin that has less visible white marks.
- Increase consumption of garlic
You should include garlic in your daily diet if you want to get rid of these spots. Garlic has several medical properties that helps in eliminating the bumps on the skin. It has anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties that helps it in healing various skin conditions.
Fordyce Spots Cream
Although doctors don’t recommend treatment for Fordyce spots on lips and other parts of the body, you may have the urge to remove these spots. The main reason of getting rid of them is to have a beautiful or handsome look. The various creams that gives the best results includes:
- Tretinoin cream
Tretinoin cream is normally used to treat acne and other skin conditions such as keratosis pilaris. This cream is also found to have the ability of treating Fordyce granules. This cream works best when combined with other substances such as alpha hydroxyl acid.
When applied on the affected area, it dries up the oil glands. In this case, when applied on the affected lips, it dries the skin and cause peeling. The bumps will be invisible after healing. Tretinoin cream can be applied 2-3 times a day until the papules disappears.
- Isotretinoin cream
This cream is commonly used when the spots are likely to reappear. Although this medication is effective, but it has so many side effects such as eye irritation, skin irritations, nose bleeding, joint aches, hair thinning, poor night vision among others. It is not supposed to be used by pregnant women or when trying to conceive.
White Spots on Lips
A part from the Fordyce spots on lips there are also other possible condition that can cause this condition. Some of the symptoms incudes white small or large patches on the lips, painless and harmless bumps, although they should not be ignored. There are different types of white spots on lips that includes:
- Fordyce granules
- Canker sores
- Herpes
- Vitiligo
- Thrush
- Mucous cyst
- Lip cancer.
Although some of the white spots on the lips are harmless, there are also others that are harmful and life threatening. You are supposed to visit your doctor right away you start experiencing unusual white spots or bumps on the lips. The doctor will diagnose your condition and recommend for treatment if necessary.
White Bumps on Lips
The white bumps on the lips can result from various things that may be harmless or harmful to your health. Mild conditions such as acne may cause the white bumps on the lips as a result of body hormonal changes or poor skin hygiene.
In other cases, this skin problem can be symptomatic to a serious underlying body condition. The bump may vary in side depending with the cause. It is advisable to visit your doctor for diagnosis and treatment. The common cause includes:
- Fordyce spots on lips
- Contact dermatitis
- Acne
- Cold sores
- Canker sores
- Sunburn
- Oral cancer
- Skin tags
The bumps may also be accompanied with other symptoms such as pain, itchy skin, inflammations, presence of discharge, bleeding and foul smell. This can make cause problems when drinking or eating food. There are various bump on lips pictures can make you understand better.
Further References;
- Fordyce spots: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fordyce_spots
- Fordyce spots cure: http://www.steadyhealth.com/topics/fordyce-spots-cure