Acne around the mouth is a very common problem that brings a lot of discomfort, mostly psychological. A variety of reasons can trigger a rash on the face, ranging from insufficient washing of fruits and vegetables, touching the skin with dirty hands, and ending with serious health problems. Acne can be very painful, because the nasolabial triangle contains a large number of nerve endings. When a rash appears, treatment should be started immediately so as not to worsen the problem.
What do pimples around the mouth mean?
The appearance of a rash on the face, especially around the mouth, requires special attention, because acne can be the first sign of serious health problems. If a pimple appears frequently above the lip, this may be a consequence of the following diseases and conditions:
- hormonal imbalance due to long-term use of contraceptives or age-related changes;
- problems in the functioning of the cardiovascular system;
- use of low-quality cosmetics;
- infectious dermatitis (rash caused by viruses, bacteria, fungi);
- perioral acne often results from chapping of the skin, prolonged exposure to ultraviolet rays, and the use of low-quality cosmetics;
- decreased immunity.
Very often, rashes mean that a functional disorder of the digestive system has occurred. First of all, this applies to the condition and functioning of the small intestine and duodenum. Pimples under the lower lip are a sign of a colon disorder.
Perioral dermatitis
The disease is also called steroid dermatitis, since pimples around the lips appear due to long-term use of topical medications that contain corticosteroids. Pimples usually appear only around the mouth; in rare cases, the cheeks, forehead and nose are affected. Treatment consists of discontinuing hormonal medications.
Acne
Frequent pimples in the mouth and chin area may be a sign of acne. This is a disease in which inflammation and blockage of the hair follicles and sebaceous glands occurs. Acne near the mouth can appear for a variety of reasons, causing cosmetic problems.
Groups of pimples on the upper lip may also indicate problems with the heart.
If a white pimple appears under the lower lip, it is strictly forbidden to squeeze it out. Acne requires immediate and proper treatment, otherwise there is a risk of worsening the problem. As a result, acne appears not only on the face, but also on other parts of the body.
Infectious processes
Pimples in the corners of the lips are a possible sign of infectious diseases. It is useless to squeeze out such pimples, as they will soon appear again. You need to consult a dermatologist or infectious disease specialist. After the infection is destroyed, the skin will gradually clear of rashes.
Infectious dermatitis can be provoked by staphylococci and streptococci, herpes, fungus (measles, scarlet fever, typhus, chickenpox, pyoderma). Acne caused by the subcutaneous demodex mite is not uncommon.
A white pimple under the lower lip is often a sign of furunculosis. It is strictly forbidden to squeeze out such rashes.
Rosacea
A red rash around the mouth is a symptom of the onset of rosacea. This is a chronic disease characterized by redness of the skin due to dilation of superficial capillaries on the face. Pimples near the lips and nose are accompanied by swelling and severe itching, and peeling begins. These moments negatively affect a person's life. The treatment is based on comprehensive facial skin care, diet and avoidance of harmful influences (frost, wind, heat).
Irritation
Severe irritation of the facial skin is the most common cause of acne on the upper lip. Various factors can provoke irritation:
- improper and inadequate nutrition, if the diet contains semi-finished products and fast food, increases the oiliness of the skin, and acne will not keep you waiting;
- touching your face with dirty hands;
- the use of cosmetics and essential oils that are not suitable for your skin type;
- prolonged exposure to wind and frost;
- stress and nervous tension.
Small red rashes around the mouth can be a reaction of the body to long-term use of certain medications.
Hormonal imbalances
Hormonal factors can cause a severe rash on the face in women. Pimples around the mouth often appear during pregnancy, after an abortion or miscarriage, and sometimes even before each menstruation. This is due to hormonal imbalance in the body. Such rashes will go away after it stabilizes.
Other reasons
A small child sometimes develops pimples around the mouth, redness and weeping when teething. The baby is capricious, refuses to eat, and the temperature may rise.
Allergies are another common cause of rashes. The rash is itchy and the skin underneath is red. It goes away if the provoking factor (product, animal hair, pollen) is eliminated.
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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How to cure a rash
Therapy is carried out depending on the cause. You will need to take medications orally, use local remedies (ointments, creams). You need to adhere to a gentle diet that avoids irritation of the intestines and stomach. The consumption of salty, hot, sour, spicy foods, strong coffee and tea, and alcoholic beverages is minimized.
Hygiene and care
Pimples that appear around the mouth should be treated as early as possible. In this case, be sure to adhere to the following recommendations:
- It is strictly forbidden to touch your face with dirty hands, because there may be bacteria on their surface that can easily penetrate under the inflamed skin.
- Wash your face twice a day without using products that dry out your skin.
- Regularly clean the skin above the upper lip with a damp cloth or plain water.
- Avoid severe hypothermia or sudden changes in temperature.
- Use warm or cold water (but not hot) to wash your face.
- Regularly clean accessories used to apply cosmetics - sponges, brushes, etc.
- During treatment, avoid using cosmetics, otherwise the situation may worsen.
Medicines
For treatment, the cause of the rash is first determined. Only after its elimination can you completely get rid of acne in an adult or child.
Drug therapy is carried out using the following methods:
- If the disease is caused by a bacteria, oral antibiotics are prescribed - Tetracycline, Erythromycin, Trichopolum. If the signs are weak, local remedies in the form of ointments and gels (Metronidazole and Erythromycin) are suitable.
- Antiviral and immunostimulating drugs are used to treat herpetic rashes - Zovirax, Acyclovir, Galavit, Lavomax.
- Hormonal drugs are prescribed only in severe cases, when the rash spreads not only to the skin of the face, but also to other parts of the body. These are female contraceptives Jess, Yarina, Janine.
- Allergic rashes are relieved with antihistamines (Zyrtec, Loratadine, Tavegil).
Only a doctor can prescribe a specific medicine.
It is very important not to try to squeeze out any rashes that appear. In this case, an infection may occur and the skin condition will worsen.
Self-selection of medications is strictly prohibited, otherwise there is a risk of worsening the condition.
Folk remedies
Rashes that appear around the lip can be treated at home using traditional medicine recipes:
- Inflamed areas near the lips are wiped with a solution of boric acid (1%) twice a day.
- For rubbing and in the form of compresses, decoctions of medicinal herbs are used - sage, chamomile, calendula, St. John's wort, string. To prepare the decoction, take 1 tbsp. l. raw materials for 1 cup of boiling water. After an hour, the product is used to treat inflamed areas. The procedure is carried out several times a day.
- Medicinal tea made from St. John's wort, sage, chamomile and elecampane (herbs are taken in equal quantities) are beneficial. 1 tbsp. l. pour 1 cup of boiling water over the herbal mixture and leave in a warm place. The tea is filtered and drunk three times a day, 1/3 cup.
- Sea salt lotions are applied to the inflamed areas near the lips. For 1 glass of boiled water, take 1 tbsp. l. sea salt. Lotions are applied twice a day for 5 minutes. This method is not suitable if there are cracks, scratches or sores in the treated area.
Rashes in the lip area are not only a cosmetic defect, but also a signal of dangerous diseases. Untimely or incorrect treatment can lead to serious complications. As a result, the disease becomes chronic. Only a doctor can accurately determine the causes of the problem and prescribe effective treatment.
What are cysts?
A cyst is a pathological cavity in the tissues, which has dense walls and thick contents. The fusion of cysts and penetration into foci of infection leads to compaction of the formations, and sometimes to infiltration and abscess formation.
With cystic acne, areas of severe inflammation form. The cysts fill with pus, and pressing on them causes pain. Cystic elements are easily squeezed out, but this should not be done, as this can lead to tissue scarring.
Nodular cystic acne refers to a severe form of acne. Most often this happens if the disease is advanced and there was no timely treatment. The chronic inflammatory process provokes the formation of nodules with a diameter of more than 1 cm, which merge with cysts and other types of rash. In this case, the disease affects the deep layers of the dermis.
Why should you see a doctor if you have cystic formations?
Treatment of severe acne can become more complicated due to the occurrence of acne elements of complex origin60:
- Phlegmonous. Confluences of large purplish-red pustules located in the deep layers of the dermis. They are characterized by a high rate of maturation and a tendency to form an abscess.
- Indurative. The result of the formation of a large infiltrate, which is located around the inflamed follicles. They have a bluish color. Such acne elements leave the most noticeable scars.
- Conglobate. Their appearance is also associated with the formation of infiltrate. Conglobate acne lies in the deep layers of the skin and is characterized by abscess formation. In addition to comedones, papules and pustules, many large nodes are formed; they are mainly located on the back and neck. The skin over them gradually becomes thinner, holes appear in it, from which pus comes out.
It is unrealistic to select effective drugs for therapy on your own. You should also be prepared for the fact that cystic acne can leave behind scars, which will have to be removed in a cosmetologist's office.
Where does the rash come from?
It should be noted that there are a variety of possible reasons that may cause a rash around the mouth:
- Perioral dermatitis, as described above.
- Due to allergic reactions. In this case, a red rash, urticaria, and contact dermatitis appear. Often such diseases are accompanied by itching and can be relieved with antihistamines. You can get rid of allergies after identifying and getting rid of the allergen directly.
- Due to inflammatory processes inside the human body. In particular, the respiratory tract and intestines can become inflamed (dysbacteriosis can occur there), the functioning of the reproductive system is disrupted, blood vessels become ill, and so on.
- Due to vitamin deficiency, when the body lacks vitamins. Sometimes rashes can happen, on the contrary, due to an excess of vitamins. That is why you should eat more healthy fruits and vegetables, and take multivitamin complexes.
- Due to poor nutrition and bad habits. The digestive system can begin to function poorly if you indulge in too much fatty foods, eat a lot of sweets, drink a lot of alcoholic beverages, and so on.
- Due to the fact that the human body is infected with parasites. Sometimes these organisms are not easy to diagnose, but they can seriously harm the body's vital systems, even spoil the immune system.
- Due to herpes, streptococcal infections and other skin diseases.
Common symptoms and manipulations in dermatology:
- Skin rashes
- Calling a dermatologist to your home
- Itching in the urethra
- Itchy skin
- Skin rash
- Prevention of casual sex
- Skin neoplasms
- Pyoderma
- Pityriasis rosea
- Streptoderma
- Scabies
- Peeling skin
- Fungal infections
- Skin infection
- Pus on the skin
- Blisters on the skin
- Papillomas on the foreskin
- Sexually transmitted diseases
- Skin structure
For what forms of acne does a doctor prescribe topical therapy?
For severe forms of acne, doctors usually recommend systemic therapy, and for mild to moderate acne, topical therapy is more often prescribed. Clindovit® gel is a topical antibiotic that is used to treat acne (acne vulgaris)6. The main component of the drug is clindamycin6. It exhibits antibacterial activity against propionibacteria6. Clindovit® also helps reduce the level of free fatty acids on the skin6. It is recommended to be combined with the use of benzoyl peroxide or azelaic acid (Azelik® gel) to reduce the risk of developing antibiotic resistance28.
