36 replies to this topic

[Kloe]

I have had to endure years now, zits that appear right by my mouth and look like they are cold sores. They do not come up to a white head (usually) and can't be easily popped. No, they stay big and red and filled with blood and puss...gross I know. I have to pop them with a thumb tack and try to shrink them that way and when they do go down I am left with a pink scar by my lip. I have tried taking an acne vitamin and other creams to help them go down but the creams don't reach the problem and the vitamins only helped my smaller zits. I feel I need to take something that will make them stop appearing by my mouth but does't have horrible side affects. Any advice on why they appear there and how can I get rid of them?

[2jena2]

I have had to endure years now, zits that appear right by my mouth and look like they are cold sores. They do not come up to a white head (usually) and can't be easily popped. No, they stay big and red and filled with blood and puss...gross I know. I have to pop them with a thumb tack and try to shrink them that way and when they do go down I am left with a pink scar by my lip. I have tried taking an acne vitamin and other creams to help them go down but the creams don't reach the problem and the vitamins only helped my smaller zits. I feel I need to take something that will make them stop appearing by my mouth but does't have horrible side affects. Any advice on why they appear there and how can I get rid of them?

Are you sure they are not cold sores? You pop cold sores (with a needle) and then dry them with alcohol & Abreva just like pimples.

[Jillian_G]

If they are cold sores be very carefull. Always wash your hands after touching it. They are very contagious and you can spread them to other areas of your face. I did that and spread them to my nose. GROSS! You DEFINATELY do not want that!

[Kloe]

If they are cold sores be very carefull. Always wash your hands after touching it. They are very contagious and you can spread them to other areas of your face. I did that and spread them to my nose. GROSS! You DEFINATELY do not want that!

They are not cold sores. I know that much lol. I just said they look like cold sores because they are so close to my lip but never are actually on my lips. They are definitley a form of a zit. They're just big and get filled and no cream helps so I figure I need to try and heal it from inside my body and make it so they dont appear again or try and have them shrink. I only get one at a time though and they are not spreading so I know they are not a form of cold sores or anything.

I have had to endure years now, zits that appear right by my mouth and look like they are cold sores. They do not come up to a white head (usually) and can't be easily popped. No, they stay big and red and filled with blood and puss...gross I know. I have to pop them with a thumb tack and try to shrink them that way and when they do go down I am left with a pink scar by my lip. I have tried taking an acne vitamin and other creams to help them go down but the creams don't reach the problem and the vitamins only helped my smaller zits. I feel I need to take something that will make them stop appearing by my mouth but does't have horrible side affects. Any advice on why they appear there and how can I get rid of them?

Are you sure they are not cold sores? You pop cold sores (with a needle) and then dry them with alcohol & Abreva just like pimples.

They are not cold sores. I know that much lol. I just said they look like cold sores because they are so close to my lip but never are actually on my lips. They are definitley a form of a zit. They're just big and get filled and no cream helps so I figure I need to try and heal it from inside my body and make it so they dont appear again or try and have them shrink. I only get one at a time though and they are not spreading so I know they are not a form of cold sores or anything.

[somebodyluvsu]

I'm trying to kill mine with baking soda and apple cider vinegar....so far it has helped some:) I really like that clear advantage stuff by clean and clear for the big narly ones.

[tcjetsetter]

[/size]They are not cold sores. I know that much lol. I just said they look like cold sores because they are so close to my lip but never are actually on my lips. They are definitley a form of a zit. They're just big and get filled and no cream helps so I figure I need to try and heal it from inside my body and make it so they dont appear again or try and have them shrink. I only get one at a time though and they are not spreading so I know they are not a form of cold sores or anything.
I have news for you. What you are describing is herpes simplex. You can/do get them one at a time. They don't come to a head, look like a cold sore and leave a deep pink spot for much longer than a typical "red mark" from a zit. They can be filled with clear or milky fluid but not dense white material like a zit. I had them occasionally(individually) off and on for several years... usually below my nose above my lip but sometimes actually on my nose. I thought it was acne too but not coming to a head and taking SOOO long to heal with the seriously pink scar.. I work in a medical research lab and when one of these lesions started I ran over to the hospital derm floor and had a doc look at it. She said, yup, it's herpes and gave me valtrex immediately. I've been on it for a year now and no new lesions. PLEASE tell your derm. It is dangerous to have herpes virus that has migrated above your mouth. It can eventually work its way to a lesion on your eye and cause blindness. Not good. FYI: herpes is a dormant virus which erupts infrequently in some and routinely in others. It follows nerve pathways and can migrate from your lip up your face.
Good luck!

[kelsie123]

I was getting these too, all around my lips or right on the edge of my lips... I thought they WERE cold sores (even though some weren't ON my mouth) and I searched the net for some remedies.... one thing I read said they could be caused by a lysene deficiancy (lysene is found in potatoes but I don't know what else) so I got some lysene supplements and took 6 a day and they went away right away.... now whenever I feel one coming up I take 2 lysene tablets 3 times a day and they don't come right up.... I still get big pimples on chin sometimes, but not the big painful triple headers, or clumpers... anyways, I'm still not sure if what I was getting was cold sores or not, but the lysene definitely helped whatever I was getting and its pretty cheap (I think I paid $10)... I also read that cold sores are more common in the spring

[Jessi_101]

I have the same thing!!! And it's very frustrating! They do look like cold sores only because they're so close to the mouth, but the thing is they don't turn into sores. It is like acne but different. I went to a dermatologist and she said it was perioral dermatitis. I'm so stressed. I took accutane a year ago and it finally cleared my acne. Now I'm getting these bumps and small pimples on and around my lips. I'm trying to find something to heal it. It's very wierd because it comes and goes, and it comes in different forms. I had it in December and it usually lasts for a week or two then my mouth was clear, absolutely nothing for 3 months, now I have it in April. Please help me! I am trying my best. Hope we can find a solution:)

Thanks.

[Cecelia]

You can get skin lesions around the mouth from vitamin deficiencies, especially B vitamins.

[juin]

oh my god! I JUST read about this on makeupalley dot com. there was this review of biotene, a sulphate free toothpaste, and this reviewer had the same thing and said that it went away after switching to biotene. do you have bad reactions to sls?

[kelsie123]

try lysene!!! It's so cheap and t worked for me!! But then again I'm not sure if I was getting cold sores or not, but whatever I was getting, it went away with lysene tablets..... it's worth looking into

[BigPore]

Cold sores do not necessarily have to appear on your mouth. They can appear around your mouth, in your eyes, on your nose, etc. See a dermatologist just to be sure. If it is herpes, you can defeat it with drugs. Or it could be an infection like impetigo, very treatable as well.

Or it could be pimples.

[norwacne]

I'm also suffering from this!! I have had this for many years, so I went to a derm some time ago, because I am so tired of having such big and red spots, that often take weeks to breakout(if they even break out). And I have these red areas all time beside mouth and around my nose.
And when I try to pop them, it just look like a big red mountain afterwards!

( A tip I read to make them go away faster, is to take a needle and burn this for some sec, to remove bacteria and then pop it and wash of with cold water. )

Anyway the derm told me that I have "Perioral Dermatisis"



And he gave me perscription(spelling) on some pills called Tetralysal 300mg. Antibiotics stuff... Im going to take one pill each morning for 100days.

He also gave me a face cream to use each morning and after shaving, called "La Roche-Posay Rosaliac"

I have not used this 'treatment' for long, but i really see major difference already! That facecream is the best thing i tried so far.(and man I have tried alot of crap the last years). Its for sensitive skin and take away alot of redness also. Yet Im very excited to see the effect on the pills I got. (I havent had a breakout yet though!)

Anyway, I thought maybe some of this could help...

[dwhaa]

You have a good dr, my first one missed it. I am on metrogel - topical and haven't had internal antibiotics for almost a year, but it can come back, so I have a refill ready if I need it.

A few things that helped me:
- change your toothpaste - stuff without Sodium lauryl OR laureyth sulfate. Go to an organic store and get Jason brand
- zinc and vit c- to build your immune system - stress is a big factor in the flare up
- change your shampoo - as it can go around your nose and up around your hairline
-antiobiotic - the dr can't prescribe it for a few weeks and think it will go away - he put me on it for 45 days and would have gone longer if it didn't clear up.
- use a separate towel for your face or use paper towels

I will look into La Roche-Posay Rosaliac" - redness is still an issue - as my skin is red around my chin area from the damage that it did.

Thanks

[harordr]

I have gotten some of these to. When i do, i go to the derm and get a injection of medicine. This usually takes it down considerably, but it still takes time to go away and usually leaves a red mark for quite some time. Still have a mark from one back in may. But, its better to get it knocked down and leave a red mark than to have it stay raised and leave a red mark.

[brandoncolorado]

Wow, strange thing, I came today to post about this and this was the first topic. I have the exact same problem. Here is how my latest breakout came about.

It was the middle of the day. I decided to take a long run. I ran about 4 miles. I came back, showered, and felt a bump below my lip. It seemed to come out of nowhere, and was very big compared to a slow forming acne bump. I have fought acne for years. This is different than acne, like you said, you can't "pop" the bumps, they feel deeper, they hurt more, and they ooze clear liquid.

This kills me, and I hate it. I have included a picture (two days after the initial bump formed). Any ideas what is going on?

Attached Thumbnails

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[brandoncolorado]

I have problems with ingrown hairs too, so for me, this could be a problem with ingrown hairs too.

[JustStop!]

Brandon,
I have been dealing with the exact same problem. Always in the same spot (are of no hair in between lips and beard). I'm so sick and tired of dealing with this shit. It is SORT of like acne, but not really. The worst ones have looked like big cysts, looking whitish/yellow when i press the skin with my tongue (and drain a lot of nastiness if I lance with a pin). I dealt with fairly mild acne for a while, but that has pretty much gone away and now its just this area (JUST LIKE YOUR PHOTO) that continues to be a pain. I am a 24 year old male and did not start getting these bumps until college (also in CO, coincidence?). I've always wondered if it's some sort of STD, but I've gotten a comprehensive exam and a clean bill of health. I just want this shit to go away and look like most normal people my age...

[JustStop!]

PS: The nasty red bumps come about two different ways with me... Some start as little white comedones that pop up and then hang around FOREVER without doing anything (1-4 months), and then seemingly randomly and viciously flare up into one of the big nasties. The other way is out of nowhere and (again) seemingly randomly a little red sort of itchy/tingling bump appears. It's a very subtle, distinct, and awful feeling because as soon as I feel it I know I'm in for a hellish next few weeks. The out-of-nowhere little nothing of a bump then flares up into approx 1cm mound and lingers forever unless I pop and drain it with a pin, and then have to deal with a bloody healing gaping hole in my chin for a week or so. WTF is this crap?

[brandoncolorado]

Hopefully someone knowledgeable can shed some light on this. This is very frustrating. At this point, my entire face is clear except for this one spot. This seems to happen every few months. It may be stress related or something, and it definitely feels like it is an "internal" problem.