Hello. I am hoping people can give some advice on how to get rid of zits above my upper lip, where my mustache would normally be. I have multiple zits around the corners of my upper lip that have been there for months. Every few months one or two more zits will appear in full force in the same area, and then just die down a bit but never fully go away.
I do pick my zits because I have a bad habit of it (and picking scabs). I don't know if they're scars but here's some pics of what I mean.
Sorry if they aren't the best pics. Anyway, you can see the zits like I said around the corners of my upper lip, and most of them have been there for months. The larger red one is a new one. They are not from shaving nor from having a mustache as I am always clean shaven.
Why are they only in those spots? I rarely get zits anywhere else on my face, just on those two areas. I noticed last night when I sleep, those areas are resting on my pillow case. Could this be the reason, that I'm not cleaning my pillow cases enough? Is there another known reason for zits appearing in those areas, e.g. diet? Thanks for the help.
There's only two things I could think of that would cause acne only there. First off, yeah you should really sleep differently so your face isn't in your pillow, plus change your pillowcase regularly (I change mine every 3-4 nights). I had to learn to sleep on my back, which sucked at first but I'm used to it now...
Secondly, I'd recommend you change your toothpaste. A lot of people noticed their acne around their mouth cleared up when they switched to a Fluoride-free and Sodium Lauryl (Laureth) Sulfate free toothpaste.
That looks like perioral dermatitis more than acne. I second the toothpaste recommendation.
A SLS-free, fluoride-free toothpaste is Squigle:
I haven't done any of the recommendations you guys mentioned, but I still occasionally get them. I wash my pillow cases every 6/7 days now and my acne subsides, but I still get really big ones just above my lips and on my forehead, but its only ever 1 at a time. And those macules (I assume they are macules, the left-behinds of large acne) still stick around.
Could it be due to skim milk? I have cold cereal (Honey Nut Cheerios, Frosted Flakes, Nesquick, etc.) with skim milk and I am wondering if it is due to the skim milk. Also, would just squeezing a lemon on the macules really make them go away?
its not from shaving, they happen even if i don't shave for days. they start as large red marks, then become little bumps, and then turn into gigantic scabs that stick around for a week. its very hard to resist picking them, and this is the one i have right now, and if i do pick them they ooze pus for a couple minutes
the only things i can see is if its related to sugar, because i drink a can of pepsi daily in the evening, but why would it only affect me above my lips? I rarely get acne anywhere else on my face unless i got dirt/dust on my fingers and touch my face, but at least once or twice a month i get these gigantic welts. i have been using cetaphil daily before i sleep for a few weeks now and i still get them. i got some dove for men facial cleanser i plan on using soon as well.
You may have Staph in your nose. Normal drainage may bring them down to your upper lips and they work in tandem with P. acnes to create pimples.
Do you get nose sores? I had nose sores and large pimples for many years, and repeated treatments of Triple Antibiotic Ointment in the nose both prevented future nose sores and I have not had a SINGLE large lesion since doing it.