How To Get Rid of a Pimple on Your Lip

In this article, we will give you some ideas on how to make sure the lip blemish is a pimple and not a cold sore, and how to start giving it some hints to move along.

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Also Read: What Does Jawline and Chin Acne Mean?: Acne Mapping

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First: Identify if it is a cold sore or pimple

First things first, you need to know if you are dealing with a pimple or a cold sore.

Since lip pimples and cold sores can appear similar in the initial stages but the treatments are totally different, you have to pay attention to certain tips that discern which one you are currently dealing with.

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Lip Pimples:

• Pressure or painful to the touch

• Normally a single blackhead or whitehead in the center

• White or yellowish liquid if bursts

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Cold Sores:

• Itching, burning, or tingling feeling

• Looks like one or many tiny blisters

• Clear liquid discharge or weeping

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If you have identified that it is probably just a lip pimple, read on for tips to help nudge it on its way out. (But if you aren’t sure and it is really bothering you, schedule an appointment with a healthcare provider or dermatologist.)

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1. Don’t pop it!

Resist the urge to pop that pesky lip pimple!

Popping a large or deep pimple may increase damage to the surrounding tissues, increase the risk of scarring, or spread bacteria around.

Leave it how it is and try out other pimple erasing techniques first.

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2. Gently exfoliate

Grab a gentle exfoliator and carefully scrub around the edges of your lip.

After-all, pimples are pores clogged with dead skin cells and oil, so gently removing any excess dead top layers will help the pimple clear up.

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3. Grab an oil-free face wash

After the dead skin has been removed, pick out an oil-free cleanser to gently work around the entire lip area.

The pores and hair follicles just around the lip area are more likely to come into contact with oils from food or lip products, so giving this often-overlooked area a good cleaning will help give the pimple a fresh environment to heal.

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4. Skip the fancy lip products

Lip products often contain waxes, colors, and fragrances that may be irritating to lips, especially if there is a pimple present.

Skip the fancy stuff for a bit and keep lips hydrated with a simple moisturizing balm or vaseline under the blemish is gone.

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5. OTC Treatments

Once the area is thoroughly cleaned and exfoliated, apply an over-the-counter pimple wash or spot treatment, like benzoyl peroxide, lactic acid, or salicylic acid.

These can normally be applied a few times daily while the pimple clears, but follow the instructions on the product.

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6. Clean up your lip products

If your pimple popped up the day after you used that long-lost 3-year-old red lipstick you found at the bottom of your bag, it might be time to clean out your old lip products.

Old lip cosmetics can easily harbor bacteria that can bring on lip pimples, so if your product is older than a year or so - do yourself a favor a get a new one.

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7. Hot or cold compress

Applying a cold compress to the area may help reduce redness and pain or make the blemish look smaller.

A warm compress might soothe the area or encourage a painful pimple to come to a head and burst.

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8. Home remedies

Certain items you already have in your house may help clear up pimples if used as a spot treatment.

There is not a lot of evidence to back these up, and they may irritate some skin.

Home remedies for lip pimples include: diluted tea tree oil, lemon juice, turmeric paste, or honey.

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Read Related: Testosterone & Acne: Is This Hormone Causing Your Zits?

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Strut Health prescription acne formulas online

If you tend to have lip pimple problems regularly, you most likely have blemish issues on other portions of your face as well.

Blemishes elsewhere on your face may contribute to the spread of bacteria and oils everywhere - including the lips.

At Strut Health, we offer a compounded Acne Formula with the prescription retinoid tretinoin, which may help prevent and clear pimples.*

You can have a free online questionnaire-based visit in 10-15 minutes to see if our acne formula is a good fit for you.

If you are a good candidate for treatment, your medication can be shipped to your front door with our free shipping.

*Compounded drug products are not approved or evaluated for safety, effectiveness, or quality by the FDA. Rx required.