What causes pimples on the lip line? Excess oil production, bacteria, and hair follicles that are clogged by oil, dead skin, and debris can cause pimples on the lip line. Stress, hormones, and certain medications can increase your risk for pimples and worsen acne.

Keep reading below to learn more.

1. Don’t pick, poke, or try to remove them. If milia on your face or your child’s face are irritating you, don’t pick at the affected area.
2. Cleanse the area.
3. Steam open your pores.
4. Gently exfoliate the area.
5. Try a facial peel.
6. Use a retinoid cream.
7. Opt for a light facial sunscreen.

There are many possible causes of a bump on the lip, but pimples are typically due to clogged pores. Various factors can lead to pores becoming clogged, including excess oil on the skin, the presence of bacteria, and trapped hair follicles. If a clogged pore becomes inflamed, a pimple develops, which may contain pus.

Fordyce spots: These harmless, tiny (1 to 2 millimeter) white bumps inside the lips are visible sebaceous, or oil-producing, glands. These spots tend to get bigger as a person gets older. A person may have one small bump or as many as 100 bumps on the lips, typically on the inner portion.

Cold sores often appear in one place on the lower lip and form as a cluster of small blisters. Pimples can appear anywhere and have a single whitehead or blackhead.

Milia. Milia are small, white cysts that can form on the skin. They are often seen in newborns and tend to develop on the face, particularly on the nose, chin, or cheeks, but sometimes also along the border of the lips. Milia result from dead skin cells that become trapped inside small pockets on the skin’s surface.

But first, know that milia are not like a pimple that appears and goes away in a few days. They don’t usually go away on their own. And you can’t pop it like you would a pimple. Milia removal usually requires an incision.

They are entirely normal, are not contagious, and are not related to any cancers. Fordyce spots are neither itchy nor painful. Popping or squeezing the bumps will not cause them to go away and will only irritate them.

Treatment for white bumps on the lips depends on the cause of your symptoms. Some conditions, such as Fordyce spots, do not require any treatment. However, if you don’t like the appearance of your Fordyce spots, removal is possible. Doctors can use techniques such as electrosurgery or laser treatments to remove them.

Fordyce spots are neither itchy nor painful. Popping or squeezing the bumps will not cause them to go away and will only irritate them. Although Fordyce spots can be found on the genitals, they are not considered a sexually transmitted disease.

Use benzoyl peroxide or salicylic acid: Benzoyl peroxide can help unclog your pores and kill the bacteria at the site. Salicylic acid can help reduce inflammation and dry out the pimple. Both products are commonly used to treat acne and Ko says they can help treat a pimple around your lips as well.

White pimples, or whiteheads, are acne bumps caused by clogged pores. They occur when a hair follicle gets blocked with oil or sebum, dead skin cells and sometimes bacteria, according to the American Academy of Dermatology.

Oral thrush: Oral thrush is a fungal infection that causes white lesions on the lips, mouth, gums, or tonsils. The fungus Candida albicans is the most common fungal strain to cause oral thrush. Sometimes white bumps on the lips are a harmless genetic variation.

A poor diet is often the cause of pimples on lip. If your body is going through hormonal changes caused by stress, puberty, menstruation or pregnancy, then you may develop pimples on lip. Many people who have oily skin are more prone to pimples on lip than those who have normal or dry skin.

Pimples on the lip line can be caused by excess oil production, bacteria, and hair follicles that’re clogged by oil, dead skin, and debris. Stress, hormones, and certain medications can increase your risk of pimples and worsen acne.