Are you noticing some 'seemingly' harmless white dots appearing on your lips? Well, don't freak out yet because we've got you covered. It's not something bizarre as they can appear at any age and gender, but it might be a sign of an underlying condition that needs attention.
Introduction
Doctors describe them as Fordyce spots/small sebaceous glands and are usually nothing to worry about - for the most part. They occur when too much growth of skin is clogged inside hair follicles carrying sebum oil or dead cells.
What Are Fordyce Spots?
Fordyce spots are small bumps found in areas where your body secretes oils onto your skin: labia majora (females only), scrotum (males), shaft of the penis (males) or even around the mouth/lips areas for both genders. In simple terms, these are tiny white/yellow/cream-colored papules.
Who Gets Them?
It isn't highly prevalent among newborns but typically begins to grow within puberty up till mid-age life with a prevalence range 70-90% impact by middle-aged adults according to statistics available per Case Reports in Dermatology [1]. Men and women experience it equally.
Difference Between Canker Sores And Fordyce Spots
Don't mistake these pesky little things for cold sores or canker sores because they aren’t caused by herpes virus like their counterpart; Cold Sore although could share similarities with natural diversions/pimples. If you're experiencing painful bumpy blisters then that's probably not what’s causing those marks.
Self-Care Measure You Can Take
So technically there is no need to treat this as more than half of our population eventually have’'em at some point in time without harming their health. If you think whatever is going on there smacks of an underlying condition then consult medical professional's advice to confirm or advise properly.
- Avoid licking your lips too much
- Rinse with water after brushing/flossing in case any toothpaste gets on the skin
- Not getting obsessed with it as it can lead to anxiety and stress
When Do You Need To See A Doctor?
Some people aren’t very lucky ending up experiencing -in rare cases, mind you-paralysis of the facial muscle(s) when Fordyce Spots get too infected requiring immediate management by a doc.
Reasons Why Your Lips Have White Dots
So what’s causing those white dots and why are they sitting comfortably there? Below are some reasons:
- Hereditary: Familial hyperplastic sebaceous gland syndrome associates with these spots.
- Hormonal imbalances: Periods of huge shifts in different hormones such as puberty, pregnancy, menopause could lead to growth into Fordyce Spots
- Anxiety/stressful moments that happen frequently over time triggering hormonal imbalance leading to symptoms like Fordyce spots-like rashes/pimples/cysts.
- Waxing rarely involves dense hair part along borders which may leave tiny dots hence leading to queries like “Fordyce spots vs herpes?” but baldness mainly results.
Can You Prevent This Happening In The Future?
Prevention! That would be our preferred choice according to wise Doc Fone (stated above). Well truthfully there isn't any manner we've discovered yet even though randomly assorted symptomatic changes present themselves once in a while haha; therefore, learning how best not attract them persistently would do no harm either. There's however one sure-way piece of counsel given about labia major where girls/women have found success typically by abstaining from moisture-retention habits around sensitive areas that might encourage pore-clogging. Still, if you're considering a change in hormone altering treatments just know there isn’t any level of certainty to back up such venture preventing Fordyce spots altogether.
Diagnosis
Diagnosis in this case is usually ascertainable via the observable attributes and little medical history as no biological test exists for it except under circumstances that require proper testing examinations carried out by experts who have high knowledge bank in healthcare.
What Symptoms Should I be Looking Out For?
Although visible enough marked mostly on lips but one can spot them around pubic region, inside the mouth where they appear like tiny colorless bumps hat are oval or round-shaped. The only other difference aside from location regarding these white dots compared to pimples is their non-acneous feature with less distinctiveness seemingly persistent say elsewhere after comparing them well.
Misdiagnoses To Avoid And How?
"It could be herpes!" -"how so?" .....Here's how:
Herpes=blistering Fordcye Spots=varying bumps most times situated close together, usually uniform
Treatment Options Available
There honestly aren't much medical treatment solutions available since it’s not harmful per se hence at best what doctors recommend involves cosmetic removals via Co2 (laser treatment cure) or focused IPDL (intense pulsed-light therapy). Speaking medically again the objective here essentially includes options that reduce visible papular areas without causing nasty side-effects/harm or doing anything potentially damaging thereby adversely affecting your self-perception according sources...(a mouthful)
Conclusion
So there you go - our take on pesky harmless-pretty-much white-flecked growth blemishes appearing here and-there same follows similar path to other demystifying theories made popular over time when persisted beyond average range; But let’s leave those kinds aloof humanistic issues/problems for another day.
PS: Oh, don't forget to try making swishy sounds with your mouth when you search the word 'Fordyce'.