Lip Acne: What causes it and how can you prevent it?
Introduction
Acne, the most common skin condition in the United Kingdom, can affect the body and face. Acne is caused by a build-up of oil, bacteria and dead skin cells. When hair follicles become clogged with these substances, they can form pimples or whiteheads that may also lead to blackheads and cysts if left untreated. However, not all acne occurs on the face—it may also occur on other parts of your body like your back or neck. In addition to facial acne, some people may notice pimples on their lips as well. If you have lip acne (or any type of facial acne), it’s important to explore treatment options and learn how these blemishes can be prevented before they get worse!
What lip acne is
Lip acne is a type of acne that affects the lips. It can be caused by bacteria or hormones, and it’s usually not serious. Acne on lips can be treated with over-the-counter acne products to help clear up breakouts.
However, if you’re experiencing redness, bleeding or pain around your mouth, you may have something other than lip acne going on. In this case, you should consult with a dermatologist for treatment options and medication recommendations since serious conditions like oral herpes (cold sores) can cause similar symptoms in the mouth area.
Lip acne can be caused by bacteria and hormones. It most often affects teens and young adults, but it can also occur in older people. There are many different types of acne on lips, including whiteheads, blackheads, papules and pustules.

Lip acne causes
The exact cause of acne on lips is not known, but it’s probably caused by the growth of bacteria on your lips. Lip acne may also occur if you apply products to your lips that clog pores, such as lipstick and lip glosses.
Some people are more likely than others to get lip acne because they have oily skin or use many different types of cosmetics. Lip acne is also more common in women and teens who have oily skin and tend to pick at their pimples (even though this can make them worse). Most of the lip acne causes are caused by the same pore-clogging bacteria as regular acne, there is no special reserved acne that is reserved just for the lip area.
Other common lip acne causes include:
- Hair removal
- Irritable skin care products
- Hair removal
- Eating sugars and starches
If you’re prone to getting pimples on your face or elsewhere on your body, then there’s a good chance that you will also develop acne around lips as well. However, not everyone who has oily skin will experience these chin and upper lip acne breakouts – so if you don’t like the idea of having pimples all over the place then try keeping those hands off those spots!

How to treat and prevent lip acne
- Remove dead skin cells by exfoliating your lips with a lip scrub weekly. This will help to prevent the build-up of oil and bacteria on the surface of your skin, which can lead to acne. We recommend using a toothbrush or makeup brush dipped in coconut oil for a gentle scrub.
- Wear sunscreen when you are outside, even if it’s gloomy and overcast! The sun’s rays are still strong enough to penetrate clouds, so make sure you apply SPF 30+ product at least 20 minutes before going out into direct sunlight (and reapply every 2 hours). Sunscreen helps protect against melanoma – the deadliest form of skin cancer – so do yourself a favour: don’t forget it!
- Avoid eating greasy foods such as French fries or fried chicken while they are hot; they can clog pores and increase the likelihood of chin and upper lip acne. If possible, wait until they cool down before taking a bite – this will give grease time to settle on top rather than seep into pores underneath layers of tissue paper-like skin cells that are more susceptible to acne breakouts especially during summer months when heat increases sweat production. This can cause the oily areas to dry out leaving them prone to getting dirty quickly because there is no moisture barrier causing bacteria build up thus leading back into a cycle where bacteria start eating away at healthy oils from within causing pimple formation. * * (NOTE: You might want to keep some extra napkins handy.)
Do not try to remove lip acne by using your fingers and picking at them. Interfering and irritating the healing process can cause further irritation and possibly infection.
Rather than trying to remove lip acne yourself using at home treatment options, it may be worth going to your doctor if you regularly suffer from breakouts. Medical treatments can be provided on prescription such as topical creams and orals tablets.

If you’re getting acne around lips, there are ways to treat it
- Use a lip scrub. A good exfoliation will help remove the dead skin cells that clog your pores and lead to more pimples.
- Apply a salicylic acid-containing lip balm. This is an effective treatment for acne and can also help prevent future breakouts from occurring by keeping your skin clear of excess oil and dirt.
- Use tea tree oil on your lips if you’re prone to getting acne around lips there as well as on other parts of the body affected by acne (like the face, back, or chest). Tea tree oil has anti-inflammatory properties that can reduce inflammation associated with acne blemishes when applied topically in small doses on those areas where you have breakouts frequently (like the cheeks).
- Apply benzoyl peroxide regularly to clear up existing zits while preventing new ones from forming at the same time! Its antibacterial properties make it great for treating bacterial infections like cystic acne on lip without have any side effects such as dryness or irritation due to its alcohol base – just remember not to apply too much because it could otherwise irritate sensitive skin. P. acnes bacteria is one contributor to cystic acne on lip, which benzoyl peroxide may help treat in combination with prescription medications.
Conclusion
If you’re suffering from lip acne, there are a few things you can do to help prevent it and treat it. First, be sure to keep your lips moisturized at all times with a good lip balm or lip gloss. Second, make sure that you aren’t using any products on your lips that contain alcohol or other ingredients that can irritate them. Finally, visit your dermatologist if the acne on top lip persists after trying these steps yourself.