Bumps Around Mouth, Lips and Nose: White, Red, Itchy & on Toddler

Do you have bumps around your mouth? Why do I have tiny pimple-like bumps on my lip? You may be wondering where these bumps come from, this is not something to worry about since some do come and go away on their own.

However, infected bumps around the mouth or on lips may cause a lot of pain and some may even hinder you from eating. Get more insight about on them including on lips, white, small, big, red, and itchy ones causes and treatment from the information in the article below.

What causes them

Although some of the exact causes are still under research, there are few causes that have been discovered:

Allergic reaction

The appearance of small lip blisters or bumps here can form when a person experiences an allergic reaction to specific toothpaste or foods. Skin reactions to the oils that are found in some fruits like the mango can also produce papules or a rash on your lips.

Bacterial infection

Yeasts and bacteria that live on the skin and in hair follicles have been suggested as a possible trigger of bumps around the mouth area.

Benign conditions

This may trigger the appearance of acne that looks like pimples on the lips or around the mouth. These pimples can be painful but usually, go on their own after some few days.

Fordyce Spots

It is characterized by being harmless and not contagious. They appear as white or yellow-colored papules that are variants of sebaceous glands, which are found in the hair follicles.

Sunburn

Small bumps around mouth lips that have the same skin color as those of the lips occur due to too much exposure to UV light or the sun. When there is frequent exposure to direct sunlight and not enough protection, the salivary glands get injured. The glands experience minor swelling, which causes a bumpy and sandpaper-like feel.

Oral cancer

It may come with many symptoms which include bump around mouth lips, and throat. More specific symptoms include hard lip lumps and open lip sores.

Skin tags

Although they occur in various parts of the body, they are normally small bumps on lips, round and resemble the skin in terms of color. Even though they are not painful, they can be embarrassing or cause annoyance.

White ones

Usually, small bumps on your lips occur due to several reasons or causes. Here are some of the main causes of the appearance of white bumps around the mouth:

Oral Herpes

It is caused by a herpes virus that triggers the occurrence of cold sores or lip blisters to develop on the lip and mouth areas.

The virus is known to be contagious and can be transmitted through personal contacts, such as kissing, sharing utensils or using infected items.

The virus may stay in one’s body for many years without even being noticed. It is therefore very important to visit your doctor for checkups frequently.

Fordyce Granules

These are small, whitish or yellow papules that can develop on the genital areas, but also tend to appear commonly on the border of the lips.

These granules usually appear in clusters on sebaceous glands that contain no hair follicles. They are believed to begin at birth and the bumps become more visible after puberty.

Oral Cancer

It is characterized by appearance of bumps in the mouth, throat or lip areas. Some specific symptoms of lip cancer are open lip sores that may not heal and lip lumps that are hard.

Those individuals who are at a higher risk of getting oral cancer are those who smoke tobacco excessively, takes a lot of alcohol and finally precancerous conditions such as leukoplakia.

Contact dermatitis

Small lip blisters or papules can form when people experience an allergic reaction to certain foods or toothpastes.

Hormonal imbalances

They can be as a result of hormone trigger such when a teen reaches puberty where there are a lot of body activities. Women as well have numerous stages where hormones may change in their bodies. This may include menstrual period, birth, pregnancy and lactation periods.

Comedones

These refer to those whitehead bumps that appear from nowhere. The bumps may then crust to let the fluid out which is usually thick and sometimes with white solid substances.

Small ones

The appearance of tiny bumps around the mouth is known to be the symptoms of having Herpes Labials. These bumps are commonly known as cold sores. Herpes is an extremely common infectious condition.

The bumps caused by the herpes virus can be found on your lips, inside your mouth, near your nostrils and on the skin of your cheeks. The bumps are characterized by being painful and red lumps filled with clear fluid when they first appear and become covered with a yellow crust in a few days.

Cold sores are caused by Herpes Simplex One virus and Herpes Simplex two viruses. These viruses not only cause infections in and around the mouth, they can cause genital herpes and as well as gladiator herpes.

In a Child or Toddler

According to studies, small bumps usually begin at birth and become more visible at teenage. According to the research findings, it is not clear what causes them in babies, but it is thought to result from the exchange of hormones between the baby and the mother.

However, there are also hidden causes of bumps around mouth infants such as:

Hand, foot, and mouth disease which is caused by a virus known as coxsackie. With this disease, the rash is normally accompanied by a fever
Messy eating such that the mother may be left food to stay on the mouth of the toddler for some time may host bacteria that lead to their appearance.
Bacteria from clothing when it get rub on their faces that have bacteria that their parents are wearing.
Drooling which is more especially true if the saliva is left on the skin for longer periods of time before being wiped.
Oily moisturizers and baby skin care products may result to breakouts on the baby skin due to allergic reaction.

Red ones

This could be due to Perioral dermatitis which is a skin condition characterized by a red bumpy rash around the mouth area. Some people mistake the bumps for acne.

Perioral dermatitis is a skin condition most commonly seen in young women of childbearing age. Women who are from 15-45 years of age are most affected. It is less common but perioral dermatitis can also affect men and children.

It is caused by the following:

The use of topical corticosteroid creams applied to the face to treat other skin conditions. Ironically the individual may use a steroid cream to try to get rid of this rash only to have the symptoms come back even worse when the treatment is stopped.
The use of fluoridated toothpaste may also be a culprit in developing perioral dermatitis.
Skin exposure to sunlight, heat, and wind may exacerbate the symptoms of perioral dermatitis.
Face creams, and make-up including foundation is contributing to the problem.
Alcohol, spicy foods, and caffeine can aggravate their condition.

Itchy ones

Periorifical dermatitis according to research is known to be the main cause of itchy bumps around mouth. It is characterized with small red papules which are very painful and burning.

Apart from the condition mentioned above, here are some conditions known to cause itchy ones including on cheeks:

Seborrheic dermatitis
Contact dermatitis
Climate changes
lip licking
Certain medications prescriptions such as tretinoin and antibiotics like tetracycline which cause allergic reactions which are itchy.

On mouth and nose

There are more than one causes of bumps around mouth and nose. One of the most usual factors is the prolonged use of the topical steroid creams and the inhaled prescription steroid sprays that is used in the nose as well as the mouth.

Also overuse of the heavy face creams and then moisturizers is another common cause for these bumps.

It has also been proven that certain ingredients in cosmetics can lead to rash around mouth and nose. Those heavy skin creams that have petrolatum or a paraffin base can lead to or even worsen the condition.

Note: In whatever you do, always avoid popping the pimples, which can lead to infections, scarring and additional bumps on your skin.

Acne around mouth

Even if you have clear skin on the rest of your face, acne around the mouth can produce persistent pimples.

Usually, the problem that causes acne around the mouth is lip balm or some oral care product. When you stop using the wrong product, acne around the mouth clears up on its own.

But you have to know which products are causing the problem to make the changes that clear the skin around your mouth.

Click here for more information

On Corners of Mouth

Bumps that appear on the corners of your mouth usually are a sign of one of two conditions which are canker sores or cold sores.

The sores may look similar in appearance but what causes them to appear is much different. One has no serious complications while the other has the ability to cause fatal complications.

Canker sores are caused by the herpes simplex 1 or the herpes simplex 2 virus. While cold sores are caused by:

Immune system suppression,
Injury,
vitamin B12 deficiency,
stress, bacteria,
hormonal changes,
Exposure sodium lauryl sulphate in oral hygiene.

How to Get Rid of Bumps around Mouth

This involves the use of home remedies that are common to help get rid of this nuisance and embarrassing bumps around your mouth.

They include:

Use of Lemon Juice
Steam Treatment
Use Benzoyl Peroxide
Compress with iceberg

Preventive tips

This involves:

Using a fragrance-free toothpaste to keep off chemicals that might react with mouth skin
Drinking adequate amount of water to flush out toxins out of the body and cleanses your skin from the inside. Drinking water can also flush out the bacteria present in your mouth.
Brush your lips to prevent acne breakouts in the future. It will remove the mild gunks sticking to your lips and help eliminate bacteria.
Wash and wipe your mouth after eating or drinking