How to Get Rid a Swollen Lip, Heal, Treat and Reduce Lip Swelling

How do you get rid of swollen lips or how do you reduce lip swelling from biting, kissing, trauma,  pimples, bumps, cold sores, canker sores, injuries, sunburn, lip piercing, restylane injection, braces, allergies, etc.? Are there good treatment and remedies that actually work in getting rid of lip swelling quickly, fast, overnight, in an hour or effectively?

What causes a swollen lip?

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Before we look at how to treat a swollen lip, let us see the main causes of this problem. Lip swelling (lower, upper, lower half, upper half, on lip corners, on one spot or both lips) is usually caused by a number of things that include:

  • Allergies to various things including lip care products, foods, pet dander, latex, medications (e.g. penicillin), pollen grains etc.
  • Injuries and trauma such as biting it, insect bites, from braces, lip burning, being punched, kissing, piercing, brass playing, restylane injections, lip surgeries, etc.
  • Stomatitis, lip infections and conditions such as cold sores, canker sores, angular cheilitis, cellulitis, etc.
  • Hash weather conditions such as excessive sunlight (lip sunburn),dryness, windy or cold
  • Lip pimples, bumps, ingrown hair, etc.
  • Severe malnutrition
  • Some disease and conditions such as lip cancer, obesity, diabetes, reaction to blood transfusion, organ failures, among others.

How to get rid of a swollen lip, how to reduce lip swelling or cure swelling in lip?

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While looking at how to get rid a swollen lip or how to reduce lip swelling we will look at various approaches that will include swollen lip treatments, home remedies and other ways to fix this problem. Of course, the treatment options or swollen lip remedies you go for will at times depend on what caused the swelling.  We will begin with general ways to reduce or fix swellings in lips before going to a few specific caused related treatments, remedies and fixes.

Cold compress and ice cubes

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The first way to soothe and reduce lip swelling is to apply a cold compress using ice cubes or cold spoons placed in a freezer. You need to wrap your ice cubes in a clean washcloth or a paper towel and gently apply it on the affected area. Do this for about 10-15 minutes followed by a break of 10-15 minutes before repeating again until the swelling begins to reduce.  Avoid using ice cubes directly on your lips since they can cause lip tissue damage.

This simple home remedy for swelling in lips is very effective for most lip swelling causes including swelling from a punch, burning, trauma, kissing, cold sores (swelling from fever blisters), canker sores, insect bites, etc. since it will soothe the affected area and bring down the swelling.

Turmeric powder

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Turmeric is known for its excellent healing and antiseptic properties. You can use turmeric power to get rid of a swollen lip. To use it, mix turmeric powder, cold water and fuller’s earth to make a simple herbal ointment which you can apply on the swollen area of your lip.  Let it stay there until it dries before you can carefully wash it off with warm water. Do this twice a day.

Aloe vera gel

If your lips are not only swollen but also red and inflamed, you need to use aloe vera gel since it has excellent anti-inflammatory properties. It will soothe the burning sensation. Aloe vera is ideal if you have insect bites (such as mosquito bites), sunburned lips with blisters, oral herpes, as well as allergic reaction lip swellings.

Gently massage the affected area with aloe vera (either a gel or extract some juice from a fresh aloe vera plant) two to three times a day.

Tea tree oil and aloe vera

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Instead of using tea tree oil only, you can also mix it with tea tree oil in ratios of 2:1 and apply the mixture on the affected area. Leave it there until it dries before washing with cold water. Repeat this treatment for lips swelling a number of times in a day if the swelling does not reduce. Tea tree oil and aloe vera mixture will ensure any dermal inflammation including the one on your mouth is calmed down.

However, ensure you use dilute tea tree oil. You can dilute it with olive or coconut oil i.e. add a few drops of pure tea tree oil to a bout a teaspoon of aloe vera or coconut oil and apply it on the affected area.

Baking soda for swollen lip cure

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Using baking soda is a great way to treat swollen lips from insect bites, allergic reactions and fever blisters. To use it, take about 1 table spoon of baking soda and add water until it forms a thick paste. Apply the paste on affected place and let it stay there for up to 10 minutes. You can then wash it off with cold water.

Fixing swollen fat lips with Honey

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Just like turmeric power, honey has antibacterial and natural healing properties. It works magic especially for people who want to get rid of a swollen lip fast, overnight or in a day or two. Take about a teaspoon of honey and apply it on the affected area using a fresh cotton ball. Let is remain in place for 20 minutes before washing it off with cold water. Repeat this swollen lip treatment 2-3 times a day.

Swollen lip treatment with teabag

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Going on with ways on how to fix a swollen lip, black tea bags contain tannins with have astringent properties that will cause body tissue constriction and reduce the swelling. This is a good home remedies for swollen lip if you want almost immediate results i.e. a fast home remedy.

To use it, soak a black tea bag in warm water for about 10 minutes, let it cool before applying it on the affected area. Do this 3-4 times, severally in a day if you want quick results.

Salt and witch hazel

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Mixing 2 parts of hazel extract to one part of salt is great in reducing any external body swelling including the one on lips, soothing any pain and cleaning any cut on your lips. Apply the mixture on the affected area for 15-20 minutes before washing it off with cold water. Repeat the process until you notice some change.

Coconut oil

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Coconut oil helps reduce lip swelling fast, inflammation, excessive dryness, as well as curing any damaged skin. To heal a swollen lip using coconut oil, apply a layer on your lip, three or four times daily and leave it there.

Warm salt compress

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Salty water is a good swollen lip injury treatment especially if you are punched, have a lip piercing, injections, bite your lips, you get hit by a blunt object or other physical injuries or traumas that left cuts behind. You will simply mix of 1 tablespoon of salt in a cup of war water and apply it on the affected area. It might cause a little sting but it will help in faster healing.

The warm compress will ensure there is not accumulation of blood on the swollen area. This will consequently reduce swelling in the affected area.

Check your diet and use vitamin E capsule or lip balm

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To help stop a swollen lip, ensure you get a balanced diet since lack of some vitamins can cause this problem, especially vitamins B and C. Eat foods with vitamin B such as bananas, oats, legumes, liver, turkey, legumes, etc. as they will ensure quick recovery.  Furthermore, before going to bed, apply a lip balm containing vitamins E or apply liquid vitamin E capsule.

Drinking a lot of water can also be helpful since it will ensure your lips do not get dehydrated i.e. they remain moisturized. Water can also be helpful in reducing swelling levels.

Other remedies and treatments for lip swelling

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  • Avoid licking your lips since this can worsen the swelling.
  • Drink ginger tea and add ginger to your diet as it helps reduce chances of edema that can cause lip infections.
  • Ice your lips using bromelin or benadryl solutions
  • If you have swollen or fat lips due to acne, see details on getting rid of lip pimples.

How to reduce or how to get rid of a swollen lip fast, overnight, in an hour?

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Walking around with an enlarged, fattened or swollen lips can be so embarrassing. You definitely want to get rid the swelling immediately. We have seen so many ways to treat a swollen lip. To get rid of lip swelling quickly, you need to deal with the underlying cause as well as try various methods of reducing the swelling itself.

Most of the remedies such as use of cold packs, antihistamine (if caused by allergies), use of honey, aloe vera can help reduce mild lip swelling in a few hours.

Reducing lip swelling from insect bites and stings

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If you have swellings from insects bites and stings, you need to select a treatment that will soothe the inflammation and neutralize any poison in case of a sting e.g. bee or wasp sting. Some of the ideal treatments to reduce swelling in lip will be aloe vera gel use to reduce inflammation, use of OTC antihistamines such as diphenhydramine as well as OTC anti-inflammatory medications such as naproxen and ibuprofen.

Treating lip swelling form oral herpes

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Lip swelling and blisters from oral herpes or cold sores will typically disappear after 7-14 days. However, you can use cold compress to reduce the swelling as well as apply some Vaseline jelly to keep the area moisturized and reduce swelling too.

To get rid of swelling in your lips from blisters, go for some of the over the counter medication or ask your doctor to prescribe antiviral oral medications as well as some tropical creams and ointments to deal with this problem.

Treating swollen lips from allergic reactions

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If you have swollen, red and itchy lips for no reason, it could be caused by allergies. Avoid contact with allergens e.g. some foods that cause the allergy, pet dander, latex, lip care products (lipsticks, lip balms, lip gloss) some medications, pollen grains, etc.

Secondly, reduce lip swelling from allergies, ensure you get an antihistamine such as benadryl to reduce the allergic reaction as well as apply cold compresses. For excessive swelling, you might be required to take oral corticosteroids for fast action.

If you suffer from an extreme allergic reaction, that will have other severe symptoms other than the lip swelling, see a doctor since some allergic reactions such as anaphylaxis allergy is life threatening and it can cause death.

Lip swelling from trauma and injuries

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In case you have a swelling on your lips due to trauma or injuries such as biting your lips, restylane injections, lip surgery, botox, kissing, dental braces, lip piercings, brass playing, being hit by a blunt object or a punched, you need to carefully assess the damage caused by injury and stop bleeding in case you have tissue damages or cuts.

Secondly, apply hot packs or cold compresses to soothe and reduce or bring down a swollen lip. In case of serious tissue damage and/or cuts (or busted lips), see your doctor for further treatment or stitching if it is necessary. Oral antibiotics might be recommended to avoid possibilities of any secondary infections caused by bacteria.

When to see a doctor

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If all the above swollen lip treatments do not yield results and the condition seems to worsen, you should consider seeing a doctor. Furthermore, in case of a severe case that affects eating, breathing or talking and it spreads beyond the affected area, see you doctor.

I guess you now know how to get rid of a swollen lip from kissing, sunburn, ingrown hair, lip pimples, biting, trauma, allergy, sores, insect bites and much more. The questions of what to do, how to help, what to take, what to put on swelling in lips should no longer be an issue.  Thank you.