Fordyce spots are named after John Addison Fordyce, an American dermatologist. This skin disorder is also referred to as sebaceous prominence, Fordyce's condition, Angiokeratome of the scrotum and Fordyce granules. Fordyce spots on lips are common in men and women of all ages. Read on and learn the signs, causes and remedies of Fordyce spots.
How Do I Know If I Have Fordyce Spots on Lips?
The signs and symptoms of Fordyce spots on lips include:
- White marks
- Spots on the lips' corners
- Small bumps
- Yellow spots
- Prominent small white bumps
- White patches
- Small white dots
These symptoms appear as a glaze that is light colored with a diameter of 1-3mm. You may not experience any pain.
What Causes Fordyce Spots on Lips?
Fordyce spots appear when the glands near the lips over secretewhen sebaceous glands trap sebum or the skin's natural oil. The glands swell with oil or pus and cause white spots to appear on your lips or mouth. The body secretes sebum through the hair shaft. Lack of hair follicles near the lips causes Fordyce spots to form. This is because the body has no way of secreting sebum. This skin disorder affects individuals at all age groups. It can affect children immediately after birth. The skin disorder differs from other skin disorders like pimples caused by bacteria. Such bacteria feed on the oil in sebaceous glands and cause surrounding tissues to swell.
How to Deal With Fordyce Spots on Lips
Fordyce spots on lips may appear even with therapeutic remedies. Persistent and prominent Fordyce spots require medical attention. The remedies used to treat these spots are discussed below.
1. Vitamins
Taking plenty of vitamins daily helps in treating Fordyce spots. You daily diet should include several vitamins including vitamins D, E, A, K, C and B. These vitamins will help you treat spots and other health conditions as well. Sources of vitamins include fruits, vegetables, cod liver oil, whole grain cereals and fish.
2. Essential oils
Essential oils are widely used to treat various conditions and diseases including Fordyce spots on lips. The best essential oil to use is jojoba oil, which prevents the development of Fordyce spots. You can also use frankincense, olive, tea tree, cabreuva, bezoin, pine, galbanum and palamarosa oils.
3. Garlic
Garlic is an excellent home remedy for Fordyce spots because of its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. Take a teaspoonful of garlic every morning and then take a glass of water. Alternatively, you can take one glassful of garlic juice at night before sleeping. You can add garlic to your daily diet for better results.
4. Apple Cider Vinegar
Apple cider vinegar is one the most effective remedies to Fordyce spots. Applying apple cider vinegar directly on the spots will give you a painful and burning sensation. So add just two teaspoons of this vinegar to a glass of water. Apply the solution to the affected area.
5. Asparagus
Asparagus is essential to normal growth of body cells. It has the highest concentration of folic acid, which is required for cell production. A cup of this vegetable gives you 65% of the required amount of folic acid every day. Asparagus is rich in vitamins K, A and C, which help in eliminating Fordyce spots.
6. Citruses
Citrus fruits are rich in folate acid. Raspberries contain 4% of folate acid, oranges 10%, strawberries 6.5%, papaya 29% and grapefruit 8%. Squeeze the juice out of these fruits into a small amount of water and apply the solution on the spots. The Fordyce spots on lips will disappear in a few days.
7. Broccoli
Broccoli has high levels of vitamin C. Including broccoli in your diet provides you with 149% of the recommended daily intake of vitamin C. Oranges gives 89% of the required Vitamin C intake. You can include broccoli in your salads or in your meals as a side dish, or take it raw as a snack.
8. Coconut Oil
Fordyce spots can appear on your upper lip because of dehydration. Coconut is a natural moisturizer that is effective in removing the spots. You can apply coconut oil directly on the affected area or combine it with other essential oils. Use olive oil as an alternative to coconut oil.
9. Vaporizing Laser Therapy
This medical procedure is less invasive. It uses high-power light to remove all tiny spots appearing on the skin. In most cases doctors use carbon dioxide laser to treat Fordyce spots. Alternatively, doctors use electric current under high frequency to dehydrate the bumps. This procedure is called electrodesiccation. The other alternative is pulsed dye laser therapy, which is the best alternative for small bumps.
10. Tretinoin Gel or Cream
You can apply this cream directly on your skin to reduce the appearance of the spots. Tretinoin is used as a remedy for Fordyce spots and other skin disorders. The cream is more effective when combined with alpha hydroxy acid.
11. Cryosurgery
This treatment involves destroying skin bumps using extreme cold. One of the side effects of this method is that it damages tissues near the targeted spots.