A pair of soft, smooth, glossy, and coral lips is every girl’s dream. Beautiful lips add to your beauty and become a style statement. But what if that sexy pink pout develops ugly white spots? Well, that is not very pleasant.
What are these white spots?
White spots on lips are mostly known to be certain benign spots called Fordyce spots. These occur due to the irregular secretion of our oil-secreting glands under the skin (1). These harmless spots can occur anywhere on the body, but they become prominent when they occur on the lips. These spots may embarrass you and reduce your self-confidence at any social gathering.
Lip Skin is Sensitive
Lip skin is different from the rest of your body. It is delicate; hence, it should be treated gently. It is sensitive and fragile and requires much more care than we usually give to it. It has fewer cell layers than the rest of the body, giving it an aflush red color.
How to Spot White Spots on Lips?
Fordyce spots are usually white to yellow. They are 1-3 mm thick. To correctly see these spots, stretch your skin a little. These spots should not be confused with basal cell carcinoma or epidermis cysts (2).
Natural Remedies for White Spots on Lips
If you want to treat those white spots on your lips naturally and avoid all those invasive or non-invasive treatments, opt for any of the following home remedies (3):
1. Eat More Garlic
Garlic is a food with multiple benefits. It is antibacterial, antifungal, antiviral, cancer-fighting, and an immune booster.
It is also loaded with medicinal properties. The active ingredient in garlic is allicin. Allicin is an antioxidant that neutralizes the free radicals in the body. Thus, it saves you from harmful diseases and gives you fresher, healthier, younger-looking skin (4).
It also helps us maintain our oral hygiene. So, including more garlic in your regular food will keep the harmful radicals at bay.
It keeps your blood as well as oral cavity clean. Hence, those ugly white spots on the lips will eventually fade away.
2. Use Apple Cider Vinegar
The benefits of apple cider vinegar are infinite. It is a multipurpose product used both in food and in medicine.
Our skin is also slightly acidic, so the vinegar helps it regain its pH and treats several skin conditions (5).
Also Read – Editor’s Choice – Best Drugstore Lip Liners for Every Skin Tone
Being acidic, apple cider vinegar may help treat white spots on the lips. But first, you need to cover both lips with a thick layer of ACV and wash it off after 4 to 5 minutes with lukewarm water.
However, this treatment should not be done more than twice a week due to the highly strong nature of ACV. This remedy should not be used for more than a month or two.
3. Apply Diluted Juices of Citric Fruits
Like apple cider vinegar, the juices or extracts of various citric fruits like orange, lemon, lime, etc., can also be used to eliminate white spots on lips. These juices have acidic properties and work very well for the skin. In addition, these natural juices are loaded with the freshness of vitamin C, which has been proven to do magic to the lips as it rejuvenates them from their core.
The juice also exfoliates your skin by giving it a fresh feel. The acidic properties of the mixtures will provide visible results within a few days. All you have to do is be consistent and patient, as all these natural tricks take some time to show results.
4. Apply Olive Oil
Olive oil gives your lips dreamy softness, intense hydration, and perfect moisturization. In addition, it provides relief from cracks and breaks and protects against sun damage.
Extra virgin olive oil is nature’s bounty. It is known for its uses since ancient times and is used in cooking and medicine. It is heaped with antioxidants that fight off all the free radical debris from your body.
Olive oil may be an excellent choice to fight off white spots on the lips efficiently and keep them super hydrated at the same time. Clean your lips using a good yet mild antibacterial soap and apply a generous quantity of olive oil.
You can make a lip balm by mixing olive oil with natural wax. It can be beeswax and some essential oil of your choice.
5. Try Essential Oils
It has been found that a combination of specific essential oils can work wonders for white spots on lips. The lips are immediately hydrated, moisturized, and revitalized. It also gives this amazing plumpness to the lips and a better-defined shape.
- Benzoin oil gives instant hydration and prevents soreness.
- Tea tree oil is the best essential oil that can be used on these white spots. It is an antibacterial and antifungal oil that will destroy bacteria in these spots. As a result, the spots will vanish quickly (6).
6. Use Jojoba and Argan Oil Blend
Jojoba oil is beneficial to the skin and works for all skin types. It is loaded with vitamins, antioxidants, and anti-inflammatory properties.
White skin spots appear due to excessive secretion from the oil glands. Jojoba oil can balance or normalize this oil production. Hence, it is protective against many skin problems. Moreover, it gives back moisture to the lips and keeps them hydrated for extended periods, giving them an oh-so-wanted look.
Argan oil nourishes your lips from within. Hence, the effect remains there for the whole day. In addition, studies have proved that jojoba and argan oils contain vast amounts of tocopherols and vitamin E, which are highly effective in treating white spots on lips (7).
Also Read – 13 Natural Home Remedies to Get Rid of Age Spots
You can take these oils in equal quantities and mix them well. Then, apply the oil blend evenly onto your lips and rinse off after 5 minutes.
7. Coconut Oil
Dry skin produces more oil and sebum. This leads to white spots on the lips. Regular use of coconut oil rehydrates the skin and lips.
Coconut oil is an anti-inflammatory and antibacterial serum that restores the moisture in the area where it is applied. Mixing coconut oil with a few drops of lavender oil best treats white spots on the lips. However, further research is needed to support this claim.
Use a cotton ball to apply this mixture to the white spots. Repeat twice a day for better results.
Other Ways to Get Rid of White Spots on Lips
A few other ways should also be taken into account while using home remedies to treat white spots on lips:
- Exfoliate your lips regularly in a gentle manner by using a soft-bristled toothbrush. The application of a moisturizing lip balm followed them. Ensure it is not too harsh on the lips, as the bristles can cause damage.
- Do not hydrate your lips by licking with the tongue. The chemicals and the enzymes in your saliva damage the lips as they are one of the most delicate forms of skin.
- Increase your consumption of folic acid-rich foods significantly. Folic acid is crucial for your blood circulation.
- Do not use lip products that are made of harsh chemicals. No matter how good the description is, excessive use of products, including makeup, can tarnish the look of the lips, leading to problems. I always prefer natural and organic products. Before using any cosmetic or herbal treatment, always do a patch test.
- May opt for laser treatments: Laser treatments are the most popular treatment in cosmetic practices. Laser treatments are a way to bring out the inner, healthier skin to the surface. They can fix broken blood vessels under the lips.
- Have a healthy diet: A healthy diet can rule out most of our problems. A healthy diet means a balanced diet that contains all the necessary nutrients. Your skin is the canvas of your dietary pattern.
- Hydration: Hydrating your body and skin is the most critical self-care step. It protects you from a million problems. Appropriate water consumption and skin hydration through various organic products are necessary for a better life.
Once or twice a week, exfoliate your lips with sugar granules. The presence of white spots may be reduced by removing the upper dead cells of the lips. Since the epidermis on the lips is highly sensitive, it must be scrubbed gently.
Cosmetic Treatments
You can also opt for other cosmetic treatments to remove white spots on the lips. Chemical peels and vaporizing laser therapy are two of these therapies. However, you should seek clinical advice before undertaking these procedures.
Chemical Peels
Chemical peels are skin rejuvenation procedures used on the lips, face, hands, and neck. They’re used to make the skin look and feel better. Chemical solutions are applied to the area being handled during this process. It exfoliates the skin, and white spots gradually peel off. When this occurs, the new skin underneath becomes cleaner and may have fewer wrinkles.
CO2 Vaporizing Laser Therapy
This procedure is mainly used to treat oral cancers. However, researchers are using it to treat white spots on lips. It is a permanent method to cure white spots without any surface damage.
Also Read – White Spots From Tanning: Possible Causes With Home Remedies And OTC Treatments
Summary
White spots are also known as Fordyce spots. They are yellowish-white spots on the inside of your lips. There are many ways to treat them including home remedies or cosmetic treatments. In many cases, they can be easily treated with natural home remedies.Home remedies like the application of coconut oil, olive oil, and other essential oils on the affected areas can bring positive results over a period of time. However, if the condition is severe, consult a dermatologist.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What causes white spots on lips?
The irregular secretion of oil can cause white color spots on the lips. In addition, when this oil accumulates on the lips, it becomes the breeding ground for bacteria and viruses, resulting in inflammation of the surrounding tissue.
Is it true that white spots on the lips fade away?
These bumps usually disappear independently but may be treated with topical medications your doctor prescribes. It’s likely that you’ve inadvertently bitten your lips or that you’ve had some lip trauma. This can result in lesions or bumps on your lips, which may appear as tiny white bumps.
Why do I get these white spots on the lips?
Excess oil production can cause white spots on the lip line. In addition, stress, hormones, and some drugs can increase the risk of pimples and exacerbate acne.
Does a healthy diet have anything to do with white spots?
Scientifically, it is not proven. However, a healthy diet may help in avoiding such problems.
Can natural remedies help cure white spots?
Natural remedies can be a great help in curing white spots. In addition, home remedies like applying coconut oil, olive oil, and other essential oils to the affected areas can bring positive results over time.
References –
- “Should I be worried about Fordyce spots?” – medicalnewstoday.com
- “Understanding Fordyce Spots” – healthline.com
- “White Bumps on Lips” – healthline.com
- “Garlic: a review of potential therapeutic effects” – ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
- “Antimicrobial activity of apple cider vinegar against Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, and Candida albicans; downregulating cytokine and microbial protein expression” – ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
- “How to Get Rid of Fordyce Spots” – wikihow.com
- “Anti-Inflammatory and Skin Barrier Repair Effects of Topical Application of Some Plant Oils” – ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
