Pimples are a type of acne, developed due to blockage of the sebaceous glands. Considering this, those who have oily skin are more susceptible to this skin condition than others. Also, pimples occur frequently in bodily areas, where there is dense growth of sebaceous follicles like face, shoulder and back. Most people have a query like 'can you get a pimple on your lip'? The answer is yes, as pimples can develop anywhere in the body. Pimple on the lips is quite an unsightly and painful condition. The worst part is you do not have any option to cover them up. You may end up popping these ugly zits, which will worsen the skin condition and also, lengthen the healing period. So, the best alternative is to understand the probable causes to avoid future development and effective tips to cure them. The cause of lip pimples is clogging of the skin pores that are associated with sebaceous glands. Due to blockage of the skin pores, the oil secreted by the gland gets accumulated beneath the obstruction. Over time, these clogged follicles are infected by bacteria, resulting in inflammation of the area. Apart from this, factors like heredity, food habit, exposure to pollutants, stress, and use of poor quality face/lip care products are responsible for triggering the outbreak of pimples. Similar to other types of acne, lip pimples are usually associated with a rise in the male hormonal levels secreted by the adrenal glands. This is the reason as to why, pimples are most common among adolescence. However, older people who are in their 40s can also experience outbreaks of pimples on the face, shoulder, and other body areas. Lip pimples can be manifested as skin lesions in the form of papules (deep skin inflammation) or pustules (near surface skin inflammation). Even if it is very tempting to squeeze or pop these annoying lip pimples, avoid touching the affected lip as far as possible. Squeezing may cause spreading of the bacteria to other parts, resulting in more pimples. You can refer to the following tips in order to get rid of a pimple on the lip effectively: ✦ No Touching Constantly touching and tampering with the pimples may irritate the area, and cause scar formation. In addition, touching the affected skin increases the chances of the bacteria spreading to other skin areas. ✦ Cleaning Lips Use a mild cleanser to clean the pimple-affected areas on the lips. Do it gently with a clean washcloth, so that the cleanser does not get into the mouth, and you are not irritating the inflamed area. In case of oily skin, use a cleansing soap that contains glycerin. ✦ Use Astringents While cleaning your face, you can use good-quality astringents and milder varieties of benzoyl peroxide or salicylic acid. These can help get rid of the bacteria and fungus. Natural astringents like witch hazel (without alcohol), tomato, and green tea (which is rich in antioxidants) work great for pimples. ✦ Skin Exfoliation As pimples are manifested due to blockage of the pores by dirt and skin debris, regular skin exfoliation (2-3 times a week) will help in preventing the development of painful pimples on lips and other facial areas. Ensure that you use a good quality exfoliation product that are specifically formulated for acne prone skin. ✦ Apply Ice Cubes In case of very painful lip pimples, apply ice cubes over the affected lips. This will help numb the area and reduce the pain. Another effective remedy to cure lip pimples is applying a paste, prepared by mixing crushed aspirin with water. After applying this paste, allow it to stand for 5-7 minutes, and wash with cold water. ✦ Avoid Lip Gloss Do not use any type of lip care products like lip gloss or lipstick that contain chemical formulations, when you have pimples on lips. Using such products may aggravate blockage of the pores, and lengthen the healing time of the lip pimples. Though, popping is usually practiced to get rid of acne fast, it is not a recommended cure for a pimple on the lip. Last but not the least, avoid oily foods, drink lots of water, and eat a healthy diet to cure lip pimples. Most people confuse pimple on the lip with herpes or cold sores. This is because oral herpes causes development of bumps in and around the lip area. In case, the pimple on the lip remains for a longer period, and is associated with the successive stages of oral herpes, then immediately get it checked by a qualified dermatologist.