The redness around lips is primarily the by-product or the visible marks of skin rashes that caused a change in texture and color of your skin. This rash may be confined to a part of your skin. If you are not so lucky, the chances are that this rash will spread. These rashes vary from mild dry skin conditions to the more severe conditions resulting in cancerous growths like squamous cell carcinoma. The red patches on the skin are formed mainly due to dermatitis. You might as well get the red patches from using some skin care product that didn’t suit your skin type. Red patches might also arrive around your lips due to eczema and perioral dermatitis.
The various types of conditions that the skin around your lips can encounter are:Actinic Cheilitis causing major inflammation of the skin around your lips. This has every chance of making your skin scaly and indurated with passing time. In this kind of rash you see a vermillion border of your lips fading away.
Cold sores is another cause of red patches around the lips. These are the herpetic ulcers in the skin around the lips. Herpes affecting the mucocutaneous membranes is primarily responsible for this occurrence. The rashes or lesions begin appearing as small blisters but if left untreated, they aggravate to the stage of painful ulcers and cause scarring as well.
Angular cheilitis is another inflammatory condition occurring only around the angles of your mouth. The prime causes of this kind of rashes is either deficiency of vitamin B or ill-fitting dentures that tend to tear the skin in that area.
Another common type of skin rash is common wart, a small tumor that when occurs on your lips is known as the filiform warts. The HPV (human papilloma virus) is the prime factor causing this tumor.
Oral melanotic macule is another condition occurring on lips and interior of the mouth as well. It is known as labial melanotic macule when it occurs on the lips.
The most common yet dangerous form of skin rash is oral squamous cell carcinoma seen in the form of pink or red scaly rash. With time these lesions expand and cause bleeding too. Excess exposure to sunlight is the prime cause.
Allergic Contact Dermatitis occurs due to skin allergy from various cosmetic products containing poison ivy specifically.
Irritant Contact Dermatitis on the other hand is caused by chemical irritants and physical irritants.You might even get redness on lips if you are allergic to certain food items like peanuts, sesame, soy, fish, and mustard to name some.
The common symptoms for redness around lips include cracked corner of the mouth, fever, dry mouth, painful blisters, sore throat, sores resembling cottage cheese, bleeding gums, purple or red gums, receding gums and swollen gums, pale skin, and soft spongy gums to name some. In fact, mouth redness itself is a condition that needs immediate medical attention.
You can use topical medicines as prescribed by your dermatologist. Protecting from the harmful ultraviolet rays of the sun is a vital factor in treating redness around lips. Using topical antiviral drugs help you clear cold sores in a short span. Resizing of your dentures and vitamin B supplements (whichever is the prime cause) will help you combat Angular cheilitis. In case of oral melanotic macule, following a skin biopsy you can go for either a cryotherapy, or a laser therapy, whichever suits you. For squamous cell carcinoma, you need to go for the high-end treatment procedures like laser therapy, freezing, chemotherapy, and radiation therapy.
Maintaining proper hygiene and proper oral health is a vital factor in prevention of such skin conditions around your lips. Using a sun protect cream or solution is another preventive measure for the one’s prone to such skin related issues. If your allergy to certain cosmetics, soaps, detergents and food items cause redness around lips, then the best way is to avoid the allergy causing elements.
With a little bit of oral care and skin care you can maintain your health and your looks at the same time.