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What Do White Bumps On Lips Indicate?

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Posted on Sat, 28 Feb 2015
Question: about a year ago I used a friends lipstick and developed very small white bumps on my lips. they were barely visible but I could feel them with my tongue. they were only on the corners of my lips and they went away after a couple of days. The same thing happened again when I used the same friends eos chapstick this time a little worse; they covered my whole upper lip. I soaked them in salt water and then rubbed off as much as I could and applied Vaseline until they went away which was after a couple of days. I am wondering what this is called, what caused it, and what I can do to prevent it. I know it was not cold sores they did not hurt or pus or get big enough to notice. I have used other friends chapsticks before and nothing happened only these two cases with the same friends product. this friend did not have or develop the small bumps or cold sores. I have decided to stay away from anyone elses chapstick but I would still like to know what exactly caused this. also if a friend were to use my chapstick when I had the small bumps would they get cold sores? is this contagious?just a little more info I developed the small bumps that night of using the chapstick so about 12 hrs later
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Answered by Dr. Sandip Kabra (1 hour later)
Brief Answer:
yes it can be contagious to use others lipsticks

Detailed Answer:
Hi,good morning
Thanks for asking such a nice question on HCM.
I have read all queries that you asked that some others used product can be allergic or harmful to us and vice versa.
See all this lip sticks contains wax,emollients, pigments like ingredients according to the colour and quality usage,
Now if someone had applied this lipsticks once or more, these lipsticks they came directly in contact with their lips leading to deposition of their cells,bacteria, dust etc on to the tip of lip sticks which might be nonreactive to that person who actually uses it daily means its not allergic to themselves.

When you use their lips stick these particles like dust, bacteria,body tissue come in your contact and our body consider all this as a foreign body or allergen leading to cause immediate immune response like swelling, redness means accumulations of immune mediators like leukotrienes, TNFs,mast cells and get subside automatically after a certain time or taking just antihistamines in one dose.

See, we boys generally never share even shaving brush because it might cause same effects despite knowing that we do not have any kind of infection or allergy.

In a single sentence, others body cells even noninfectious can be a source of allergy for ourselves.

I hope you would now understand the scenario.
Thanks .
Note: Hope the answers resolves your concerns, however for further guidance of skin related queries consult our Dermatologist.Click here to book a consultation

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Shanthi.E
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Answered by
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Dr. Sandip Kabra

General & Family Physician

Practicing since :2009

Answered : 3078 Questions

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What Do White Bumps On Lips Indicate?

Brief Answer: yes it can be contagious to use others lipsticks Detailed Answer: Hi,good morning Thanks for asking such a nice question on HCM. I have read all queries that you asked that some others used product can be allergic or harmful to us and vice versa. See all this lip sticks contains wax,emollients, pigments like ingredients according to the colour and quality usage, Now if someone had applied this lipsticks once or more, these lipsticks they came directly in contact with their lips leading to deposition of their cells,bacteria, dust etc on to the tip of lip sticks which might be nonreactive to that person who actually uses it daily means its not allergic to themselves. When you use their lips stick these particles like dust, bacteria,body tissue come in your contact and our body consider all this as a foreign body or allergen leading to cause immediate immune response like swelling, redness means accumulations of immune mediators like leukotrienes, TNFs,mast cells and get subside automatically after a certain time or taking just antihistamines in one dose. See, we boys generally never share even shaving brush because it might cause same effects despite knowing that we do not have any kind of infection or allergy. In a single sentence, others body cells even noninfectious can be a source of allergy for ourselves. I hope you would now understand the scenario. Thanks .