
Zit On Lip, Could It Be Cold Sore?

Age: 28
Height: 5'-9"
Thanks for posting your query. On the edges of lips, there are small hair follicles. A zit can arise from these small hair follicles and cause folliculitis or a boil. Folliculitis is the inflammation of one or more hair follicles. In most cases of folliculitis, the damaged follicles are then infected with the bacteria Staphylococcus (staph) and cause a small red raised bump which may have a white pus like discharge and a hair in the centre.
Boils are caused by infection of the hair follicle by staph aureus. A boil generally starts as a reddened, tender area. Over time, the area becomes firm and hard. Eventually, the center of the abscess softens and becomes filled with pus. In size it is larger than a folliculitis.
Cold sores are caused by the tingling, or itching occurs at the infection site before the sores appear. Then clusters of blisters erupt which break down and scab over.
Another skin condition which may cause bumps on the edges of lips is of impetigo caused by streptococcus (strep) or staphylococcus (staph) bacteria. It presents as a single or many blisters filled with pus which are easy to pop, filled with yellow or honey-colored fluid and oozing and crusting over.
To confirm the diagnosis we need to do a culture sensitivity of the discharge from the bump. If it is folliculitis, impetigo or boils, it will come out positive on bacterial cultures. For cold sores, you need to get some investigations like sample from the sores to identify the virus, culture analysis, Tzanck smear, antigen and antibody studies and blood sampling for antibody studies done to confirm the diagnosis.
Hope this answers your query. If you have additional questions or follow up queries then please do not hesitate in writing to us. I will be happy to answer your queries.
Wishing you good health.


Thanks for writing back.
From the symptoms it looks like a bacterial sore due to infected hair follicle or a small boil. It does not look like a cold sore which typically presents as blisters. Moreover, before the appearance of herpes the area below the skin's surface, where the cold sore is going to appear, starts to tingle, itch, or burn. Your blood work has also come negative. So chances of this bumps being due to herpes is less.
The best test for confirmation is by sample from the sores to identify the virus, culture analysis, Tzanck smear, antigen and antibody studies and blood sampling for antibody studies done to confirm the diagnosis.
HSV-1 does not survive long at all outside the human body. The virus is generally transmitted through direct contact with saliva of an infected person like kissing, direct exposure to saliva or even from droplets in breath, sharing toothbrushes or eating utensils with an infected person.
Hope this answers your query. If you have additional questions or follow up queries then please do not hesitate in writing to us. I will be happy to answer your queries.
Wishing you good health.

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