Very small bumps at corners of mouth

On the corner of my lips, I have small bumps at the corner of my lips. They have been there for a good month or more and do not go away. I recently switched chap-sticks to see if that was the issue, and it did not get any better. I heard that it could be Fordyce  spots, but those conditions to not match mine. I have tried medicine for cold sores, but it did not help either. Sometimes they hurt, other times they are just annoying and irritating. I have them on both corners of my mouth, and I feel like they are slowly spreading.

[Bhupinder Kaur, MD]

Hello,
They can be due to small irritated hair follicles or clogged pores. Keep the area clean and apply some topical antiseptics. Also wear loose-fitting cotton clothing and use an antibacterial soap or mild soap like dove. Avoid any kind of cosmetics. Topical antibiotics such as mupirocin or neomycin containing ointment are also useful. In case the symptoms persist then oral antibiotics may be needed. Please consult a dermatologist in that case.

It is very difficult to precisely confirm a diagnosis without examination and investigations and the answer is based on the medical information provided. For exact diagnosis, you are requested to consult your doctor. I sincerely hope that helps. Take care and please do keep me posted on how you are doing.