tiny white dots on my lips

[paranoidme]

I am wondering about this tiny white dots on the side or on the edge of my lips and there are also few in my upper lip, it is only visible if you have to stretch the lips (I recognized this tiny white dots since 3yrs ago, I didnt mind it tho but now I got curious and scared after knowing that when you do oral you can get STD and just few hrs ago my lips (only the sides) feels like a little chilly, like you are eating pepper, is this an STD or what we call herpes 1? I don't have cold sores in my mouth or in my lips just only this tiny white dots and I dont even feel pain from it or not even itchy.  Here's my lips photo so you have an idea what it looks like.  If this is an STD is there any chance that this tiny white dots on my lips will go away? which doctor should I see, dentist or dermatologist.  I dont even have any sores on my genital area. And by the way, I had my HIV test and serologic test for syphilis last june 2006 and both are negative.

http://ikirk.photosite.com/Album1/IMG_0554.html
http://ikirk.photosite.com/Album1/IMG_0561.html

Appreciate your per return answer.  Thank you.

[krasiv]

A related discussion, white dots on my lips was started.

[kitster]

hi dr.
      worried 21 year old female student here.i am distraughtat the thought i might have herpes.i have been going out with my boyfriend for a year now.he has been my only sexual partner. we would have had unprotected sex once a good few months when i first started on the pill.it was a once off as i was having side effects from the pill,we went back to using condoms.
      about a month ago i thought i got thrush for the first time as i was sore and itchy below and used canestan cream which relieved it and it soon went away.
      over a week ago the same seemed to be happening again and i presumed it to be thrush so i used canestan combi,the cream and pessary but they had no effect.3 days ago small sores appeared on the lips of my vagina,just above my lips,(like on the wall of my groin),at the bottom of my vagina and the spread to my anus.they r sore and itchy.it hurts when i go to the bathroom as i presume they r being irritated.i am very worried and upset that this might be herpes or some other std???
    or is it a vaginal infection such as thrush?
    if not thrush,would the cream and pessary used to treat thrush have harmed me in any way?

[Englishman]

I am not a doctor but.....

Nice photos!

I reckon they are fordyce granules.
http://www.library.vcu.edu/pdfgif/tml/oralpathology/6-fordyces-granules.jpg

I just looked in the mirror and have exactly the same thing. I think everyone has them if they bother to look closely.

[H. Hunter Handsfield, M.D.]

Sorry, I don't look at posted photos.  Although others feel otherwise, my view is that it comes too close to practicing medicine from a distance.

But it sounds like you are describing normal sebaceous or mucus-secreting glands.  They probably are permanent.  Everybody has white spots that are visible on stretching the lips, especially at the margin between the lip itself and the skin.  In any case, yourdescription doesn't sound at all like herpes, syphilis, or any other STD.

Any health care provider would be appropriate.  But a dermatologist might be the most expert.  Dr. Rockoff (MedHelp dermatology forum) is willing to look at posted photos.  You might post your message there.

Good luck--  HHH, MD