If u cant afford a Co2 Laser procedure here is 2 options with good results:
1. Garlic Clove: Cut a clove in half and rubbed it on ur lips. "watch out it burns" dont rubbed too much.
The lip swelled a bit. To cool it down soaked a green tea leaf bag in some cool water and that helped a lot.
1. Tretinoin Cream: every night on to ur lips.
hi beetran i just wantedt to know if the spots came back and how do you apply all these stuff. thank u
Hey guys,
I've been following this forum for a few months now and have read all the posts relating to fordyce spots etc.. I found it very enlightening knowing their are people going through the same situation as me, and it helps allot because these things as measly and pathetic as they are can cause me to feel really down and self conscious.
I'm a 20 year old male and I started noticing fordyce spots appearing on my lip a few years back but it was nothing worth worrying about, a few dots here and there. But now they have clustered right in the center of my top lip, almost like a triangle and they're slightly raised/swollen but they don't hurt. It kind of looks like the first signs of a coldsore (before the blister stage) without the discomfort. I first noticed it when I went on a road trip with my mates to the snow, on about the second or third day I woke up with a huge coldsore. I've had coldsores throughout my teenage years, but this one was massive, spreading over the majority of the center of my top lip and above my lip as well which all in all was a big letdown, because we were going clubbing, hanging out with girls etc. Anyway after the trip the coldsore passed and that's when I noticed the cluster of these white dots or fordyce spots where the coldsore was on my lip, which I feel aren't improving, or perhaps getting worse as time goes on..
I have tried various home remedies and ways of combating them such as Vinegar (which did work to an extent, it looked like it was going for a few days, it got all dry and peeled.. but the skin must of regrown and i'm back to stage 1). Blistex (I didn't really notice any difference at all, it provided some comfort with my dry lips but that's about it). Increasing my garlic consumption (I think this may have helped slightly although I think some other dietary changes I have made may have caused this). I've even tried the bad things like scratching it, poking it with a needle etc.. none of which helped at all. I've ordered some jojoba oil and vitamin A because of some of the advice/feedback posted on this forum. By the way for all the veterans who are keeping this post going such as kobe24, jessed I have major respect for you guys. Having somewhere to come to talk to other people who are going through the same sh*t as me really means allot.
I'll keep you guys posted if I find any remedies that actually work other than having to go for laser surgery or peels..
I look forward to reading more new ways to fight these annoying spots. Hopefully soon we can find a way to eliminate them once and for all so we can go back to our normal lives..
Good luck guys:-)
That is great! Can you give us rundown of your process, did you pop them before? I started popping buy they come back after about 5 weeks but I'm wondering if my cleansing process afterward is not correct. Let me know your ritual, thanks!
here is an update on my progress.
I have been popping them every 4-5 weeks, at least the ones that come back and are noticeable. After I pop them, they have reduced in size and quantity to the point where I forget to do my other procedures, like take vitamin A, put the cleanser on, clean with a acne wash, etc. Which I guess is a good thing but they are still there!
It sounds like BEETRAN found a good process too and another member is having luck with Trazovac (sp?). I have never tried the drugs nor the laser so I am interested to see the progress on here.
Again, reading the numerous postings by other members such as Kobe, it sounds like we still haven't found a definite cure for these. Please keep your heads up, I know these things are frustrating but it could be a lot worse.
i noticed having these white spots on my upper lip 3 days ago , i bought a chapstick named NUTREX , but now i remember that i i've used chapstick last week a couple of times , and i've never had this s*** before... so maybe it's the chapstick causing it , i'm throwing it away now . i have oily skin too , and as far as i know a fordyce spot is oil blocked underneath the skin and chapsticks have oil in them , so it seems pretty logical to me . that and cutting junk food..
i should mention also that he chapstick i've used last week haven't been used sice a long time so maybe it's infected or sth ... the problem is it's very confusing I've red that some people have success with jojoba oil. It's actually a wax and very similar to human sebum. The theory is that the plates of wax are smaller than the plates in sebum, and thus help to lubricate and drain away any blockages. Another theory is that when jojoba oil is used, the body thinks it's sebum and so produces less. It's a theory though. so more oil is good for fordyce spots which is basically oil blocked underneath the skin???!! it's all very confusing ! right now i'm using homeoplasmine for my dry lips , my dermatologist told me to stop licking and biting my lips , can that be causing FS... thanks for answering me and good luck (sorry for my bad english). :))))
ResearchFS
So, Possible Cures!
A) Retin A / Time to watch results ( 1 to 5 months )
B) Tazorac / Time to watch results (1 to 5 months )
C) Garlic Clove watch out it burns / Time to watch results (dont know)
D) Accutane Pill on to ur lips / Time to watch results ( 1month)
E) Vitamin A / Time to watch results ( dont know)
F) Laser / Time to watch results (Inmediately)
TIP: Stop drinking alcohol or smoking doesnt improve this condition.
Note 1: all the treatments above just help to make the spots smaller not to disappear all of them.
Question? Does anyone knows if the spots goes with the age. so maybe if we have them our parents has them too and they already gone with the years, Dont know we have to ask them.
Sorry for my bad english
( If we want to find a cure we have to keep posting) its incredible there are threads in this website about FS since 2002, and we are almost in 2013 and THE SCIENCE HAVENT FOUND A CURE for this condition)
After all my late nights of research, the ONLY POSSIBLE cure that seems to be consistent is laser treatment.
Every single method above and along with other potential cures are just not consistent among people that try it. I keep hearing about retin A, tazorac, accuntane (super potent version of vit A) but posts from other members state they did not have any luck. The side-effects associated with prolonged use of those acne drugs includes liver disease, depression, severe abdominal pain, etc (
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. I would say I would rather have the spots than liver disease.
If the Dermatologist or Aesthetician go deep enough with a powerful laser, it removes the glands and thus, no more oil is produced which comes to the surface as little white spots. I have only found a handful of cases on the internet where the spots did not come back. All other cases, they came back within six months. Not a bad treatment in my mind
These spots are a result of change in your body's chemistry whether its from aging or something external brought it on. Mine didnt come until I was 31. Others have them earlier or later, some have a lot and some just have a few pepper spots. others report them going away on their own, others report having them forever. Its different for everyone.
Im not trying to be negative about this issue, just tired trying all these crazy cures and it just made it worse or didnt help at all, which is even more frustrating. I will say what has helped me:
1. Changed my diet, a lot of fruits and veggies, no junk food or greasy stuff
2. Water, water, water
3. Vitamin A supp and a multi-vitamin (no accutane)
4. MOST importantly, I popped A LOT of them with my fingernails just as you would a zit. Apply salicylic acid by clear and clean on a regular basis, (you can read about this process in a previous post but its simple, pop it until all the oil is out, clean the area, wait to heal)
5. DO Not constantly freak out about them, poking, sticking, stretching, licking just makes the area inflamed and worse. The lips are just too sensitive
6. Apply a high SPF to your lips when exposed to sun
Also, people ask about scar tissue and yes, anywhere you have scar tissue on your lips as long as that previous injury went deep enough, there will not be any fordyce spots. Myself and others have experienced horrible cold sore breakouts when we were younger that went so deep, it took out the fordyce or didnt allow it to progress.
No method is full proof but my spots were definitely noticeable on both my upper lips, after spending a few minutes popping them, I was happy. I went from freaking out about not having a cure and booking laser treatments all over Denver, to not giving them a second thought. If you are reluctant, do what I did and pick an area or just a few spots and try popping them. Again, with what we know, this won't work for everyone. Ive tried everything in the book besides laser (was about to be my next step) and this worked for me. They do come back but not nearly as bad.
D
There is no homeremedie that works. Start living your life and stop worrying about this sh*t.
There is no homeremedie that works the only treatment that could help:
Co2 Laser!!!!!!!!!!! for longer periods.
Isotretinoin... it returns when u stop the treatment.
The needle... Endless treatment.
Tretinoin gel or cream may be an effective treatment if you apply it once daily to the affected area. You can use it along with alpha hydroxy acid agents, which exfoliate your skin. Tretinoin gel is also known as Retin-A Micro, and is primarily used to treat acne.ccutane
Accutane is more powerful than Tretinoin, and is for chronic cases of Fordyce's. Its generic name is istotretinoin. It is an oral drug that doctors normally prescribe to treat severe cases of acne after less powerful treatments (such as Tretinoin) have failed. You will need a prescription for Accutane, and pregnant women cannot take it because of the risk of birth defects. Accutane reduces the amount of oil your skin produces, so Fordyce's may return when you stop using the product.
Co2 Laser? does it really works? or make ur lips look worse?
Has anyone ever considered hyfrecation of these fordyce spots? Not a single person on this thread has mentioned hyfrecation, only co2 laser.
hi JT - it has been a year since you posted... I ended up here trying to look for some solace in the possibility that there is some way to make these spots less visible (even if they don't completely go away). I came across your post and I just wanted to say that what you wrote is exactly how I feel. Everyday is like dying a slow death and coming home and shutting yourself from everyone so you don't see the reaction on people's faces when they look at you seems to be the only thing I look forward to after the day is over. I tried the vbeam laser (pulse dye) a year ago and it did not work. I don't have any good news... but just wanted to put it out there that somehow your post made me feel less crazy. I felt the same exact thing you wrote about how ridiculous it is that small tiny spots can suck the everyday comfort and happiness you once felt before the spots appeared. I avoid mirrors at all costs! It's so sad, really. Anyhow, I am hoping for the best, hopefully, they become less visible over time or that a dermatological breakthrough occurs, meaning a doctor actually takes these spots seriously. In the meantime, hang in there.
After discovering that I have fordyce spots on my upper lip and after reading so many forums on the internet I was really depressed because I thought I will have them for the rest of my life. It did bother me so much that I made an appointment at a dermatologist, but I knew what he would say. So before even going to the doctor I tried something by my own.
This is what I used for my spots and it WORKED … I don’t have them anymore…I can’t see them anymore on my upper lip. Maybe they will come back but for now I don’t have them. They’re gone.
First I used peeling gel from Garnier for treating the black dark spots on the skin. I can’t find that product picture on their site but it contains salicyc acids and some other stuff. I live in Europe and it’s widely available in the stores. I rubbed my lips with it for about 5 minutes ( maybe more, I’m not sure).
The second step is rubbing my lips with a wet warm towel. Not too much or it will hurt the lips.
The third step is using a lip balm. I used a normal blue one from Rosal and I leave it on the lips overnight. I repeated these only 4 nights…today it’s the 5th night. I will continue doing it for few more days.
That’s it. :)
It worked for me. :)
Hi Guys! Kobe mate - how's it going? I'm no longer freaking out so much, but people still touch their lip while talking to me.
I tried a couple things since my last posts:
Protopic twice a day for a month - didn't do anything for me.
PIEB - popped the most visible spots out, they stay away for a month of so. But then they return, and it's freaking painful to pop them either way.
Apple Cider Vinegar peel. I used fine sandpaper (200 grit) to GENTLY & briefly (10-20s) exfoliate the surface of my lips which was too tough and wouldn't absorb ACV originally - You want to run the sandpaper over, not scrape: despite you not feeling it, it IS scraping the surface a LOT. Then I used aQ-Tip dipped in 5% ACV over my lips. It will burn but nothing too crazy, your lip will turn white and absorb the ACV. Do that for 10-30 minutes, letting your lip absorb it every 5 minutes until dry. Your lip will puff, it's normal. It will be dry/hurt the next few days. It should peel within 7-10 days. after 12 days your lip will look much better. The KEY is to use the sandpaper: it will allow the ACV to penetrate your lip! Note that this is unfortunately a temporary fix - your spots will come back within 2 months, but they do seem less. This originally allowed me to regain confidence and move on. I've done it 3 times so far (every 2-3 months), I think it gets better every time.
Diluted iodine mouthwash: I bought it online, mixed it to 5% then 2% dilution and used it twice a day. The first time I think I triggered a parotid gland swelling (half my face swelled after eating M&Ms) after a week, I quit, then tried only 2% dilution once a day and... well I guess it didn't do anything after 3 weeks of use so I stopped.
Tea trea oil - used it over lip before going to bed. Strong smell, piney/greeney. Dries up the lip a little, have used it a bit with ACV peel, and Iodine mouthwash. No amazing result to speak about, although it might have contributed to reduction.
Sugar free diet: I figured it might have to do with sugar consumption (I eat a lot of sugar - though normal levels bloodwise) so I cut it (processed only, then again 1g of sugar a meal was ok with me). I went sugar-free like for a month and I guess it was very healthy, however it did not seem to improve lip looks particularly - I did look better due to that diet though.
I am going to a derm cabinet on Rodeo drive to get PDT done on my lips. It's 500-700 but has less scaring potential than Co2 and seem to be gathering some interest (although the few papers out there seem to point at it not really helping Fordyce.) I hope it will help with my condition, which HAS fordyce but seem to be close to actinic keratosis as well, with my lips being dry-ish and stiff-ish without creams or the likes. From that friday, it will be a 10 day healing process and then I guess a 2 months followup.
I stand by my previous post nonetheless - we're treating symptoms but the underlying root might be some type of HPV out there - Did you guys get HPV swabs done? (had one done but they told me a snafu happened and they couldn't process them... go figure)
If you had them then your partner developed them, please update. It seems the incubation period was about 1.5 to 2 yrs for me.
Best to all - work is being done, meanwhile try to remember to live life itself.