View Full Version : Fordyce Spots on Lips
Hello all. After almost a year HA free, I'm currently in the middle of a new HA spiral. I have what I believe are called fordyce spots (prominent sebaceous glands) on my lips and have had them for a while. They are in corners of mouth and are only really visible when im up close to a mirror with my mouth open.
I also have an area in the inside centre of my top lip. The rational part of me knows that they've been there for ages but I've never worried about them for one second. But, Anxiety is working it's magic.
Has anyone else got these and does anyone have any tips for concealing or reducing them? Been over thinking about these for a week and to be honest I'm pretty tired. Been looking at old photos of myself and googling random male celebrities to see what their lips are like. The things we do when the HA comes knocking.
Attached images; please forgive the poutiness of my lips.
MyNameIsTerry
26-02-18, 06:21
I don't about the concealing of them but I've had them puberty, but not on my lips :blush:
Stretching the skin tends to reveal them more.
Thanks for your reply. I also have them in a different area :) and, after the initial despair, they haven't bothered me.
I'm just concerned how my lips look, but I'm looking at A photo from 18 months ago and the FS are visible.
Does anyone else have these?
Yep, but had no idea what they were until you put the title up here and I looked it up. I have them very prominently round corners, inside and over my lips (kind of inside towards the part that is closer to the teeth) Actually, now you mention it they are in other places too. I've always had them in my adult life and honestly had no idea they were a 'something', albeit a harmless and benign something. So, don't most people have this? or are we special? I honestly thought it was just absolutely normal anatomy. They honestly really don't show, unless you stretch your tissue out, and nobody would ever know they are there. Others aren't scrutinising our skin up close! You could wear lipstick I suppose? :winks:
Edited to add - this shouldn't really be a HA thing, as they are the most harmless, nothingness things :)
Hi Carys, thank you for your response. I haven't really helped myself during the last two weeks, as I've basically had my face pressed against every mirror in the house to get a close up look.
I guess you're right that people aren't going to be studying the finer details of my ugly mug so it's mostly my anxiety that's skewing reality.
They are a normal part of the human body, but they are more pronounced than standard sebaceous glands, with no cure as such available, only private cosmetic treatments are out there. My Health Anxiety is attaching all sorts of other possible explanations as to what it is, and I made the rookie mistake of spending too much time with Dr Google.
With the cold weather, we're experiencing, my lips are dry too so all in all there feeling grotty and that seems to enough to get my mind whirling right now.
I appreciate you taking the time to reply :)
Feel like a wally. After showing images of my lips to two online doctors, and checking photos of myself from a couple of years ago, checking countless pictures of celebrities (sans makeup) aaaaannnnd actually paying a visit to a GP yesterday who told me he "couldn't see anything to worry about"... I still got myself into a tizz and broke down last night. :huh:
Struggling to shake this latest obsession. Illogical and irrational are double teaming on my normal thought process.:wacko:
Struggling today. Last night I look in the mirror and was coming back down to earth regarding my lips. I wake up today and I end up in a spin. This may seem like a really small thing, perhaps even narcissistic but I am aware of this lighter patch on the inside edge of my top lip and I can't get it out of my head.
Does anyone else have this condition with their lips and anyone have any advice on how to conceal the appearance?
Paul, me again:D
Don't bother scrutinising images of celebs, they won't show reality as everything is digitially altered and they wear bags of make-up. I think this really is such a minor 'cosmetic' issue, that covering them up is a road to nowhere.....lumps bumps and blemishes are going to appear normally on the human body over the years....and just accepting them would be preferrable. Of course you can conceal them if you wish, women know the tricks, use a foundation type product lightly on your lips and then cover with lipstick or a tinted lip balm. However, I think you can see the issue here, that is going to look far more obvious than some natural enlarged oil glands and people might wonder why you are using concealer and lipstick products? Apparently 70-80 percent of adults have them, so you really aren't alone!
Here is a good article if you've not read it:
https://www.healthline.com/health/fordyce-spots
Edited to add - it talks at the bottom of the article about treatments to cosmetically reduce or remove them, BUT, as you will see from the treatment options there are various possible side-effects that sound almost worse than the original problem.
Elliejane44
04-03-18, 16:16
Hi Paul
Just to let you know I had a week or so of health anxiety over these spots. I suddenly noticed them on holiday last July and panicked then googled and saw it was fordyce spots. As you I knew it was nothing serious and purely cosmetic . My worry was they would get much worse !! I used to ask my 13 year old son every day if it was any different as my husband would go mad . No one could say they saw much ! I just started not to look gradually and eventually it passed although was replaced by another worry that put that one into insignificance !! Think I moved onto ms or something else more serious .
I remember in the queue to check in at airport looking at everyone lips !! And believe me there was loads worse . We just don't notice it . I can cover up with lipstick but don't .
Just don't pay attention to it don't look , and move on. Keep a record of how many times you check and try to reduce every day
Your lips look fine to me btw .
It funny what we obsesses on. I had health anxiety for a good while .
Ellie
Thank you for your replies Carys and Elliejane.
Ive been through periods of bouncing from one worry to another worry and moving onto another part of my body.
I seem to be holding onto this one and my mind is refusing to let it go. I too have been looking at everyone I see and seeing what their lips look like. Feel like I'm going bonkers.
If my lips were thinner then I guess it'd be easier to forget and move on. But the areas where the spots are extends outwards and is visible.
I will be going back to the doctors this week; a) to double check my lip and b) get help with the anxiety.
Elliejane44
04-03-18, 17:40
what exactly are you worried off ? That is looks horrible or it is going to get worse ?
To me it looks ok and unlikely to change .
Don't look and get cbt organised .
Ellie
My worry is both of those things. I'm worried about how unsightly they are now and concerned that they'll get worse.
I think you should read your signature more often, especially since you don't live in a jungle :whistles:
Anxiety is a waste of time and energy. Unless you wake up in a jungle, then it's pretty useful.
Positive thoughts
Hi Fishmanpa; I know, I know. I will try.
Hi Fishmanpa; I know, I know. I will try.
When you think about it, is it any different than having a mole or birth mark that's visible? I have two moles on my face that I've had forever. No biggie :shrug:
Positive thoughts
When you think about it, is it any different than having a mole or birth mark that's visible? I have two moles on my face that I've had forever. No biggie :shrug:
Positive thoughts
True. The difference for me is, if I had a mole on my face then people can say and think "that's a mole".
With my lips looking like this, then people can say "WHAT is that on that blokes lips". I've never seen anyone's lips that look like mine.
MyNameIsTerry
05-03-18, 02:03
Paul,
I looked at your photos when I first posted. I just looked again. All I see are quite normal looking lips.
What do you see when you look at these spots on the lips of others and then compare to yours? Do you always find yourself thinking yours look worse?
Have you a history of self esteem issues or worrying about your appearance? My skin has always been poor all over and I can remember as a younger man/lad being more focussed on my face due to acne, something I had basic meds for in my teenage days. I have plenty of pits and loads of scars on my body (skin picking problems) so I've come to terms with stuff like this but when I was younger I did feel self conscious about it.
I can also see more women being concerned about something like this as they try to improve their faces compared to most men who likely just believe a facial beauty regime stops at having a wash. :winks: Not that there's a problem with men who want to take care of their skin, or use make up, but I think it's less commonly an issue for men as we are under less pressure from early life to improve our faces. Basically, I'm trying to say it may be less noticeable to most and those more likely to notice are women who throughout most of the country are probably just glad most of us have a shave, a wash and brush out teeth :biggrin:
Hi Terry, thank you for your reply. I don't see the same thing on other people's lips which is sort of frustrating, because I'm lead to believe it's very common. The spots/glands are sometimes smaller than 1mm so I probably wouldn't see anything like that from a distance.
I guess I've driven myself stupid for 2 weeks, looking and relooking at myself in a mirror. Taking countless photos of my lips and generally working myself into another state of anxiety.
Edited to Add:
With regards to Self Esteem; I have had issues with it since I was a boy, even last week it was highlighed by one my managers at work in a 1-to-1 meeting, nearly 30 years later.
Visited GP and she reckoned it's fungal and has prescribed Miconazole Cream. I mentioned all the things my mind had thought it was, including Fordyce Spots.
She didn't seem to recognise fordyce spots as a thing.
She expressed concern about my anxiety.
Well, I'd be interested to hear if you have any luck with the cream, the GP should have heard of/seen the spots they are common on lots of mucus membrane areas for a large percentage of people. If it is something different to what you thought it was (something fungal), and it resolves, then I guess you will be really pleased :D
The idea of it being fungus and potentially clearing is far more appealing than living with these ugly spots. I'll be bitterly disappointed if it doesn't clear.
Yes, I can see that. :D However, now you've got me looking at my actual f spots everytime I look in the mirror:roflmao:
Has it worked - the cream ???
Hi Carys. The jury is out; I'm applying it to a concentrated area as I was finding it difficult to keep my lips dry whilst asleep. I'm a hell of lot calmer now than I was over the previous 3 weeks and I'm at peace with idea of my lips being the way they are.
I'm noticing similar or the same kind of things on people I meet and people on the tellybox.
I will come back in a weeks time as that will be the end of the advised two weeks.
I'm noticing similar or the same kind of things on people I meet and people on the tellybox.
There we go ! :D Anyway, if it doesn't seem to have had an effect then to be honest acceptance that lots of people ARE this way is definitely the way to go.
MyNameIsTerry
15-03-18, 02:14
Paul,
I'm really pleased to hear this because to be honest with you, your lips don't look how you are telling us they look. They look fine to me but to you they seemed a much bigger concern so it was pointing towards the perception issue we often see on here.
Did you find yourself accepting it and things started improving or have your overall anxiety levels decreased hence you've regained some of the control over thoughts?
Hi Terry,
I was still a little anxious on Saturday but had my parents round for an early Mothers Day. After a good chat with them and my girlfriend, I made a promise to myself to accept it. Spent the rest of the day chilling and watching one of our favourite box sets. Naturally, the distraction helped me relax and my anxiety levels dropped. I'm feeling good, more like myself and getting on with the day to day stuff. Control seems to have been restored.
I the difference in how I see myself today, compared to the past 3 weeks is huge.
Excellent, well done you..... its liberating isn't it, to just say 'my body is like that, move on'. :D
MyNameIsTerry
15-03-18, 12:15
Great work, Paul. You do sound different too, more objective.
I found the same on that tackling my OCD initially was fruitless but switching to reducing the constant high levels of my GAD brought down my constant anxiety just enough to allow me to start getting somewhere with the OCD.
Update
Lips remain the same, so it's something i'm going to live with.
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