What should you know about milia inside lip?

Milia are keratin-filled cysts most often found in the outer skin, especially on the face. The inside of the lip is a moist lining rather than ordinary facial skin, so a pale spot there may have a different explanation, such as a blocked minor salivary gland, a small injury, or local irritation. The colour, softness, tenderness, and relationship to biting or rubbing provide useful clues.

A true skin-coloured or pearly bump at the lip border is different from a lesion on the wet inner surface. A photograph and an examination are more useful than trying to compare it with online images.

Rinse gently with water, avoid biting or rubbing the area, and choose softer foods if chewing makes it sore. Do not pop, burn, scrape, or apply facial acne products inside the mouth. Keep regular oral hygiene, but use a soft brush around a tender spot.

For background, read about [Milia](/conditions/milia/) and [Skin Bumps](/symptoms/skin-bumps/). [Topical Retinoids](/treatments/medical-dermatology/topical-retinoids/) and [Curettage And Cautery](/treatments/surgical-dermatology/curettage-and-cautery/) are not do-it-yourself options for an inner-lip lesion.

Book an assessment if the spot does not settle, returns in the same place, grows, bleeds, becomes firm, or causes ongoing pain. Seek prompt care for facial swelling, fever, difficulty swallowing, difficulty breathing, or pus-like drainage. A clinician or dentist can distinguish a mucosal lesion from [Whiteheads](/symptoms/whiteheads/) or a bump on the outer lip.

Ask whether the bump is on the inner lip lining or the outer lip skin, whether a dental examination is appropriate, and whether biting, a sharp tooth, or a product could be irritating it. Ask what change should prompt earlier review.