Any ideas what this is on my son’s face…

[skirtingaroundit]

Seems to be a rash on his top lip. He’s almost 3. He’s had a cold. Unsure if it’s a rash from irritation or a cold sore or impetigo.

My son used to get this from eating tinned tomato/tomato sauces. It didn't seem to bother him and didn't last more than a few hours. He had very sensitive skin generally.

Sorry - also from using a metal-rimmed bottle, where the metal sort of made a circle over his top lip when he drank from it. Looks like yours might be too young for that but thought it worth mentioning.

If he’s had a cold and been more dribbly than usual, could it just be a spit rash, from being wet? Also exacerbated by runny nose/nose blowing.

Looks like it's chapped @skirtingaroundit put some Blisteez3 on it or some lip salve .

Thanks all. It looked like this before I got him home & managed to clean it up… with the weird little bumps

Is it anywhere else? Could be the start of hand foot and mouth?

Could it be lip lick dermatitis?

https://www.skin-diseases.eu/patient-information/english/dry-lips-and-lip-licking-dermatitis-eng.pdf

The second photo with the bumps looks like urticaria. I think he is probably allergic to something making contact there - see @ChuisEpuisee s posts right at the top.

Does he have a dummy or a new bottle or something that he is putting in his mouth regularly that is roughly that shape that is regularly having contact with his skin there?

I would be quite regimented about what he is putting in his mouth and do it by a process of elimination - kind of the way they check for food allergies start with the simplest plainest thing and gradually add in stuff. So start with a bottle you know is hypoallergenic or that he's not had any problems with and don't use any other toys or sucking things for a few days and see if it settles then add back in toys etc one by one.

EDIT: sorry I've just seen that he's 3 - so ignore that detail but I'd do the same process. If it's new, has he had a new toy or something he is putting in his mouth or sucking on.

My child has CMPA and we're on the ladder. He gets this when he's had too much allergen, made worse if he's snotty and/or been licking it.